Corner

Just a corner. Any corner, anywhere.

Look how much the same we all are.

Tragicomic

A great deal of clean-up has been accomplished in the Arroyo Seco north of the Colorado Street Bridge. There's more to do, but that doesn't mean other stretches of the Arroyo aren't worth exploring.

I took this photo several months ago. This graffiti of Comedy and Tragedy, the theatrical masks, was just south of the Devil's Gate Dam near the 210 Freeway overpass. I haven't been by in a while so I don't know if it's still there. I hope so. I'm not a graffiti lover, but I like these two with their sinister expressions.

The Mystery Plays opens in one week, so I've got theatre on the brain. Rehearsals are entering that final-week fever pitch.

Sorry for the late posting today. There's one thing I dislike - I dislike it extremely, about Pasadena. That's that we have only one choice in a cable company: Charter Communications. What a sad excuse for a business. I look forward to the day when we're free to choose something else. Anything else.

My BFFs! (two posts today)

My friend Monoblog of Izmir honored me (surprised me, too) with the "Blogging Friends Forever Award." From the start of my blog, he has encouraged me with his expertise and kindness. The photo of Monoblog above is by Diederick (Blognote) of Aronaeveryday and posted with his permission. Today I learned from Diederick that access to blogger has been suspended by the Criminal Court of Peace in Turkey. Turkish bloggers can't log into blogger at all as of now, and this means Monoblog. Monoblog doesn't know for how long. He won't be able to upload photos or answer comments for the duration. Let's all go to Izmir and send him a note of encouragement that he'll see when he's allowed to return.

Now, I get to give the award in turn to five bloggers, according to the following rules:
1. Only five people are allowed.
2. Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog.
3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and live in another part of the world.
4. You must link back to whoever gave you the award.

Sometimes these awards can be like chain letters and I'll understand if my designees choose not to pass it on. But this one's been going around delighting people (it certainly delighted me), so I'll give it a try. It isn't easy because there are so many good blogs. There are many excellent ones right here in Pasadena. So rather than leave anyone out, I'd better choose all out-of-Pasadeners. (Check out my local blogroll, please!)

Here goes:

I joke with USElaine of Willits Daily Photo that she and I are blogsisters, but I don't list her here just because I like her. Her stark, quiet photos of Willits, California lead us through its streets with a new eye on the old west.

Dina of Jerusalem Hills Daily Photo regularly educates me about not only Jerusalem, but also Judaism, history, archaeology and tolerance. Her photos lead me to secret places; her commentary comes straight from her open heart.

Virginia, of Birmingham, Alabama Daily Photo, excels at portraiture, mood, color, framing...she's just darned good. Funny, too. Like my other awardees, she's someone I want to meet, though I feel like I already know her.

Vanda's blog, Toadberry, isn't a City Daily Photo blog like the others. But Vanda's into photography - hers, as well as an intriguing collection of found photos. She's a terrific photographer. I never thought of North Hollywood as beautiful until I saw it through Vanda's eyes.

Saretta is my new friend from another part of the world, Molfetta, Italy. The small town of Molfetta is mine to discover through her photos, even as I get to know Saretta.

I hope you'll check out the blogs above. While doing so, rejoice in your freedom to express yourself and send a good thought to our fellows in Turkey, in hopes that they'll soon be able to do so again. Thanks, Monoblog, my Blogging Friend. Come back soon.

In n Out

If you like to have your hamburger at mealtime - the lunch hour, for example, or I don't know, maybe at dinnertime - then you're going to have to wait. Even when it's not the 60th anniversary of southern California's own In-n-Out Burger, there's always a line at Pasadena's Foothill Blvd. location.

The exact anniversary was Wednesday. I forgot. I only knew I craved an In-n-Out burger that day, so I drove on over with the taste on my mind's tongue. Alas, the line was a block long and I had to be at rehearsal by 6:30. It was my loss.

Ben, however, was prepared on Wednesday. Look what I missed.

I encourage you to peruse the In-n-Out website. Several things make In-n-Out unique: the way they run their business and the way they care about their employees are just a couple. But the taste of those burgers is what keeps the countless loyal customers lining up for more.

Observers

This little-known gem is part of The Carnegie Observatories, a venerable institution that's been around since 1904, when George Hale got the idea to hit up the Carnegie institute for the money.

The simple, classically-styled building pops up at 813 Santa Barbara Street, a residential side street off of Lake Avenue. If traffic never got tight on Lake you might not know it was there. Hey! You can observe them! They give tours! And they're having an open house November 16th.

