October 22, 2012 at 11:53 PM (Diet, Exploration, Food, Holidays, Life, Personal Challenge, Southern California, Tourism, Travel)
Tags: DPChallenge, exploration, Fate, food, friends, Halloween, Life, Los Angeles, Lucky Baldwins, Old Town Haunt, Pagan, Pasadena, Personal Challenge, postaday, quest for knowledge, Russells, Southern California, Tourism, Travel, Trying Something New
This weekend felt like my own personal birthday gift from the heavens–they gave me rain! It finally cooled down and felt like October. It would have been better to see the leaves change color but I will take what I can get.
Russell’s Meatloaf dinner with a Bellini drink
For my birthday, I decided to hang out with my friend Ida in Old Town Pasadena. I had a craving for my staple comfort food–mashed potatoes and gravy. So I searched Yelp for a diner in Old Town Pasadena. The search mentioned Russell’s on Fair Oaks. The reviews described it as being a diner type establishment that was always crowded. So I was imagining a 50′s style diner or even something like Denny’s but Russel’s was neither. Russel’s felt like a very fancy restaurant, a perfect place for a first date. Yes, there were booths but they were more elegant than a typical diner. There were lamps instead of cheesy light fixtures. There were classic paintings by Masters like Picasso and Van Gogh covering the walls; it almost felt like an art gallery. There was classic music playing and a fancy looking menu. However the food was similar to a diner menu, but again a more upscale diner.
We both ordered a Bellini, even though it didn’t really seem to go with my meatloaf and mashed potatoes dinner but I liked it nonetheless. Ida ordered the Chicken Breast dinner. We were both pleased with our meals and I do have to say, the mashed potatoes were amazing. But we both agreed that the Yelp reviews did not do this place justice. It wasn’t what we expected . . . it was better.
After dinner, we decided to check out the Old Town Haunt on Raymond and Colorado. I have done the Knott’s Scary Farms and the Universal Halloween Horror Nights. I am the kind of person who laughs through a Haunted House. I am usually laughing at the girly girls who are screaming. It takes a lot to scare me. But I read a lot of good reviews for the Old Town Haunt and the actual Haunted History of the building where the haunt occurs.
Old Town Haunt
When we first arrived and got into line, we were excited about possibly being scared. Unfortunately, my excitement turned sour when the group of inconsiderate 20-something a**holes started smoking in line, breaking a whole bunch of city ordinances. They didn’t even care when I was vocal about my allergy to smoke and started coughing. In fact, they all decided to light up so I had to excuse myself from the line. Being the good friend that she is, Ida braved standing near the IAs.
Personally, I will never understand the selfishness of smokers. There are so many people in a small area waiting to go into the haunt, many were children. If you want to smoke and kill yourself, that is your prerogative but why force the rest of us to choke on your second-hand smoke just because you have a sad, pathetic addiction that will lead you to an early grave. I like my life and I have seen too many people die from lung cancer–some never smoked a day in their lives but their family members did. OK, that is my rant for the day.
Thankfully, Ida and I were put with a group far away from the smoking IAs. And from the minute we took our first step down the staircase into the basement of the Old Town Haunt, all our grievances were forgotten. The decor was amazing. Our experience started with a tour guide (who is also the organizer of the event). We asked him if we could work for him and he said all we had to do was talk to the ticket taker on our way out. From that moment on, our excitement grew and our adventure began.
We did spend most of our time laughing at the people in our group–even the guys were screaming and freaking out. I got three hugs from the different characters throughout the maze. The decor was so authentic. The costumes were freakishly good and we were even startled a few times. The area where it was pitch black and we had to feel our way through–then crawl our way through–was pretty awesome. This was by far the best haunted maze I have ever been through. Universal and Knott’s have nothing on the Old Town Haunt. And the best part, starting on Thursday, Ida and I will get the chance to haunt the maze and cue up a little scares of our own.
After the Haunt, our adrenaline was pumping so we decided to try yet another place in Old Town Pasadena. We headed over to Lucky Baldwins for drinks. The 21st was the last day of their Oktoberfest specials so I decided I would partake in the festivities with the t-shirt, glass and German beer special. Finally, good German Oktoberfest beer to redeem the disappointment from the Montrose Oktoberfest.
All and all, it was a great birthday (spent with a great friend). It’s funny how sometimes everything just seems to fall into place. Originally I had wanted to go to a play but we opted for the Old Town Haunt instead. That slight change in plans led to an opportunity I wouldn’t have had if we hadn’t decided to go to the Old Town Haunt and ask if we could volunteer. Now I have my plans set for Thursday where I will get the chance to do something I have always wanted to do, work in a haunted house. I can’t wait for Thursday!!
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October 14, 2012 at 12:52 AM (Exploration, Life, Personal Challenge, Photography, Southern California, Tourism, Travel, Universe, Writing)
Tags: Art, Art Center College of Design, Art Shuttle, ArtNight, Big, Books, DPChallenge, exploration, Fate, Life, Los Angeles, Museums, music, Pasadena, Pasadena Art Weekend, Pasadena City Hall, Pasadena Museum of History, Personal Challenge, photography, postaday, quest for knowledge, Relationships, Southern California, Spirituality, Tourism, Travel, Trying Something New, Universe
Friday night started Pasadena’s Art Weekend with ArtNight, a night where the local museums are open to the public with free admission. There are free shuttles to take patrons to and from the participating museums. Food trucks and live performances would also be available to the ArtNight participants at specific locations. I read all about Art Weekend in the Pasadena Weekly and I was excited to check out some of the exhibits–specifically the Pages exhibit at the Art Center College of Design’s Williamson Gallery.
