Digital Alley

World Premiere

2008-11-24T16:11:00.000-08:00

It was a bit surreal, as any normal person might guess. Walking a red carpet with celebrities you've mostly only seen on TV is not something you do every day. I guarantee I never knew I'd be standing next to Malcolm McDowell, John Tr*v*lta and Billy Ray Cyr*s in the same evening.

They block off Hollywood Boulevard for the evening and only limos and special transport are allowed near the theater. The Red Carpet -- is actually more like 3 carpets bordered by a barricade on one side that keeps the press "in line" and then the wall you see here above. The stanchions you see are for guests who are not being interviewed ("keep it moving folks"). I got to stand on the broad side, where all the stars were, as well as all the agents, "handlers" and spouses... we absorbed the flashbulbs and bright lights for a good 40 minutes.

Malcolm (white hair), Billy Ray (mop of healthy hair), and the two directors being interviewed.

The directors being interviewed. :)

Yes. That's Mr. T. (not kidding)

Diedrich Bader (Drew Carrey Show), who steals a few scenes as a savvy Hollywood cat. And we got to talk to him at the party, and he couldn't have been more friendly and energetic and charming. :) He really is a talented and funny man.

I love this shot I captured of La Cyr*s and her agent/handler? :) (M*ley)

JT with B*lt! :) Funny thing is, friends of ours have this same shot from the other side. It's like photos in stereo. lol

Directors talking to Billy Ray. His daughter's voice really was a wonderful addition to the movie... her voice is very textured and expressive, and that's exactly what you want in an animated voice.

Being interviewed by Extra. Actually, there were some 60 TV shows represented down the red carpet, but not all of them were granted interviews because of time and press pecking order.

Here you can see a shot of the flood lights, and you can see the press on the other side of the barricades.
("...do you hear the people sing... singing the song of angry men...." hee hee, couldn't resist).

The movie was screened at The El Capitan Theatre, and then afterwards, we were limo'd to The Hollywood Palladium for the party (above).

The Palladium is an 11,000 square foot venue with a rich and interesting history of concerts, awards shows and parties that date back to 1940. Newly renovated and reopened this year (can hold some 4000 people).

The food was fine, but the company was really fun. We took B's sister and hubby with us as our guests. We got to meet Diedrich, and also David Carridine, Buzz Aldren, Susie Essman and of course, JT.

Malcom McDowell and Susie Essman and directors, and maybe a husband and Producer in there as well.

This is the one photo I didn't take, but I thought Susie looked so pretty, I'd post it. She was one of the warmest and nicest of the celebrities we talked to, and she absolutely makes the part of M*ttens come to life in the movie.

To meet JT, our handler got us past the velvet ropes to his private room. He really was a very kind and warmly gracious man, putting up with all that all night long (and for several press events from the last few days). And still he smiled and engaged and looked you in the eye when he talked to you.

Here we are with JT. :)

It was a surreal evening. I already said that, I know. And it still seems so.

I am so tired lately. It was all I could do today to get this posted.
Soon, a break. Soon.

Hope you enjoyed this post and photos. :)

~Shephard

Food, Fun & Fantasy in New York City!

2008-04-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

This NYC Adventure is one for the memory books.
A product of my hubby working so hard that
the company comped it, since it was part work.
How often do you get to stay at The Four Seasons
on the company dime? I took these two shots
the first night coming home after theatre. :)

The Lobby (entrance left)

Our suite. Silk padded walls, English Sycamore Furniture.
Huge windows.

Flat-screen HDTV. Yeah.
It was our little castle during our stay. lol

Very comfy bed. With remote control buttons
on the walls that controlled the sheers, drapes and shades!

Lustrous paneled walls and a hallway full of clothing storage.

Looking out of the bathroom at the hall.

Looking into the floor to ceiling marbled bath...
with coffered ceilings and huge bathmat.

Huge shower with rain nozzle and hand-held spray nozzle
(for those hard to reach areas?).

The deluxe one-person soaking tub with princess hand-held nozzle,
arm-rests and instant hot water
that filled in 60 seconds. I thought very hard and couldn't find
any drawbacks to this room.
Other than the 4 digit price per night
(which we didn't have to pay).

And while we're on the top of "didn't have to pay"...
this next series is from the restaurant Del Posto,
one of the restaurants of famous chef, Mario Batali.
Wow. I couldn't get an interior shot myself, so the above is
a capture from the website. The restaurant,
located in the Chelsea area, is on multiple levels and
very posh, streamlined and elegant without feeling stuffy.

Okay... I can't remember any of the names of the
dishes we had because they took away
the list we chose from. So, I'll name them myself (humor me).
This starter: Succulent Lobster Drizzle Fantasy.

Ravioli de Booter (that's French for butter).

Pasta Surprise with Fancy Bacon Nibblies.

Tuna Gargantuan, seared and decorated with olives,
a tomato drizzle and avocado.

Sorbet and fruit to cleanse the palette.

Many desserts were brought for all to share.
Butterscotch Mousse Heaven.

Lemony Delight Custardy Mousse Thingy.

Suggestive Crepey Crunch with expensive rich ice cream & fruit.

Liliputian Biscotti & cookies, made fresh.
The Crunchy Blobs on the right reminded me
of Haystack Cookies.
I can't imagine the cost of this dinner for 30+ people.
Definitely one for the memory book.

Okay, and a few of you asked about
the theatre we saw on Broadway this trip...
You asked for it.
We went to Lincoln Center to see their current
production of "South Pacific" ~great cast.
I'd have photos of LC, but it's under construction.
So, above is painting of it that was on a
"pardon our dust" barricade. :)

I love the artwork done for the poster.
We both agreed, it's about as good as this show can get.
Great production values: sets that evoke tropical beaches,
airplanes and jeeps on stage, etc.
And Kelli O'Hara is a wonderful Nellie Forbush,
with a sweetness and a southern charm and a
voice that fit these songs.
The thing about this musical is that every song
is familiar AND appealing. Very enjoyable.

We also went to see the brand new musical, "Cry Baby,"
based on the 1990 John Water's film (Johnny Depp).
We really get a kick out of the quirky film,
so the musical had big shoes to fill.
It didn't disappoint at all.
The songs are hilarious and well written with
great melodies, and the cast embodied their bigger-than-life
1950's caricatures with ease.
It's a world where the "greasers" (knows as drapes)
are the good guys, and the Squares
are the unscrupulous ones. Stereotypes are flip-flopped
with some unexpected results. Can't wait for the cast CD.

Now what musical would this t-shirt be from?

"Young Frankenstein!"

I love their marquee, which you can get pretty close to
from some stairs next door.

Oh, where did I find this photo from the curtain call.
Somewhere on the internet. No really.
That's Megan Mullally in the Bride of Frankenstein wig!
The cast and production are a lot of fun.
Critics have been way too harsh on it,
expecting it be something it's not. It's not "The Producers."
(some of us are quite happy about that).
This production is over-the-top... huge fun sets...
and Megan Mullally (in the Madeline Kahn role)
& Andrea Martin (Cloris Leachman/Frau Blucher) are
Laugh out loud funny. The songs are catchy and full of humor.
For those who know Broadway stars:
Tony-Winners Roger Bart (Frederick Frankenstein) and
Sutton Foster (in the Teri Garr role of Inga)
and Shuler Hensley as The Monster.
We knew they'd be great. But Christopher Fitzgerald (Wicked)
as Igor was the big surprise.
How could anyone fill Marty Feldman's shoes?
Well.. there was a lot of shoe-filling going on.
He was so good! All of them were.

Decor photos at the theatre.
It plays at The Hilton Theatre on 42nd Street.
Which used to be The Ford Center,
which used to be The Lyric & The Apollo.
Theatres change a lot on Broadway.

The gorgeous ceiling of the theatre that, with the chandeliers, reminds me of The Enterprise. Of course, I did NOT take this photo.

Looking down into the center foyer at a tile mosaic Comedy & Tragedy.
The young man is accepting donations for
Broadway Cares Equity Fights A.i.d.s. ...
THE leading charity that has raised over
140 million dollars and shared it with all related charities.

In fact, for all of our tickets, we pay double the price,
getting fantastic house seats, and
half of the money goes to this charity.
It's our way of giving back.

I'm only sorry I didn't buy the
backpack that said "What Hump?" on it. THAT made us laugh.

Active in The Big Apple. An understatement!
We walked our feet off! Love it!! My pedometer was very happy.
(that's a poster at Jamba Juice in Times Square...
yes, we had JJ's while in NYC).

We found a great healthy restaurant.
I had Matzo ball soup, B had a tomato bisque,
and we both had the salad below...
which had everything in it but the kitchen sink!

