I'm blogging from my favorite coffee joint so far, though this isn't my favorite picture. I've got photo uploading software on the laptop but nothing with which to edit.Long story short: here on the ol' blog we were in the middle of a series about Earthside Nature Center when my home DSL line stopped working. We'll return to Earthside as soon as possible because I have another day's worth of photos, but they're on the Mac Mini which doesn't travel well.
In the meantime I'm at Cafe Culture and glad to be here. I love this spot. I hear music but it's quiet. Sometimes the TV is on but that's never loud either. There's free parking out back. Inside there's a varied menu plus the usual baked goods, decent coffee, wifi, an outdoor patio (with a view of St. Luke's) and a laid back atmosphere. The place has all the comforts of home except photo editing software and soft chairs. It even has the chairs but only two, and other people are in those right now.
The owners are a married couple. Sweet people. The woman makes all the breakfasts and lunches and I hear it gets pretty crowded here around meal times. A lot of items on the menu have a Middle Eastern flair. Cafe Culture is at 1359 N. Altadena Drive, just north of Washington Blvd.
I was pretty mad earlier this afternoon when I thought I wasn't going to get to post or check my email. Sometimes machinery gets the best of me. I know one can go to a coffee house for one's internet needs, though the case for programs like MobileMe and GoToMyPC was driven home today. For me, though, as you know if you've read previous installments of the Coffee Shop Quest, not just any coffee shop will do.
If I ever find a spot as comfortable as Cafe Culture with yet more perfect chairs I'll be in heaven. But I have my doubts. I think this might be it.
21 comments:
Sorry to hear about your broken line, but glad it let you take up the quest again.
I love cafes.. Meeting with friends, eating, drinking and now internet. Its perfect!!
When I loose the "umbilical cord" of electronic communication, I go into a virtual coma. It's like a near-death experience.
I never been to Cafe Culture; I will have to check it out, especially since it's only a few minutes from home and a stones throw from where my life began.
This cafe also a favorite with the team designing the Thirty Meter Telescope (www.tmt.org) at St Luke's (the dome in the background). Could be some interesting conversations going on.
The Dome used to have a cross on top, but when Caltech bought St Lukes, it was moved to the olive grove of the Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre. You can see it from the Bailey Canyon trail.
I drive by this place every day going into town and will have to stop. Is there a PDP special? And very nice perspective of St. Luke's!
Too bad it isn't further south or I wood visit it occassionally. (Lazy dog) Too many joints play their music/TV too loud and/or with inappropriate music/programs. What are they thinking? Maybe they aren't.
P, this can't be your, "favorite coffee joint so far", if you say it only has, "decent coffee." That can't bee your main reason for this place. It's probably some other reason: maybe the good looking single guys,
Looking 4ward to #11.
I swear, when I think my internet has vanished I'm ashamed to reveal the panic it throws me into. Glad you found a spot to connect. I like that church with the row of palms all lined up. BTW, can you download Picasa on that laptop? I don't love it like I did when that was all I had when I used my school computer for years, but hey, it worked when I went back to France with a borrowed PC and didn't have Iphoto!( Pardon the runon sentence) Anyway, enjoy a nice cuppa Joe and enjoy the view.
V
Hey thanks for the recommendation!
I've often wondered as I've whizzed past...now it's time to drop in!
"Free parking in the back." I can't remember the last time I experienced "free parking in the back." I think I've been in LA too long.
Another whizzer-paster. But now I'll stop.
I'm finally online! But alas, not at home. Woe is me, still no internet.
I'm not at Cafe Culture, either, to further my woes, because they're closed. But give them a shot, let me know what you think. I still haven't been there at mealtime so I don't know what the food's like. Folks on --what did I link to, Yelp?-- seem to like it.
Virginia, I tried Picasa and gave up because I couldn't sort the way I wanted to. Of course I have the same problem with iPhoto. It sorts for me and I don't seem to have a choice in the matter. Are there any photo editing programs that let me define how the photos will be sorted? That's what I'm saving up for.
Thanks for your visits and comments. I'm off to plan my Zen Monday, including my sixth phone call to AT&T regarding our DSL.
How do u want your shots sorted??
What's with AT&T? My cell phone can't get reception in my house any more, since the same time you lost your internet. I hope your probs are sorted soon. Our internet is on Charter, thank goodness.
Oh gosh, Bellis, I had worse problems with Charter. Our whole neighborhood was so angry with them the guy was afraid to drive his truck down our street. We couldn't wait to change services. It's been much better with AT&T; this is the first glitch we've had. But I guess you can't win 100% of the time.
Cafe, I want to be able to name each photo, drag and drop photos into files, group those files together into file categories, etc., like any other filing system. I was able to do that with Microsoft's photo program, which I admit I miss (its sorting capabilities, if not its editing ones.)
Have you tried Adobe Lightroom??? I find it to be much easier than Photoshop...and less expensive...it has similar editing capabilities and is geared to the professional photographer's work load and organization...take a look at it...
And yes...I've been to Cafe Culture...it's across the street from my friend Kyle Umland's chiropractic office, Oasis Vitality Center...
I haven't tried Lightroom, Chieftess. Sounds like a possibility. I tried Photoshop Elements a while back and found it intimidating. I was thinking of trying it again, but maybe Lightroom... Photoshop itself is more than I need. Something in the middle's what I want. Maybe it's Lightroom. Thanks for the suggestion.
Lightroom is much easier than either CS3 or Elements...it's a program that just makes sense!!! The editing is very basic...having to do with cropping, color tweaking, exposure, sharpness, slideshows...And with my handy dandy Scott Kelby book for Lightroom 2...I can pretty much figure out whatever issue comes up!!! To do more intensive editing like removing something from the pic or adding graphic artist touches, you still need to use a photoshop product...but that's not an edit I ever do...(I also have photoshop elements, and never use it...) Take a look at it!!! Good luck!!!
Chieftess, can you watermark with Lightroom?
Yes you can watermark photos...haven't tried it yet but will be in the very near future...you can also add copyright info to your metadata...not that I understand metadata!!!
Petrea...I just tried using Lightroom to watermark my photos for my blog...darn it...it's not very satisfactory...the watermark only worked if I converted the pic to a JPEG for print...then when I posted them, they didn't post right...so I'm not satisfied...I have started to use my photoelements more, maybe I'll try that...I took a class in it at TriCommunity Photog Center in Covina...it's an adult ed program that's pretty awesome for beginner photog enthusiasts who are clueless!!!
That sounds like the class for me!
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