Signs of the Times

What I saw during my walk on Main Strret and Abbot Kinney.....Have a seat, please

A B & M Railroad Tribe Journey

Stuff I did Saturday night, in pictures

A Tree House Grows in Venice

Strolling through a hidden pocket neighborhood in Venice I came across a narrow "walk street" where homes face a walking path without the view, noise, or clutter of cars, people or traffic. As I stumbled down this beautiful path I came across a tree house which intruiged me, as I grew up in a big city where a tree house was merely a story book dream.

It looked so welcoming and large I was wondering if I might be able to move there, high above the land lubbers. It would be considered a SFR. Ha.

Going back to school was interesting, sitting next to students half the age of my children. I'm learning more about education than getting educated. Education is a big business today with costs rising to the point that many students need to have good grades to attend state sponsored colleges or universities. Scholoships are available to students through due diligence in their research.

Sis is visiting dad in Boca. Jen had her birthday last week. Jake is OK. David returned from a short business trip and Ann and clan are all doing well.

Well I got up early to complete some chores before I head to Santa Monica's Farmer's Market where the yuppies, hippies, breeders and artisens meet and greet while selecting healthy food and drinks. It should be fun as always.

Ciao for now.

A few good days

Enjoyed lunch with the Bees, my friends from Westlake village, on Thursday. We met half way in the west valley at our favorite Indian buffet restaurant, Shalimar where their speciality is mulligatawny soup, saffron rice which mixes well with the paprika bright red tandoori chicken, hunter green creamed spinach, yellow curried hard boiled eggs chick peas with green peas and white potatoes. All courses followed by sweetened rice pudding with cinnamon and raisins. Mmmmm.

Fatboy was supposed to be there too but couldn’t join us for lunch. His grandpa passed on last week so he took off for the cold middle west to pay his respects. My condolences to he and his family.

David and I made our travel arrangements Friday for my to visit to see him and his family, including my new grandson, for a long weekend in Feb. It will be good to see his wife Tami, the new Benji, the old twins Grace and Hannah and of course sis Keri and maybe even Tom and Suzanne. Who knows what other surprises may bring.

Was feeling a bit blue Saturday as I was anticipating my usual venture out to visit Bergamot station art galleries where only a few opening receptions were scheduled that evening. Got itchy so I left my flat earlier than usual, got a good parking spot and saw the old regular gallery crawlers wandering around as well waiting for the wine bar to open.

Met Mike first. He’s the king schnoorer. Knows of every free-be event in town. He chatted me up as usual asking for writing tips he’ll ever use. Maybe I’m uncomfortable around him because he’s a mirror of the other world to me in some ways. I’ve been schnooring and not putting in the writing time required myself.

The best art exhibit of the evening was actually pretty cool with original classic and newly rendered reproductions of ancient album covers of various music genres. Maybe that’s way it attracted so many musicians and wannabes. The wide variety of costumes were pretty darn cool looking. Traditional conservs, GBers, Goths, PP and mad hatters.

Wanted to get into the swing of things by looking like the artist I’m not. Dressed more like an artist hipster than a hipster artist with my Chinese Mao cap, cargo pants, striped sweater and jean vest I didn’t even stand out in the circus dressed crowd.

Told people I was a writer and blogger which is one and one-half percent true. Had a couple of cocktails so I read the palms of a few beautiful women. One was a makeup artist who was “in” with the several musician celebrities whose names escape me.

She introduced me to a rock band like looking man named Billy who was dressed as if he were about to go on stage and perform in front of a hundred thousand people. He wore a feathered watch cap type hat, a long two pointed reddish blond beard. We chatted for about ten minutes. Then suddenly the gallery exploded with gawkers and the crowd gyrated straight to Billy asking for hugs kisses and autographs.

