Korean Madness

Just discovered You Tube. This could easily eat my entire day.

Los Angeles Marathon and a dream

Part 1
I can't even run 4 blocks to the subway station when I'm late. These folks wheeled their way through the LA Marathon 2 Sundays past. The course was 1 block from our apartment.

Part 2
I rarely remember my dreams. This morning was different. I woke up having just dreamed that Toby (our dog) and I were in some woman's house, and Toby was peeing on a piece of furniture, a trunk perhaps. I woke up to find Toby clicking around the room (clicking because of his toenails and our hardwood floors), trying to get me to take him for our morning walk. In the dream, the woman also had a dog who was sometimes a two-headed dog and sometimes a dog with a head that was split down the middle from nose to neck. Very normal dog otherwise. Earlier in the dream, I was at some sort of conference, and either Mary Paik or Lupita Sanchez, both former bosses, was talking with me about someone getting drunk. The conference center might also have been a version of my high school.

Get-well Sunflower

Entropy

Entropy frequently slaps me in the face. It's usually when I'm late to something or under pressure to complete some task, but sometimes I'm caught off guard, like when I glance at the scraps of life just inches below my monitor wonder what's going on with those bits of paper.

I love definition #5: "inevitable and steady deterioration of a system or society." I would add: "See 'the next generation of smileys.'"

Amos

Auto E-write-ica

After blogging for a few weeks now, I'm confronted with my small place in the world. I've browsed over some other blogs, and very few seem to really matter, except to a small, niched following of readers. My profile appears to have been viewed 52 times, and my page hit map shows one map pin location of a viewer, from Santa Monica, which is probably me via wherever my servers originate. So I'm left with the questions: Do my words matter? Do my photos interest anyone but myself? Who was I thinking would visit my page on a regular basis? And, most importantly, why do I care? Maybe my blog will be more a journal to myself, a way to collect some memories and thoughts and images which matter to me, and that should be enough.

My two favorite bloggers are still Raul and Richard, both once Lufkin residents and now living elsewhere, like myself. Raul's artistry is in his eloquent photos and words. Richard's appeal is his slice-of-life photos and dry humored writing. Thanks, guys, for unwittingly prodding me to achieve something new.

Hardwood in Motion

3rd X a charm

I think we've found a new spiritual home. We've been to First Unitarian Universalist Church in Santa Monica 3 weeks running and have consistently found organized yet spirited liturgy, heartfelt music and unashamedly liberal and inclusive theology, not to mention great story-based reflections (aka sermons) and friendly people. Last week we had to sit in the very back corner, because we arrived late and the place was packed. Today we sat in an anteroom (late again, packed again) and saw none of the service, but had an equally profound experience. AND, there's been lunch served twice!
(Photo from First UU SM website)

Angelenos

Before moving to LA, I had the impression that folks here would 1) all be beautiful in the Hollywood sense of the word and 2) not very friendly. Wrong on both counts. Angelenos, or at least the ones I've crossed paths with so far, look and act pretty much like people anywhere whom I've crossed paths with. Maybe it's because I live in Koreatown, not WeHo (translation: West Hollywood), and ride the bus to work. I also walk Toby at least twice if not three times every day, so of course people comment on how adorable he is.

My favorite three people so far are: Mr. Suh, who works the night shift at the Union 76 gas station which as the cheapest cigarettes nearby; Carmen, my bus buddy who is a chef near my office; and the Korean woman who power walks every morning, in her pumpkin windbreaker and Gilligan hat, who always gives me a smiley "Good morning."

From my (bath)room with a view

Hollywood Schlock

Can I get any more star struck? The chance to be in the presence of greatness got us up at 4 this morning to attend the taping of Oprah's post-Oscar show. It was interesting, to say the least. I was hoping Philip Seymor Hoffman would be a guest, but that was a long shot given his reticense for these interviews. Also slightly disappointed that Clooney and 3 6 Mafia weren't included. If it wasn't for Gail's backstage interviews, Oprah wouldn't have had much content. But, Reese was sweet, and Jon Stewart was a great guest. Also, Oprah was great at acknowledging the audience and showing her down-to-earth side, talking about having to pick up her dogs' poo before heading to the show this morning. I'll probably do it again next year if given the chance.

Then, tonight, we went to a panel discussion with the cast and production team behind Medium, one of our favorite shows. Fascinating if you're into that sort of thing. Loved Patricia Arquette.

Tomorrow is back to reality.

Living Room Buddha

Working on the closeups. I think I need a tripod or something steady.

Namaste

Alistair

Looks innocent enough, no? No is right.

Moses

This is Moses. He guards our refrigerator and our spice rack.