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 (Exploration, Life, Personal Challenge, Spirituality, Tourism, Travel, Universe)
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 2, 2012 at 11:29 PM (Exploration, Life, Personal Challenge, Tourism, Travel, Writing)
Tags: Altadena Library, DPChallenge, Independent, library, Life, Los Angeles, peaceful, Personal Challenge, postaday, quest for knowledge, quiet, Reading, Sierre Madre, Sierre Madre Public Library, Southern California, Tourism, Travel, Trying Something New, Writing
By Eureka, I found one. I found a library in Los Angeles that is actually quiet. I was feeling really discouraged after visiting the San Gabriel and Altadena Public Libraries. But I figured I would give it one more try and visit one more public library.
Well, when it comes to the Sierre Madre Public Library, I will simply say that third times the charm. This small and quiet library is located on Sierre Madre Blvd in what seems like a quaint little community deemed as “the gateway to the mountains.”
Up until Saturday, I didn’t even know this town existed. I drive past Sierre Madre Blvd. practically every day but never knew it led to an area that reminds me of the quiet little mountain towns you would expect in Colorado or see in the movies. On Saturday, my California sister took me here to have lunch with her friends and family. As we drove to our lunch destination, I made a mental note to return to this area to explore. But with the heat still in the triple digits here in Southern California, I opted to just check out the Library first. I can wander around the town when the weather cools.
The library itself is smaller than the Altadena branch but there are no children running around, screaming or throwing tantrums. I felt like I walked into a real library, not a daycare. There are plenty of kids here but they are actually reading or doing homework. There are comfortable little maroon chairs with attached swivel tables, an ideal spot for studying or writing. There are several tables with four chairs surrounding each, an excellent space for study groups. There are computer stations and little cubby spaces for privacy. There are even counters along the windows to allow several people the chance to have a workspace with a view. Now there is a kid section but the best thing about this library is that the kid’s section is separated from the rest of the library through placement of a room in the back of the library. I was so excited to be in a real library, not a daycare pretending to be a library. I would definitely come back here to work on my writing.
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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 30, 2012 at 7:53 PM (Exploration, Life, Personal Challenge, Photography, Southern California, Tourism, Travel, Writing)
Tags: Burgers, Diner, Doo Dah Parade, DPChallenge, exploration, food, Home, Independent, Life, Los Angeles, Museums, Pacific Electric, Pasadena, Pasadena Museum of History, Personal Challenge, photography, Pie, Pie N' Burger, postaday, quest for knowledge, Restaurant, Southern California, Tourism, Travel, Trying Something New, weather, Writing
With the unseasonably warm weather reaching 100 degrees today, I opted for something indoors. When you live in a city rich with history, a museum is a great place to visit to beat the heat. For today, I chose the Pasadena Museum of History.
The Pasadena Museum of History, located at the corner of Orange Grove and Walnut, was founded in 1924. If you want to know anything about the history of Pasadena and the surrounding areas, this is the place to go. Admission is $7 for adults and there are annual memberships available starting at $50. On their website, I found an application for an Educator membership which is free for the first year. Of course, that is the membership I chose.
When you first arrive at the museum, go to the Museum Store, located to the left of the entrance. You pay the admission fee there or you can purchase a membership. The ladies who work there are extremely helpful. I told them about my personal challenge to go to a different place every day for a year. Inside the store, there are numerous history and tour books about Pasadena, Mount Lowe, Mount Wilson and the surrounding areas. I personally found several books to aid me in my quest, including the book “Hometown Pasadena.”
After spending way too much time in the Museum store, I finally headed over to the exhibit hall. There are currently two exhibits. When you walk in, there is a docent to provide you with additional information about each exhibit. To the right, there is an exhibit on the Doo Dah Parade. I had never heard of the Doo Dah Parade before but the flamboyant costumes on display caught my eye and I decided I would explore this exhibit first.
The Doo Dah Parade is an annual parade in Pasadena that is the opposite of the formal Rose Parade. While walking through the exhibit and viewing the costumes and pictures, I started to think that this is a parade where the West Hollywood Halloween Parade and Burning Man converge. The first official Doo Dah Parade occurred on Sunday January 1, 1978. It is tradition that the Rose Parade always takes place on January 1st but they won’t march on a Sunday. So a group of friends gathered together for this alternative parade that has spanned similar Doo Dah Parades in Ohio and New Jersey.
