Sunday to Sunday in the LBC

Here are the PUPPIES!!!!!!!!!! There were old dogs, young dogs, dressed up dogs, lazy dogs, big dogs, and tired dogs! Aren't they just adorable? I was on smile overload today. This event keeps getting bigger and bigger. Last year they had around 600 dogs and this year there must have been even more. It's an amazing event for dog lovers. 


 This year the Bulldog Beauty Contest was at an outdoor shopping center that has a little grassy area with a pond in the middle. I'm sure the people that came to do some weekend shopping and didn't know about the event, were really confused.

The second picture over on the top and the picture in the last row and column is my dog Spike! Isn't he adorable? Next year he'll be 10 and we can enter him in the senior dog beauty contest!


Thanks for reading!

Through Good Times and Bad

Image originally uploaded by Kharied

Today on the train...well actually last Friday, but I'm trying to stick to my new posting schedule of Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday.

Anyways, this post is going to start out a little hairy, but I promise the ending will be well worth it.

As I descended into the train station there was a train just leaving that was PACKED, and people were still standing on the platform. Automatically I already know that something has happened to slow down the train schedule. Even during rush hour, Los Angeles still isn't a train city, so only on rare occasions are the trains completely full.

I get on the next train, with no problem, and even get my preferred seat, but the train is running slower than normal. Finally the conductor tells us that there has been an accident on the tracks so all of the trains are only using one track. We come up to the station nearest the accident and there are tons of people on the platform that proceed to pile onto our train. It was like those pictures you see of trains in Japan, packed in like sardines. There are only two options for people in this situation, become annoyed or become friendly. Luckily all the people I was around were the friendly sort.

But unfortunately, it appeared the "accident" was that someone was hit by the train. I've heard that the line that I take is the most dangerous in the country, mostly because the majority of it is street level and people just test their luck way too often.

Moving on to a happier story. There was an African-American mother with a four year old son and a one year old son in a stroller. A few stops after they got on an Indian family got on with an older son about the same age and a younger daughter in a stroller. As soon as the little girl's stroller pulled up next to the little boy, he popped his head up and smiled a big ole smile! The little girl was tentative but proceeded to smile back just as big.

The little boy put out his hand and she reached out hers and they held hands like that for a few stops. It was so sweet! It really captured everyone's attention and I saw smiles on faces all around.

It was a polarizing ride. One moment I'm imagining a family mourning the loss of a loved one and the next moment joy and friendship is being made.

Sunday to Sunday in the LBC

This week is one that I look forward to every year! Once it's over, I can't wait for the next year to come. Next Sunday is the 6th Annual Bulldog Beauty Contest put on by Haute Dogs. Here are some pictures from past years

I know I'm biased because I have a bulldog, but those guys are just too adorable! I don't enter my dog Spike in the contest but we bring him along to make friends with all the other dogs that come out.

There is a contest for senior dogs of all breeds, English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and Pugs. It really is just a fun filled day of cuteness.

I remember the first time that I came upon the event. My boyfriend and I were entertaining a friend from out of town and we were spotting Bulldogs all over the place. I knew there had to be some thing going on, so we asked and started to follow the crowd. There were 100's of dogs in this little park! My mouth dropped and I couldn't help but smile the entire time.

I know not all people are dog lovers, but for me, these little (and sometimes not so little) guys can make my day a happy one. I'll post some pics after the event next Sunday, Feb 28th for all to enjoy.

Sunday in the LBC

Image originally uploaded by Pat Henson

I've decided that I am going to bring some consistency to my blog. Every Sunday I will post about interesting things either going on soon in Long Beach or fun things to do in Long Beach. You see this still connects to my blog's title "Today on the Train" because the train stops in Long Beach....

This week I want to talk about some great places to eat. I don't think many people think about Long Beach as a destination for great food, but over the few years that I've lived here I've found quite a few great places that really are hidden gems.

This January my boyfriend and I decided to try something new. You know get out of the chain restaurant rut. We looked to yelp.com to help and found At Last Cafe. It is a little hole in the wall restaurant. There are about six tables total and you can see all the cooking going on in the kitchen. That doesn't take away from the deliciousness that is delivered to you though.

The food is classified as "American (New)". So there is pot roast, pork chops, meat loaf and such on the menu. I am a mac and cheese enthusiast and At Last Cafe has an amazing version. The breadcrumbs on top really set the tone.

I could tell that this place was relished within the neighborhood. While we were eating someone called to see if there were any available tables and they came in about 10 minutes later. There was also a small group that seemed to make a habit of going to the Cafe as they knew the Chef and seemed to already know what they wanted to eat.

It's so great to find little places that really serve the neighborhood. The food is great, the price is right, and the atmosphere just makes you feel comfortable.

The chef also does catering with JM Chef Catering. So if anyone is ever in Long Beach and needs a great place to eat, check out At Last Cafe. If you're going for dinner, make sure to call ahead and see if there is a table available.

Enjoy!

Special Needs

Image originally uploaded by Julpi

Today on the train...there was a special needs man standing in the open area where the doors are. About half way through my ride he asked, to no one in particular, where to catch red line. A man that I questioned even sitting next to responded. His posture was very standoffish and he looked a little scruffy. But he continued to chat with the special needs man all the way to the stop, making sure that he was going the right way.

Once again the train people surprised me. For a city that is known for being very isolating because we all live in our cars, we sure do open up when given the opportunity on the train.

Teacher in All Forms

Image originally uploaded by Temari 09

Today on the train...I saw an old Asian woman connect with a young Asian woman. The young woman asked to sit next to the older woman, who then politely moved her things off of the seat next to her. As the train ride went on the old woman began to fall asleep and almost dropped the items that were on her lap. The young woman scooted over and told the woman in broken English, "you can put your things here if you need to." The old woman replied in broken English as well with "thank you".

The young woman sparked up a conversation asking how long the old woman had been riding the train. She said that she had seen the old woman years ago and recognized her that day.

It was interesting to see the two women share knowing that they didn't have much in common besides their continent of origin, riding the train and being immigrants. I really enjoy watching people learn from each other and from each other's differences.

Speaking of learning, my sister recently started a blog A Day in the Life of a Substitute Teacher. She is an unemployed teacher that lost her job during the last round of layoffs in the Los Angeles Unified School District. I am learning a lot from her about patience, tenacity, and creativity. She is making the most of a bad situation and doing what she can to keep herself busy and searching for alternate routes at finding work. She even opened an etsy.com shop Cowans Creations to try to bring in some money with her spare time hobby. I can't wait for her to get back into the classroom so that she can teach the children those important characteristics for life.

Please take a minute to go over and read some of her posts!