I guess I’m not as hip as I thought. Billy turned out to be Billy Gibbens of ZZ Top.Real nice fellow with a pleasant soft voice and welcoming personality. Cool cat, man. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRYy4OBEvHE

Sunday morning was a typical trip to Peets sipping, eating and reading. Mmmmm good. Got bored and a bit unsettled while listening to two very young beautiful mothers talking about a house one them just purchased at a bargain price of under three mm. Guess I became envious. I left and went to the local farmers market down the road in Brentwood. Not as cool as the one on Main & OP but I was too lazy to head down to the beach and wanted some bread and tasty fruits mixed in with a true hip crowd of locals. Lots of kids and a few farm animal too.

Did some laundry and food marketing. Had a good but too large dinner at home for a change and was grazing for hours. It felt good but I had way too much.

Today is MLK birthday with all sorts of tribute events around town. There’s one in Santa Monica so I’ll be attending in a couple of hours.

Ciao for now

Thanksgiving Weekend is over

I like these doors. They are a find and hidden on a side street court you couldn't find without a treasure map I'm hiding in the hollow heel of my shoe.

you

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday with all the foods I love to eat but without my family and friends. Don't mean to sound but the food doesn't mean much without the friends and family to tell me how I'm ruining my life.  Have you heard that one before? Who hasn't?

I also like these hidden doors: 

All over town yesterday

Greetings,

Yesterday was an odd ball day in that I had an early morning appointment at the witch doctors and headed home to write to which I was not very accommodating to myself. Not attributed to writers block as much as distracted block. Yes I'm easily distracted. So I web surfed too long for my own good, crashed and burned.

Eventually, got back to my writing but had to prepare my notes in long hand which I believe is both archaic and a time waster as I'm compelled to transfer my notes. Wrote down an outline with which I was barely satisfied but then got onto the net again surfing for a new place to live. I was all over he place figuratively, literally and geographically. Not even close to a solution. Help.

Waited until he last minute to leave my place so I was not properly dressed when I headed down to the promenade for for my iweb instructional meeting before I was to attend my Friday night Mtribe spiritual and social event.

Finished my iweb mac class where I finally learned something of value to help me set up my new web site. My plan is to complete the "good enough" web site this weekend. Later, I was off to the Mtribe for my weekly spiritual fix of prayer, meditation and a sprinkle of socializing. Was a bit cross with myself in that I wasn't dressed as nicely as I should have since there was a special event which attracted a good number of well dressed members. Oh well, I'll think more carefully next time.

Got up late this morning, Saturday and headed to my favorite spots. I would have through the slightly cooler weather would have kept people indoors but it was just cooler rather than cold so many hipsters were out and about. I enjoyed my usual tasty and java while reading the paper this morning which contained stale roux stories (yawn) and and went to the library to sort out my words in a stream of consciousness style which I both distrust and find a good exercise to help get me to Carnegie Hall. You know practice.....

Am looking forward to Duttons event in a little while and concert at the library; but not as much as the myriad of gallery opening tonight at Bergamont. should be fun. We'll see.

That's all for now
Abba

Concrete tower hot box

Good morning my brothers and sisters from around the world.

I didn't sleep very well last night so please allow me to ramble on for a few moments as I finish my bagel and coffee in a sweet spot on a cool morning while editing my hand written notes and today's to do list before I put myself into first gear on the computer.

Whimpered my way to the library which is nice, cool and unusually quiet for a Saturday morning, I read some rather trite e-mails. a few uninteresting blogs, bad news on the state of the economy and an uninspiring human interest story about...it doesn't matter?

One story troubled me as I'm strong believer that life sometimes pitches us an unexpected curve ball was a story about Oprah. Although I don't know her, I like Oprah and am sad to see her name associated with an unfortunate incident at a school she so diligently supports. It seems her good intentions and acts of kinds and Charity are being overshadowed by life's imperfection of an unpredictable incident at her personally supported school.

What can I say? I trust the issue will soon be resolved so Oprah can move on with her good intentions and acts of charity and kindness. All this will be old news soon and I support her altruistic efforts. Thank you.

Anyway, I need to continue to whine a bit more about my sad, lonely and boring story. I've been longing to leave my teeny hot box apartment in the concrete tower on the west side of town for so long now it has left me immobilized. I'm sure my few friends, relatives and neighbors are tired of hearing me whine about it. Actually I'm a bit tired myself talking and thinking about moving. Yes, its time to metaphorically move on with my life which would be a positive move both physically and emotionally.