The Pasadena Doo Dah parade no longer takes place in January. It has now moved to the first weekend before May Day. The next Pasadena Doo Dah parade will take place on April 27, 2013. I definitely plan on attending and seeing all this alternative parade has to offer first hand.
On the left side of the Pasadena Museum of History exhibit hall, there is a look back at the old Pacific Electric Railway. This exhibit consists mostly of historical photographs of the old railway cars seen throughout the Los Angeles area with pictures of what those areas look like today. As a photographer, I found this exhibit to be absolutely fascinating. It is hard to imagine a time in Los Angeles where it cost $.60 for a round trip ticket on the rail system and it only took 20 minutes to get anywhere in Los Angeles. Today, Metro fares start at $1.80 one way. But the majority of people in Los Angeles drive at a current price of $4.25 per gallon of gas and it could take you only 20 minutes to drive anywhere in Los Angeles, if you were on the freeways at 3am. During rush hour traffic, all freeways do a great impression of a parking lot and it can take around an hour and a half just to drive 20 miles.
I actually found this exhibit inspiring. I love the idea of looking at the historical photographs of Los Angeles (and this museum houses thousands of them) and going to those areas today to see how much they have changed or perhaps stayed the same with preservation efforts. This exhibit had quite an impact on me–I bought the book, Pacific Electric Railways: Then and Now, with the displayed photographs and many others.
There is a historical mansion located on the property of the Pasadena Museum of History, the Feynes Mansion. Unfortunately, the mansion was closed for restoration efforts and will reopen for tours in December. There are members only “First Peek” tours in November. I will have to return to explore the mansion then.
As I was leaving the museum, my stomach started to growl. I thought this would be the perfect time to check out the Pie N’ Burger restaurant that I have heard numerous people, specifically yesterday at the Archery Range, rave about.
Pie N’ Burger is located on California just east of Lake. There is no parking lot but plenty of street parking on California and Lake. When I walked in, I felt like I stepped back in time. This 60s Diner style restaurant had what had to be its original cash register and Hamilton Beach shake mixer. Pie N’ Burger first opened in 1963 and it remains at its original location with the original decor and one of the original waitresses. Just be warned that they are a CASH ONLY establishment. As one patron told me, “they didn’t have credit cards or debit cards in the 60s.”
Now as for the food, I was impressed. I ordered the original hamburger with cheese (minus Thousand Island dressing), a side of fries and a slice of Boysenberry pie (recommended by my waitress). I ordered a diet coke and watched as my waitress hand mixed the syrup with soda water. I asked and it is even the same menu, with the addition of a few items like a vegetarian burger, and of course an increase in prices. I wish I would have ordered an ice cream soda instead of a diet coke. I think it would have been interesting to have an authentic Ice Cream Soda. Even though this is a little pricey for me (kinda of close in price to the Johnny Rocket’s prices, maybe a little cheaper), it was worth it and I will definitely go back. (I can guarantee my Mom will want to go here when she comes to visit).
All and all, I would say this was a very successful day. Actually, a successful weekend to make up for what I thought was a disappointing Friday trip.
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September 29, 2012 at 10:44 PM (Exploration, Family, Life, Personal Challenge, Photography, Southern California, Sports, Tourism, Travel, Writing)
Tags: altadena, Arroyo Seco, Colorado Street Bridge, DPChallenge, exploration, Family, Free Classes, Full Moon, Independent, Life, Los Angeles, Lower Arroyo Seco, Moon, National Coffee Day, Pasadena, Pasadena Roving Archers, photography, postaday, quest for knowledge, Saturday, Southern California, Sports, The Coffee Gallery, Tourism, Travel, Trying Something New, Writing
Today, I decided to enlist my honorary nephew, Brandon, to help me out with my personal challenge. On the Discover Los Angeles website under 100 Free things to do in Los Angeles, I found a link to the Pasadena Roving Archers group that offers free archery classes on Saturdays. The only downside is that you have to get there really early because it is on a first-come, first-serve basis (and the small parking lot fills up quickly. I recommend parking on Arroyo and just walking down the hill to the park).