In fact, the bowl was kinda sink-shaped.
It was a Greek salad of sorts.
It even had grape-leaves (Dolmas) in it.
Olives, Feta, eggs, greens, carrots, tomatoes, etc.
The restaurant menu had tons of hardy yummy food.
I can recommend it (on 57th Street, near 6th, I believe).

I always seem to get some decent Times Square photos,
despite the fact that they've been
doing some rehab for months now.

Zoom in to absorb.
This is 7th looking down toward Times Square. :)
7th & Broadway cross like scissors, and that's Times Square.

We've stayed at this Double Tree Inn in Times Square...
it used to be Embassy Suites.
It has a charming little interior restaurant painted
like a theatre in the round with the
audience watching you eat. lol
It has a fantastic if slightly pricey breakfast buffet.

We also had dinner at Trattoria Dell'Arte.
(7th, between 56th & 57th).
Yummy Italian with colorful decor...
and plaster body parts on the walls.
An Ear (above)... an eye, a nose (their logo), lips. Yep.

Here is the menu and napkin ring. See the nose on both? :)
I love the blue ringed plate.

Salmon and a yummy veggie medley. Flavor, flavor, flavor!
B had their fantastic whole wheat spaghetti.

And we shared the Chocolate Mousse
(if you know me, you know this is my Kryptonite)

This would be more of the Dell 'Arte part. Fun.

This is one of my favorite photos from the trip,
taken walking down 7th toward the theatre.
Isn't that a pretty entrance? :)

B captioned this:
What happens when King Kong has a fight with Tweety Bird?

NYC is loaded with finds.
Like MacKenzie-Childs, makers of the charming,
colorful and cottagey. Even their own website does not
do them justice. We've loved this store for years
(back when it was on Madison...
it's now on 57th near The Four Seasons).

Okay, I think they let me take photos cuz I bought my mom something, and because we bought something fun. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure it's frowned on. I wasn't sure. So I snapped things VERY quickly, and a bit blurrily (forgive). Zoom in and absorb. Everything is hand-painted and crafted, from porcelain tiles and sinks to wildly colorful furniture and tableware.

I will never own one of their amazing chairs...
because I'll always have a cat.

It's two stories. The inside of the elevator is tiled.

Zoom in and check out the cabinet in the back left...
it has a working sink in it.

This quirky Raven...
he's currently en route to his new home. :)
And I got my mom a hand-painted wine goblet.

A Shrine to Target Stores everywhere.

This... is the $40 breakfast we had at The Four Seasons.
This was one of the nicest breakfast experiences we've had.
Peaceful, quiet, elegant without being pretentious and stuffy.
Eggs so fluffy they belong in a pillow.
Smoked salmon lox... tastey... rosemary potatoes,
7-grain toast with chi-chi designer preserves,
and a big bowl of fresh berries
(I'm sure each berry was hand selected for its perfection).

This would be the 8oz $8 Diet Coke
(tho, it's included in the $40 breakfast, gratis).
Is that an elegant setting for a Diet Coke, or what?
What a nice breakfast (that we didn't have to pay for).

You never know what you're going to see
in the city of self-expression.
I laughed, and had to take the photo above.
No comment.

On the back of a bathroom stall at the
Skirball Auditorium at NYU.
I wondered if each stall had one.
The mind reels....

We ended our trip after B's very successful presentation by having a Blue Sapphire Martini at The Sapphire Lounge in JFK. Or maybe I had two. Good way to relax before a 6 hour flight.

If you made it to the end of my latest NYC Adventure, gold star!

Hope you enjoyed my eclectic bunch of photos.

~S :)

Star Trek : The Tour (Interactive Exhibit)

2008-01-25T10:35:00.000-08:00

Has it really been 40 years? This traveling interactive exhibit spans every series, and is pretty immersive.
Housed within the Queen Mary Dome, right next door to the anchored ship-turned-hotel.
Inside the entry.

An Enterprise model greets you, reminding you where it all started.

Props, Costumes, Simulator Rides, Immersive Sets and photo opportunities galore!

Zoom in to see detail on any of these photos.

We got our photos taken on the bridge of Kirk's Enterprise, and I snapped these as we were leaving.
The bridge of Captain Picard's Enterprise (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

There must have been 30 costumes on display. This is Kirk's original costume.

And of course there was a tribble and a phaser.

Costumes: Deanna Troy and Captain Picard

Captain Archer, the latest of the line of Enterprise Captains. This very costume was worn by Scott Bakula for 4 seasons on the last ST series, "Enterprise" (dry cleaning is very good in the future).

A Ferengi ~ the greedy aliens with erogenous earlobes on Deep Space Nine.

The time gate from a popular episode of the original series.

Kai Opaka's costume (Camille Saviola) from Deep Space Nine.

Prop: Data's Head! Incredible likeness.

Spoc's robes, worn in one of the 7 movies (can't remember which).

The lovable Neelix from Star Trek: Voyager.

Uhura's costume from the original series.

One of Guinan's many costumes worn by Whoopie Goldberg.

I want one of these. Not only does it tell time on 4 worlds, it can also program your TIVO to tape "Ugly Betty."

Shinzon, leader of Remus. Loved this one. Wish they had it in my size.

There were alien heads everywhere. Normally, I'd find that disconcerting.

Klingon costume.

Neelix's uniform, Star Trek: Voyager. I love the material (zoom in).

Odo the Changeling, Deep Space Nine.

KHAN!!!! (sorry, I couldn't resist).
Note the monitor above the costume, showing Ricardo Montalban wearing it.

She didn't look thrilled that I was taking her photo. But if you sit in front of a big black shiny spaceship, you take your chances.

Jean-Luc Picard's costume (Patrick Stewart) during the Robin Hood episode.

A case full of sharp pointy things for the boys to drool over. Well, most of the boys.

The sets from Star Trek: The Next Generation were wonderful. Engineering.

Enterprise's passageway. Hallway? Not sure what to call it. But you walked down it, and there were several set rooms coming off it.

Including a transporter room where you got to beam up.

Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) was my favorite character in TNG. This is her sickbay and her costume.

Picard's quarters and uniform.

The other end of his quarters, and his white dress uniform. And for those of you who zoom in, you can see Counselor Troy and Riker's wedding photo.

The Shuttle Bays. They were very calm simulator rides.

The other simulator rides were NOT so calm, and spun you left, right, back, forward, upside down, complete rotation, spin dry and tumble, the whole works. There was a 2 hour line if you waited too long in the day.

And shopping. No, I didn't buy this. Though I'm sure it's funny.

I've seen these before, but love them. Signed prints of Al Hirchfeld's caricatures of the Star Trek Casts. Original cast above (see if you recognize everybody), and The Next Generation below.

I actually heard her tell a reporter she was leaving by shuttle that day. And you heard it here first: aliens like teddy bears.

10 Forward, aka the mess hall, serving space burgers and a host of edibles.

I had a big ole cookie and a Diet Dax Cola to boost my plummeting blood-sugar.

This 50,000 square foot interactive exhibit was a hoot. Below are the cities it plans to visit over the next FIVE YEARS (holy cow). See the website for more info.

~Shephard :)

****************************

Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
Atlanta, GA
Boston, MA
Charlotte, NC
Chicago, IL
Cincinnati, OH
Cleveland, OH
Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX
Denver, CO
Detroit, MI
Houston, TX
Indianapolis, IN
Kansas City, KS
Memphis, TN
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
Montgomery, AL
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Nashville, TN
New York, NY
Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport, VA

Omaha, NE
Philadelphia, PA
Phoenix, AZ
Pittsburgh, PA
Portland, ME
Providence-New Bedford, RI
Raleigh-Durham, NC
Rochester, NY
Sacramento, CA
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
Santa Fe, NM
Seattle-Tacoma, WA
St. Louis, MO
Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL
Toronto, Ontario
Tucson, AZ
Tulsa, OK
Vancouver, British Columbia
Washington, DC

Rose Parade Float Photos, 2008, Part 2

2008-01-09T14:14:00.000-08:00

Part 2 opens with my favorite of the whole day. Zoom in to appreciate the color!

Day of the Dead, with obligingly gloomy cloud cover. :)

I think the title of this float was "Life's a Birch."
Oh Shephard, tsk tsk.

Spectacular pink bouquet... for Wendy-Lu

I was trying to get the Japanese arch,
but this lady wouldn't move her fat parasols

Normally, Nuns don't approve of octopus attacking submarines,
but I think she rather liked this one.

"Orange-gasm"

"Pinktastic"

A wonderful likeness of a lion, I thought...

Everything on each float is oragnic

Rawr!! I loved this guy. This was the Rainbird sponsored float, that
had Jack Hannah and Co. with live animals. It was spectacular.

Cheery Little Monkey... don't you think so, Sandra?

Whenever she feels afraid... she whistles a happy tune
(tigers love flute music)

They ran round the tree til they turned to butter...

