Good Morning L.A...

It seems that no matter what I do to upload some images they continue to scan as illustrations. Guess I'm too artsy fartsy for my scanner to recognize a photo when it see's one.

As like every day, I rise long before the sun rise, hoping the quietness will inspire and transform me into the creative genious I am (LOL).

If this shot would have scanned correctly you would have been able to see how beautifully pink the sky was around 6 a.m. but, instead it is purple. Illustration purple. Although it's fairly cool looking you will never see the beauty I experience each and every morning as I watch this phenonena unfold outside the windows of my office.

I have seen almost every sunrise for the past decade. Of course the same can't be said for the sunset because by then the chance that I've had to take a nap just to catch up with my sleep is very possible.

I don't care though because the morning is when everything starts. The quietness that settles around me during that time allows me slowly move towards the time when everyone finally wakes up and the chaos begins. It's usually very loud in my house so I cherish every one of the awakened early hours...

High Winds Cause Havoc...

Yesterdays high winds had authorities scrambling all over the Southland. Those same winds are expected to continue today but will taper off over the next few days.

Power outages, overturned big rigs and downed trees caused havoc and fear for many residents, especially those who live in high alert fire areas.

In Sherman Oaks fire crews from Station 88 were called out to this abandoned complex on Tyrone Ave around 2:15 p.m. for what appeared to be a small blaze.

Of course, being the news whore that I am, I had to stop and take a photo of these firemen on the ladder as they finished knocking holes in the roof and hosing down the hot spot.

It makes me wonder, since this building is in the process of demolition anyway, how the fire got started in the first place, and, if they had just let it burn could they have saved the new owners of the complex a few bucks in tear down costs.

Something's Fishy...

So it comes to my attention after all these years that Mark Madler is a fishy kind of guy. Not the live kind...the kind that spur his writing on as they stare down at him from his computer.




Could it be he's been keeping a secret from us all this time.





I couldn't help but notice this little store tucked away in Studio City. It makes me wonder now...what exactly does he do on his day off. Could it be that he really is into fish perhaps or is it just a fluke that another Mark loves fish equally as well?

Me wonders.......?????

Out To Lunch...

Who says pigeons don't eat well? I found this one at the Daily Grill in Encino.

Who knew the Italian gene lurked in these flocks.

Yes that's pasta he/she is about to enjoy. In the background you'll notice a small child teethered to his highchair. He spent most of his time tossing the pasta into the air, which is of course how he got my attention. I was sitting there talking and suddenly was bombarded with a handful of errant pasta.

I thought of shooing the bird away but instead tossed a pinch of romano cheese figuring it might as well get the entire taste experience.

Bon Appetite my friend, just don't crap on me when you decide to take off!

Angels On Earth...

Sometimes you look like an angel...sometimes you don't.



He's not as mean as he looks in this photo, what he calls a throwback to his professional days as law enforcement. I can imagin that there were not too many who would want to cross him when he's looking at you like this. I must add though, that when he does smile it lights up the world.

Bill (pictured) is my living angel. He reached out his hand and heart to me when I was down enough to think about throwing in the towel. His words brought out a faith in me I never knew existed, not in the way you're probably thinking, but a faith that I could withstand anything that came my way.

He was right of course even though the path was long and trecherous. He's been on my mind, in my mind and at my side for several years now and has helped me see things in perspective even when my eyes drew a blank. He has put out prayer calls for friends in need and I truely believe that in doing this a life or two have been spared to go onto bigger and better things.

So if you ever feel lost, just remember that there are real life angels out there. You may never know who they are but when they touch your life you will be eternally grateful...

Birthday Girl...

Well, someone just got a little older.

Unfortunately there is not enough color to make these scan as color photo's so instead I bring you this wacky illustration. You will have to click on it to enlarge it so the images will embed themselves in your brain...forever...but say la f...ing V!




The kids were spot on in their humor and were extremely nice to us all day and of course as you can see by my enhanced image my hair had gone from straight as an arrow to a more Farah Fawcetty look by the end of the day. No more self portraits for me though.

We had such a great time, had some great laughs, good food thanks to Rachel who bought lunch for all of us and got to spend some time browsing the shops. It seemed like the perfect day. The rain left and the sun broke through right in the nick of time for our little stroll.

Although the girls could easily have spend the entire day shopping and trying things on we had to eventually call it a day since the birthday girl had some preparations to make for "dinner" and I was just plain exhausted and in need of a nap.

I have to say Tammy for a 40 something broad you've got it going on and I hope to share many more over the next half of our lives.

Happy Birthday to you!!!!!

From Holga To Hell In A Handbasket...

So here's more reason to eat at a reasonable hour other that breakfast. (See photo but for God's sake don't enlarge it...Yikes)

The hair, the skin, the wacky hair should be enough to keep us under wraps until we take a good long look in the mirror. Tammy, maybe we should consider lunches instead of breakfasts?

But, alas, here we are--two wacko's, aka, the freaks with those crazy Holga's at our weekly meeting. Of course we ususally decide the fate of the world during these respites together so who cares what we look like.

Yes, it's only Wednesday but, the bitchfest was moved due to Tammy's new day off.

It's hard to imagine we have so much to talk about with one cup of coffee under our belt but somehow we manage to muddle through it.

But, what we talk about, no one but us will ever know, (except for the occassional eaves droppers who throws a few comments our way).

Today it was love, life, the past the future, why our chins are red and why sunglasses hide a multitude of sins.

Even some of the unsuspecting staff at Nat's got into the action as Tammy played with her new lens. No one out there is safe when we're together.

Well, I took this shot to inspire me to get back into the daily habit of finding something to shoot and even though the inspiration today was just two crazy broads talking, it was enough to do the trick.

Well, I've got more film so I guess I better get my ass in gear and do what I said I would.

Till tomorrow...

The Imposter...

In a moment of sobrietal youth, I caught the boy in thought.

It's a rare thing...this serious look. I wish I could remember what he was doing at that moment, what he was thinking or looking at.

This is usually a boy in motion, animated beyond my patience level often, but on occassions like this one I see the depth to his wonderous young mind.

Maybe it was a new toy beyond his capabilities, which is usually very rare, that caught his rapt attention.

Maybe he was just plain worn out by the holidays events and found his 'James Dean' tough guy moment, wife beater and all, that made him look this serious.

Nearly all the other photos I shot of him during the Christmas season showed him with his devilish grin, the one we're most used to, but I thought for a change I would show him in a different vein.

Let's Be Frank...

Okay...so I admit this is a rather strange photo and again I've had to use the red marker to make my scanner realize this is a color photo. Don't know why it's suddenly decided to try and tell me that these are not color photo's but that's the deal right now.

I call this tree stump 'Frank'. It's what I look at outside my bathroom window as I soak in the tub. We've only recently met since he was hacked away at by the local tree trimmer.

He's become my 'totem pole' idol and will listen to me no matter what insane thing I have on my mind. I figure the way he's looking towards the sky, he's also looking for answers so together we can mentally converse and solve all the worlds problems all while soaking away the aches and pains of the day.

What I like best however is the fact that he just listens...unlike some others who reside in my house. He never talks back, doesn't care if I get a judgemental tone in my voice, nor does he offer any advice. He just stands there looking to the heavens passing along my thoughts.

Strangely enough, talking to a tree seems to agree with me.

If you really want to see Frank just click on the picture and you'll see for yourself that he looks pretty amicable and delighted with the company he is currently keeping.

(He's also good at keeping secrets)

Well, I'm off to find my next shot, hoping that the gloom that is our sky today won't ruin a whole pack of polaroids because it's my last color pack until I hit the camera store.