A Fountain In Albuquerque

My Water Post For Today.

The next few weeks I will highlight things I saw on my train trip. Beginning with the only stop where we got off the train.

This is Albuquerque, New Mexico.

We spent an hour there on our journey. We walked around the area and on our way back to the Amtrak Station, we passed this fountain. It was nice to see. With its southwest feel, coming from the arches that surround it, to the blue tile, it was good to see. Especially after so many hours in a train.

I hope you enjoy it.

Shakespeare Bridge From Below

Ever since I found the Militant Angelinos blog post tracing Sacatela Creek, I have wanted to find the street that actually follows the old creakbed and sits directly below the Shakespeare Bridge. I thought I knew where access to it was. As it ended up, after several aborted attempts, I finally gave up and checked in with Google Maps. There I found out that I really did have NO CLUE where that access point was. It is a road right across from John Marshall High School, quite a distance from the bridge. Of course if I was paying attention I would have realized that the low spot in the road there by the High School was part of the old creek! Duh!

It was just around sunset, when I managed to make the detour down the road that leads to the dead end under the bridge. Its quite dramatic and the photos do not do it justice. It is just an incredible presence in the entire area and so worth a trip. If I have more time, I definitely want to return and explore more.

I hope you get some of the feel of the bridge.

Rainy Day North Hollywood

It had rained earlier in the day, even though the weather report swore we would get none.
By the time I got to North Hollywood in the afternoon, the clouds had moved mostly to the east of my location and so the sun was brightly shining over to the west.
The net result of this was very dark clouds and a very lit up yellow building. I found it so beautiful, in spite of the fact that the bus bay is in the foreground of the photo.

By the way, this photo is straight out of the camera...no touch ups at all. Enjoy.

Lady Rain

I will begin this post, with a link to a song. Lady Rain by Hall and Oates. Click the link, you won't regret it. :-)

I really know nothing much about Hall and Oates and the history of their different albums, but what I do see is that I am being drawn to the style of their songs on the album Abandoned Luncheonette. Maybe someday I will even purchase it.

This is a cut from that album. I happened upon it the other day, while looking at some T-Bone Wolk footage (see my post on Live From Daryl's House, for more on T-Bone). John Oates did an acoustic version of this song with T-Bone back in 2008 and as I was listening to it for the very first time, I saw that over on the side were other choices and this version from 1976 was among them.
It's a clip from an English show called The Old Grey Whistle Test. I have mentioned the show before in this post. The other clips from the show that I have seen on You Tube are pretty impressive and this one is no exception.




Enjoy a flash back to the 70's...no big hair, tight blue jeans, Daryl on mandolin and some Lady Rain.





Lady Rain
Hall and Oates

Chorus:
Lady Rain lay your sobbing hair down on my shoulder
Lady Rain, do your cloudy eyes see me much older

Can you see my past, can you find my future
Should I take it slower, til my life is over
Oh Lady Rain...is it I'll be going down in pain

Chorus

Was I always wise, were you just pretending
That my days would flow...smooth and slow toward its ending
Oh Lady Rain...is it I'll be going down in pain

Instrumental Break

Chorus

Can you see my past, can you find my future
Should I take it slower, til my life is over
Oh Lady Rain...is it I'll be going down in pain



==============================

When you get tired of the rain, here's a few more that have been rocking my world.


Possession Obsession (John Oates just kicks a$$ on this live version).


Method of Modern Love (M-E-T-H-O-D O-F L-O-V-E)


Enjoy.

Centered In The Universe - A College Project At Griffith Observatory

My son asked me the other day if I was available to take a road trip to the Griffith Observatory. His Chemistry Class was meeting up to watch the show that is currently playing in the Planetarium: Centered In The Universe. My Husband and I did not get to see it on our last trip up there and so both of us decided to go along. What the heck. :-)
We got there early and decided to buy the tickets and then drive back down to get some dinner. As we made the long climb up the mountain by the Hollywood sign, we figured out that this idea may not work for us. The cars were all the way down the hill, parked like up to a mile from the summit. Not our idea of a great time, so when we got to the top, I let the guys out and then asked if they wanted me to take a space, if one should open up. I got a definite yes from them and so I waited...and I waited...and I waited some more. Suddenly there was action at the very first space, so I keep my eye on it. After about 5 minutes of hugging and talking and all around not moving fast...with me just keeping an eye out and not moving my car, they finally get in. I make my move, blocking any potential other drivers and then as they finally move out...I move into the space. YES!!!!!