See the red peppers? They can use anything edible or organic. :)

A favorite. Makes a nice screen saver. :)

This float was so much fun... it all moved, and was doing so as I was trying to take these against the setting sun. Toucans, a frog, snake and lizard playing instruments.

Look close... the gecko has pineapple skin!

Another good screen-saver. :)

Gerbera Daisies... for Gerbera Daisy :)

The Beijing Olympics Float against the San Gabriel Mountains... with some cute little characters

Another photo I want to shove my face into. :)

Here's that arrangement I couldn't get enough of again... wow.
Zoom like you've never zoomed before.

Color!!

A Mardi Gras themed float, with the 3rd lion of the day.

I think she looks like Marie Osmond. I'm serious.
"She's a little bit... carnation?"

Pinata-a-Go-Go

Ooo... spooky aliens... and their antennaed dog. Cuz dogs in space
have antennae. Better reception that way.

Sun beginning to set, turning the San Gabriels red.

The top of Ronald McDonald House Shoe.

Remember that arrangement I loved? I begged the Floatnik to find out what kind of roses they were. She couldn't find out, so, when her bossnik wasn't looking, she reached into the float and snatched one for me. We carried it around with us like guilty flower-theives.

I loved it. :)

The End.

Until next year's batch of 40 fabulous floats!

~Shephard

(Part 1 is just below, if you missed it)

Rose Parade Floats 2008, Part 1

2008-01-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

40 floats and over 80 million blossoms (I'm told).
Every year, we brave the sweaty throngs via shuttle bus to see the Rose Parade Floats where they're parked after the parade.

Here are this year's batch of blooming beauties. Enjoy. :)

Ok, this is actually the broadcast... we always watch the parade on TV first... when we saw this, we laughed (almost cheered) and I had to snap the photo. Look closely... if you know me, you know why I got a kick out of it (as I'm sure many of you will).

Personally, I'd never wade thru 1 million spectators just to see the floats zip by... when I can go after, and see them close up in 360*! Here's Ronald McDonald's shoe in closer detail.

One of my faves. :)

Every year there seems to be a float featuring planets. (other yearly characters: lions, octopus, and dragons)

The overcast sky played havoc with some of the 664 photos I took. Of those, only 100 photos were junked. So... you can imagine how long it took me to choose which ones I'm showing you.

Not sure what "K" stands for.

A French Squirrel. Does that make the rabbit Napoleon? (not unless the French spell Napoleon with a K)

The Gerberas were a little wilty this year, for some reason.
but they're still one of my favorite flowers.

One of my favorite floats... The Venetian Hotel in Vegas has added onto its sprawling complex with a new wing, called The Palazzo. So this float is advertising. Pretty good way to advertise. And it was stunning.

My photos don't do it justice. I am thinking of having a gondola full of flowers in our living room....

This was some of the most artful placement and arranging we saw.

It's the only float I've ever wanted to live on.

Even the pigeons loved it.

Wow.

I thought Judy might like this one....

Seals... and blue and white flowers representing the rolling spray of ocean waves

I just wanted to push my face into these. But I think I'd have been hauled away by the muscular floatniks standing guard.

This is one of my favorite photos. Not sure what the pinky-white flowers are, but the contrast was striking.

This was cool. Who doesn't love an octopus attacking a submarine?

Another of my favorites. :)
The parade floats have something for virtually everyone.

Turtles for Marianna!

Aliens for Stacie!

And a biker bear for Mike.
There doesn't seem to be any limit to the imaginations used in these floats. There's always a theme, but even so, you could practically write your own theme.

This is another favorite... I love the green fingery flowers especially.

China Airlines does an incredible float every year it seems. This is a Foo Dog. Part Dog, Part Lion, sacred temple guardians. Though I heard someone in the crowd call it a Foo Cat.

He didn't have a name... so I will call him Big Fishy Bob
(wink to Eddie Izzard fans).

I love his eyes.

Underwater? Nope.

I loved this lion. Very regal and friendly.

One of my favorite arrangements. I probably took 15 photos of it from different angles (why aren't you zooming in yet?)

This float had real plants from Egypt on it!

I believe this is King Sukingut and his Queen, Neverteary.

...and their kitty, Busaffron Aloysius Nilebottom III.

Stay tuned for more extraordinary floats and flowers in part two.

~Shephard :)

A Disneyland Christmas

2007-12-05T14:42:00.001-08:00

Once a year, Disneyland shuts it's gates to visitors for the evening, so that the overworked cast members (employees) can have an evening of Holiday Hoopla with their friends and families (and share a whopping 40% off to boot!). Since some Disney employees live quite a ways from Disneyland (working closer to Disney Studios in Burbank), they bused them (us) all there on a luxury coach!

These aren't just ornaments on Disneyland's tree... they're ENORnaments. Each one as big as a child's head.

Um.... what does Tarzan groping Jane have to do with the holidays? Good question. But there he was in the window display, for all the world to see. And not even a mistletoe!

Looking up Main Street USA toward the newly decorated Snow Castle.

Of course there were carolers. Actually, all their names were Carol. Little known fact that Disney only hires people named Carol to sing Christmas carols.

The castle... prettier than it's ever looked, if you're asking me. Oh you're not? Well, it's magical! Zoom in to have your breath taken away.

And you can get ever so close without even being roughed up by Disney security.

Founder of it all, Walt and Mickey.

Another added feature.... at the holidays.... It's a Small World gets a Christmas Make-Over!! And instead of just the usual song, Carols are added in with lots of Christmas decorations, and the outside of the attraction goes from billions of white lights to billions of colored lights!
Zoom in to appreciate! It's Spectacular.

Taken from the boat just as it capsized, dumping us all into the drink. Which is a rather appropriate metaphor, since Disney fills the entire It's a Small World moat with eggnog at Christmas.

Pink, Wendy!! Look!! It's pink!! Hey Wendy!! It's pink!! Pink!!

I didn't take as many interior shots this year, becuase I took so many last year.

But I had to show you this one.... the mermaids.... they were singing "Jingle Shells."

Stunning.

Even the Downtown Disney shopping area was festooned with gorgeous ornaments. Zoom in!

This sign inside made me remember last year at this time... B and I were in Hawaii. Another nice Christmas memory.

If you want to see last year's Disneyland photos (they're very different) and also The Nightmare Before Christmas Haunted Mansion, go *HERE.*

Happy Hoopladays!!

~Shephard :)

Naomi's Nirvana

2007-10-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

A visit with *Naomi* and her prickly friends.

'Naomi's lovely home is tucked away in The Hollywood Hills... or as the song goes: "... in a house that looks out over the ocean. There are some stars that fell from the sky,livin' upon the hill."

We talked theatre, music, celebrities, Hollywood, theatre, paintings, art, theatre, kitties... and we ate cookies. And we were visited by her beautiful, playful, Turkish Angora kitty, *Sweetie* (click there, and you'll see her big kitty with white flowing hair and large expressive sky-blue eyes). It felt very much as if this were not the first time we'd met at all, actually.

Naomi was kind enough to let me take photos in her incredible garden below her home. The light was fading on me a bit, and cast a warm Tuscan glowy quality on the garden as B and I explored.

The descent. You're looking at how steep it is. The entire garden is terraced, with flowing switchback steps and stairs done with a soothing, natural materials.

And these clever "hand poles."

While descending twists and turns, we were surrounded by I can't even guess how many species of amazingly beautiful and diverse cacti and succulents.

It was a labyrinthine jungle of mature plants, with multiple places to stop and rest or take in the many views of the Hollywood Hills and surrounding foliage and homes.

Everywhere you looked, you saw something totally different. These "rainbow rocks" provided stunning contrast to the variety of succulents. Half the time, I didn't know whether to look down....

...or up! These lime-green cacti were some of my favorites. Gentle Green Giants. There was so much to see, it was hard to take it all in, and I'm sure I missed things.

But I did NOT miss Ben Affleck's house, which Naomi has a great view of! Or rather, it's the house he lived in before "the breakup.

The artful arrangement of co-habitating plants made me want to snap 300 photos. Do zoom in on these photos to appreciate the detail!

From part way down in the garden, I turned and snapped this photo
of Naomi up on her balcony.

I could so sit in this garden and watch the hummingbirds. There were many places to sit. B spotted a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird while we were down amongst the bougainvillea.

This wonderful ram sculpture surprised us as we came around a corner.

Zoom in, and you can see the moon.

I absolutely LOVE this house (maybe a wee bit more than Naomi does, lol). This bold riot of happy would be right up my alley. And if I lived there, I'd visit Naomi and her garden often.

A favorite photo. I love the variety. Succulents and cacti are works of art. Amazingly geometric and strangely alien-looking.

My photos do not do the garden justice. It's huge!

Every inch was filled with a densely harmonious collection.