Pasadena City Hall
According to the ArtNight website, Pasadena City Hall would be the transportation hub where patrons could catch the free shuttles that would transport them to any gallery of their choosing. There would also be live entertainment and food at the City Hall hub. So I decided that I would begin my night there. I took the Metro Gold Line to the Memorial Park station, located near City Hall. Pasadena City Hall is a work of architectural art. It is a stunning sight to see, especially at night. Once I arrived, I was greeted by an ArtNight volunteer who gave me a map of the museums and shuttle routes. I was also given the official Art Night sticker, proof of my participation in the nightly event.
I looked at the ArtNight brochure and noticed that I needed the North shuttle to reach my destination, Art Center College of Design. So I sat on the steps of City Hall, enjoying the live music as I waited for my bus to arrive. Many shuttles showed up and many shuttles left. I saw the East shuttles, West shuttles and Central shuttles go past me, many times. I didn’t see a single North shuttle. I kept looking at the brochure but it was too dark to really see the map of the routes–I couldn’t make out one route from the other. I saw several others waiting around, waiting for the North shuttle as well. There were ArtNight volunteers roaming around but they didn’t seem to notice all the people standing around looking confused. No one seemed to understand which shuttle went where or how to locate the North shuttle. Finally, a woman (perhaps one of the event organizers) stepped forward to assist with the buses. Several people asked her when the North bus would arrive. Her reply. “The North bus doesn’t come here. It leaves from the Pasadena Museum of History. That is the only place where you can catch the North shuttle.” Seriously? I had wasted all this time waiting for a shuttle that was never going to arrive.
Live music at Pasadena City Hall
I quickly hopped on the first shuttle that would take me to the Pasadena Museum of History. I managed to catch the West bus, a bus that actually traveled very close to Art Center (when it stopped at KidSpace) but backtracked to the Museum of History. I end up chatting with a family that was just as frustrated as I was. But they had actually started the evening right at 6pm–I waited until 7pm). They managed to stop at the Pacific Asia Museum first. So we all arrived at the Museum of History and had to wait in line for the North shuttle. Thankfully this area was well-organized. They had signs for each bus so you knew where to wait to catch the appropriate bus (they should have done that at City Hall). After three shuttle loads, we were finally on the North shuttle headed up to the Art Center gallery. (This was not a short shuttle ride).
I was so excited when I finally arrived at the Art Center’s Williamson Gallery. I made my way past the student work and into the new Pages exhibit (this was the opening night for the exhibit). At first, I was in heaven with an exhibit focused on books. There were some beautiful photographs of books and a floor to ceiling sculpture of stacked books (I wasn’t allowed to take photos of the artwork).
As you made your way toward the center of the exhibit, you had the opportunity to view books and book pages on loan from the Huntington Library, USC Special Library, and Caltech. For me, this is where I started to feel like the Universe was playing a cruel joke on me. Many of the books on exhibit were books I had seen before, when I went to the Huntington Library. It was January of 2011 and I was at the Huntington Library on a date with Big. However it was the manuscript poem, entitled “Beer” by Charles Bukowski, on loan from the USC Special Library Collection that led to my “Mr. Big” freak out. When Big and I went to the Huntington, we were going for the Charles Bukowski exhibit. Big and I are both book lovers, the book exhibit was our agreed favorite part of the Huntington (I hadn’t yet explored the gardens when I went with him). Big and I met when we were at USC so the whole Charles Bukowski (and Beer, another story I won’t mention), Huntington and USC connection was more than I could handle. It was too weird of a coincidence–the Universe is trying to tell me something, in my opinion. Plus, as a lover of books, I don’t like to see books being destroyed, especially in the name of art. Cutting up books or whiting out the majority of the words just feels like a crime to me. So I was done.
Drawing of a typewriter at Pasadena City Hall
I made my way back to the shuttles. One was leaving and the other still had space. I boarded the shuttle, watched as it filled up and watched as we all just sat there. The shuttle driver was on break. It was 9:25 pm when the shuttle driver finally decided to return and begin our journey back to the Museum of History. Once we arrived at the Museum, then we had to catch another shuttle back to downtown Pasadena, were the majority of the museums live. The event ended at 10 pm so there wasn’t any point in trying to make it to another museum when the shuttle I was on had just departed the Pasadena Museum of History at 9:40 pm.
Pasadena City Hall
I arrived back at Pasadena City Hall at 9:59 pm. I wasted the ArtNight experience on the Art Center–and shuttle experience. (And the whole Big connection didn’t help matters). Once again, the Pasadena “bus” service did not work in my favor. At least now I know that next year, I should arrive at 6 pm and stick to the Museums closest to downtown. Or as my California sister advised, “stick to the food trucks.”
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October 13, 2012 at 11:24 PM (Diet, Exploration, Life, Personal Challenge, Southern California, Tourism, Travel, Universe)
Tags: Bistro Burger, Burgers, DPChallenge, exploration, Fate, food, Hook Burger, Life, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Personal Challenge, postaday, quest for knowledge, Southern California, Super Burger, Tourism, Travel, Trying Something New, Umami, Universe
My body is on strike from all of the activity. My sore muscles and tired limbs want a day off from walking around so my quest today will be simple–try a new food. With tons of local restaurants in Altadena and Pasadena, this is not an easy task so I needed to narrow down my search to a simple quest for a really good burger.
I searched Yelp and found a burger place with decent ratings, located very close to home. The place, Super Burger, is located on Altadena drive. I made my way over to the burger stand, parked and started to walk toward Super Burger when I noticed the lights were off. I checked Yelp and discovered that Super Burger closes at 7:30 pm. It was 7:31 pm. Crap.