We decide then and there that we will suffer with a hot dog at the Cafe at the Edge of the Universe and then stand on line for tickets. Finally, we see some of the students and the teacher and so the evening begins. We go to the movie (which was excellent, by the way). They use the thing that puts the stars up on the top of the theater, for maybe the first 3rd of the performance and then use lots of wonderful moving visuals, that make you feel like you are in the action. We were warned that if we got motion sickness, to shut our eyes for a moment, since in reality, we are not moving. At one point, I did do that and yes, it helped.
After we were finished watching the movie, we moved upstairs to the top of the building and waited for the sunset to happen. It was a wonderful time and oh so beautiful.
Finally, dinner at Exotic Thai restaurant in Burbank. We ended up closing down the place and didn't get home til 11:30PM. What a night!

===============
Photo #1 is of my son,
my REAL son, on the
top of the Observatory.

Towel Day 2010

My friend mentioned on his Facebook page that Tuesday 5/25 was the day to celebrate the life of the late writer Douglas Adams.

Douglas Adams wrote a book called The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. If you know anything about either the book or the movies, then you know the significance of a traveling with your towel.

Since I have a very small towel that I use for swimming, I decided to bring it along on the bus and subway on Tuesday, to see if anyone knew what it meant. I got no comments from the riders...but I found that I felt very competent and ready to take on anything that came my way. :-)

So long Douglas, and thanks for all the fish.

Walking Santa Clarita

This is the paseo bridge right by my bus stop.

It leads into the area of Santa Clarita called Valencia.
Newhall Land and Farming built Valencia beginning back in the 1967 and one of the things that make it so special, are the paseos that are incorporated into the area. This one ends up passing shopping, parks, schools and crosses many bridges over the roads in the area. Since the weather is getting nicer and the sun is up later in the evening, I asked my Hubby if he wanted to pick me up from my bus stop in the evening and go for a nice walk in the paseo. He agreed and so yesterday was our first day walking an area we hadn't done since my son was a baby in the stroller. It was a perfect first walk...not too, too far, but enough for a half hour or so walk. Neither of us kept an eye out on the time, but that's my best guess.

Tonight, no walk...because its the season finale of NCIS. Hubby has his priorities, of course.

On The North Shore Of Long Island - Rocks And Water

My Water Post For Today.

Something that we rarely get down in Southern California. Rocks on the shore.

This is the North Shore of Long Island.

Lots of cliffs and rocks and less wave action, then on Long Island's Southern Shore. But beautiful in its own way.
I have more photos to share, but I thought I would start with the rocks and the water.

I hope you Enjoy.

Sunset At Griffith Park

Sunset at the Griffith Observatory, just a few short hours ago.

My son had an extra credit project, which involved a meet up of members of his Chemistry class at Griffith Observatory. He asked it we wanted to come along, since it was a totally casual thing. We decided to go and after watching the Planetarium show, we walked out on the roof of the building and were rewarded with this spectacular sunset.
Hollywood sign off on the right and the elevator to the lower levels of the observatory down below. It was beautiful to see.

A Fractured Fairy Tale

I don't know about you, but this photo just makes me want to cry.

I don't know what it is or why he was made up, but I am sure it was probably a training exercise...or at least I pray it was a training exercise.

Especially that sign hanging on his neck saying he had a compound fracture. As I mentioned when I saw the photo, yeah, he has a compound fracture of the head. :-)

Actually, his real mother can attest to the fact that this man is no stranger to ER rooms. He was quite the accident magnet, as a child...or at least that's what I heard. I remember him having bike accidents, when in High School. Especially one where he was hit by a car not a mile or so from my house. Hopefully, he is taken better care of at his duty station.


He's my "other" son. The few, the proud, the Marine.

Live From Daryl's House

If you have not found this Internet web page, I highly recommend giving it a look see.

Live From Daryl's House is the Internet presence of Daryl Hall, lead singer of the group, Hall and Oates. He came up with this idea a few years ago, of having a monthly Internet show that celebrates music. I am totally into music, the watching the guests Daryl invites, come together along with his band and create music, is quite a wondrous thing. Yes, I am sure it's a bit of a vanity project, but that aside, it's always interesting, the music they create is always something worth listening to and sometimes you even find some other group, who you might want to check out.

All big wins in my book.


On a special note: I had been viewing these shows for maybe 5 or so months, when in February, one of Daryl's long time band members, Tom "T-Bone" Wolk passed away. This month is a tribute to his music and his life. I would suggest that if you do not know T-bone, you skip this one and instead watch from the beginning.

Let me know if you do, even if it's months from now.