This is exactly what I'd expect an artist's garden to look like.

The way back up to the house.

I wish I had been able to capture the details adequately.

This rock struck me as a natural painting.

As the sun set, the light brought out colors we hadn't seen at first. This photo is a bit dark, but I love the tone and the rich hues.

One side of Naomi's incredible view... looking right out toward Century City, Santa Monica and the silvery ocean.

What a wonderful visit we had, Naomi! Thank you for letting me share photos of your amazing garden.

Fridge Day

2007-10-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Oboe meows incessantly when he wants me to come play,
until I finally come find him.

Then he pretends it wasn't him meowing.

And then he taunts me with raspberries.

...and by looking demure and cute.

If he has to, he resorts to begging. So I play with him on the fridge, which consists of several rounds of peek-a-boo, got-yer-toes and grabby-grab.

But god forbid I want to take too many photos.

It's Fridge Day at our house today.
Oboe is happy.

Vegas 20th Anniversary

2007-09-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

I took 450 photos with a brand new camera, so more than a couple are a bit blurry. But you know what? They still preserve one of the best memories I'll have this year.

The very first photo I took in Las Vegas. If this is what she wears when she goes shopping...

This shot has so much information in it. He's trying hard not to enjoy the view too overtly, the showgirl is posed perfectly, and the other woman is trying hard not to strangle her.

We stayed at Bally's. As long as your room is in the newly renovated NORTH Tower, you're fine. I pity anyone stuck in the South Tower (ominous clap of thunder). Just gross. Seriously. Avoid.

A 20th Anniversary deserved a special room. The Grand Suite.

With a grand tub.

And Grand furniture (I still want that chair!)

And a grand view....

(closer shot of the view from our room).

Rotunda ceiling in stained glass (in the mall between Bally's & Paris) ...zoom in, it's worth it.

No shortage of colorful night shots

New York, New York. Not my favorite casino/hotel interior, but the exterior is very exciting. We did NOT go on the roller coaster.

The Paris is a stunning hotel. The architectural exterior is one of my favorites. So artfully executed.
Oh gosh... I can't remember where this bathroom was! lol Hmmm....

Bellagio Atrium Summer display had a huge Sunflower Ferris Wheel (their Fall and Spring displays are actually more fun... Stacie did they have the fall one up yet for you guys?).

Breakfast at The Rio... off-strip a tad (free shuttle from Harrah's)... and deserted on a Saturday morning before noon!
The carpet at The Rio.

I love the colors. The interesting thing... it's a Wynn Resort, predating The Wynn Hotel.

If you go to The Wynn, you'll see gorgeous colorful flowery designs like these... but this time, Wynn did them in beautiful tile!

Lucky Strike Bowling Lanes (see last week's post on my main blog for the details)

It's a very open and cheery, colorful bowling alley. There were several kid's parties there when we went... they serve food and have a full bar ... and female employees in very scanty costumes.

And the coolest bowling shoes ever! (nice socks, Shephard)

The anniversary celebration meal was at Bellagio's Circo ("cheer-ko").

Circo is the little Italian brother of famed Le Cirque. Actually, both are knock offs of the real deal in NYC, but no less opulent or yummy, I'm certain. (photoshop effect)

The inside was colorful, elegant, charming, whimsical and fun.

And unlike some things I read on the internet... the food was stupendous. The portions were decent and the prices were mid-market for sea-food. If a guest had a full meal, appetizer and drink, it would run about $44 (says Zagats). That's about what I remember.

The restaurant has a view of The Bellagio Fountains. (Bellagio is a town on Lake Como in Italy, thus the symbolism of those entertaining fountains).

Our friends surprised us during the dinner.... they gave toasts, they bought wine, they even brought us gifts. I have to admit, I'm not used to anyone treating us as a "married" couple, so I wasn't expecting anyone to observe any traditional anniversary type gestures. I teared a little at one point. We treated for dinner (as we'd been planning for months) but only after reassuring them we'd planned. It was such a special dinner.

Foyer of Circo

We told them all we were taking them somewhere they'd likely never go of their own volition in Las Vegas... and they got on the monorail with us, with no idea... they'd be ending up at STAR TREK: THE EXPERIENCE (Hilton). With two fun rides and a themed historical display and restaurant bar... it's surprisingly imersive.

As was this drink B ordered. The James T. Kirk. (it's a long island ice tea... with dry ice... you can buy the Saturnian glass too... for $65!).

Bridge to Fashion Show Mall from The Mirage Hotel/Casino

Ceiling of The Sea Horse Lounge... we stopped in and had Coconut Margaritas (they had Hershey's Syrup dribbled into them too!)... I had to look the title of this place up... cuz we were just calling it Neptune's Nipples (after the mermaid mascot).

FAB-U-LOUS restaurant. Expensive too. But god the food was incredible.

Twice-baked Bleu-Cheese Souffle with Heirloom Tomatoes in some sort of yummy sauce. OMG. Yummy.
Soup arrived with a bare bowl full of seafood garnishes, then it was poured piping hot into the bowl! This was a sea food corn soup. Incredibly yummy.

My salmon on wild rice was very tender and juicy.

Approaching Caesar's Palace... the night we saw Celine (thump thump) Dion. What a great show.

I want it. Have no place for it, and don't care. The Wynn Hotel is full of whimsically executed colorful decor.

Caesar's Palace night shots...

We didn't care for "Spamalot." But the company was wonderful and so were the blackberry margaritas we had pre-show (Isla Mexican restaurant, Treasure Island).

View of Bally's & Paris from the Bellagio bridge.

It started as a quick trip to see Celine, then became our anniversary outing when we realized we may not be getting away for a while because B has been made director of the film (co-director). So many great memories. I think I need to make them into a Shutterfly book. We were doing so many special activities, I wasn't really in normal photographer mode, but I'm still happy with the shots.

*The End*

NYC Theatre Weekend, The Best Birthday Present

2007-08-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

This was a quick trip, bop in on FRI, and leave SUN noonish. But it was enough time see 3 musicals, shop, have lunch with a friend, hit the park, the new exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and order french fries at midnight.
Hotel room view, looking right down Broadway into Times Square.

The hotel restaurant. They serve great food. Makes it easy on us.

View from the hotel restaurant (it rained just a little).

Times Square Jamba Juice!! (where we had the privilege of paying $2 per drink above LA prices). Do zoom in.. the colors are really nice in this shot.

A favorite theatre-geek stop.... Broadway New York Gift Shop under The Marriott Marquis. You'd likely miss this shop if you didn't know to look for it. And it's crammed with everything a theatre fan wants and needs.

Shubert Alley, a broad alleyway with The Shubert Theatre at one end and The Booth theatre at the other.

Every musical currently on Broadway is represented (by poster) in this Alley, as well as a tiny theatre gift shop (One Shubert Alley).

On a lark, we visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It had been a few years. We were exciting to discovery they have expanded their Greek & Roman galleries. We both love sculpture, and the Greek & Roman history and culture is a big fave.

Hercules (zoom in... the statue is stunning).

I doubt anyone will be making fun of him while he's holding that big club.

Close up of his face. This statue was as nice as just about anything we saw in Italy.

I kinda like Greek & Roman vase painting. And altho the glass cases made shooting them difficult, I did my best with my limited digital camera. The one above was my favorite design.

I love the decoration of these vases more than the figures.

A big ole plate or decoration. (zoom in to see her face better).

B took this one of Mr. Woolly.

I didn't know they used "checker-board" patterns. I thought that was interesting. I think I would have loved doing vases in Ancient Greece.

Not in the G&R galleries... but it was Greek & Roman mythology. Damn, I can't remember who the kids are though... I want to say... Mars & Venus, but that might not be right. Oddly enough, the mother's name was Lucy. (kidding)

One of my faves. Apparently when he had arms, he was tying something around his head... a headband with extra-long ends, I guess. It's one of the most graceful sculptures I've ever seen.

"Thank you. Thankyouverymuch."
He looks like Elvis. Go figure. I wonder if Elvis knew he had classical features?

As ornate as this is, it makes me wonder what the rest of the building looked like. And I thought about how many people (and who) must have sat or leaned on the bottom edge.

(close up)

Coffin embellishment... 4 spooky lions. (zoom in)

And we did a quick dash through the extensive Egyptian wing.

Back to Times Square, people-watching haven, and dead center in the Theatre District.

Broadway posters splashed everywhere. And when the 40 or so theatres let out between 10:30p and 11:30p, there can be as many as 30,000 people passing through Times Square.

And you meet all kinds. I thought it was funny that these two Abercrombies were posing with The Pink Lady Liberties. You never know what you're going to see in Times Square.

Chocolate companies make a big splash in this section. Hershey's and M&M specifically.

The M&M jumbo screen is a lot of fun to watch... showing the M&M's doing typically NYC activities.