Brandon is a Boy Scout and really interested in learning archery so I thought this would be a fun thing that we could do together. Unfortunately, since he is under the age of 10 (he is 9), he is required to take an evaluation and preliminary instruction course before he can participate in the other classes. The introductory class for adults starts at the same time (8:30 am–the time hasn’t been updated yet on the website for the kids evaluation class) but it is on a different range. So I decided I would just stay with Brandon and watch his first class. I could always come back and take the introductory class later on or take a one-on-one instruction course for $25.
I was impressed with the way the instructors, Jim and Terri ran the youth class. They were organized and patient with the children. That emphasized all of the important safety issues and they would complete stop the class whenever anyone was disobeying their safety rules. They explained everything step by step and they had additional instructors that would help the kids individually, if needed. It didn’t take long for the kids to get used to their class structure and whistle system. I would highly recommend this class to anyone who lives in Pasadena or the other local SoCal areas who have kids (or nieces and nephews) who are interested in learning archery. The introductory class is free and they request a $5 donation for any subsequent classes.
Jim mentioned that since the release of the films Brave and Hunger Games, classes on the range have increased in popularity and fill up quickly. Brandon and I realized this when we arrived and there were absolutely no parking spaces available in the parking lot so we chose to park on Arroyo Blvd and just walk down the hill to the park.
I asked Brandon what he thought of the class and he said he loved it. He definitely wants to come back (and since the “returning” classes start at 10am, my California sister will actually be awake in time and able to join us). He said that in Boy Scouts, when teaching archery, they just tell the kids to line-up and shoot. They don’t explain anything. Brandon said it was nice to have all the instructions and the helpers there to let you know if you were doing anything wrong. He also liked that all the equipment was provided. Each kid was fitted for an arm guard, a finger guard, a quiver with specific colored arrows, and a bow. And it was easy to see that Brandon wasn’t the only kid who enjoyed the class. There were plenty of parents asking about the returning classes and private lessons offered by the Pasadena Roving Archers. Again, I was really impressed by the instructors and the class. I would recommend this to any of my friends with kids.
Now since I had to start my Saturday much earlier than normal, I decided I would take the opportunity to have another first time experience before the day was out. Somewhere on Facebook, I read that today was “National Coffee Day.” As a coffee lover, this was something I could whole-heartedly support. After having lunch and running some errands with my California sister and Brandon, I decided I was in need of a coffee break. Many times, I have passed a local coffeehouse on N. Lake in Altadena called “The Coffee Gallery.” I have read reviews about how it is a local artists haven and hang out, complete with a backstage area for bands, shows, comedy, and open mic nights. So in honor of National Coffee Day, I thought I would check it out.
There is no parking lot for The Coffee Gallery so after finding street parking on Lake, I made my way over to the cozy coffeehouse. You can definitely feel the relaxed atmosphere the minute you walk into the door. This is nothing like the corporate designed Starbucks and don’t expect the same menu. I had no qualms asking the barista for recommendations. He asked me if I liked Lattes: Yes, I do. He asked me if I liked sweet drinks: Yes, I do. So he recommended the “Caramel Turtle” Latte or if I liked something a little more spicy, like Chai, then he recommended the “Filthy Dirty Chai” Latte. I chose the latter (I love Chai Lattes).
Now all I have to say is Starbucks, eat your hearts out because this little coffee-house blows you right out of the water. The Filthy Dirty Chai Latte was amazing. I can’t wait to go back and try other items on their menu. I definitely have a new favorite coffeehouse/hangout place/writing spot (they have free WiFi). If you live in the Altadena area, there is no need to go to the Starbucks located in Ralphs. Support our local businesses and go over to The Coffee Gallery instead.
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September 28, 2012 at 9:53 PM (Exploration, Life, Personal Challenge, Photography, Southern California, Tourism, Travel)
Tags: Chinese, Disappointment, DPChallenge, Dumplings, food, Full Moon, Independent, Life, Moon, Pasadena, postaday, quest for knowledge, San Gabriel, San Gabriel Square, Southern California, Tea, The Habit Burger Grill, Tourism, Travel, Trying Something New, Writing
Still a bit sore after my horseback riding adventure yesterday, I decided I would take it easy and explore something closer to home. Originally I thought tonight was the full moon so I was planning on visiting the Linda Vista Hospital (despite my students and mother warning me to stop going places at night, alone, especially on a full moon). But the full moon is tomorrow so that means I could pick something a little more low-key and indoors (a great way to beat the heat).