Chicago Transit Authority

Back when I was in Chicago, my husband pointed out this lovely view of the Chicago transit system, framed by a park we were in. I took the photo and uploaded it, but didn't get a chance to showcase it, during my short time commenting on the Chicago leg of our journey. So here it is.

It's part of the Chicago Loop (the left side, if you care). As I mentioned before, the Chicago Loop is a 6 block area of downtown, ringed by an overhead transit line, called the "L" (or elevated).
This particular section rides over Wells Street, at this point and the park is at the corner of Monroe and Wells.
Chicago is very into public areas, which is a thing that I am so on board with. I love feeling nature, in the midst of a concrete jungle.

I hope you enjoy.

30 Seconds To Mars At The Greek Theatre - May 15, 2010

What to say, what to say?

As some of you know, I am a veteran concert goer. Most of my concert experience over the past 10 years is thanks to Steely Dan, but I have enjoyed many artists over the past 40 years. I have watched as the audience has aged at concerts that I frequently attend. Sitting down for the entire show and only getting up off their butts at the encore. It pains me sometimes, because I am a dancing in place type of girl. I love moving to the music and getting into the experience. Seat dancing is not my idea of a good time...but enough of that.
Let's move on to my review of the first concert I have gone to, where the average age of the audience was probably 20 years (or more) younger then me. My partner in crime this fine evening is 35 (yes) years younger then me. Thanks so much my Marine "Other" son, for putting up with this oldie who could easily BE your mother.



30 Seconds To Mars at The Greek Theatre on Saturday night May 15, 2010, was one TOTALLY AWESOME SHOW.

I knew their latest CD by heart and I sang (after a fashion) the entire thing. The only song I didn't know was Bad Romance by Lady Gaga, but my partner in concert crime knew it, so he sang it for me. :-)

Jared Leto is an actor by trade and training and it showed in the presentation of the songs. He reminds me a bit of Mick Jagger, in that regard. Strutting around the stage, making the audience sing with him. He yelled at us to jump and the told us to nudge anyone who was not jumping and enjoying the night. If anyone was sitting before he told us this, that stopped them right there. We were dancing, jumping, screaming and all around having one heck of a great time.

Unfortunately for this music lover, it was almost impossible to see the guitarist and bassist, due to the very low lights on them. It was probably my biggest criticism of the performance. The sound was great, the lighting, a bit too overdone, to the detriment of the other players.



In bad things having nothing to do with the band. There were 3 opening groups, which both of us decided did nothing for us, musically. It wasn't horrid, but it was forgettable. I still have problems with their names. One was Shiny Toy Guns, Neon Trees and Street Drum Corps (who helped 30STM with percussion for some of their songs). The upshoot of all those opening acts was that 30STM did not hit the stage until 9:30PM and got the hook at 11PM. A very short set, for a top billing act.

In things that might offend others (but not me) Jared is totally into cursing, which I knew and it made me laugh every time he would say something. Trust me, that man will never see PBS before 10PM, with the amount of F bombs that he uttered. :-)

If you would like to see what parts of the show looked like, feel free to check out some of the You Tube videos that I linked to.

The show was electric...truly.

I was so glad we made it happen.

Thanks again, my "favorite" son. I will never forget.


SET LIST

You Tube video of Escape and Night of the Hunter.

Attack

You Tube video of Search and Destroy.

From Yesterday

You Tube video of This Is War.

100 Suns

L490

The Story/Bad Romance (Lady Gaga)/The Kill

You Tube video of Closer to the Edge.

Hurricane

You Tube video from up on stage. Kings and Queens.


I didn't realize that I had posted so much on this band. If you are interested in my reviews of their 3 CD's or my original post when I happened to see them perform at NASCAR, please click the links.

NASCAR Where it all began.

30 Seconds To Mars First CD
A Beautiful Lie Second CD
This Is War (a Trip to the Hive just after the launch of the Third CD)

Low Income Housing And Transit Village At Hollywood & Western

This is the apartment complex directly above the Hollywood Western Subway Station.

The other day, as I was taking the escalator down to platform level, I glanced up and saw this outstanding view of the building framed by the subway entrance. Right then and there I decided that next time I was at that subway station, I would pull out my camera and get that shot.

Of course in the course of dealing with it, I checked out what exactly this building is.

It ends up that after the subway was built, they used the land that was the construction zone as a place to put in some low income housing, with an emphasis on utilizing the public transportation directly below.





A good idea in theory, especially since there is a high immigrant population in Thai Town.
Unfortunately, I hear that the reality is not quite what you would expect. The buildings do house people, but the shops that are on the first floor are mostly not occupied. In this economy, I am sure it's even worse then normal.

