Friday, June 28, 2013

Commute, again

While I waited for the light to change, I wondered: How did that little old building get stuck between those two monsters of bland? Was the teeny building always teeny, or did it get cut, or smooshed? Who builds a building that small, and why? What was it back then, when it was new?


This is my second "little kid running by" series. Total accident. Or possibly because I keep getting stuck in traffic.



New book review is up at Hometown Pasadena: Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs.

23 comments:

Unknown said...

Not running. Scootering.

It's not that I care about accuracy or wanted to correct you, it's just that I wanted to say 'scootering.'

Scootering.

Petrea Burchard said...

You're right. I want to change it but I won't, for the sake of your comment.

Scootering.

LONDONLULU said...

I like the kid 'action shots' - it somehow seems perfect for sunny summer day in California.

John Sandel said...

Scooooooooter . . .

Unknown said...

...pie.

Unknown said...

That building is a slice of time.

Anonymous said...

She looks doubly or triply innocent against the mean streets. Actually, I don't know if these are mean streets, but they've always looked at least bad-tempered to me.

TheChieftess said...

Sometimes being stuck in traffic is a good thing...like these pics!!!

Scoooootering!!! Yep...just rolls off the tongue!!!

Petrea Burchard said...

Slice of pie.

It's Santa Monica Blvd. by that behemoth of a Sears store, near the onramp to the 101. Probably not as mean as mean can be.

Katie said...

I'm guessing there's an extension of the cool detailing along the top of the teeny building underneath the Atlas sign. I like the red sign extending above, but not the huge one that matches the roll-up gate. Great capture of the scooter girl!

Petrea Burchard said...

Hey, I think you're right, Katie. It's a bigger building that's facade got hidden.

Ms M said...

Upon taking a closer look, I think Katie may be right, too.

Scootering may be the better way to travel along these grumpy streets.

Susan Campisi said...

I like this kid running/scootering series. Happy accident.

I didn't like Running With Scissors so much, but I liked your review.

Petrea Burchard said...

"Grumpy." I think that's it, Ms M.

Susan, I saw your comment though it hasn't posted yet. I liked the book, but I'm trying to just tell folks what the book is rather than whether or not I like it. Let people make their own decisions.

Susan Campisi said...

I think that's a good approach to a book review, Petrea.

I went to the Grumpy Cafe in NYC a little over a week ago. Love the Grumpy Cafe.

Ms M said...

The Grumpy Cafe may be on a Grumpy Street.
(Cafe Grumpy does look like a cool place: http://cafegrumpy.com/ )

Bellis said...

If this little building could talk, she could tell us all the things it's sold over the years. Looks like the old girl is keeping up with the times by selling cell phones. Perhaps she used to sell Walkmans, and before that, PCs, and before that, hi-fi players?

Susan Campisi said...

That's it, Ms M. Cafe Grumpy. That has a better ring to it. I went to the one in Chelsea on West 20th, a charming tree-lined residential street. There isn't a sign for the cafe, just that face that perfectly depicts grumpy on a window.

Anonymous said...

Grumpy streets -- that's brilliant.

Petrea Burchard said...

New York has much more of a walking culture than LA does, don't you think? As does Paris. Many cities, frankly. Where I took this picture, near Santa Monica and Western, has a lot of foot traffic. I wouldn't be surprised if that girl's parents own one of the stores, or if they were shopping at the outdoor market on the block. Maybe it only looks grumpy if it's not your regular neighborhood.

Susan Campisi said...

Oh, yes. NYC is much more of a walking city than LA. I miss that.

Yesterday I was driving down Santa Monica Blvd and thought of you. Unfortunately I didn't see any scootering kids.

Margaret said...

I am very intrigued by that little building.

Petrea Burchard said...

That's okay, Susan, I'll bet you saw plenty of other good stuff.

I was too, Margaret. Strange little place.