Times Square is often a sea of yellow cabs.

A couple posters from Shubert Alley.... the upcoming blockbuster "Young Frankenstein."

And a favorite, WICKED, next to "Legally Blonde" (which we saw this time).

The corridor under the Minskoff where Lion King is playing.

"Xanadu" was our favorite production this trip (see my theatre blog for more photos and a review). Note this poster has Olivia Newton-John's seal of approval in the corner.

The Helen Hayes may be the tiniest theatre on Broadway, with barely 600 seats. It's a very intimate theatre.

Oh, where did I find this photo of the opening of the musical?? Of course I didn't take it myself because that's a serious no-no. They didn't have programs printed yet, sadly. That's Cheyenne Jackson doing a chalk mural on the stage floor, and the mirror behind/above him shows reflects what he's working on.... a painting of the muses. Go ahead, zoom in.

Oh what a great find this was... an actual photo of the end of the production that I absolutely did not take. Yes, you're seeing actual audience members sitting on stage, like a Greek Amphitheatre. That made for some fun with the actors on stage.

Star Cheyenne Jackson, who has the voice of an angel. He's just amazing. I got my photo with him too (no, that's not me...sheesh). And that's not my reflection in his glasses either (I'm smarter than that).

We did get up to the park, of course for a couple photos....

I think the plaque below this statue near Columbus Circle reads "Give me your tired and your pigeons." (Zoom in to appreciate)

Beautiful sculpture. I think more men should wear leaves in their hair. We need to bring this back.

Walked by The Winter Garden theatre at least 10 times this trip. But that might have something to do with the hotel location. :)

Times Square at night.
Couldn't get as many good photos of Times Square this trip because its center is being transformed (note the barricade).

Parting shot...zoom, it's really pretty. Our last night's view.
It was a great trip, if very quick.

Eez French, Non?

2007-08-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

Santa Barbara's Bastille Day Celebration and Weekend of Frenchery. We'd never been to the event, and we barely need a reason to visit Santa Barbara, the Riviera of the West.

Okay... let's get this out of the way..... keep up with the tour: Crepes....

Poodles....

Escargot.....

Napoleon....

Let Hot Dog... er. Wh...? Never mind.

The festival was in a tiny park, called Oak Park. For all their bragging about their 20 year tradition, it was "une petite festival." Probably wouldn't recommend going to Santa Barbara JUST for this festival. Their art festivals are more fun.

But I enjoyed the chanteuse singing Edith Piaf songs.

French Society was there in all its refinery.

Les petite jeunes filles dans la danse de Moulin Rouge.

And then two Frenchmen and Jeremy Piven joined them. (wtf?)

I know if I were French, I'd bring my parrots to the celebration.

Well, that killed about half an hour. So we decided to round off the better part of the day visiting casual favorites in this fair city situated between Oprah and the ocean.

Mature Indian Laurel Fig Trees line many streets... my favorite tree in California.

And State Street... a casual and free-spirited (if growing less unique) shopping street. It was worth it for The Territory Ahead flagship store though... and for our favorite Indian restaurant, Spice Cafe.

We also visited the mission. But we couldn't take photos inside as it was National Naked Monk Day. So you'll just have to deal with gazing upon it's pink exteriors... instead of their pink exteriors.

One surprise... there had been a sidewalk mural festival in the last week or two in The Mission's parking lot... and they'd left them there to bleach in the sun. Tire tracks and all. And yet the talent and quality of it all was evident. Wish we'd been there to see them in their vivid prime.

Everyone loves the perspective ones.

But I especially enjoyed the lion and all the Renaissance themed ones.
Appropriate for a church parking lot.

And we always visit the Paseo Nuevo shopping area on State Street. Sadly, 2 of my favorite shops there, quirky and fun, had closed. But it was a beautiful sunny day to just enjoy the area.

Love the tile!

See the white bougainvillea climbing the sides of this canyonesque alleyway? (zoom in)

Tile decorating the entrance to a store on State Street.

And the bougainvillea in bloom everywhere! Love it.

Thus concludes a very brief Frenchy Festival and a quiet day in Santa Barbara.
~S

Boston, My New Favorite City, Part 2

2007-07-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

Paul Revere... his name is all over the fair city of Boston.

And of course, we visited his 300 year old house, still standing proudly. It's worth the $6 (for two people) to see the inside. He must have been quite successful man. I believe he lived in the house (which joined 2 others) for 30 years. It is the only surviving example of 17 Century American architecture. Pretty roomy inside actually.

The inside of the North Church (the famous "one if by land" church where the signal lanterns were). The church has "boxes" (not unlike The Hollywood Bowl, actually). And the wealthy families decorated their boxes to show their wealth. Oh, let me at 'em! I would have hired my self out as a church boxe designer. :)

A yummy meal on the wonderful Newbury Street (Piattini's): penne in a summer squash cream sauce and asparagus risotto (we always split our meals so there's more to taste).

Anthony's in Little Italy.... we were told it was the best breakfast in Boston. If it wasn't, it came close. No frills, just good food. We loved it.

When you first see this vehicle drive by, your brain disconnects and falls out of your head, because you can't reconcile it with anything familiar. It looks like a cross between a mechanical octopus and a Salvador Dali painting of a see-saw train-track car. It is neither. It is a "Peddle Party." The name says it all. Driving thru Boston, you see 6 happy butts planted around the central driver. All for only about $50. Wendy's hubby so wanted to try it, but we were pressed for time. THAT would have been a photo-op, all of us on that thing!

And speaking of Wendy... how cute is she?!
(despite her odd compulsion to feel-up every plush toy in the aquarium gift shop).

And odder still... her entire family glows in the dark. I don't even want to know what they're eating.

My best penguin capture.
The Rock-Hoppers were so funny. The Boston aquarium has a fantastic penguin exhibit with several kinds of penguins, including a very small pudgy variety called Blue Penguins.

Despite my misbehaving camera, a bubbly fun shot of the anemone garden.

Don't adjust your monitor... they were actually this color. Both Wendy and I were fascinated by the vivid color.

None of the Wendy Clan had ever been to a Cheesecake Factory. I couldn't leave Boston without sharing this restaurant with her. I hear that she has been dropping not-so-subtle hints to hubby to take her to one again. :)

Don't be fooled by her trim girlish figure. She's an eating machine, that girl. She devoured this yummy Thai influenced meal... oh what was it called. Wham-Bam Bigger Than Japan? No, that's not it... Oh yeah, Bang-Bang Chicken & Shrimp! I managed to get a wee fork in there, and taste it. Yummy. Did I mention that she had 3 desserts? Wow. (I'm kidding! None of us could finish our colossally portioned meals) BTW, that's Ice Bat and Truffle near the food (Wendy's daughter made out like a bandit).

Old State House, from which The Declaration of Independence was first read (and yearly since). Not a bad shot considering I had to lean over Wendy in the taxi and shoot out the window.

Next we all went to Trinity Cathedral. Oh, it's my favorite in Boston (so far). The stained glass, the colors, the architecture, the friendly people (seriously, I highly recommend knowing some Episcopals; they're very nice).

Closer shot.

Zoom in. So pretty.

The stained glass here was some of the best I saw in Boston. And frankly, it betters some of the stained glass I saw in Italy.

So colorful.

The main area (the nave?) was so high and yet it wasn't overwhelming due to the warm and rich stained glass windows (everywhere, and at a viewable height) and the colorful pylons made of alternating red and green columns and artwork.

I now wonder if there's a decent book that catalogs each window. Frankly, they have the best gift shop I've seen in any church. Wendy and I enjoyed it. It was so nice to spend a whole day with Wendy and family. It was as if I'd known her for years. Meeting someone in person really brings a friendship home. And you learn all sorts of things you can't know from a blog... like that her family glows in the dark (very strange).

I got these magnets in the giftshop, btw. I liked the quotes. :)

I took about 20 photos of the stained glass in this cathedral. But no photos do them justice.

It seemed there was something for everyone in the company of Episcopals.
And how about this T-Shirt they were selling. My favorite is #7.

And finally, The Famous Boston Duck Tour we did with our friends Pam & Theresa....

The WW2 Amphibious Vehicle ("Quack! Quack!") reminds me somewhat of the Clampet truck in Beverly Hillbillies. Right up until the time it plunges into Boston Harbor.

Every driver has an assigned character. Our driver informed us that he was rather a black sheep in the hoidy toidy neighborhood of Beacon Hill for even speaking with us, and that if we saw him on the street, he wouldn't speak to us. lol! He had very humorous and informative things to tell us about many neighborhoods and areas of Boston, historical and not so historical. Oh, and we were required to "Quack! Quack!" on command at the gawking public.

I captured the nail-biting moment when we went from dry land into the harbor. The harbor part of the voyage was actually very peaceful (and the gorgeous sunny day didn't hurt either).