That sad situation aside...from an artistic standpoint, I love the different colors and the way they windows are not all the same, but created unique. It definitely stands out to me.

I would love a tour. Too bad that I don't see that ever happening.

Erie Canal

My Water Post For Today.

If you have never been to the Upstate New York area, you have seriously missed out on something truly unforgettable.

The Erie Canal cuts across the entire length of the upper New York State area. As they sang in school, From Albany to Buffalo.

My family has a real interest in the Erie Canal. It goes all the way back to me going to Oswego State University. The town of Oswego is on the Oswego River. Many years ago, they built locks on it and became the Oswego Canal. It connects the Erie Canal to Canada, via Lake Ontario. Many vacations during my life have been spent in places like Albany (we traveled the Waterford Flight of Five one time) and have seen the locks in Oswego, Rochester and the Buffalo area, by the town of Tonawanda. Every area is great to visit and to watch.

I hope you enjoy a glimpse of yesterday, in my water post.


Low bridge ev'-ry bod-y down,
Low bridge for we're com-in to a town,
And you al-ways know your neighbor,
You'll always know your pal,
If you've ev-er navigated on the Er-ie can-al

You can catch the entire song here or here.

The second one has a Bruce Springsteen version. :-)

Photo:
============
One of the locks
in the Waterford
Flight of 5.
We are unsure of
which one it is.
(Erie Lock 2 - 6)

Biola Girl

This is my Marine "Other" son's new girlfriend. My Marine son and I were going to a 30 Seconds to Mars concert on Saturday and because he has gotten his car privileges taken away, it fell to me to make the long drive down south. This is how I ended up driving down, to pick him up on Friday night. Since we passed right by his new girlfriend's school, he asked if I could pick her up, too. I told him that it was no problem at all and it actually gave me a place to make a pit stop, after living through some horrendous Los Angeles "bumper to bumper" traffic.


She goes to Biola College and this was the first time I have ever visited this part of Los Angeles and seen her college.
It's a Christian school, which is probably why I had never heard of it. When we got there, I did find it very beautiful. Especially this entrance sculpture, with bell on it.
The sad part of this whole situation is that she is not sure that she will be able to come back here next year.

I hope for her sake and for my Marine "other" son, that she is able to return.

The North Wind's Blowing

Turn on a fan when you read this post.


The wind was blowing the other day. Usually we get Santa Ana's, which are a dry wind. Well, these were cold winds, coming from the North. As I am wont to do right around sunset, I was waiting at North Hollywood Subway Station for my afternoon bus ride home. I immediately put the hood on my jacket and made sure I was nowhere near those palm trees you see in the photos. They become quite menacing in high wind. Especially when the City of Los Angeles does not trim them often enough.



I must have waited more then a half hour for my bus, but minus the cold, it was fun watching the palm trees change from symmetrical to having all their leaves move from one side, over to the other side.

I hope you enjoy a windy day in LA.


You may turn off your fan now. :-)

Busing It In Style

Don't tell the Mall this...but I have been parking in their lot and taking the bus from the primo bus stop right across the street from City Hall. I used to go to another one, but the parking was such a far walk and late at night, in the dark, we women just didn't feel real safe.

Not like the Mall is any safer, but it's a very "Main" Street and it is right across from City Hall. The Fire Department is right there, too...and the Court House...and the Sheriff's Department. You get the idea, right? Lots of Public Servants driving by...and even the bus that goes between the County Jail and the Court, passes me by. I keep hoping it doesn't stop one day, to pick me up. lol

All in all, it's been working out great for me.

Now I just hope that some night I don't find my car towed away.