So now I was in search of something else. I decided to drive down foothill and see if anything jumped out at me. As I approached a red light at Foothill and Halstead, I noticed on the corner a restaurant called Hook Burger. Perfect. I pulled into the parking lot and checked out the ratings on Yelp. There were several raves for the Bistro Burger and their fries (and beer but I wasn’t in a beer mood).
So I walked in and was happily greeted by the cashier. I placed my order for the Bistro Burger and took the cashier’s recommendation for the regular fries, as opposed to the sweet potato fries. She inquired about my Hook Burger status. I revealed I was in fact a Hook Burger virgin. She welcomed me and explained how the Hook Burger experience plays out. Basically, I just needed to place my order and have a seat. The Hook Burger staff would cater to my every need (involving my meal only). I sat down with my drink and waited as my meal was prepared then served.
The Bistro Burger was awesome! I instantly had to text my California sister and tell her that I found the perfect burger place for us. In my opinion, Hook Burger is better than Habit and even better than Umami (opening another location soon in Pasadena, by the way). I am so glad the Universe intervened when I had tried to go to Super Burger but fate sent me to what I would now call my new favorite burger joint, HOOK BURGER.
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October 13, 2012 at 10:53 PM (Diet, Exploration, Life, Personal Challenge, Southern California, Tourism, Travel, Universe)
Tags: DPChallenge, exploration, Fate, food, friends, Green Earth Vegan, Life, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Personal Challenge, postaday, quest for knowledge, Saladish, Southern California, Tourism, Travel, Trying Something New, Universe
Even though it was a hellish experience taking the bus to work, it was easy and relaxing taking it home–mainly because there was no rush to be somewhere at a specific time.
I decided I would stop off in Old Town Pasadena and have dinner. I texted my friend who works in the area to let her know I could come by and visit with her. I arrived at Fair Oaks and Colorado in Pasadena. I noticed a restaurant called Saladish from the bus. I thought I should try something healthy so I stopped in to check out the menu. The young man working there was extremely helpful. I told him that I had never been there before and asked for his recommendations. He suggested the Thai Chicken wrap. Sounded good to me so I ordered a wrap and a cheese and broccoli baked potato. I took my food over to the gallery where my friend works so we could eat together. It turns out that the baked potato alone was an entire meal. I didn’t mind. The wrap would be my lunch for the following day (and it was so good, even a day later).
I ended up spending the entire evening hanging out with my friend. Her roommate came by on his way home from work and we agreed to go to dinner with him. I wasn’t hungry but I figured I could just order dessert. We decided on Green Earth Vegan Cuisine on Fair Oaks. I tried going there on Tuesday but it was closed. Since this was a new restaurant for all of us, we decided to order different items on the menu, sharing family style so we could all try the food. I, of course, chose a dessert item–Thai Banana Rolls with Ice Cream–and a fresh juice, not on the menu but suggested by our waiter–carrot, apple and ginger juice. My friends picked the Groovy Green Smoothie, the Penne Tirrene, the Spinach Asparagus soup and Quinoa Sushi.
I think we were all surprised by how good the food was, especially the Spinach Asparagus soup. Everything we ordered was Vegan and flavorful–two things I never thought would go together. The only thing that I would refrain from ordering again was my carrot, apple and ginger juice. It was good but the ginger was overpowering. In a small quantity, it isn’t bad but a large glass full was too much for my taste buds to handle.
Overall, the food successes for the day made me forget (or at least let go) of the stress from my morning metro experiment disaster.
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October 12, 2012 at 5:44 PM (cars, Exploration, Hiking, Life, Personal Challenge, Southern California, Tourism, Travel, Universe)
Tags: altadena, buses, Commuting, DPChallenge, exploration, Fate, Glendale, gold line, high gas prices, Independent, La Crescenta, Life, Los Angeles, Metro, Metro TAP Card, Pasadena, Personal Challenge, postaday, quest for knowledge, sore muscles, Southern California, TAP Card, Tourism, Travel, Trying Something New, Universe, weather, Writing
After a few days of using the Metro to get around Pasadena and Downtown LA, I contemplated taking the bus to and from work. I used the Metro Trip Planner but because of JPL and the Arroyo Seco’s placement between my home in Altadena and my workplace in La Crescenta, there was no real easy way to get to work. The shortest trip would be 1 hour and 40 minutes. I would have to get up super early in order to get to work on time. Considering I am not a morning person, I figured I could survive with the 20 minute car ride back and forth to work. Yes, gas prices here in California are the highest in the country but I figured if I just used my car to commute to work and my bike and the Metro for traveling elsewhere, I wouldn’t go bankrupt trying to fill my gas tank.
Cheapest gas prices in La Crescenta, CA
But the Universe intervened. I think someone somewhere really, really wanted me to attempt taking the bus to work on the 10th. I woke up late and when I discovered a few issues with my car, I figured I would just take the bus. The 1st period of the day was my prep period so if I left right away, I would make it to work with 30 minutes to spare before my next class. I had no clue as to what the Universe really had in store for me.
I printed out the trip planner route to get myself to work. It was a 1 hour and 40 minute trip that had me going south into Pasadena, West through Pasadena, Eagle Rock and Glendale then North from Glendale to La Crescenta. Then I would have to just hike up the hill to school. My first group of students wouldn’t be in my classroom until 9:50am so if I left at 7:30am I could make this work. It is really funny looking back at how optimistic and naive it was to think that the trip planner was accurate and everything would go according to plan.
