Today on the Train

Outside the Walls

2010-08-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

Today on the train...three men got on the train. As soon as the doors closed one said, "Isn't it a trip that all these people are living their day to day lives and we just got out of jail?"

"Yea, it really is." replied his friend, while he laced his shoes up (when you are put in jail, they remove the shoe laces from all inmates shoes so that they don't use them as a weapon).

These men had JUST walked out of jail. They rode the train for awhile and held an intelligent conversation about how the Japanese make a lot of the stuff we buy these days. One of the men even piped in about how China owns a lot of America's debt.

The situation reminded me that you can't assume that people will fit the stereotypes. Yes, they were criminals, but that doesn't mean they aren't smart or don't have something valuable to provide to society.

Help Me Help You

2010-08-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

Today on the train...there was a man panhandling. He had a whole speech prepared that I'm sure he repeated on each and every train car.

It started out with a normal "can you spare a dollar" but then he went on to say that he had a lot of mental issues and that sometimes he takes his pills and sometimes he doesn't. I don't know what his goal was by sharing that information. Did he mean to scare people into giving him money?

The first thought that went through my head was "why does he need money, if he can afford his pills?" and then "If he has pills that keep him sane and could potentially help him get a job, why would he be panhandling?"

No, I did not give that man any money.

Honestly, I rarely do give panhandlers money. There are so many places to get free food and shelter in Downtown LA. Ok, so maybe people don't like staying at the shelters, but you can still get free food!

Not on the Train

2010-08-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I have listened to this on the train...

My friend Tyler Von Allen has just released an album and I just had to share it with all my blogger friends. I'm not just saying he's good because he is my friend. He really is good!

I have the cd in my car and listen to it all the time. I wake up with songs in my head and I HAVE to listen to them. I keep saying that if he could get one (or more!) of the songs in a tv show or on a movie, he'd be set! The songs would shoot to #1 so fast!

You can check out the songs on itunes and last.fm or go to his website for more info.

Tell me what you think!

Sunday to Sunday in the LBC

2010-07-25T18:13:00.000-07:00

This past week was Stroll and Savor and as promised I got some pictures so you could all see what I get to experience. If only you could taste what I get to taste.

First you have to buy the tickets.

Then you get to eat the food. This is a delicious Indian restaurant. AH-mazing! If the line wasn't so long I would go back for seconds. They make everything fresh and keep it coming out hot!

This is the plate that you get at George's Greek. It's the best deal and really makes my mouth water. Greek salad, gyro, pita bread, spanakopita, hummus, and tzantziki.

This is the line of people waiting to eat at George's. I told you this was the best deal!

People get pretty creative when they need to eat. There are high top tables placed around the sidewalks, but when those run out, people get creative. This group is eating on a newspaper dispenser.

Thai Gourmet is a fairly new Thai restaurant on the block. This is the second time they've participated in Stroll and Savor. This is was the first time people realized just how delicious their food is! The line was pretty long and they kept having to bring out more food.

Who could forget dessert! Frosted Cupcakery is amazing! They make great flavors and their frosting is to die for. When they do Stroll and Savor they make these little hi-tops which are two small cupcake tops sandwiching frosting in the middle. The flavors you see here are red velvet and vanilla with sea salt caramel frosting. Oh man! I could eat a ton of these.

I hope you enjoyed Strolling and Savoring with me!

A Little Off

2010-07-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

Today on the train...a large smelly homeless woman smooshed all along my side. I went straight into OCD mode. Mind you, I don't even have OCD, but I couldn't stop the feeling of being contaminated. Let's just say it wasn't the best way to start my day. I shower daily and really enjoy smelling fresh and clean.

The situation made me consider if I would stop taking the train if I did contract some type of parasite, like lice or scabies. I'll just cross that bridge if I ever reach it.

On a better note, I found out that during the Summer time there are several spots along the beach that show movies on one of those inflatable screens. What a great idea. You can get a little picnic and some friends together and enjoy a free movie in the warm Summer air. Love it!

This week is also Stroll & Savor! I can't wait to eat some delicious food and stroll along 2nd street. I will try to take some pictures this time so all of you that don't live nearby can see what it's like.

I don't know if you could tell, but the Sunday to Sunday in the LBC series have been pretty hard for me to keep up with. I don't know whether it is just hard for me to write at the end of the weekend, or whether I'm just not feeling the topic. If you have really enjoyed it, please let me know. Or if you have some thoughts about another weekend series you'd like to see, please leave a comment.

I aim to please!

Alphabet Walk

2010-07-16T21:45:00.000-07:00

The alphabet walk brings you the letter "O"

I am participating in the blog alphabet walk inspired Piper over at One Sydney Road. I'm a little late, but better than never, right?