For The Public Good - By Guest Blogger, Justin Bower

Today there are many issues that have come about because of the security of our public utilities, among other things. One of these issues is that it is nearly impossible to find a map of our water system. This becomes apparent with the Los Angeles Aqueduct system. It is common knowledge that the city of Santa Clarita plays host to both the First Los Angeles Aqueduct from 1913 and the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct built in 1970. However, it is nearly impossible to find it on any maps today which at first glance may seem like an omission. This isn't the only omission that has become apparent. There are many things that are part of public record, but the information is kept internally within whichever of the various organizations has jurisdiction. Not knowing what and where major utilities are within the general area is a big concern for homeowners. This isn't the only concern caused by these omissions. One of the many important things are fault lines and whether a house is built on cut ground or fill ground are very important to know before buying a house. Knowing whether the empty lot next to your house is the location of a petroleum pipeline or if it's just an empty lot can also be a deciding factor when buying a house. Combine those omissions and put your lot on fill ground with a pipeline and a fault nearby and you could have some major problems after an earthquake. How does someone find out all of this kind of information? Today in the post 9-11 world it's very hard to find any of this information. There is no one place you can look for any of this information. While some places like The city of Santa Clarita have GIS (graphic information system) data on their website, the GIS is not all inclusive and is not very user friendly. On the other hand, private companies such as Google have made great leaps in the geographical information area with their Google Earth and Google Maps programs. Government organizations and private companies need to come together and provide the public with user friendly ways to access the information they need.
The aqueduct system is a key example of the selective omission problem. There is more information about The First Los Angeles Aqueduct from the 1913 than there is about The Second Los Angeles Aqueduct from 1970 or even The California Aqueduct (Central Branch) from 1973. Of the nearly two hundred thousand people that live in the Santa Clarita Valley, how many of them know that all three of these aqueducts pass through it? Not very many do. Nearly all of them know that the First Los Angeles Aqueduct passes through because it has many siphons that are visible to the public as it comes through. The Second Los Angeles Aqueduct and the California Aqueduct (Central Branch) are not known to the public because they are entirely underground and in the California Aqueduct's (Central Branch) case according to public records it ends at Castaic Lake. There are currently no maps of the 1970s systems available to the public. However, the First Los Angeles Aqueduct has hundreds of hand drawn maps that are available. The problem with the maps of The First Los Angeles Aqueduct is they are from the original system when it was built and the system has undergone many changes that aren't easily found. One such change is The Dry Canyon Reservoir as it is shown here in Figure 1.

Nowhere in this does it show that there's even a reservoir here that's part of the First Los Angeles Aqueduct . Nor does it tell you that it closed in 1966 because of seepage problems and the basin is currently used as a flood control basin. All the assessors map tells you is that it is owned by The City of Los Angeles and used by the Department of Water and power. For all they know it's only owned because of the power lines that go through this land. Even this small amount of information is more than you will find on the City of Los Angeles or the Department of Water and Power's websites. That is of concern to the house owners that are within a quarter mile of this location. What happens if it rains, fills the basin the water seeps under their houses, and then we experience an earthquake? Or what if the aqueduct ruptures in an earthquake? The home owners in this area have the right to know about the flawed geology and major utility in the area. Even this is more than is available on the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct. The only information available about it ends in the Antelope Valley and doesn't start again until it reaches the Los Angeles city limits. The California Aqueduct (Central Branch) is even harder than that to find information on and is just, if not even more, important to know about. The California Aqueduct (Central Branch) officially ends at Castaic Lake but in reality goes through the Santa Clarita Valley and cuts a scar in our landscape. Stretching from Castaic Lake all the way to the intersection Magic Mountain Parkway and San Fernando Road is a strip of parkland that hides it. As far as any of the residents in the area know, it's just an accumulation of trees and grass; however, it hides one of the most important engineering projects in the State's history that goes right next to many of their houses.

In the sewer map shown in Figure 2 from the Los Angeles County Department of Public works you can see it states "MWD Aqueduct." MWD is the Metropolitan Water District, which is the organization that is responsible for the entire California Aqueduct System. Not even the Assessors map shows what it is and it's completely unacceptable the lengths one has to go to find this kind of information. For example, one can't find on a single map that a major oil pipeline goes through the Santa Clarita Valley. But it does it carries oil from Santa Barbra to the refineries in Long Beach. The worst part about this lack of information is that the same oil pipeline that doesn't exist ruptured during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. This Caused millions of dollars in environmental damages to the Santa Clara River and now there are hundreds of people living directly next to it that weren't back then. These people have the right to know what they are living next to.
Today people say that in the post 9-11 world it's a good thing that information like this isn't available. Frankly that's completely wrong. The need outweighs the loss of making this information public and easily accessible. These various agencies that keep this information to themselves are merely tricking themselves into a false sense of security. If someone wants to find this information they are able to, but it takes a lot of time and effort and knowledge of where to look. Someone can walk right on top of that petroleum pipeline and all three of the aqueducts in Santa Clarita and no one will think twice about stopping them, even if the trespassers are in full military attire. They are completely accessible to the public and thus anyone can do anything they want to them at any time. These agencies think because it's hard to find information they don't have to invest in the security that these vital resources deserve, which simply is not true. If the location of such systems was available to the public then people could make smart decisions about where they live. If they see people acting odd around these resources they would know that it's not just a park and to call the authorities. It is in the best interest of the public safety for this information to be available.
Google is one of the few exceptions to this practice. With Google Earth and Google Maps programs, so many things are available to the public that five years ago couldn't even be dreamed of. Google Maps now includes in various locations the property lines as each jurisdiction releases it to the developers.

