(the view of the queen mary from where i parked my car.)


an incredible weekend.

started off with piles of errands, then a 15-mile run down at the queen mary. i found out that only five other people run in the afternoon/evening. it was such a different vibe from the early morning announcements of harbor cruises and people out jogging and walking in a sleepwalking state. instead, it was empty. me and the long beach path. i saw three harbor cats taking naps on the rocks--one was nonchalantly watching the pigeons which were terrifically brave (or maybe just stupid) as they were so close to the cats. the sun set and on my way back, everything started to wake up and twinkle. the lighthouse has a green and blue light illuminating it...and the queen mary shone in the harbor. a beautiful night.

the next morning, i got up and chilled for a while before getting ready to get the car worked on. i brought enough stuff to keep me occupied for several hours but they were finished before i read one chapter out of emma. ah well. austen was set aside, the bill paid (dear God!), and i drove off in the rain to the skirball museum to see my exhibit.

saying 'yes' to life has it's advantages. for me, a lot of it is just being open in my heart to what the day brings me. somehow this translates to people. i had a nice chat with the old man at the entrance of the museum. what a fascinating person! he is an opera singer and chatted me up in german when i said, "ya!" to his question of whether or not i was going to the max liebermann exhibit. of course, my brain froze and melted into mush, but before it did, i was able to utter a couple replies to him.

the exhibit was so wonderful. please go see it if you're in the l.a. area! i love how he uses light and how it is dappled and shining through the trees in his paintings. i always wonder how the impressionists (any painter, really) knew what the heck they were painting, because when you get really close to them, the canvas is a mottle of globs of color. it doesn't evolve into a picture until you're across the room. and then it's magnificent. how do they know when they are obviously not throwing paint from across the room to the canvas?

yes, the questions of an amateur, but no matter.


(santa monica from a window in the mall...hehe)

then it was off to santa monica to eat a banana and nutella crepe at Cafe Crepe at the Promenade. i got it to go since the place was packed. it is ambient like this article if you go in the early morning or late night, but not in the afternoon when the masses descend. ;) it was fun watching them whip up the crepes, and for me, wrap it in paper so i could eat the chocolatey/hazelnut gooey goodness as i walked down 3rd street. then there was a trip to borders and tower records and anthropologie (love that place. wish it wasn't sooo expensive!)...then on to barnes where elliot smiths' 'figure 8' was finally purchased (amazing. so amazing.) and then over to michael's to find postcards for mylittlemochi's postcard exchange. :) (they didn't have them! :()

drove home to find a wonderful package from my friend, eric. lots and lots of music and chocolate and comic strips! who is this guy?! :) thanks, eric! :) :)