Although there are many reasons to move on with my life, I don't know if it's climate, body, or building engineering changes, but no matter how cool the outside temperature is, the inside of my botanical greenhouse effect flat is like living in an intentionally designed solar heating unit. Maybe if I just gather some branches to tap myself on the shoulder from time to time I can emulate enjoying a dry sauna. Ha. Actually, its not so funny.

Moving on with one's life is a major sticking, picking and thinking point for most of us. We'll tell ourselves we need to cleanup up our act and space, get rid of old baggage that's just weighing us down and take the next step toward the uncertain future since nothing in life is a sure thing.

If we're looking for security, forget it. Security is a mythical concept, not an item one can hold in their hands to touch, smell, feel or taste. So what does moving on with one's life really mean? I believe it means courage.

I'm envious of those who feel comfortable in their lives where they are today. They don't need to move on as voraciously as others who are lost. However, there are many of us are motivated by fear and we, or rather I, need to take the rough road of courage to move on.

Is it easy taking the new road less traveled? Nothing worthwhile in life is easy. So, if we don't try we feel artificially safe. If we do it's a risk we're afraid to take. However, if we just do it, we're not just moving on but rather moving forward in a positive way.

Yikes, its Saturday morning and I'm preaching to myself under the guise of helping others. What a laugh. Life is funny. No doubt. Who am I to preach to others.

As a lover of cliches, the tag line I think of most often as a my mantra is Nike's "just Do it". Many times I put off completing one task until a previous task is completed first. Which usually never curers. This week was the start of my just doing it with vim and vigor. I started and completed tasks without the need or pretext of another task which needed to be done first.

As I read this I feel well done. Baked in my early morning, sleep deprived class of one. So, its time to move on and I will.

The sun is shining and I'm heading down the road to an author book reading and signing event at Duttons. Its a place many word and book lovers attend to support the bookstore ownership, architecture and authors. AS I write these words my spirits are lifted. Yes. Wow.

Then later after my afternoon nap, I'll be taking pictures and viewing artwork at a local art gallery I enjoy visiting on Saturday nights. They're usually fun and interesting at least. I get to meet some people, listen to their sad stories as I fib about my life as well. Its good clean family fun for all.

That's all for now. Thanks for being good listeners.

Tea Kettle and looking west

Hello folks.

I just finished reading a wonderful web blog site which unexpectedly inspired me to write in this journal today. And to keep on writing as vigorously as I can since I so much enjoy putting my thoughts onto the modern day page aptly named the Internet.

After being cooped up in my tiny apartment I needed to stretch my legs and change my scenery. After looking at my kettle on the stove sitting by itself looking so lonely I thought this could be me as well. So I ventured out to my favorite breakfast place New York Bagel for a delicious hearty bagel with butter; and then moved on to Peets coffee where the sweet exotic aromas and comfortable chair were waiting for me with open arms.

Next door is the the local library. It's clean, comfortable and lovely with several computers connected to the Internet making it easy to get on line after my short walk. There is a wide variety of public library community goers here from book loving seniors, young mothers with their small children, lunch time workers venturing to conduct some personal e-mail business, some street people and the unemployed.

This wide variety of eclectic sorts take full advantage of the superb library services. Here is a public venue that truly serves all. Kudos to the city of LA and the gracious staff of librarians who are asked and will answer any question they can. I am especially grateful as I use the city services often. Thank you.

Since I have a new Mac book, I will be heading to the Apple store at the Santa Monica Promenade store this afternoon for one of their open classes which I much enjoy attending. Not just the enthusiastic teachers but the upbeat environment which is like attending a party with computers instead of martinis and party favors. Oh well.

Then off to my Friday night spiritual tribe where a small group of us meet each week. I look forward to attending as I see and listen to the friendly familiar faces and voices. At the end of the week its a wonderfully recharging and centering event.

Ah its a rough life.

Keep your spirits up.

Ciao for now.
Abba