View from a Duck. ("Quack! Quack!")

"Phallus & Seamen"

I snapped this in Old Granary Cemetery. My original title was "Sailor Envy," but I think B's title is more accurate. lol

I'd SO go again. We loved Boston. Compared to other major cities, Boston was very clean and easy to navigate (on foot). We certainly didn't run out of things to do.
Hope you enjoyed them.

STAY TUNED: Photos of Maine, lighthouses, shopping and a lovely lake (the last of the vacation).

Boston, My New Favorite City (part one)

2007-07-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

(taken from the ferry on the way to P-town)

I love this city! Is there a cleaner, easier more fun city?
If so, I'd like to know!

We stayed in Copley (cop-lee) Square, and it couldn't have been a better location for us, within walking distance of Boston Public Library, Old South Church, Trinity Cathedral, Church of Christian Science Cathedral, a huge block-long grocery store (Shaw's) and just 2 blocks from the shopping eating people watching extravaganza that is Newbury Street!

Photo above... Old South Church on Copley Square.

I loved all the decoration on this church!

Grand in detail and size.

And right next to the T-stop (subway) !

It was very dark inside, and the starting point of my camera trouble. But all's well that ends well (thank you, Photoshop). For those who asked, I don't know the exact setting my camera was on, as I reset to factory defaults to solve the problem. But look at the inside of this old dame of a church... dark and elegant in a chunky sort of way.

Over the doorway to the nave, in the narthex (isn't that a fun word... narthex, narthex, narthex... sounds like a small prehistoric beaver-looking thing... the three-toed narthex...).

Old State House... from who's bunting-covered balcony the Declaration of Independence was read for the 1st time ... and every 4th of July since.

The New State House, on hoidy-toidy Beacon Hill.

The exterior of the Boston Public Library (South Church in the back).

This was an opulent library. There was even a little cafe inside where we ate a bagel and a berry & yogerty thing that was the perfect morning snack on a day of walking (we walked 12 miles that day).

The cavernous library room .

Murals on the library walls... there was even a big ole fireplace. A cozy library!

And a big ole inner grecco-roman courtyard with fountain, pool, statue and columns. How nice to sit out there and read!

Copley Square sculpture... .zoom in... I love the expression on the tortoise (we obliged in what is obviously a compulsory tradition of unknowingly sitting on the tortoise's very shiny VERY slippery back, and sliding off.... a tear comes to my eye when I think how many thousands of butts it took to polish it into a treacherously slick surface).

Even the statues in Boston were friendly.

Church of Christian Science. If you read up on its founder, Mary Baker Eddy, she was quite a fascinating woman. Though I found the people inside to be a bit exuberantly enthusiastic for you to know about their religion. The smaller church joined with the uber-domed cathedreal were worth seeing.

And the reflecting pool (about a football field in length, give or take) was a wonderful idea.

The interior was very... nouveau-churchy... white's, pale apricots and peaches and pinks. It felt very cheery, bright and welcoming. And the stained glass pieces told stories. There were Mary Baker Eddy quotes everywhere.

Get a load of that set-o-pipes.

We also visited the adjacent Mary Baker Eddy Library, with it's extraordinary 3-story stained-glass globe, through which you venture on a bridge to its center and see a show. Wow, the Maparium was so worth it. Gorgeous and a unique snapshot of the world in 1934 (give or take). Altho... they would NOT allow photos to be taken inside the stained glass globe.

So I fixed their wagon. I took this photo of their men's room! Take that! We also secretly delighted in popping aspirin in this bathroom, knowing their belief about medicine. Heh heh. (that's about as rebellious as I get, folks). They probably don't mind aspirin... but we pretended they did.

Newbury Street... I've never seen such a stately, warm, inviting, more genteel shopping street full of alfresco dining and unique stores. Every building was tall and 3/4 of them were quite ornate.

Can you imagine having lived here? Yeesh.

Take this little cottagey top with balcony for example... how cute is that? I do hope the interior is cottagey and quaint and colorful. :) It deserves that.

I loved this sign. I think I'd try out this vet clinic just based on the sign. (Back Bay is the area of Boston that Copley Square and Newbury Street are in... named because it used to be a bay, and was filled in! (this took 50 years, by the way).

Of course we found kitties. This is still a residence on Newbury. I hope they thoroughly enjoy living on this exceptional street.

Remember the mansion I posted the picture of this last weekend? It was just off Newbury as well.

And The Church of the Covenant is on Newbury. I wish we'd had time to go inside. Presbyterian/United Church of Christ denomination, I believe. But it was a cool building.

(detail, Church of the Covenant)

Look at this! Moorish/Moroccan maybe? I love the decoration. In fact, I really fell in love with Newbury Street in general. I wanted to eat at every restaurant and stroll forever. We actually walked it with Wendy and her hubby and daughter as well.

And I made Wendy pose in front of this chocolatier's colorful window display.

Speaking of Wendy, you'll want to come back tomorrow to see photos of her (and maybe me), the famous Boston Duck Tour, the grandly gorgeous stained glass of Trinity Cathedral, the Aquarium and couple humorous pics that should leave a lasting impression. Heh heh. We love Boston!

~Shephard :)

Provincetown, Mass

2007-07-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Boston, MA and Oxford/Portland, ME was a blast!
We arrived in MA, and after a solid night's rest at the Marriott Courtyard in Copley Square, we hopped a ferry to Provincetown (henceforth, Ptwon) for the day.

BE SURE to ZOOM in and really take in the details on these photos. :)

The ferry ride was a rough one, tossing and bouncing us, and it was cold
(but the clouds burned away eventually), but we don't get seasick luckily, and we met some "characters" during the voyage that we won't soon forget.

UPDATE: that tall tower is the Provincetown Monument. We didn't have a chance to get to it during our exploring.

The first thing we actually saw as the ferry pulled in (a nice homage to age, considering the fear of aging the gay population struggles with)

Here Ye, Here Ye! Thar be gays ahead.
(and he wasn't kidding - Ptown is a huge gay destination, and a very welcoming and friendly place to spend a day).

The minute we set foot on dry land and walked toward this building, I knew we were in for some photo ops. Little did I know what sites awaited.

I love the washed out buildings against the overcast sky.

Wildly colorful storefronts soon became the norm!

Somerset House Inn... I wanted to move in and stay. I loved it. I'd so paint my house this color if we lived in a society that would appreciate it and not freak out at brilliant house-colors.

That's George in the lower right corner... a professional frowner. Residents of Ptown are so happy, they have to pay someone to walk around frowning just to keep the throngs from wanting to move here. Call it population control.

A riot of flowers!

I wish we'd eaten here....

Instead of here.
You'd think, eggs, what harm can a restaurant do to eggs? Oh the heinous things this place did to our poor defenseless breakfast (shudder).

(just making sure you're awake.... )

With the sun came the happy strolling merry-makers as the ferries unloaded onto the colorful, bustling main street.

Speaking as someone who loves purple, there was plenty of it in Ptown.

And the attention to decor and detail and landscaping... wow.

The rainbow pride flag was ubiquitous... this flag says "PEACE" on it.

Don't know what these are, but they remind me of the passon-flowers in Florida.
(Wendy?)

Of course it didn't take long for the Local Welcoming Party to recognize true appreciation for exalted felinity.

People walked in and out of this shop's entrance, without noticing her. But we noticed.

Zoom into this photo at your own risk.
(If you gasp, don't say I didn't warn you).

We happened into a Christmas shop which was bedecked and bedazzled top to bottom with stunning holiday ornaments... and these caught my eye (tho B warned me if I bought them, they would not be making an appearance on our tree... lol).

Not just one design, mind you.. a whole collection.

Greek Gods to Party Gods.

Sequined biker chick, cowboy, chipendale and a sailor... with fishtales.
(By now, you shouldn't be shocked)

I would have loved to have come home with this grandfather clock though. Zoom in. I love it!

The local fast food place. Too on-the-nose? Yeah, we thought so too. But when in Rome... (on-the-nose is a writing/film industry term for when something is predictable, redundant, obvious or unnecessary)

I loved this restaurant exterior. We actually ate at a smoothie joint next door, where I was able to describe in detail how to make a home-made version of my usual order at Jamba Juice. It was EVEN BETTER. Sigh.

This house has a masthead above the porch. Clever. It was for sale, too.

More local color....

This one I took for CL. :) Very clever sign for those who get the joke.

There was a certain Disneyesque ambiance that mixed rather surprisingly with the mod and quirky shops and restaurants.

B loved this street-light....

All doors gave off a very welcoming vibe. In fact, the whole town did. There is so much more to the crown of Cape Cod than in all these photos... but this was all we had time to explore in one entire day
(okay, so I shopped a bit... so sue me).