I didn’t really take into consideration as to how long it would take me to actually walk to the bus stop. I was walking down the street with the bus stop in sight. I managed to watch as my bus pulled up and left exactly one minute before I arrived at the stop. (I was too sore to run from my 3 mile hikes home from the train). But I remained calm. I remember when I lived by USC in downtown Los Angeles that the buses would show up every 15 minutes during the morning and evening rush hours. So I pulled out my phone and clicked on my handy dandy “Go Metro” app. The next bus would be arriving at 8am. I started to panic then reminded myself that it was only a 1 hour and 40 minute trip so I would arrive in La Crescenta at 9:40am and I would still have 10 minutes to hike up the hill. Everything would be fine.
The bus arrived at the stop at 8am. I watched as the passengers departed but when I tried to board, they told me it wasn’t time yet and they pointed to the sign that said “Layover.” What?! They closed the doors and for 15 minutes, the bus driver and a co-worker sat on the bus chatting for 15 minutes. At 8:15am, they finally opened the doors and let us board. OK, I was getting stressed now. As soon as I was on board the bus, I used my phone to email the secretaries at work, telling them about my situation and that I might be a few minutes late. I would need someone to let the students in the classroom and wait for them until I hiked up the hill. One of the secretaries told me to just call when my bus arrived on foothill in La Crescenta and she would send someone down to pick me up so I wouldn’t be too late. So I started to feel a little bit better and of course my Libra optimism kicked in. Maybe the trip planner was over compensating for time. When I took the bus the other day, they didn’t have to stop at all of the stops so we arrived early. So maybe the odds will be in my favor again and everything will work out just fine. (Famous last mental words to self).
With the high gas prices, it seems that everyone is trying to save money and take the Metro to work. We stopped at every single bus stop. I kept checking my Metro app and it kept adding more and more time to my trip. But I tried to stay calm. I was doing my best to pay attention to the streets (some buses announce each stop and others do not, this was a bus that didn’t announce the stops). At each stop, I noticed that my next bus that would take me into Glendale (780 Rapid Metro) had the same stops as my current bus so I really could get off at any of these stops and just catch my next bus there. But I thought it would be best to follow the directions given to me by the Metro Trip Planner. (I should have listened to my own gut instinct).
I was just concentrating on getting off at Colorado and Fair Oaks to catch the 780 there–just like Trip Planner said. Of course, this was my first trip on my current bus 686 so I had no idea that it actually turned down Fair Oaks and I would have to walk back to Colorado to catch the 780. The 686 bus got into the left turn lane. I could see my bus stop on the Northwest corner of Fair Oaks and Colorado. I could see the 780 drive past us, stop to pick up passengers and head off toward Glendale all the while the 686 bus was still in the left turn lane. AHHHHHHHH!
The 780 bus had been right behind us. If I had gotten off at the previous stop, I would have made my connection but alas, that was not in the cards for me that day.
So I got off the bus, pulled out my phone and checked the Metro app. The next 780 bus wouldn’t arrive for another 20 minutes. AHHHHHH! There was nothing I could do. I sat on the bench, pulled out my ipod, set it for shuffle and hoped the music would calm me. But no, the Universe wanted to mess with me a bit more. Of all the songs on my ipod, the shuffle had to pick the triad of songs that the Universe used a year ago to remind me of Big (Adele “Rolling in the Deep,” Justin Timberlake “What Goes Around,” and Linkin Park “Waiting for the End”). REALLY?! REALLY?! The guy on the bench next to be decided to get up and stand as far away from me as he could. I was really shouting “Really?!” instead of saying it in my head, like I thought I was doing. I scared him.
So the bus finally arrives and for some reason, I kept telling myself that I had to get off at the Colorado and Broadway stop. But when we reached Colorado and Broadway and I requested the next stop, the bus didn’t stop. It kept going until it reached Glendale High School. So I started to think that maybe I requested the stop too late so that is why the bus driver didn’t stop. But I also didn’t notice an actual stop either. So I got off at Glendale High School and looked at the sign. I didn’t see any indication that I could catch my next bus in this area. I needed to catch the 90 to La Crescenta. So again, I pulled out my phone and checked the Metro app. I was supposed to get off at Broadway and Glendale Ave, not Broadway and Colorado. CRAP!
There was a young girl sitting there and I asked her if the 180 bus stopped at Glendale Ave. She said yes. I looked at the Metro app and it said it would be another 15 minutes before the 180 bus arrived. I figured I could just walk Glendale in that time and once again I was saying out loud what I was thinking. She told me I should just wait because the bus was right behind me. Thank God!
So now I was on the 180 bus (Thank God for my all day Metro TAP pass). I got off at Glendale Avenue and found the stop for the 90 bus. I sat down on the bench and emailed the secretaries to give them an update. It was now after 9am and according to the Metro app, I had another 50 minutes until I reached La Crescenta. The weather was finally cooler but I was sweating from all the confusion that I had endured over the past hour and a half.
The 90 finally arrived and I just sat back, succumbing to my circumstances. There was nothing I could do but just sit back and wait until I reached my final stop.
I called the school secretary as soon as I got off the bus. She was coming down to pick me up. I decided I would just start to make my way up the hill anyways. But my legs were sore from previous adventures and hikes. The hill up to my school is steep and my calves were on fire with each step. But I urge myself to keep moving. The secretary finally pulled up and drove me to the front of the school. I had another small hill to conquer before reaching my classroom. It was 10:10am (again, cosmic joke on me) when I finally walked into my classroom.
So if I had actually made it in time for the first bus, (and the other connections), I would have arrived at work at 9:10am. But no, my first trip via Metro bus had me arriving an hour later. With our school’s block scheduling and my prep period being the first block on even days, I only missed 20 minutes of my 4th period class. But if I want to take the Metro on an odd day (and factoring in time for any mishaps), I would have to take the 5:30am bus to make it to work by 7:30am. That is never going to happen so I guess it is safe to say that this was my first and last trip to work using the Metro as my mode of transportation.