Once again, I found myself searching the Discover LA website for ideas when I found their “Best of LA in One Day” page. Most of the places I had visited before or they cost too much money but the section, “Fun, In Any Language” sounded interesting. It mentions an area known as ground zero for LA’s Chinese population; a place often referred to as “The Great Mall of China.” This place is the San Gabriel Square. They said it has a supermarket, lots of Chinese restaurants, gift shops and “a vibe that says Vegas and Southern California as much as Beijing.” I love Chinese food and anything Buddha so this sounded like the perfect place to go. I used Google Maps, printed out my directions and headed to my destination.
First off, the drive over there sucked. The Google directions were confusing and there were traffic jams galore with all the construction in the different areas of Pasadena (and it wasn’t even Carmageddon time yet). But once I was on Valley Blvd and started to see all of the Chinese symbols on the signs, I knew I was headed in the right direction.
In my mind, I was imagining a Chinatown version of the Mall of America or at the very least the Forum shops at Caesar’s Palace in Vegas. I figured it would be flashy and easy to spot, yet the sign was not easily visible while driving so I drove right past it, being forced to turn on the next street and find a back entrance into the parking lot.
The building was not at all what I expected but I was trying to stay positive. I did feel like I was stepping into another country. But the minute I emerged from the parking lot stairwell and stepped into the courtyard in front of the Focus department store, I thought I was going to throw up. There was an overwhelming stench of rotting seafood. I noticed there was markets to the left of Focus so I decided to walk off into the opposite direction. Once again, a wave of disappointed flooded my senses when the San Gabriel Square failed to live up to my fantasy version of a Great Mall of China. At the very least, I thought it would have the feel of the shops in Chinatown (downtown LA). But this simply felt like a regular mall but the signs and music were all in Chinese. There was even a T-Mobile store.
So in an effort to try something new, I thought I would try eating at one of the restaurants. But as I walked around, I realized that all of the restaurants that were open had a B rating and didn’t look all that appealing. The restaurants that I wanted to try, like the steamed dumplings place, were closed until 5:30pm. It was only 4pm. I didn’t think I would be able to entertain myself for an hour and a half. But I still had the Focus department store to check out. Maybe that would be a time killer so I could enjoy some dumplings.
The Focus store has four levels. I decided I would go up to the top and work my way down. The top-level was a restaurant so that didn’t take that long.
The third level was jewelry. It was set up like a flea market where each booth was owned by someone else. If only I had known about this place back when I was looking for a Jade Buddha necklace. This is definitely the place to go for Jade jewelry. The only thing I didn’t like was I couldn’t understand the price tags (they didn’t use decimal points). So I didn’t know if the necklace was $12.50 (which would be a total bargain) or $1,250. And the jewelers were all with customers and talking Chinese. I was the tall, white American girl who stood out like a sore thumb.
The second level was clothing, clothing made for skinny little women, not curvy Italian-Polish-German-French Canadian-Americans. But if I ever want a fancy Chinese style dress, I now know where to buy one.
The first floor was the marketplace. There were beauty items, household items (who knew they make Hello Kitty Pots & Pans), a whole section of Chinese Alcohol (Plum Wine & Sake), and then my favorite part, the tea section. There is no need to go to a wallet-killer store like Teavana when there is Focus in San Gabriel. The teas were reasonably priced. I finally got my tea infuser pot for only $5.98 (they are $19.98 at Teavana). I also got some Bamboo serving spoons for $1.90 each. They also had some beautiful tea sets, Sake sets, and Sushi plates. Yep, the tea and kitchen area made the whole trip worth it.
It was now 4:30pm and there was nothing else for me to explore. I had arrived at 4pm. It only took me a half hour to explore this entire place. So I would disagree with Discover Los Angeles’ description of the San Gabriel Square. It isn’t the “Great Mall of China” nor does it have a Vegas vibe. But if you want good deals on tea, tea pots and anything else to meet your Oriental Cooking needs, this is the place to go. As for the restaurants, I will have to comment on that if I should ever get down there again to eat at the dumplings place.