We would love to go back some time and stay for at least a night
(at The Somerset House Inn).

I had to stalk this couple to get the photo. It was not only a sweet and touching site, but it summed up Provincetown perfectly.

... as does this bit of advice on someone's lawn.

~S :)

Chalky Goodness 2007

2007-06-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

Once again, we ventured out to see the amazing murals and artists for the Absolut Chalk Festival in Pasadena.

These are the highlights (and photos that turned out). :) Yes, DO click on them to expand and take a closer look.

People always think of perspective sidewalk chalk art. But this year, this was one of the few examples. I think it was called "Hey Lady, Smell My Feet."

I admire anyone willing to spend an entire weekend painting monkeys.

Sleepy tiger.

Hummingbird for Wendy

"OOoooo, what was I thinking when I bought this red spandex suit?!?"

At first glance you might think this is Mona Lisa. But no. This was the lesser known painting Leonardo did of Mona where she's smuggling two bags of potatoes from the market.

You can see the inspiration art in the corner.

Usually, baboons kidnapping a child would be a grizzly scene, but it's actually cuter than I thought it would be.

This one was amazing. Hard to get because of the angle. They're all painted a bit top-heavy (enlarged on top) in order that they read correctly when viewed from the bottom.

But here you can see all the colors used to achieve that healthy glowing face.

I thought of Marianna when I saw this one.

Girl with Goat gets lipstick.

Same painting, at the very end of the day.

"A Tribute to Video Games but Mostly Mario though Not Necessarily Luigi but Including Random Turtle Shells, Mushrooms and Man-Eating Plants." (When last we left, the artist was still painting the title..... )

I love this one. I thought it was striking and very effective. And I loved how the photo captured the contrasting shadows of nearby trees.

"When Cows Attack the Moon"

Blue Boy.

Blue Waitress.
(she seems so genuinely surprised, doesn't she? We were quite surprised by her pontoon-sized legs)

These 3 were very well thought out and acheived. Some of our favorites.

My favorite of the three.

I believe this is a portrait of Cher and Jesus (before his Laserscopic surgery)

I love the fabric and pattern and glowing light especially, and the bravery this woman exhibits in proudly displaying her weather-balloon sized breasts. If she's not afraid of gravity, why would she be afraid of the tiger?

Well, it did make us laugh. Maybe you had to be there.

I also loved this one. The finished project was a bit PG-13.

Mucha-esque painting.... above and below

This was one of my favorites. I have no idea what they're doing or what it means, but that's okay.

I didn't even know Danny Bonaducci and Lindsay Lohan were dating.

A bee's nightmare. Very clever.

Well done. Also like the shadows I captured with the camera.

Very graceful.

This is a copy of a James Christensen painting. There's usually at least one artist at the festival who reproduces his paintings. Very fanciful.

Elephant for Kellie. :)

Alien for Stacie. :)

I love how the angle pulls you right into the painting til you get to the end and see the flower pot.

Wow. Very painterly. It undoubtedly won something (if not, it should have).

Fun characters. And a great sense of color balance.

Sometimes chalk is a medium for hopeful futures.

I love the scratchier effect on this one. And the Panda is cute.

The title of this one is "Adrienne Barbeau in Pink with Big Fleshy Arm."
Love the colors.

And if this one didn't win the whole thing, I'll be surprised.

~Shephard

Venice Beach, California

2007-05-21T12:10:00.001-07:00

Our 3rd time to Venice Beach, and finally I brought my camera.
This Venice is famous for it's avant garde peacock counter-culture.
If it's artsy, edgy, touristy or strange, you'll find it on display at this broad-beached stretch in SoCal. You can expand/zoom in on all the photos. Just click it to big it.

Taken from the promenade, looking across the green to the beach and ocean.

Many beach homes sandwiched in along the promenade facing the beach/ocean. Can't imagine life here.

The promenade broadens for the tourist thoroughfare ~ shopping, restaurants and entertainment.

Just another Venice resident out for lunch with his blue parrot. (Macaw)

When on the move, this skateboarder hoists his Pomeranian high with one hand
(something you might get arrested for in some parts of the country).

She mumbled his name. So lets just call him Splotch the Wonderdog.

I snapped this covertly without aiming so the clown wouldn't pose. Hard to catch a clown at ease in his natural habitat.

Sidewalk vender and her pooch, making more merchandise, waiting for the next sale. I knew I'd see someone wearing leg-warmers in Venice. :)

The sign was an indication of what followed.

I loved his costume.
Not sure how comfy he'll be in 90* this summer.

Breakdancing, hip-hop, and professional skateboarders were performing the day we went. As were a handful of pumping musclemen at Muscle Beach (a section of the promenade).

Was there a Knife-Juggler on a ladder, you ask?

Sure!

I had to take this for Stacie. Some of California's rarer aliens.

Hari Krisha, Hari Rama, Rama-Rama, Ding Dong

Art Installation? Bike Stand?

GOTCHA!!

This Venice is famous for a different kind of colorful glass. Venice Beach has several ~~head shops~~ glass shops selling pretty glass bongs.

I'm guessing one of the above customers may have painted this colorful mural. Just a guess.

Much of the beach is actually very nice, and we enjoyed the long walk.
(note the sign)

Tired of walking? Why not challenge a local to a game of chess ....?

Or step off into some shopping....

... or show off your new underwear.

Or rent a segue and go for a spin....

Some buildings along the promenade....

I loved this shot because of the brick and the colors against the sky.

And this cafe with its mosaic mural (zoom in!)

The local advertisers trying to blend in.

Restaurant/Cafe of Color

I bet you don't have a bar/restaurant with this name in your town.

Venice Youth Hostel.

Um.... car... art?

Venice's canals, where it got its name I'm assuming. Several canals all lined with homes. We enjoyed driving along and crossing the bridges, but it was hard for me to get any good photos from the car.

My favorite Venice resident, Link. :)

Speechless.

Another SoCal adventure.
And to quote Carrie Fisher, "Imagine what I'm leaving out."

Downtown Los Angeles, snapped from our car on the drive home.

~S

Rugbunny

2007-04-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

Someone was very photogenic today. Click 'em to big 'em.

Drowsy Lion.

Ignoring Shephard....

Rugby has always been a Sun-soaker.

~S

Painting Oboe

2007-03-15T17:39:00.001-07:00

Photo of Oboe with paint effect (click to zoom in).
~S

Singing for His Supper

2007-03-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

Random Acts of Cuteness.
(click it to enlarge)
~S

Phoboegenic

2007-03-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

The Camera captures Oboe's many moods.

Wistful

Curious.

Angelicly Pensive

Beautifully Indolent

Sweet as Pie

Handsome.

~Shephard

The Little Rug-Bat

2007-02-14T16:02:00.000-08:00

The Little Rug-Bat sleeps soundly, unaware that I'm on the floor next to him.

Enjoying the sleepy sun today...

(yes, if you click them, they get bigger!)

He's the only one who will let me get this close
to him while sleeping (the others get up and want to play).

Rugby will always be our little tiger.
And he's just as sweet and affectionate as he looks in these photos
(breed: Abyssinian).
~S

Rose Bowl Floats 2007!!

2007-01-16T10:38:00.000-08:00

What this year's floats lacked in the design department, they made up for in materials and fresh flowers. It's always worth it to go take a look. We always enjoy it.

Rather than joining the 1-million-plus parade spectators, we usually try to go the day after. The floats are immediately parked in a special viewing location after the parade. And we find that the next morning the crowds are halved.

Lemons, Limes, Oranges and Grapefruit make great fish scales. Who knew?

There were 4 octopuses on different floats. Must be The Year of the Octopus. I love the details in this one (you should be able to click and enlarge any of these photos).

Carpet of Roses.

The afternoon sunlight in CA is warm and glowy. Great for photos, but bad for looking at your view-screen to see if you got the photo!

All floats have to be completely covered with only natural materials.

Lambs were cute. If you look carefully, you can see the mint jelly
(that was bad, Shephard)

Deer covered in chocolate jimmies. About the only way you could get me to eat venison.
(no, not even then).

A dino-rock band. (this year's theme was "nature"... yeah... I see it.... )

Okay, these 4 pix show you the different between how they look from a distance, and then what they're actually made of. I thought these were stunning.

Turtle for Marianna. :)

Lizard for ....well... whomever enjoys lizards (I do, I do!)

Pink for Wendy-Lu!
(I love the Gerbera Daisies)

Look at the the little green button mums. They always find interesting ways to use them.

Love the combination of colors.

Rose Queen? Nope, it's Darth Maul from Star Wars: Episode One, The Phantom Menace.
(are you seeing the Nature theme here?)

Actually, George Lucas was the Grand Marshall, so there was quite a bit of SW represented, and we loved it.