The plaque dedicates the building to George Ellery Hale, the first director of the Observatory, and notes that the "building was erected in 1912. Myron Hunt, Architect." Mr. Hunt designed many of Pasadena's most beautiful homes including that of Henry E. Huntington (now a gallery of the Huntington Library), as well as such other southern California landmarks as Occidental College in Eagle Rock, Pasadena's Public Library and the Rose Bowl.

Here's a side door. The sign in the window says "no skateboarding." I picture guys and gals with Einstein hair, whipping their wheels off that porch and onto the sidewalk.

Central Grounds (The Quest Begins)

I've been finding it hard to write at home. Too much needs doing here: floors need to be swept, dishes need to be washed, the web needs to be surfed.

So I'm going to try every coffee shop in town until I find the perfect place to work. First stop: Central Grounds, the outdoor cafe at Pasadena Public Library.

Ben posted a picture of the Library's front steps. Once you've entered any of the main portals in Ben's photo, you're in the entry courtyard. Central Grounds is at the east end.

There's always a lot going on at the Library. We receive a newsletter telling us about seemingly endless programs happening there all the time. Miss Havisham posted photos of textiles on display there now, inside the back door. There's a bookstore and countless reading rooms. Oh - and books.

As for Central Grounds, it has good points and bad points from a writer's standpoint:

Good:
I like the courtyard setting.
It's outdoors, and yesterday was a good day to sit outside.
The coffee's good.
The service is very friendly.
Free wifi with your library card, and it's easy to get one of those. (Not that I used the wifi, of course. I was there to escape the internet.)

Bad:
Besides coffee, the menu's limited to muffin-type stuff, yogurt, fruit (sold out by 11:30) and bottled soft drinks. I noticed, however, that people brought take-out food from other places and no one seemed to mind.
Helicopter fumes. There's a helicopter pad atop the police station across the street.
Music. The stuff they played wasn't obnoxious, but when I write I find any music distracting, especially if it has lyrics.
The chairs are hard on the old behind after a while. No cushions.

I got a lot of work done. And darned if I didn't come home to find out the house didn't fall apart and the internet managed to get by without me all day.

I may have to try several places until I find the perfect writing spot. I mean, how many coffee shops don't play music? I'm going to enjoy the search. Meanwhile, Central Grounds is a great spot to meet for a cup of coffee and a quiet chat in Pasadena's Civic Center.

Ruins

Altadena has some interesting ruins, at least temporarily. Though not exactly ancient, they go back a few years.

These are the remains (or were, a few days ago) of the Washington Mutual Building that succumbed to fire last February. A crew is in the process of cleaning the site. The remains won't remain for long.

An interesting post from Altadena Above It All from the day of the fire comes with a comment stating that the building once housed "Altadena Federal" in the 50's and 60's, a locally-owned savings and loan. I was able to find a Google blurb from 1962 about said Savings & Loan, but the link led nowhere. Old news, I guess.

I also found a more recent survey on Stonehill News, polling locals about whether or not they'd like to see the adjacent Ralph's Grocery store expand onto the soon-to-be-cleared WaMu property. Nothing personal, but that Ralph's is depressing. Central/western Altadena could use a better grocery store. So the enthusiastic survey responses are no surprise. At one time, everyone thought there was going to be a "Super Ralph's" on that spot. What happened? All I could find were a couple of blurbs on a couple of websites, essentially saying the same thing: the deal fell through because the landowner was asking for too much money.

I wonder how easy it'll be for that landowner to find a buyer now?

Zen Monday: #21

On Zen Monday you experience the photo and tell me what it's about, rather than me telling you what to experience from viewing it.
There's no question or answer, no right or wrong. If the photo evokes something in you, that's all it is.

Fire in the Sky

With three wildfires burning in the vicinity, our air has had an odd feel to it lately. On the worst days we could smell it. Mostly though, the air just feels close and hot. Not as close and hot as it feels to the firefighters. By the way, they have all the local fires contained now, and the cause found for at least one.

We can't complain here in Pasadena - I mean, the fire's not burning here. We've been warned, though. Fire season has only begun, so people are clearing dry brush and being careful. It's when the Santa Ana winds kick up that folks have to be the most vigilant.

In my part of town we have plenty of asphalt, and I tend to think that's a decent firebreak. But we should probably clean our gutters just in case.

In San Marino the other night, particles in the sky produced a stunning sunset.

Still Rehearsing

In San Marino, our sunny neighbor to the south, work continues on The Mystery Plays at the Stillspeaking Theatre. At this point the set, like the play, is a work in progress. With its steep rake and different levels, we're having to learn how to walk on it. One actor will even ride a bike on it. Oh yeah.