In Figure 3 you can see right by the College of the Canyons campus all the property lines of the houses nearby. In Google Earth, you can now view historical images of different places. Previously, only people in the intelligence agencies could view such data, but now the public can see how their world has changed over time.
For example the College of the Canyons campus on shown in Figure 4 the left the image was taken on 31 May 1994 and on the right the image was taken on 27 July 2008. There have been many changes, such as the construction of the south parking lots. The University Center is in the process of being built in the second image. Also, the completed construction of the 120 underground nitrate film vaults for UCLA can be seen in the bottom of the latter image. These are only two of the hundreds of layers of information that have been included in these programs over the past few years and show how much we can gain from letting the public have more information.

More companies and governments need to be willing to be on the cutting edge of information technology and find how to get it to the people in the best ways.
Creating user friendly solutions to get information to the public should be a top priority of all government agencies and private companies. There is never a loss by providing more information to the public in this way. Every time someone comes out with information like this, it changes things in several positive ways. People have the right and need to know what they live next to and when they want to buy a home they should know what risks they will be taking on. No one should have to live in a house for years to find one day when oil seeps out of the ground or their house starts sinking what they really live near. The public knowledge in these areas is not a security threat to these resources, it is a tool. In both situations the same amount of security should be in place as it's the same risk both ways. Someone should not be allowed to walk across a major petroleum pipeline as it crosses a river, but they should be allowed to know what it is so they know why they can't. The public is the greatest tool in helping security, not the biggest problem. All of these problems can be solved by government and private organizations getting together and providing this information to the public. More companies need to think like Google has with Google Maps and Google Earth and always think outside the box to get more information available. The world would be a safer place if this kind of information was available easily.

Photo at the top of this post
=============================
This is the intersection of
Decoro and McBean Parkway.
You can see the set back of
the apartments on the left.
They are at an angle, because
of the California Aqueduct.

NCIS - My Husband's Favorite Show

My Husband is a TV watcher, but only one show trumps all others to him...NCIS.

He came to the show late, maybe the third or fourth season, but he has since watched them all...multiple times. He could probably recite every one. :-)

I have no idea what the plot of the show is, but I do like watching the characters interact with each other...so it's fine with me, that he loves it so much.

CBS, who has basically ignored the show for it's entire run is in contract negotiations with many of the cast and has given a raise to some, though 3 are still not locked in for Season 8 yet.
In spite of that, here at the end of their 7th year on the air, TV Guide did a photo shoot of the Men of NCIS. I got a kick out of this and actually bought the TV Guide issue, just to get the photos. The one above is an outtake from the shoot. Aren't they so cute? :-)

In a good thing, I am happy for them and I am happy for my Hubby for loving a show that actually is doing OK in this really crappy economy.

Go Gibbs!

Love Is Monkey See And Monkey Do

I made it back home, safe and sound. Now back to real life.


This little guy sits in my office at work. I inherited him from another employee who inherited him from a third one. To say the least, he has been around. :-)

As much as he reminds me of several friends of mine from the past, he also reminds me of a Michael Franks song,

Monkey See and Monkey Do

Love has locked us up, peaches,
Locked inside this zoo,
Your bananas get thrown at me
And mine get thrown at you.
Ev'ry night we fuss and fight
Like me and you know who,
I guess love is always just:

Love is monkey see and monkey do, (that's all it is, peaches)
Love is monkey see and monkey do, (would i lie to you?)
Love is monkey see and monkey do, (that's all it is, peaches)
Love is monkey see and monkey do.

Do you want my love, peaches?
Do you want my rage?
Or do you merely like to see me shake my cage?
Your papayas get thrown at me
And mine get thrown at you,
I guess love is always just:

Love is monkey see and monkey do, (that's all it is, peaches)
Love is monkey see and monkey do, (would i lie to you?)
Love is monkey see and monkey do, (that's all it is, peaches)
Love is monkey see and monkey do.

You won't let me near you, peaches,
But one day you will.
Gonna jump up and stumble and eat all the jungle
Until i've had my fill.
Then you'll know the truth, peaches,
One and one ain't two,
One and one is one and love is:

Love is monkey see and monkey do, (that's all it is, peaches)
Love is monkey see and monkey do

Here's a nice You Tube video of Michael Franks singing at the Blue Note.

Downtown Chicago Fountain

We are flying back to LA this morning.

My Water Post For Today.

We went exploring the area of Downtown Chicago, where our hotel is located and I was immediately rewarded with a view of this fountain. It was a beautiful day, in the 70's and the water was appreciated by us, even with all the skyscrapers towering above us and the lack of sun and heat.