This was the Lucas Arts floats. The Castle of the city of Naboo...
(I think Naboo is somewhere near Tarzana).

It was beautiful.

Dragons for Mike....

They breathed fire!! For real.

Float by Honda, who had to get permission to do the fire-breathing.
(glue and flowers are highly flammable... as are parade spectators).

I think this one is called "Geese-tastic!"

Hummingbirds for Wendy...

Close-up of the materials used....

My favorite, cheerful photo.

Victorian House of Flowers.

Yee-Haw! Cowboy for Stacie :)

On this float... a rabbit sells a house to a family of squirrels.
No, really.

Another beautiful bunch of flowers and artistry.

Mega-Marathon Maui Picture Post!!

2006-12-28T12:36:00.000-08:00

Our mid-December trip to Maui was perfect in just about every way. This first photo is my favorite, as it sums up the feeling of the whole trip (no, not drunk with blurry vision... peaceful and fun!). YES, you can click on the photos to see them LARGER!

Get ready for a boat-load of photos from Maui.
I decided to do them all in one fell swoop. Enjoy!

We rented a sporty yellow jeep!

We ate at fun restaurants
(Longhi's in Wailea... MUCH better than the Longhi's in Lahaina)

We shopped for fun Hawaiian themed trinkets for our Hawaii themed guest bedroom

When our feet got tired, we engaged them in hydrotherapy.

Not exactly framed perfectly, but not bad for a shot I took FROM our moving jeep.
Love this one. :)

Quaint and lively Lahaina. We might stay there next time.

A flea market under a monster banyan tree (yes, that's all one tree).

How Hawaiians decorate their malls for Christmas.

The Second Largest Aloha Shirt (Hilo Hattie's, Lahaina)

A perilous 2-way ONE LANE dirt road along a cliff that we did ONCE on our way to Kahakoloa.

There were plenty of Wild Asses. (you heard it here first)

A typical photo of some lovely Island performers you say?
Yes, it would be, if not for Stalker Stella , eyeing them pensively from the background.
(heebie-jeebies, anyone?)

We were nuts not to buy this hilarious "decoration" for our guest bedroom.

She almost looks Roman, but she's not. If my memory is accurate at all, I believe she's Kamehameha's wife.

Ollie the Octopus, Maui Ocean Center

Sweetie the Green Sea Turtle.

How Jellyfish show they love you.
I hated to break its ~~heart~~ hearts.

Fairmont Resort. Oy. $$$$$

Money-Launderers and Filthy Rich Pool Loungers in
their natural habitat

Traveler's Trees. Aren't they cool?

Warren & Annabelle's Magic Show. A definite highlight. We laughed all evening.

Of course...the Maui Madness drinks may have had something to do with it.

The food there was really good! (surprising) Crab cakes, Coconut Shrimp and Satay Chicken!

And Ravioli in an aioli cream sauce.

Another wonderful meal we had (at Longhi's, Wailea) ... Salmon smothered in vine-ripened Maui Tomatoes.

...and Chocolate Raspberry Cake for dessert!! DEE-VINE.

Of course we tried Blue Vanilla and Cherry Shave-Ice.

A quaint church in Kahakaloa.

The Road to Hana was littered with African Tulip Tree blossoms.

A very mystical clifftop site said to be the jumping off point for souls to the next world.

People often spell out their love in pictures and words with the lava rocks. So we climbed a secluded hill, and did the same. It's still there... right this very minute.

Bridge and falls on the lush and vibrant Road to Hana.

Clifftop views that take your breath away.

I wish I knew what these trees were called (hint hint, Tutu)

A bamboo tunnel on The Road To Hana.

I loved the pattern of these leaves.

The amazing rainbow eucalyptus trees on The Road to Hana.

The view from our condo's deck.

A sugar-cane field in the late afternoon (taken from our moving jeep)

The West Maui Mountains... gorgeous, and very "Jurassic Park"

Love these trees that lined the highway.

Serene view from Kimo's restaurant, Lahaina.

As perfect a mid-December vacation as I can imagine.
We hope to go back someday.

~S

Check out the post below for the
BEST MEAL WE'VE EVER HAD!

Maui: Mama's Fish House (wow)

2006-12-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

Mama's Fish House, an amazing restaurant on Maui, just past the town of Pai'a.

You valet and then walk thru an arched entrance
to reveal the restaurant and beachy courtyard below.

The pavered path to the entrance is interlocking "Escheresque" lizards

Tiki gods, tropical plants and flowers greet you along the path
as you walk the length of the restaurant.

The interior is filled with tropical flowers in beautiful vases, rich & vibrant Hawaiian artwork, Hawaiian crafts and typical Hawaiian decor, but combined in suprising ways.

The flower arrangements were amazing and alien-looking.

I don't normally take photos in the men's room, but this time, I wanted to record that no detail is overlooked.

B's meal: Macadamia nut encrusted MahiMahi stuffed with crab & lobster & Maui onions (I kid you not) with jasmine rice and asparagus.

My meal: Ahi Tuna, Ono, and MahiMahi in a Red Panang Curry & Coconut sauce with peapods, diced banana and mango chutney. Wow.

The chef's "gift" for the evening was two little cups of delicious red-pepper bisque.
And take a gander at that home-made wheat bread. It was all stellar. As was one of their claims to fame: "the island's best Mai Tai's."

Proof we loved it.

My dessert: The Black Pearl!
Dark Chocolate coated pearl, filled with chocolate mousse and in the very center, a creme something-or-other, all framed by a scalloped pastry clamshell.

B had Mango Creme Brule. It was the best creme brule either of us have tasted.

Outside the restaurant... gorgeous!

We took these as the sun was setting.

I really don't think there could be a more complete and idyllic restaurant experience on any of the islands. It is very expensive, but for us, it was probably the most amazing meal we've had (better than restaurants in LA, NYC, and Italy). The staff was super friendly, the atmosphere wonderful, and the food exquisite. And yes, it is frequented by celebs. Our server told us that Woody Harrelson, Billy Joel and Carlos Santana had been in just that week.

Well worth the $212 for a wonderful meal and last-night memory
we will never forget.

~S :)

Christmas at Disneyland (2006)

2006-12-01T15:15:00.000-08:00

Oh, even two weeks ago, this place was able to nudge me into the spirit. It's just so well decorated. The place was dipped in holiday cheer. We went for our friend Rachel's bday on a Saturday (gasp), but... the place was barely busy.

(CLICK ' em to magnify)

A trip to Toontown was in order, as we had a little one with us who had never met Mickey. I'm glad we did. Some of the best decorations I saw.

Crazy fun architecture.

Mickey's House

Minnie's house (thought Wendy would like this one)

Goofy's House. I wanna live in that one. :)

A backwards glance at Toontown.

The decorations in New Orleans Square.

More decoration in New Orleans Square... Jack Sparrow, signing autographs (upside down, no less... because of course, Pirates can't read).

Then it was a hop, skip and a jump over to CA's second Disney Park, California Adventure. An ode to all things Californian. Oft overlooked and maligned, this park is roomier, colorful, and fun.

I think this bear was about 17 feet tall. What would that be... about a size 110 underwear?

This park was dripping with decorations also.

Famous CA icons make cameos all over the park.

Paradise Pier is designed to be an old fashioned boardwalk experience, with themed and new fangled rides. I think this one is called Jelly Jumpers or something like that. (I could google it... if I cared). So colorful!

View across the water of the Sunwheel and other rides.

...and we never saw little Jimmy again.

The neon and lights were dazzling.

It was breezy that night too. Ideal.

Then we hopped back to Disneyland.
... and had to see The Nightmare Before Christmas conversion of The Haunted Mansion. Some people love HM so much that they grouse about the change over, but it's only for 2 months, and it's an over-the-top, wonderfully executed breath of fresh air, so we don't mind. Great surprises and laughs. We love it.

I believe he said his name was Spooky Christmas Pumpkin Man.

It was as nice a 12 hour visit to a theme park as I can remember, culminating with a delicious 4-star meal at The Napa Rose restaurant in the Grand Californian Hotel.
Hope the pix helped you feel more Christmassy.
~S :)

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright

2006-11-03T11:51:00.000-08:00

Rugby enjoying the soft carpet and afternoon sunlight. So I got down there on the rug with him, and took some photos.

His reddish fur and golden eyes reflect the sunshine so beautifully. He's my Little Guy. Always will be. Like most Abyssinians, he loves attention and is very affectionate.

FYI, he's named after the little orange tiger in Jim Henson's Christmas Toy, not after the sport.

I need to remember to take more photos of the quiet little one. I forget sometimes, because Oboe and Golly are such knock-about clowns and show-offs.

His big bat ears can hear a cheese wrapper from anywhere in the house. He's a very demonstrative and affectionate kitty. I highly recommend Abyssinians.
~S :)