Park(ing) v Pirates

Today is shared between two national holidays : Talk Like a Pirate Day and Park(ing) Day
I chose to celebrate both.

Arrrr. Park(ing) Day is intended to show the public how much of our city is used and occupied by cars instead of open park space. Our office decided that we wanted to make our own park on the street. Here are a few pictures of the set up this morning.

--Our design concept is based on the idea of giving cars and parking a ‘rest’ for a day and making a park in which to linger and enjoy. A tire on its side (at rest) becomes a planter, or a seat… In our design tires are arranged in a simple grid with breaks in it, just as the rigidity of cities need a ‘break’ for circulation, recreation, and relaxation…

Now where's me rum?

Rrooot

Urban Roosters are crows that sit outside my bedroom window on Saturday mornings and CAAAW all day long - for no reason other than to make noise and be the most annoying living creatures on the planet, much like those country roosters living rural communities or in East LA. But it's only Urban Roosters I have a problem with. They are the loud obnoixious ones keeping me from getting my much needed beauty sleep.

So, when I was in college I made this stencil which has kind of become a personal trademark. Don't be fooled this ain't no ordinary rooster.

i like this picture

I think it was taken on New Year's 2006 at The Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills...

OBAMA

OBAMA
OBAMA
OBAMA

4 years

Today, Derek and I have been dating for FOUR years!
Whoa - that's a long time.

We are going out for yummy Italian food to celebrate.

my-ped

I want to buy a moped. The only problem is that I have no where to park it. We don't have a garage or anything and I don't think it's possible to drag it up two flights of stairs and leave it parked in the apartment. So, I'm going to hold off for a little while.
I rode my friend's Vespa a couple weekends ago and had a lot of fun. It would be cool to ride around Santa Monica on the weekends. I could even start my own moped gang.

p.s. Miss you guys! How was the storm?

WOF BOC

Last weekend I spent some quality time with my college friends. We usually try to get together every few months and hang out like we did back in the day. There is a group of us that live up and down the West Coast. Shell Beach, where my friends Nate and Jason live, is kind of in the middle for everyone. Our reunions are called "Weekend O' Fun" or 'WOF' and this past weekend we created a new tradition of the 'Beer Olympics' and the 'Beer Olympics Committee' or 'BOC'. Otherwise known as the WOF BOC.
I forgot to take photos but my friend Niko did. Here are some he took with his blackberry.

Oh, and I decided that I am going to buy a moped. (more on that to come...)

Happy Birthday to Me

Monday was my birthday, so we decided to celebrate last weekend. Against my wishes, Derek told me he was planning a surprise for me. I really don't like surprises. I don't mind little ones hear and there - but I could do without the big ones. Am I the only one who thinks that? Anyway, Derek met me at Union Station, which is a short train ride from where I work. He surprised me with two train tickets to San Diego to stay for the night. We stayed in a cute little funky hotel in Point Loma where we had dinner and went shopping. It ended up being a nice little get away - but I still don't like surprises.
Sunday we had brunch with family and friends. The food was good but they didn't have Bloody Mary's. As if. Here are some photos of the hotel we stayed at. I didn't take any photos at brunch, but I'll post some soon.

Hollywood Bowl Photo Shoot

Killing some time waiting for Gnarls Barkley...

Happy Birthday Derek!!

Yesterday was Derek's 29th Birthday! 29! That's practically 30.

We had fun last night at the Santa Monica Pier listening to music and drinking wine at our beach birthday picnic. Last weekend we all went horseback riding through Griffith Park to celebrate. Griffith Park is an amazing place in the center of Los Angeles. There are 52 miles of hiking trails through those hills. It was very dry and dusty - which is normal during the summer months. (And some of the winter months too!) In fact, there was a brush fire in that same area a few days after we were there.

It was a really good time despite how sore we all were the next day - I think Derek had the most fun out of all of us. His horse was named Colonel Mustard and looked just like his horse he had when he was growing up. Here are some photos that he took...