Spring Break junk

Sorry for the lack of postings. I've been lazy as you can guess. Here are some images from a spring break painting trip.

Graduation in less than 6 weeks...


Pinnacles National Monument, Spring Break 2009




Mission San Juan Bautista, Spring Break 2009


Lettuce Fields, Salinas, CA, Spring Break 2009




Diablo Range, San Benito Co, CA, Spring Break 2009


Beech tree, Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, DC, July 2008

Laney College Flea Market

The following photos come from the Laney College Flea Market, which is held every Sunday in Oakland underneath the I-880 freeway. People sell all kinds of stuff here. A lot of it is junk, but it's quite interesting.


Yes, it's a lead test. In places like this, it would come out positive.




These people's plants were really nice. A nice contrast of green against the highway.


The colors of the juices are beautiful.


The views over the freeway center on the Oakland Fire Training Facility. This is the building that firefighters in training practice setting on fire, extinguishing, and carrying bodies up and down the stairwells. It's a very interesting feature.

More than once per month

I know, a lot has happened in the world the last month or so, and I've failed to make a peep about it. Do hope you understand.

I was in all the action, rest assured. Here are some photos from the very cold, very frigid journey to the inauguration. It was a very fun time and I got good friend time. I even got to stay at Jean Paul's one night after I missed my flight.

Here is me in front of the White House at the terminus of the parade route. This is where Barack and Family were allowed to watch the procession....behind very thick bullet proof glass. If I look like I am not having so much fun it is because it is 24F out and all I am wearing are two long sleeved shirts (and a hat). I didn't dress warm enough that morning, despite running.



This is the parade route opposite the Treasury Building. Look at how these boxes are protecting the trees along here. Rather sturdy and impressive looking.

Getting to the Mall from little ol' Adams Morgan proved difficult. We left Christina's apartment at 6:45am but we ran into ridiculous crowds at L'Enfant Plaza. They only had one exit opening to the Mall there. Hmmm, good planning.





Here are some photos from our spot on the Mall. We were by the Smithsonian Castle, which is about 1/3 the way down the mall from the Capitol Building. Still, we couldn't see shit. I could barely see the Jumbotrons. They didn't have them elevated high enough. It was an ideal height for someone 5'7" and taller. At least we could hear unobstructed.


This is right before John Roberts screws the hell up.

Christina and I.

That's Cheney being wheeled in.

Download immediately!

Animal Collective fans have a nice week ahead of themselves....the newest album is getting fabulous reviews - better than Strawberry Jam.

Happy New Year!

I am home on NYE. Not a first, but generally and exception to the rule. People are upstairs playing loud hip-hop music (my brother's girlfriend's preference) and there is non alcoholic cider in the fridge for the kiddos.

I am down in my room doing creative projects. So far so good.

I will go upstairs in 5 minutes or so to do the obligatories. Then I head to bed. Looking forward to a nice jog in the New Year.

Be safe and healthy in 2009. Get jobs and don't worry too much about money.

New purchases

Despite the flopping economy, many purchases have been made recently. Some have been music purchases. Here are the latest:

1. You can preorder the new Andrew Bird album on the Fat Possum website. That way you get it before it hits stores.

2. Zooey Deschanel's She & Him. I meant to get this months ago, but the recent announcement of a marriage to Ben Gibbard set me over the edge. I just checked out his Wikipedia page to see about the nuptials, and I find him and I share the same birthday, but he is one year older.

3. I got some clothes but I won't bore you...

Christmas has come and gone

It's always hard to write here when it's been many weeks since the last post. So I'll try right now; please forgive the clunkiness-factor.

I've been in Portland since December 20. It's been a long 9 days. We had about a foot of snow everywhere in town up until just recently. The weather conditions managed to cancel flights for days, and disturb mobility for weeks.

I had my rental car parked at the airport in long term parking for 6 days. That's a sweet $70 in parking fees. Don't ever rent a car through priceline or hotwire when weather conditions are dicey. You WILL regret it and be out a ton of money. I have the car now, and have been driving around with ease since it started to rain.

Not many gifts were received from family members this year. There are two reasons for this. One, the economy (stupid). Two, the fact everyone has been snowed in for weeks. It makes it tough to get to the mall when no one has chains for their cars and there is about 10"-14" of snow in your way.

School finished up relatively marvelously, but with the obligatory all nighter on Thursday the 18th. It was pretty painful, but we have bound, color reports to show for it. That is always nice.

I just saw this!

Ok, going to keep this post short in the interest of keeping the momentum up in following days.

I'd have many great pictures of all the snow to share with you but I forgot my camera cable at home in Berkeley.

Full, expanded, no room

Tonight is Thanksgiving.

I am still awake, and it is nearly 9:30PM, a good indication that I did not end up eating too much. In fact, I had about the right amount of food, although a bit too much wine. My contribution to the meal was a fancied-up pumpkin pie from the latest issue of Better Homes & Gardens, a magazine that recently began showing up at my apartment. I believe it is a magazine from a neighbor that moved away earlier this fall.

This weekend my sister's household is dog watching Ladia, a border collie. I had earlier thought I didn't like this variety of canine, but so far this weekend I am being convinced otherwise. The dog is very lovable, relatively quiet, polite, and available to children. That's more that I can say for other dogs I know.