I hope you enjoy.

High Tea

It's Mother's Day today.

We are still out in New York and yesterday my Brother In Law suggested that we take a ride out to the very end of the North Shore of Long Island and explore Greenport. It's been decades for me...at least the late 80's, since I managed to get out there, so we had a very nice time exploring the shops and walking the area.

Then for lunch, they took us to a place called the Greenport Tea Company.

It was a wonderful place that not only serves lunches and such, but they also do High Tea.


That is something that I have always wanted to experience. Small finger sandwiches, scones with jelly and clotted cream, little pastries, fresh fruit. It was all delicious.

What a wonderful way to enjoy some quality time with my sister, brother in law and husband.

I highly recommend this place.

Coffee And A Kiss

I read the other day that the inventor of a New York Coffee Cup had died. I don't live in NY and I really didn't drink much coffee there, especially from push carts and such, but I immediately remembered this tee shirt from Steely Dan and knew it must be the same one. We called it the Coffee and a Kiss Tee Shirt, from the lyrics of a Steely Dan song, Lunch With Gina. I went back to the Tour Archives and there it was. The Iconic Coffee Cup, just as I remembered it.

So for today, in honor of Leslie Buck's passing, a little...


Lunch with Gina


That must be her again
She's leaning on my bell
That cold psychotic ring
The one I know so well
So I'm nailed to the floor in the no-option zone
There's about zero chance she'll give up and go home

This endless afternoon
It started on the day I met her
Lunch with Gina is forever

She's coming 'round the corner
Her body's just a blur
I peel out like The Flash
It don't mean boo to her
So I duck into Nino's -- she's barred from the place
The minute I walk out she's right in my face

She's got nothing but time
No use in trying to be clever
Lunch with Gina is forever

Now I'm in my apartment
The blinds down the lights out
The phone rings God help me
There's nobody home

I crouch on the carpet
Not breathing just being
Like meat on the bone

I'm in a cozy booth
Maybe my watch is fast
Another Tanqueray
I'll wait 'til twenty past
I'm about to go postal when she waltzes in
I guess she's a knockout -- hey where have I been?

The waiter never comes
God knows the service could be better
Lunch with Gina is forever

Coffee and a kiss
Maybe later maybe never
Lunch with Gina...

The best I can get you in the way of a song clip, is here at Amazon. No You Tube exists for this song. A real shame, because it's classic...much as the coffee cup is.

Architecture: Where The Windy City Shines

I am in New York today, but before I leave Chicago, I wanted to touch on one final thing. You can not speak of this city, without mentioning the very heart and soul of this town, it's architecture.

The buildings you see behind me are called The Corn Cobs, by the locals, but as soon as I saw them, I knew they screamed 60's!

That was confirmed on the river tour we took on Wednesday.

It's a self sufficient living area, with the bottom being the garages for the resident's cars and other things like bars, shopping and even the Hard Rock Cafe (originally a movie theater). It's called Marina City and I found it charming and a cross between The Fountainhead and The Jetsons.

If you ever get to Chicago, I totally recommend the Architecture boat tour. Lots to see and learn, this very cool development being just one of the things.

Fine Cut - Season 13

I am flying to NY today.


Who knew when we did this for the first time, that it would still be around 13 years later? I was there that first year and thought it was a one shot deal. A good idea, showcasing our up and coming filmmakers at such schools as USC, UCLA and Cal Arts. I am totally into giving filmmakers a chance and so the fact that it happens each year for 13 years, is a great thing.

Hopefully those first filmmakers are enjoying a great career in the arts. :-)



This year I actually invited a filmmaker relative of my husband's family, though being he is just 18, he will probably not be able to attend. Still, the thought is there. After 13 years, some of my son's friends are old enough and making films and maybe in the next year or so, they might be up for Fine Cut. It's a thought that gives me pause.

Want to see what I am talking about. Check out our website, highlighting this years productions...Fine Cut 13. The begin airing here in Los Angeles, tonight at 10PM.

=============
Photos
The first one if of the
Vista Theater with our
Marquee on one side.
The second one is our plaza
set up for the post screening
reception.

Chicago: Inside The Loop

Actually, that's not entirely accurate.

Both photos are taken just outside the Loop, but they might as well be inside it. Chicago's Downtown area is ringed by 4 subway lines that come from outer areas and then make a loop around Downtown and then exit to another far away area. It's quite a fabulous thing. You commute into the city and then walk just a few blocks to your workplace. The entire "Loop" is all of 6 blocks in total.