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October 9, 2012 at 11:27 PM (cars, Exploration, Life, Personal Challenge, Southern California, Spirituality, Tourism, Travel, Universe)
Tags: buses, carnitas, DPChallenge, El Toreo, exploration, Fate, gold line, Green Earth Vegan, high gas prices, Independent, Life, Los Angeles, Metro, Old Town Pasadena, Pasadena, Personal Challenge, postaday, quest for knowledge, saving money, Southern California, Spirituality, therapy, Tourism, Travel, Trying Something New, Universe, walking, weather
Today started off great. The weather cooled down and it finally felt like Fall. I actually wore a sweatshirt this morning. I was in a good mood despite my sore body.
But then the sun came out and my mood got worse (it must be opposite day). I had a freak out about finances and rising gas prices. Since my paycut this year (they changed my schedule so I can no longer make extra money doing supervision), I am struggling to keep up with the rising gas prices. I do have to admit that I have spent more money than I planned on this personal challenge–most of the money spent on food and gas. But over $5.00 a gallon for gas is ridiculous. So I did what I always do when I get into panic mode, I went to see my therapist.
After a grounding 45 minute session, I had a new outlook on things, new solutions to my problems, and a smile on my face when I noticed that the clouds had returned.
And my perspective returned. I am the queen of stretching a dollar. So I had to look at what I have at my disposal. I have the free Metro TAP card that I received, offering me the chance to try out the Metro for 5 consecutive days. I first used it on Sunday and it is good until the 11th. So I am going to use this pass as often as I can. I tried to find a good route via the Metro to get to work but all routes point to an hour and a half commute. Since I am not a morning person, that isn’t going to work for me. (But I am going to try it out tomorrow to see if it is really possible). So I will just use my car to go back and forth to work. I can ride my bike down to the grocery store and use the Metro to go anywhere else. A monthly pass on the Metro is $75–the current price of one tank of gas for my Cavalier. This will eliminate the gas I waste driving to all my new adventures as well as the gas wasted trying to find parking spaces. It will also eliminate the fees for parking. But the best part, it will help me lose the weight I gained after my car accident. Hopefully, I will work my way up to riding my bike to and from the different places as well. (I really have to work on going uphill).
So tonight, I decided to give this new plan a try. I parked my car in the driveway and headed to the closest bus stop. I downloaded the Metro app on my phone and used that to track the local buses. I hopped on the bus that took me to the Gold Line train station and I took the Gold Line to Old Town Pasadena (Memorial Park station).
Once again, I pulled out my phone and used my Pasadena app (and eventually Yelp) to find a place to eat. I decided I was going to try this Vegan restaurant called Green Earth Vegan cuisine on Fair Oaks. I am not a Vegan or a Vegetarian by any means but I have some friends who are hardcore vegetarians. So I thought I would check out a place where I could possibly take them when they visit.
I made my way over to Fair Oaks and found Green Earth Vegan just south of Colorado on Fair Oaks. I also discovered that it was closed. Yep, it is closed on Tuesdays. So I pulled out my phone and went to Yelp for assistance. There are tons of restaurants on Old Town but they are too pricey for my taste. So I filtered my search for a restaurant with a good rating and only one dollar sign. It turns out that the number one choice is right next to Green Earth Vegan–El Toreo. Mexican sounded good to me.
So I walked in and instantly I felt like I was walking into someone’s home for dinner. Everyone in the restaurant seemed to know each other. There was a group of guys at the first table watching a ball game, playing dominoes, and enjoying their tacos and cervezas. I sat down in a booth, placed my drink order and started to browse through the menu. I ordered the carnitas dinner and enjoyed my complementary chips and salsa. I looked over at the TV and noticed that the baseball game playing just happened to feature my hometown team, the Detroit Tigers. The Universe is so funny sometimes.
As for my meal, it was really good but it can’t beat the carnitas tacos at El Patron in Altadena. But I would happily return to El Toreo to try some of the other items on their menu.
So with a very full belly, I made my way back to the Memorial Park Metro Station and hopped on the Gold Line train back to Allen. But according to my Metro app, I had a 30 minute wait for the next bus. I decided to just walk home, just like I did on Sunday. It was a nice cool night and to my delight, as I approached my neighborhood, it started to sprinkle. The drizzle felt nice and cool after the walk home.
Obviously, the travel time is longer than driving but overall, I found the bus and train experience to be so much more relaxing. And it almost felt like the Universe was telling me that I made the right decision (about using the Metro) by giving me the gift rain in the last leg of my journey tonight.
As for my Metro adventure tomorrow, I am going to try out the suggested routes and see how if taking the Metro to and from work is a possibility. Stay tuned.
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October 3, 2012 at 10:42 PM (Life, Spirituality, Universe, Travel, Exploration, Tourism, Personal Challenge)
Tags: Art, Art Gallery, bookstore, DPChallenge, Dustin Myers, Fate, Flower Pepper, Flower Pepper Gallery and Bookstore, Independent, Life, Old Town Pasadena, Pasadena, Pee Wee Herman Show, Personal Challenge, postaday, quest for knowledge, Ryan Myers, Southern California, Spirituality, therapy, Tourism, Travel, Trying Something New, Universe, Writing
Have you ever had one of those days where it becomes so clear that the Universe has plans for your life? Well, I had one of those days. I spent some time after work going through Pasadena View’s website and their page, 365 things to do in Pasadena page. I printed out the listed, crossed off the places I had already visited and started to do some research on some of the events. Then it just became a chain of events. Google led me to Pasadena View’s website, the 365 Things to Do page led me to the Old Pasadena website and the Events page led me to a Gallery and Bookstore that I had never heard of before, Flower Pepper Gallery & Bookstore. The name alone caught my attention. But the events page mentioned that this particular gallery currently had a group show in exhibition entitled “The Color Blue.” I clicked on the more info page and the show advertisement caught my eye. I found the image intriguing and wanted to see more. The title of the exhibit could mean so many different things (I started to think of Picaso’s Blue period) so the best way to satisfy my curiousity was to head over to Flower Pepper and check it out.
