Painfully Sunny

Buddha and the Beast

Self-Portrait in Motion

Visions of Japan, c1830s-40s

 

Today I visited a special exhibition of Hiroshige's woodblock prints at the Norton Simon Museum.  The exhibit explained that part of Hiroshige's greatness was his interest in and unique eye for ukiyo-e, or the transitory pleasures of urban life. He is also known for his portrayals of atmosphere - wind, rain, snow.  My favorite room focused on his prints of birds.

Hiroshige

Date Night, Platonic Style

As many of you know, when left to my own devices I tend toward the misanthropic.  But even for me, three weeks without a face-to-face conversation that isn't over a cash register or circulation desk is a bit disorienting.  So out of boredom/hope/morbid curiosity I ventured onto that great equalizer - that place where anything can happen - that place where it's best to use a pseudonym, a fake email address, and latex gloves.  Because this is public radio I will not - cannot - share with you the many ads that I waded through in my attempt to locate a sane, rational human being via craigslist.  And yes, folks, I am talking about the platonic section. 

But amazingly enough I saw an ad I could respond to without needing a shower.  It was simply some guy who was heading to the Pasadena flea market and would be happy for company.  Now, as far as these things go, the stakes could not possibly be lower.  This is a Sunday morning, it is a flea market, and would involve sorting through various homemade fabric items and used books.  I responded to this ad and some minimal arrangements were made.  However, I was kept on the phone quite late on Saturday (you know who you are) and I slept right through said flea market.  Now, sure, I felt a little badly, but again, this was a flea market. 

Still, I was raised well (hi mom!), so I sent a sincere apology.  And new arrangements were made for some combination of used bookstore browsing and/or coffee. 

Excellent!  Not only did we have surprisingly great conversation, but he immediately directed us to Pita Pita, where we both enjoyed veggie platters and homemade baklava.  A better turn of events I could not imagine.

Well, Tim T, it is rare indeed to meet someone who can share historical jokes about JH Kellogg and speak movingly about The Science of Sleep.  A total pleasure.

Date Night, Single Style

Like a lot of people, I suspect, I used to feel strange and conspicuous going into restaurants alone.  But one of the benefits of growing older and increasingly single is that such things are of little consequence, especially when some kind of gourmet food is on the other side.  If I make it past the "just one?" question with my dignity intact, and the entire restaurant doesn't freeze in a hushed silence as I walk to my table, then I know I'm going to make it.  And amazingly, at Avanti Café not only was I not the only solo diner, but I was asked "one?" in such a matter-of-fact way that I started to feel superior to those pathetic fellow diners who feel the need to have an entourage escorting them at all times.  Also, the food is worth many indiginities.  Last week I indulged in one of their highly praised wood-fired pizzas.  This night I was in the mood for something else.  I opted for chicken florentine.  Totally delicious.  And - best part - comes with 5 garlic knots.  

Behold.  These are not imitation lamoid pseudo garlic knots.  These are actual NY-style garlic knots, brushed in olive oil, coated in tons of fresh raw garlic, and baked to crispy outside/soft inside perfection.

Self-Portrait with Granite and iPod

Las Flores Canyon

Today was the first day since I've been in LA that wasn't unrelentingly sunny.  Since I was starting to get some sort of reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder from all this sunshine, I immediately ditched the library to plot an outdoor adventure.  I settled on Las Flores Canyon, which has a beautiful series of hiking trails through the canyon in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in Altadena.  One of the trails leads to Echo Mountain and the ruins of the long- abandoned Mount Lowe Railway.  Along the trail are various segments of railroad detritus and anti-erosion dams.  I include this part only to make use of the wonderful word detritus.

The vegetation here is an otherworldy mix of high desert, chapparal, and semi-tropical.  There are house-sized prickly-pears next to delicate blue flowers and palm trees next to desert sage.  Some of the plants look like they've been soaked in rust.  Noisy western scrub-jays and mockingbirds bicker in the trees.  A raven flies overhead.

Hahamongna Watershed, Take Two

What the what?