It may not look difficult but working on a set like this reminds me of why actors have to be in good physical condition. A steep slant is no big deal if you only have to stand on it for a few seconds, but moving about quickly on it is quite another thing. And we're going to be doing some of that in the dark. The point is to give the audience an exciting theatrical experience.

Here, Sara Ceballos and Justin Dew rehearse a scene while Dariean Henderson prepares for his entrance. Right now we're the StillTryingToRememberOurLines Theatre, but that's part of the process. When the show opens November first we'll be oh, so ready.

Altadena's First Water Park

Some of you may remember Case, who first commented on my post about Cinema 21 on Washington Blvd. As a kid, Case lived behind the Cinema in a 1920's bungalow long since torn down. Case shared his story with us on my September 24th post, and many of you asked for pictures of his bungalow.

He didn't have photos of the bungalow, but he did have this one of a different house, which came with another bit of local history:

"This one is the ~Ranchero Modurne~ on Wapello & Tonia in Altadena, where we moved to in 1959. As I have been told, the Pool used to be a Public Pool of sorts, and the house was built about 25 years [after the pool was built]. Being the first owners, the day we moved in, there were 20-30 neighborhood kids & their parents in the pool.... and in the House, and using the bathroom, and making Sandwiches in the Kitchen, and even storing Beer & Sodas in the Fridge, leaving puddles of water everywhere! Of course, the pool you see in the pic is the rebuilt one we put in many years latter. The original pool had rounded corners that sloped gently to the bottom. You could actually run water down the deep end corner when the pool was being filled, and slide down it into the bottom on your bottom with a cool splash. Pasadena's First Water Park! Eventually, the public got it drummed into their heads that the pool was no longer "Open". Especially when we started charging them! Ha Ha... And Yes, that's Snow on the Gabriels!"

Case, thanks for a great story and a fun photo to go with it.

Elevator

These roofers told me they had to get their equipment to and from the job via ropes because they didn't have an elevator. I had fun taking pictures of them. They were friendly guys. Resourceful, too, I thought, using ropes to raise and lower their tools. I watched them send down ladders, shovels, brooms and bags to their counterparts at the truck below.

As I post the photo I'm thinking, if the only way to get the equipment up there was with ropes, how did the men get up there? There must have been a stairway. Too much trouble with a ladder, I suppose?

In the Shadows of the Rose Bowl

Today is Blog Action Day 2008. This year's theme is poverty.

In a speech he made in July of 2000, Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard said, "the vast majority of Pasadena residents cannot afford the median priced home that exists in our community today." And that was before the housing price boom.

Things have certainly changed since then. The most recent statistics I found were cited in an article by Peter Dreier in Pasadena Weekly from September, 2007. At first the numbers make it look like poverty levels are decreasing in Pasadena. But at closer examination, Dreier discovers that there are fewer poor people in Pasadena because they're leaving. They can't afford to live here. Yep, Pasadena is a prosperous community.

I wonder how things will change in the days to come. I wonder, as the world's financial crisis plays out, if we'll need to do more than just write checks to charity to keep our communities afloat. Maybe the crisis will be a crisis by definition: short-lived. Maybe we'll all be fine. Or maybe poverty will hit home. What will we do? Serve food? Build homes? Get our hands dirty? Will someone do that for us if we're in need?

I've heard pundits call it "the American financial crisis." What they fail to understand is that we're part of the world. Our economy is global. Our society is global, too. If society is global, then poverty has already hit home.

What will we do? What will you do? What will I do?

Every Day is Hump Day

You may have seen speed humps. You may have found them annoying. I used to. But I began to see speed humps from a different point of view when I moved to a residential street that some drivers seemed to think made an ideal speedway.

When our street was presented with the opportunity to get speed humps, a few like-minded neighbors joined us in canvassing the block to get the necessary votes to acquire them. It was hard work and the vote wasn't unanimous. But most of us love our speed humps because they've helped make the street quieter for us stodgy grown-ups and safer for the kids.

(They're not "speed bumps," by the way. Speed bumps are slim and high, like what you find in parking lots. Speed humps are long and low, to slow traffic on residential streets. We learned all the cool traffic pacification lingo.)

So imagine my joy when the other morning I heard John call out, "photo op!" and I ran outside to find Oscar Alvarado, Miguel Rojas and Steven Adams refreshing the paint on our beloved speed humps. It was a quick job, one-two-three.

One: they said, "Sure, you can take pictures!" and placed stencils on the street.

Two: while Mr. Alvarado held the stencil in place, Mr. Rojas sprayed the paint.