On my way home, I looked over at my new tea-infuser pot but I wasn’t satisfied. This didn’t really seem worthy of my challenge. Yes, I did go somewhere I had never been before but I was disappointed by what I found. I needed something else. I needed another adventure but as I was driving home, I didn’t see anything “inspiring.” There was a sign that said “Live Oak Park” and I thought that could be something cool was it was simply a park with baseball and soccer fields. There was a little league baseball game happening as I drove past.
So I figured I could just stop and get dinner at a restaurant I had never been to before. I drove past “The Habit Burger Grill” at the Hastings Ranch shopping center in Pasadena. I had never been there and had heard it was like the old chain Topz (the one with the healthy burgers and aero-fries, that the original Tops in Pasadena). So I order what appeared to be their “famous” burger, the Charburger. I do have to say it was a good burger. Not as healthy as Topz used to be (the fries were definitely not baked) but it was still really good. The Habit Burger Grill is a chain that started in 1969 in Santa Barbara and now you can find them all over SoCal. I can safely say that I would definitely go back.
With a full belly, I returned to the car and watched as the moon rose into the sky and the sun started to set behind me. It looked like a full moon. I started to think that maybe I had my dates wrong. If it was the full moon, I needed to head home to get my camera. I could add more adventures to my day, like capturing the full moon over the Colorado Street Bridge and Devil’s Gate Dam. But I checked my calendar and I was right, the full moon is tomorrow night. I guess I am just going to have to settle with what I have already done–technically I tried two new things–and hope that tomorrow turns out for the better. At the very least, I know I can enjoy the full moon, the Harvest Moon, tomorrow night.
As for tonight, I am just going to head home and watch “The Avengers” on On Demand–a movie I haven’t seen yet.
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September 27, 2012 at 9:47 PM (Exploration, Life, Personal Challenge, Photography, Southern California, Sports, Tourism, Travel, Writing)
Tags: DPChallenge, Griffith Park, Horseback Riding, Independent, Life, Los Angeles, Personal Challenge, postaday, quest for knowledge, Southern California, therapy, Tourism, Tours, Trail Rides, Travel, Trying Something New, Writing
Today I decided I wanted to do something that I hadn’t done since I was in high school back in Michigan. I wanted to go Horseback riding. I started to think about it last week when I went to the Old Zoo in Griffith Park and saw the pony rides. So I did my research and found several different places where you can go horseback riding in Los Angeles.
Since it has been over 16 years since I saddled up, I thought it would be best to find a place that worked well for beginners. Ironically, the perfect place for my adventure was very same place that inspired my choice, Griffith Park. At the LA Equestrian Center, there is a horse rental area that provides guided trail rides through Griffith Park for just $25 an hour. Other places that I found looked more advanced and had prices starting at $40 an hour. So the Griffith Park Horse Rental and Trail Rides was my adventure destination for the day.
Once you pull into the LA Equestrian Center, you will see sign guiding you to the Horse Rental and Trail Rides area in the parking lot off to the left. I parked and walked back to the rental stables. I was immediately greeted and when I told them I wanted to go on a trail ride, they started to prepare my horse while I filled out the legal forms. I made sure that this was my first time at the trails and that I hadn’t been on a horse in over 16 years. They gave me a safety helmet and introduced me to my personal guide, Jesus. They went over the basic instructions of how to control the horse with the reins. The assured me that Jesus would be with me at all times if I had any questions or needed assistance.
I do have to admit that it was a little weird for me that I was told to lead the way and Jesus traveled just behind me, nudging my horse on when he needed it. And since we had a language barrier, he didn’t know enough English and I didn’t know enough Spanish, it almost felt like I was on a solo ride. But what a nice ride it was, especially when we got into Griffith Park.
We saw deer in several different areas. If I hadn’t been concentrating on keeping my balance and holding onto the reins, I probably would have been faster to grab my phone to get a few pictures of all the wild animals that crossed our path. Thankfully, Jesus was sweet enough to use my phone to get a few pictures of me on my horse.
I chose to do the one hour trail ride and that was plenty for my first time back on a horse. And it wasn’t until we returned to the stables and I dismounted that I realized what a workout I had received in that one hour. My legs and butt were sore. They told me that was a good sign and it meant that I was riding correctly. So now I completely understand why cowboys walk the way they do because that is exactly how I was walking.
Overall, it was an excellent experience. Everyone was very nice. I would definitely go back.
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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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