When I arrived in Old Town, I immediately found a paking spot right in front of the gallery (that never happens to me). The Flower Pepper Gallery & Bookstore is literally right on the corner of Union and N. Arroyo Parkway. When I first walked in, I was greeted by the extremely nice and courteous staff. I probably could have stood there talking for hours, but I had only put 45 minutes worth of coins in the meter and of course the gallery would eventually have to close.
The art work in the exhibit, created by several local artists, truly fits the theme of “The Color Blue.” The image titled “Baby Blue” by Dustin Myers was the first to catch my eye. If I only had large quantities of money to spend on artwork, this would be the first added to my art collection. And the image “The Comfort of Apathy” by Ryan Myers would be the perfect gift for my college roommate; this is an image that I think many from my generation would want hanging in their homes, reminding us of our own childhood (and Pee Wee Herman).
Every image in the exhibit had great depth and detail, leaving the true meanings of the work open for multiple interpretations. The images are displayed on the Flower Pepper Gallery Bookstore website but I highly suggest heading down to Old Town Pasadena (if you are in the LA area) and checking them out in person. They will be on display until October 19th and a new exhibit opens on the 20th (stop by and meet the artists opening night–contact the Gallery for more details).
This is definitely an art gallery that I would definitely want to check out every time they have a new exhibit. Like I said, I think the Universe wanted me to go there today. I made a new friend and hopefully a new partnership that will help me with one of my goals on my bucket list: to make a difference in the lives of others. So stay tuned. I think I will be writing more about the Flower Pepper in the future.
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October 1, 2012 at 11:36 PM (Exploration, Life, Personal Challenge, Photography, Southern California, Tourism, Travel, Writing)
Tags: Altadena Library, DPChallenge, Dreams, exploration, Fate, Flintridge Books & Coffee, Independent, La Canada Flintridge, Life, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Personal Challenge, photography, postaday, quest for knowledge, Southern California, Tourism, Travel, Trying Something New, Universe, Vroman's Bookstore, Writing
Apparently Mother Nature forgot to inform California that it is the first day of October. It should not be 105 degrees in Los Angeles in the fall. I know I am a Midwestern transplant but I think even native Angelenos would admit that this weather is ridiculous.
So today, the only option is to beat the heat and I thought the best way to do that would be to stop at a bookstore/coffeehouse and then head off to library to do some writing.
Since I am loving the local Mom and Pop stores and restaurants all over Los Angeles, I decided that I would stop by the Flintridge Bookstore and Coffeehouse. When I walked in, my first impression is that this is a smaller version of Vroman’s Bookstores in Pasadena. But Vroman’s doesn’t have an Espresso Book Machine where you can publish your own books. I stood, in awe, watching as this machine printed and bound books created by local authors or books selected from their “On Demand” printing service. I had never seen anything like this before and it instantly got me thinking about publishing my own book. How cool would it be to create your own paperback novel or memoir?
With this new wave of inspiration flowing over me, I decided to grab an ice blended coffee from the Flintridge Coffeehouse and head home to grab my laptop. Then it would be off to the Altadena Library. I had never been there before but it was close to my house, it has air-conditioning and free wi-fi. Also, the book “Hometown Pasadena” described it as an ideal place for writing that is “quieter and less crowded than the Pasadena Central Library” and it has a reading area with armchairs. It sounded like the perfect place to create a novel.
When I arrived at the Altadena Public Library, located on the corner of Mariposa and Santa Rosa, I noticed the large area in the center set aside for reading and writing (via laptop). But I also noticed the noise coming from the kids area. I walked around, looking for a place to sit that would be as far as possible from the kids area. The library isn’t that big so there really was no escaping the kids section. Ironically, the area furthest away from the kids section is an area reserved for teens and young adults. Seriously? So the “Adults” are sandwiched between chatty teenagers and obnoxious kids who were never informed by their “bad parents” that you are supposed to be quiet in a library. I guess that explains why so many adults trying to work or read in the middle section were wearing noise-cancelling headphones.
I was grateful that I remembered to bring my ear buds but cursing myself for not thinking to bring my own noise-cancelling headphones. It was so hard to concentrate, even with my iPod at full blast (I could still hear the children). Kids were screaming, throwing tantrums and one little girl was even singing as loud as her voice would allow her. It was just like the kids running around the San Gabriel Library (I only noticed one girl running around and dancing between the book stacks at the Altadena Library). “Hometown Pasadena” said it was quieter and less crowded at this library than the Pasadena Central Library so I guess there is no need for me to ever go there. I tried my best to tune out the noise and concentrate but I couldn’t. I have trained teacher ears that can hear the tapping of a teenagers fingertips on an iPhone’s touch screen from across a classroom. I just couldn’t take it so I packed up and left.
The most peaceful spot in the whole library, located on the benches outside. Too bad it was 105 degrees.