I have a large Thanksgiving Day task to perform. I have to grade nearly 14 presentations and read several articles. I would like to do some of it tonight, but sleep is tempting me. I did, after all, injest many delicious foods plus dessert.

Tomorrow we go see newborn babies, shop intermittently, grade, and go have drinks with my friend Graham from LA. It shall be diverse and entertaining.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Field work

These are the dirtiest smelliest buses on Fisherman's Wharf.


In field work you often take pictures of people when they don't expect it. Lucky me for stumbling upon such an idiotic tshirt, eh?


Pedestrian-vehicle conflict #43.


I tracked bus parking all weekend. Exciting, I know.

January 20.... I'll be there

The recent change of power in government has prompted me to arrange plans to attend the upcoming inauguration festivities on the National Mall on the morning of January 20.

The decision was easy to make. I will miss the first two days of classes at UC Berkeley, but it is certainly worth it. History is being made every single day, but this day will prove to be one that is especially remembered.

The hard thing about it is forking over the $700 for a plane ticket. That is how much they are running. I got two plane tickets home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas that were cheaper than that. Anyone else planning to go?

Simple as that

I have never adored Ohio as much as I do tonight. Thank you.

It's fun to obsess

Here is a nice graphic to peruse in this pre-election period.

No pet time

It turns out that yes, indeed, the orphan feline is a case of a flaky neighbor. Apparently the cat is chipped and has a legal address. One of my neighbors took it in for an ID check over the summer.

This evening I found it sleeping in one of the planters on my porchette.

It found us, so what are we to do?

There are always great stories I hear about how people come across hapless, lost, desperate animals, take them in, and end up finding their ideal pet companions.

This may be happening on Grove Street!

A most precious feline has been making itself known to us for the last week. It really likes all of the people in the house, and I think my roommates like it, too. I will attempt to get a photo of it.

The little guy is pretty much everything I want in a cat: short hair, grey, green eyes, extremely attentive, cute, and affectionate. Basically a 180 of Emily, the crazy mottled calico that we had to take care of on Bateman Street.


This is the cat that found us.

Neal will have to let us have it. All the other people have cats in our building.

I posted an ad on Craigslist for a lost cat. I am hoping it's simply not a matter of a flakey neighbor not caring that their cat is hanging out on traffic ridden MLK.

Renobama

Update from the:



What we were up against:





Our available resources:



The lay of the landscape:



Our secret weapon:





The glorious outcomes:


This is the craps table at the famed Club CalNeva.

Shows!

The SF fall concert season tidbits:

Heartless Bastards, The Independent, Sat. Nov. 8
Bart Davenport, Bottom of the Hill, Fri. Nov. 14.
Ben Sollee, Cafe du Nord, Mon. Nov. 24
Hot Buttered Rum String Band, Great American Music Hall, Nov. 29

Portland tidbits:

Weinland, The DougFir Lounge, Fri. Dec. 12

Great song

The Rainbow Connection - please play at my funeral

Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side
Rainbow's are visions
They're only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide
So we've been told and some chose to
Believe it
But I know they're wrong wait and see

Someday we'll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me

Who said that every wish
Would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star

Somebody thought of that
And someone believed it
And look what it's done so far
What's so amazing
That keeps us star gazing
What so we think we might see

Someday we'll find it
That Rainbow Connection
The lovers the dreamers and me

Have you been half asleep
And have you heard voices
I've heard them calling my name
Are these the sweet sounds that called
The young sailors
I think they're one and the same
I've heard it too many times to ignore it
There's something that I'm supposed to be

Someday we'll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me

Journey to the desert

Having returned from an exciting weekend in Reno, NV, many people in my class have been interested to know what kinds of things transpired. Here is a detail list:

1. Our hotel clerk at the Rodeway Inn on Market Street had been up for 20 hours or more waiting at the early vote polling place to open, then he logged in another 10 hours checking Obama supporters into their rooms at the front desk. That's dedication.
2. Breakfast at the Rodeway Inn is a modest affair requiring massive use of styrofoam plates, cups, and bowls.
3. Thank god the campaign organizers were actually organized. We had no problems locating our canvassing neighborhoods
4. Most people are flattered that their state is getting the attention of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of California campaign volunteers for each of the last consecutive 4 weekends....and counting...
5. Old women will want to invite my old roommate Garrett in for pie when he's at their door.
6. People in gated communities have a false sense that their neighborhoods are permeable and tolerant to civic dogooders such as ourselves.
7. Apartment dwellers know you are coming because you have knocked on the doors of all their surrounding neighborhoods, and all their dogs are roused to full alert-mode.
8. It is nice to celebrate a long day on the canvassing circuit at the Sports Book at the Calneva.

That is all. Pictures forthcoming.

Disparate postings explained

Ever since the issue of the Fox was resolved, my rate of posting updates has been rather dismal. The difficultly lies in that there have been multiple deadlines the last couple weeks, a pattern that will sadly continue through November 7.

A brief break will occur this weekend with a short jaunt to Reno, NV. A classmate has suggested several places where an authentic cross sectional sampling of Reno may be observed.

In the meantime, we work hard for China's progress in our studio work, with a stark annoyance for the residential solar codes which create largely uninhabitable landscapes.

Preaching in the desert

Christina and I head off for a journey to behead the Nevada McCain monster next Friday...