scratch that

Well so much for that! Even with the passing of Labor Day and summer technically being over, after that thunderstorm on Sunday we had a day of dry heat (105ºF) and heavy, humid heat today. The heat, combined with a renewed sense of passion and purpose ensures that I am too busy trying to keep cool (swim, drink lots of icy beverages, strategically position myself in the shade/vents/fans) but also brings out the inner lazy lion in me that would rather lounge on the couch near but not too near the warmth of my dogs with no thought of a camera or anything to occupy me. Too bad there's no such thing as a professional daydreamer!

Today I measured out a sill plate - first with the end studs, the shear wall studs, posts, and then I faced the rest of the 16" on center studs. Drilled holes for the posts with bolts next to them, and laid it out on the site to see how it measured up. It was good, but we didn't place any of the 2x4's today.

Right, and the things in the pictures are:
1. A Ball Mason jar mug that my sister got me for part of my birthday (!!!) filled with boricha (mugicha in Japanese) which is a roasted barley tea that is served hot during the winter and chilled during the summer. I realized it's one of my favorite things to drink because it's refreshing, earthy and totally un-fussy in terms of preparation.
2. A new insulator nicknamed "frog eyes" that my mom picked up for me at the PCC flea (I was at work), which was really thoughtful of her. I think she realizes I'm being more careful about spending, as I'm clearing out things from my room every week, plus since it was 'a kind I didn't already have' and only cost $3 she brought it home.
3. Praying mantis that was startled to see me when I let the dogs out today. I usually see these fellows/ladies all over the yard every summer, but they didn't put up an egg sac on our porch this year, sad. A neighbor boy across the street used to come over once a year to capture one on my mother's invitation... maybe he stole them all away. I doubt it though...!

I'm stumbling over words tonight... I cite food coma and the heat as the culprits!

catching up

(sorry for the icky yellow tones. too lazy to custom white balance)

Our house underwent fumigation about a week ago, so for a couple of days I was scrambling to and from my aunt and uncle's house in Glendale, to USC (where I spent 5 hours at the Architecture & Fine Arts library working, yay!), to work, and to Dan's house where I stayed for a couple of nights. Most of my time with Dan was spent geeking over whether to go full-frame or stay within the current though flashy boundaries of DSLRs as we perused helpful websites and youtube reviews. A verdict still has not been reached. I wish I had gotten shots of our bright yellow house covered in a big blue striped tent, but time did not allow for it!

still here

Just have a lot on my plate these days. In fact it rather feels like I'm carrying too many plates all piled up with way too much and I'm making sure they are all steady and not crashing into another one/onto the floor. Lots of stuff on the back burner, lots of cancellations/flaking on friends.

good morning

I have a million-and-one things, important things I need to have finished in the next week or so, yet here I find myself blogging while moving back home & cleaning & sorting everything out. I think my current state of existence justifies my current, seemingly idle life. I have e-mails to respond to, a portfolio to sort out, firms to apply to, thank-you notes to write & send and architecture thoughts to sort out...I will get to these in due time. Anyhow, these are some snapshots of our back porch that I took while my mom rushed back inside to get her list of all the errands we ran this morning. A stone-and-metal bird guards the little herb garden but I suspect she also takes a peck or two of said green things (as she should).

happy thanksgiving

I'm still recovering from food coma I think. Is there such thing as a tryptophan-induced headache? Turkey hangover? I'm probably just massively dehydrated. This was the first year we did turkey! My sister was in charge of the bird and she did an amazing job. I headed the veggies and we had stuffed mushrooms, green beans with garlic & pine nuts, mashed potatoes, bacon brussels sprouts, a parsnip/rutabaga/turnip roast, and sweet potato fries! The last image is of a plate my mom packed for one of her workaholic friends to take over to her after dinner, which I thought was such a thoughtful gesture. It makes me happy to know that I have an amazing support group of friends and family and for some reason this year I got really mushy about it. And even when things get tense and stressful it is so necessary to take a deep breath, take a step back and re-evaluate the situation; and unless you're in with a bunch of really horrible or manipulative people, usually the one who is being overly critical or overbearing is doing so out of utmost concern and love for you.

I was going to do some work tonight, and shouldn't really take a day off but it's Thanksgiving... which this year I find I appreciate more than Christmas because it's simpler! But I still love Christmas. Anyway, instead of Black Friday madness I'm going to work a few hours at TJs in the morning and then come home and hopefully get done what I need to before the real weekend. I hope everyone is stuffed and happy and content today.

hungry again

Mama made meatloaf for dinner last night, but I wasn't around, so I made a meatloaf sandwich for lunch today. My, that seems like a long time ago, haha.

sunday with mama

This morning, I sewed back on one of the gold buttons that had fallen off a brown cashmere cardigan (made in Scotland!) that I've been wearing constantly these days. Cashmere is soo cozy.

Walked the dogs, then went to the Fairfax flea market where, put-off by the lame boutique stalls and vintage clothing/shoe stalls overrun by eager hipsters, I moseyed over to a used-book stall, full of Bukowski, Kafka, Hunter S. Thompson, Huxley, Whitman... etc. all arranged in neat rows and labeled with awesome prices. I snapped up The Trial, as I had discussed Kafka with Dan last night, as well as Tropic of Cancer, which I've been looking for for months now. The vendor looked at the books I handed him and said "Wow! Isn't this something! You know what's crazy? Not too long ago a fella came by and bought these two exact books like you are right now! What d'you know about this one (he taps Tropic of Cancer)" I tell him "It was banned!" and he goes "Yeah! For ten years or so! That guy didn't know that so he bought it when I told him, haha." I have a plan now, to read my books and then go back every week for more! Screw cute vintage clothing/shoes/accessories - I'll go to the Salvation Army for that :)

Dan lent me this amazing tome (it holds 50 Janus films, obviously) of which I've watched about 1/10, which I'm going to devour starting tonight. I smell an end-of-year movie marathon - hooray!

I miss this.

night run. photo by Dan.

I'm itching to shoot in film again.

I miss photoruns, late-night movie marathons and comic book swapping with my best friend Dan. Photoruns with some of my best friends from high school. Not just on account of this trip - I've been shooting solo since maybe January or February. Friend way down south of L.A., friend on the opposite side of the U.S., friend finishing school and starting LIFE.

I know that many times I've grown complacent and boring as a person in the company of some of these people. It's time to change that, because life's too short to laze around all the time.

Dan if you are reading this: we have about six months of catching up to do. I just hope you have time for me!

reasons I love home #4

It's more exciting to boil water for coffee or tea in vintage vessels.

reasons I love home #3

There's always orange juice in the fridge.

reasons I love home #2

flowers, flowers everywhere.

reasons I love home #1

Waking up to the smell of homemade meatball soup in the morning.