Totally walkable for most.

The first photo was taken just to the east of the Loop and it's of Millennium Park's Cloud Gate Sculpture. Quite a wonderous piece of art. It looks like a bean, but with a very shiny outer shell that reflects everything. I had lots of fun with that.



The second photo is from just north of the Loop, it's the infamous Chicago River, which I hope to get a more organized tour of, today. There are so many draw bridges on the river and they are well maintained, from what I can see.

As much as I love the state of my birth, New York in many ways, is no where near as nice as Chicago, for beauty, cleanliness and just all around ease of getting around.

I am sold on it.

Our Room In Chicago

Here we are in Chicago!

Our room is downtown on Franklin, a block from the "L". It seems that everything we would want, is either within walking distance, or we can use a bus or train or "L" or plane.

The public transportation system is why I LOVE Chicago!

We have sort of plans to have lunch with a cousin of my husband and I am hoping for an architectural cruise along the Chicago River. Other things as we set these few days up.

Just to give you a hint of our life here, this, THIS! is our work space here at the hotel. Overlooking the downtown buildings, which gives you a nice view and the king bed that is so appreciated after the past 2 days on a cramped single bunk Roomette on the Amtrak.

Glad we made it here OK.

Ventura, A Long Time Ago

My Water Post For Today.

We are in Chicago as of this afternoon.

I have showcased on these posts, views of the Pacific Ocean at Ventura, before. This photo was taken when my son was just a child. Running through the sand and enjoying life at the ocean.

I don't know about you, but it made me smile.
What a wonderful view of the ocean and the sail boat and a child...yes, my child but it could have been any child. The photo is stunning. I don't usually have such nice photos.

I hope you enjoy.

Chicago, Take Two

I have not been to Chicago since the summer of 2002. It was about 9 months after 9/11 happened and security was tight at such places as the Sears Tower. We did manage to get up to the top on that foggy day and we had lunch in a Jewish Deli on the first floor of the Tower.

It's name has changed to the Willis Tower, if you believe things like this article, but I think I belong to the group that refuses to acknowledge the name change and will go on calling it Sears Tower. It's about 2 blocks from our hotel. I don't know if we will visit it again...but maybe we will eat there and remember going to the top.

In other things that are close to our hotel...Chicago's Union Station is a few blocks away and so is the Chicago River. The elevated is right down the street, so anywhere should be accessible to us. We will let you know what we do and see, later.

For now, enjoy a couple of photos from our last trip. That's Spud in both photos. He used to sleep with me and travel with me, but is now retired to my bedside. My son is obviously the other person in the photo.

The Southwest Chief

We leave at 6:45PM from Los Angeles Union Station.
We are kind of hoping we get dinner tonight, but are not sure of that fact. Otherwise, we'll probably grab a bagel at Union Station before boarding, I guess. :-)

Our current itinerary takes us through Southern California and over to Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, a quick stop in Iowa and finally across the Mississippi and into Illinois, where we end the trip in Chicago. It will take just 3 hours less then 2 days to make this journey and I can't wait for it to begin. Here is the list of stations and a general idea of whether it will be daytime or nighttime, when we pass through. I am glad we will travel most of the California leg in the dark, since that's what we know best. I want to see the states that I rarely visit, like Northern New Mexico, Southern Colorado and Kansas and Missouri. I won't get them all, but I will get some of those states.


Los Angeles, CA - Union Station (Sunset) 6:45PM Leave station
Fullerton, CA
Riverside, CA
San Bernardino, CA
Victorville, CA
Barstow, CA
Needles, CA
Kingman, AZ
Williams Junction, AZ (Sunrise) 6:11AM due at station
Flagstaff, AZ
Winslow, AZ
Gallup, NM
Albuquerque, NM
Lamy, NM
Las Vegas, NM - (New Mexico)
Raton, NM
Trinidad, CO (Sunset) 6:31PM due at station
La Junta, CO
Lamar, CO
Garden City, KS
Dodge City, KS
Hutchinson, KS
Newton, KS
Topeka, KS
Lawrence, KS (Sunrise) 5:49 due at station
Kansas City, MO
La Plata, MO
Fort Madison, IA
Galesburg, IL
Princeton, IL
Mendota, IL
Naperville, IL
Chicago, IL - Union Station (Mid afternoon) 3:20PM due at station

If interested, you can download a Printable Route Guide (pdf) from this Amtrak webpage. It describes the different cities the train passes through, on the way to Chicago.

We will be incommunicado while on the train, but we hope to be able to access the Internet with posts and photos, when we get out to Chicago.

See you then.