Now I don’t blame the children for being obnoxious little brats. I blame the parents for not teaching them manners. When I was a kid, I loved the library. I loved all the places I could go in my imagination while turning the pages of the different books that lived there. My Mom used to take me to so many different libraries and she always told me that I had to be quiet. It was common courtesy and common sense to be quiet in a library. And if you were not obeying the silence rule, there was always a scary librarian who would enforce it and make you leave if you were bothering others. What happened? Why are parents letting their kids behave in such a rude manner and why are the library officials allowing this to happen. I can honestly say that I won’t be returning to the Altadena Library and I am rethinking possible visits to other libraries. I have been to two public libraries within the past week and they didn’t feel like a peaceful learning institution; they were Chuck E Cheese bounce house playrooms from hell.
So I decided to head down to Vroman’s bookstore on Colorado in Pasadena. It is a strange, strange world when a bookstore is a quiet, peaceful alternative to a library.
But it was a good thing that I showed up at Vroman’s when I did. There was a poetry reading and book signing going on upstairs. My last book signing occurred when I was in college and listened to the late great Ray Bradbury during one of his many visits to USC. I had never been to a poetry reading so I thought I would check it out.
The author was Dana Gioia reading poems from his new book “Pity The Beautiful: Poems.” I arrived at the upstairs meeting area just in time to hear a poem about the past. I didn’t get a chance to hear the title of the poem but the words reminded me of my own past and seemed to describe feelings that I once felt with a man from my past, my own Mr. Big. I listened a bit longer but left before the crowd started to line-up for the book signing. (I noticed his website has a link to an article, written by Carol Muske-Dukes for the Huffington Post, that mentions his new book, “Pity the Beautiful.” While I was at USC, Carol Muske-Dukes was my poetry professor in the English/Creative Writing Department).
So my lessons learned today: I am very disappointed in the local public library system but I am in love with the local independent bookstores. I don’t think I could ever go back to the chain stores like Barnes and Noble. And I don’t think I will return to another public library (to actually work on my writing) until parents learn how to be parents–or the librarians start to stand up to these obnoxious familes and maintain a peaceful working environment for all.
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September 26, 2012 at 11:22 PM (Astrology, Exploration, Life, Music, Personal Challenge, Southern California, Spirituality, Tourism, Travel, Universe, Writing)
Tags: astrology, DPChallenge, Dreams, exploration, Fate, guided practice, Independent, Libra, Life, Los Angeles, Love, meditation, music, Personal Challenge, postaday, quest for knowledge, Sahaja Meditation, San Gabriel, Southern California, Spirituality, Stress Relief, therapy, Tourism, Travel, Trying Something New, Universe, Writing
This morning, while watching the news, I saw a commercial talking about a website called Discover Los Angeles. I thought this would be a great place to find new ideas for my personal challenge. And today, my allergies were still acting up so I thought it would be best if I found something indoors.
So I went to the Discover LA website and clicked on their link to “100 Free Things to Do.” I am a broke teacher who lives paycheck to paycheck (gotta love budget cuts where you are making less money then when you started your job). There were so many interesting ideas but I thought it would be best, in my current state, to check out the “Free Health and Beauty Things to Do.” The last item caught my eye, “Get self-centered,” at the Sahaja Yoga Meditation Center.
Unfortunately the link what is disabled but being the tech savvy photo teacher, I just deleted the last part of the web address and was redirected to the Sahaja Yoga Meditation Center home page.
On the home page, I read the following:
“Sahaja Meditation is a simple yet very powerful technique which brings meaning, balance and gravity into our lives. Everyone can do it! And remember… it’s always free! Your self-realization is your birthright. You should never have to pay for the touch of Divine Love… Sahaja Meditation is a unique method of meditation based on an awakening that can occur within each human being. Through this process an inner transformation takes place by which one becomes moral, united, integrated and balanced. One can actually feel the all pervading divine power as a cool breeze, as described in all religions and spiritual traditions of the world.“
Perfect! I noticed that there were several locations and I found one in San Gabriel that was meeting tonight. I always wondered what it would be like to take an actual meditation class so this was my chance. Plus the description mentioned something about one becoming balanced–that is every Libra’s dream, their mission to find balance.
So I drove down to the San Gabriel Library (a place where I had never been before). The parking lot is small so I had to park on a neighborhood street. When I walked into the library, the teacher in me almost had a heart attack. It was loud and children were chasing each other around the book stacks, no parents in sight. The teenagers at the information desk were busy texting that they didn’t even notice I was standing there, waiting to inquire about the location for the class. I cleared my throat, loudly, and then just asked them about the class. Without even looking up from their phones, in unison, they said, up the stairs. WOW! I was a little concerned about how a group of people would be able to meditate in this Chuck E. Cheese atmosphere.
Thankfully quite a bit of the noise was inaudible once you reached the meeting room. But when I arrive, I was the only person there. I thought that maybe I had the wrong place. This wasn’t what I expected. I had imagined a room with Tibetan prayer flags strewn about and a big Buddhist alter. This was simply . . . a meeting room with off-white walls and industrial gray carpeting.
A few minutes later, the instructor arrived. Again, not what I expected. I think my mind had assumed that a meditation class would be something like the ones run at the monasteries. I was expecting a guru in his robes. Not a man in business attire carrying a Macbook.
A few minutes later, another person arrived. Again, not what I expected. I had dressed the part of what I thought a meditation student should look like. I was in my yoga pants and tank top, wearing my sandals and all of my crystal bracelets. I had my hair up, dangled earrings and my Buddhist necklace. The young woman who came in looked like she had just come from work, or the mall.
As it turns out, we were the only students that evening but that was actually to my benefit. The instructor told me the history and ideals behind Sahaja Meditation. Then he guided us through a Chakra meditation sequence followed by meditation with music and then the conclusion of the meditation process. It wasn’t what I expected but it turned out better than I imagined. I basically had a personalized course with the meditation instructor, once again proving that a teacher is more effective with a smaller class size.