Three: while Alvarado and Rojas replaced the stencils on the truck, Mr. Adams sprinkled something on the wet paint. I figured it was something to help make the paint dry. But later, John showed me what Steven Adams had sprinkled. We found a few teeny, tiny glass beads left behind. They stick to the paint to make it glow when headlights shine on it.
We love our speed humps. Now, when I come upon them while driving in town, I know what the residents went through to get them and why. And I slow down and enjoy their quiet street.

These gentlemen were awfully nice to let me take their picture. They were efficient, too. Bonuses all around!

Zen Monday: #20

On Zen Monday you experience the photo and tell me what it's about, rather than me telling you what to experience from viewing it.
There's no right or wrong answer. The only rule is the truth. If the photo evokes something in you, then that's the answer.



(note to speed hump kings: tomorrow.)

Pie Night

You don't know a sugar high until you know Pie Night.

John and I first lived together in a rented home in Altadena, where we got married in the back yard. We lived there, across the street from our friends the Schwartz family, for a year and a half before we bought our Van Nuys house and moved away. By the time we moved back to the Pasadena area two years later, Pie Night at the Schwartz home had become an annual fall event. It's casual. Just come--and bring a pie.

Last night it was cold and blustery outside. It's full-on autumn here. Just right for our third Pie Night.

The Schwartzes have been around here for about ten years. Michael's a frisbee artist and JPL scientist (oh I know, isn't everybody?) and Susan's the Executive Director of P.E.N, the Pasadena Education Network. Natalie Rose is a budding ballerina/actress and Molly's not sure about future plans yet, but she can swing from a tree on her rope swing about nineteen different ways.

The guy in the picture is named Dave. He was gonna get him some pie. I got me some, too, let me tell you. Several varieties. And homemade cre-->me brulee.

Took a while to come down.

Taking Shape

It's high time for another shameless plug.

Rehearsals are well underway for "The Mystery Plays" by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa at Stillspeaking Theatre in San Marino. Director Donald Shenk is busy putting the cast (that includes me) through its paces. At this point we're still stumbling through blocking and lines. But each step feels more certain. Each line feels more like our own words. The show is taking shape.

Part of that shape is the set. Set designer Nadia Morgan and technical director Josh Coleman were in the theatre last night, starting to put it together. I've seen a mock-up and it looks great. It's innovative, unique. I won't describe it; hopefully I'll bring you a photo of it when it's ready.

I can't wait to inhabit that set. When you get on the set and it looks like something, the excitement starts to build and you begin to itch for an audience.

You guessed it: Nadia and Josh are also the building crew. Here's Nadia, putting the beginning touches on the Mystery.

The Golden State

I'm not a participant in Skywatch Friday but every so often I get a good sky shot. This was taken looking west (duh) over La Canada Flintridge toward the Glendale hills.

Glendale doesn't border on Pasadena; we've got Eagle Rock between us. (Eagle Rock's officially part of Los Angeles, but really it's its own community.) La Canada Flintridge borders Pasadena on its east side, to our northwest.

I've set rules for myself. I post photos here taken only in Pasadena or its bordering communities (unless someone else is doing the City Daily Photo blog for that community). So for example, if I wanted to post a photo I'd taken in Glendale, I'd put it on Overdog. I took a photo in Hollywood that I like, so I posted it there. (Like Eagle Rock, Hollywood's officially part of Los Angeles, but unlike Eagle Rock, it seems fitting.)

I haven't taken any photos in La Canada Flintridge. A project to put on my list.

Dam Dusk

Another night shot today—or to be accurate, a dusk shot.

Atop the Devil's Gate Dam there's a bridge —or to be accurate, the dam bridges the Arroyo Seco and one can walk across it, or ride a horse or bike. At dusk one might cross again, returning.

I'm keeping it short today. My schedule's full with auditions, play rehearsals and keeping up with regular life. I'm overwhelmed—or to be accurate, I'm whelmed (but happily so).

Los Robles Nightfall

Los Robles is the name of the street. "Los robles" is also Spanish for "the oaks," which these obviously aren't. Maybe not so obviously. It was dark. I'm working on my dark photography. These are palmas--uh, palms.

I understand certain trees are protected in Pasadena. I've heard if you cut down a Live Oak, even if you planted it yourself, you're subject to legal action. Anybody know the answer? I couldn't come up with the search string that would tell me.

We have a Tree Protection Ordinance which isn't specific about which trees are protected, so maybe they're all protected. That's more trees than people. Our population is under 150,000, yet Hometown Pasadena estimates 205,000 trees in Pasadena. I know it's at least 205,001 by now because the book came out in 2006 and John and I have planted a Chinese Elm in our yard since then.

Palm trees are not indigenous to southern California. But I ramble on.