I left there feeling calm and relaxed. I was drama free and happy. I think I will be back next week. Who knows, perhaps my meditation skills will improve, allowing me to ignore my noisy teenagers. This was definitely a good experiment.
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September 21, 2012 at 3:32 PM (Exploration, Hiking, Life, Personal Challenge, Photography, Southern California, Sports, Tourism, Travel, Universe, Writing)
Tags: DPChallenge, Fate, Griffith Park, Independent, LA Zoo, Life, Old Zoo, personalchallenge, photography, postaday, quest for knowledge, Southern California, Teenagers, Tourism, Travel, Trying Something New, Writing
Today, I decided I would check out the old Los Angeles Zoo, located in Griffith Park. My students gave me the idea. They are loving my new personal challenge to go somewhere new everyday. It is now a ritual when they walk into class to ask me what about my daily excursion plans. Some of my students even made lists with ideas. Many had “The Old Zoo” in Griffith Park on their lists. They said they have heard stories about hauntings and weird occurances.
So just like the previous locations, I Googled the address and directions but refused to read any of the stories or legends until after my visit. So after work, I headed down to Griffith Park. When I got there, I realized that I have never really explored this famous park. I went to the Observatory once in college with my friend Matt, an LA native. And I have been to the Griffith Park Travel Town a few times but that was it. So I thought it would be best to stop at the Ranger Station to get a map and ask directions so I wouldn’t get lost.
It turns out that the Old Zoo is very close to the Ranger Station (and Merry-Go-Round). I followed the Ranger’s directions and parked in the “Old Zoo” picnic area parking lot. This is when strange things started to happen. As I made my way to the path, I heard someone yell “Miss B.” One of my students ran up to me. It turns out they were having a county track meet through the park . . . through the Merry-Go-Round area . . . and through the “Old Zoo.” Hundreds of teenagers, coaches and cheering parents every where. It was like the Universe was playing another cosmic joke on me.
I had just spent my day with loud teenagers. I used these solo expeditions as a way of achieving peace and quiet after a daily grind that left me with ringing ears from all the chatter, giggling, and drama that is wrapped up in the world of the American teenager. So things were not working out exactly as planned. But I wasn’t going to give up on my plans and made my way up to the “Old Zoo.”
Though I do have to admit it was comical, and a bit ironic, to see the teenagers hanging out in the old animal cages while waiting for their races. It there weren’t legal issues with taking pictures of minors without parental consent, I could have had a field day with the caged teenager metaphor.
Thankfully, the teenagers were only lingering in the front part of the Zoo. Once I made my way up through the entrance, I was by myself. The abandoned Zoo was mine for exploring. Unfortunately, there really wasn’t that much to explore. There were abandoned cages and animal “sancutaries.” There was a building, tagged with graffitti. But overall, it felt like a walk through area at Universal Studios, the kind that would just give you a glimpse into another world. It wasn’t long before you had made your way through the area and reached one of the many Griffith Park hiking trails.
It is an interesting place to visit but I wasn’t getting any paranormal feelings. It is an abandoned Zoo, vandalized and left in a state of Urban decay. It would be a great place for a photo shoot. And if you love hiking, I would highly recommend it. Just bring bug spray because the flies, gnats, and mosquitoes are bothersome, at least they were for me.
When I returned home, I decided to look into the history of the abandoned zoo. In 1913, the city of Los Angeles moved the zoo from the area that is currently known as Lincoln Park to Griffith Park. They wanted a more natural setting for the animals so they chose a ravine in the park located next to the area where the Merry-Go-Round now sits. There were plans to raise $10,000 for the construction of the new zoo but fundraising efforts stalled and they were left with only $2,000. With low funding, the animals were kept in stockades, welded wires encircling groups of trees. Within a few years, they were able to add an aviary, bear pits, and cages but it still wasn’t the kind of zoo one would imagine for Los Angeles.
There were so many problems with the poorly funded, free admission, Los Angeles Zoo. They couldn’t afford to have their own Vet on staff so many of the animals became ill or contracted highly contagious diseases. There were also issues with the sewage system. In 1916, the Health Department almost shut down the zoo because sewage was seeping into the LA River. And it kept getting worse. During World War I, the Los Angeles City Council decided to withdraw their authorization for the zoo to feed beef to the meat-eating animals. They tried to switch to an alternate meat source but the majority of the meat-eating animals died. In 1923, the city park commissioners drew attention to the poor conditions of the zoo and predicted that if things didn’t approve, it would soon be closed and the animals housed there would be “disposed.”
Somehow, the zoo managed to survive and in the mid-1930s, it was renovated and expanded as a Works Progress Administration project. With the free admission, the newly renovated Los Angeles Zoo drew large crowds, as well as heavy criticism. By the 1950s, “zoo-bashing” became a political norm. Everyone talked about abandoning or moving the zoo to a better setting where a zoo could be built that would be adequate for a city with the size and population of Los Angeles. The LA Daily News even called the Griffith Park zoo “an inadequate, ugly, poorly designed and under-financed collection of beat-up cages.” In May 1958, Angelenos voted and approved an $8 million bond to build a new “World Zoo.” In the fall of 1964, a ground-breaking ceremony was held for the new city-run Greater Los Angeles Zoo, located at the site of the Roosevelt Golf Course at the northeast end of Griffith Park. The old Zoo officially closed in 1965 but it is still used today as a site for the filming of movies and TV shows.
I couldn’t find any real urban legends linked to this specific site, except a few about haunted animals roaming the area at night (they were probably real animals). Griffith Park itself is shrouded in numerous Urban Legends, myths and curses. But that I will leave for another day.
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