O is for Ocean

This is where I truly wanted to be today! As I walked over, there were families that were leaving after a day of beach fun. There were kids covered in sand and girls with sea salt hair. Why did I have to be at the office on such a great beach day!? Oh yea, it's that thing called a paycheck. I suppose that is important too.

Well I hope you enjoyed my interpretation of the letter O. Piper has a great series called "Shake It Up". All of you bloggers should head over to her site and get inspired!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Lost and Hopefully Found

2010-07-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

Today on the train...a woman started crying. Some people that were sitting near her asked what was wrong. Apparently, she didn't know where she was or how to get back to where she lived. Sounds like she had a long night, if you know what I mean.

The people asked where she lived and if she lived there with anyone. I think they could tell that she wasn't all there and hoped that someone was responsible for her that could help. They told her what train to get on next and what station to get off at, but from there she was on her own.

Ignoring how she ended up in this situation, I can't imagine the feeling of being completely lost with little way to be found. Of course she has her options of making a collect call to someone she knows, or going to the police to explain her situation, but still, that's a scary feeling.

I am an avid watcher of the A&E show Intervention that focuses on an addicts life and then the intervention that their friends and family put together, hoping that the addict will choose to get sober. This situation totally reminded me of a recent episode. The addict was a PCP user for 25 years! She had been kicked out of her friend's house for smoking it and soon realized that she was 28 miles away from the place she was staying and had no way to get there. She started propositioning strangers for rides as she walked down the street. Obviously, not the best idea.

Well, I sure hope the woman from the train was able to get home. I'm really glad there were some nice people there to help her get one step closer.

Ask and It Shall Be Given

2010-07-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

Today on the train...there was more than average niceness going on. A panhandler came on the train and politely asked if anyone had any change so that he could get some breakfast. He walked down the aisle with no donations. But I saw a teenage boy pull out his money and start folding up a dollar bill. He watched the beggar for a few stops and then as the beggar got off the train, the boy threw the dollar bill out the door. It landed right at the panhandler's feet, as if it had come from heaven. He looked around, picked it up and walked on down the platform.

I thought it was really interesting how the boy didn't want to give the man the money directly. But he cared enough to watch the beggar the entire ride and strategically throw the dollar at just the right time. I hope the panhandlers enjoyed his breakfast.

The same time the boy was planning his giving, a woman was commenting to her friend about how she was smelling fresh bread and it was making her really want some. She kept saying this for most of the ride when she started to look around and saw a woman sitting with a pastry bag on her lap.

"It must be your bread! It smells delicious."

The bread lady replied that she had one to spare if the woman and her friend wanted to share. It made me smile that someone would give a stranger food from their own bag so willingly. The woman took the fresh baked bread graciously and commented on how good it was.

The way she talked about it made me want some!

*I realize that the pictures that I added have absolutely no connection to the story. I apologize, but these were the last photos I had from my train adventure. Note to self, take more pictures.

Crack on the Train

2010-07-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

Today on the train...I finally had to ask an expert what crack smoke smells like. Recently, I was chatting with the boyfriend about the different smells that I experience on the train, and I mentioned that there is a smoky smell that isn't cigarettes and it isn't weed that I really can't stand. I myself have never knowingly smelled any other drugs.

Well today, two men got on the train and brought a cloud of that smell with them. It hit me in a way that made it so I couldn't even take a good breath. I had to know what this smell was! So, I texted a friend that has a "troubled" past and asked what crack smoke smells like.

He said that it smells sweet, which described this smell to a T! My hypothesis is that one of the guys had a crack pipe in his pocket and he and his friend had just used it, thus created the huge heavy crack smoke cloud that followed them. Oh, the perils of addiction.

So, since I was breathing in crack smoke, does that make me a crack head?

Sunday to Sunday in the LBC

2010-06-27T22:28:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I didn't mention this last Sunday, but June's Stroll and Savor was last Wednesday and Thursday! It was amazing as always. I was really excited because a restaurant called Thai Gourmet started to participate. I am addicted to Thai iced tea even though I'm sure it's terrible for you, and of course they had it out.

I really do love my neighborhood. I love that all these people come out. I know some people would be put off by the crowds and the lines, but that's one of the reasons why I like it. I can't wait for next month's Stroll and Savor. I'll try to be better and let you guys know about it the week before, in case any of you are close enough to come out for a bite to eat.

I spent another weekend mostly out of Long Beach yet again. I went to the Dwell convention, which was really neat. It made me want a home to decorate and make energy efficient, but honestly I can't even imagine having the money to buy a house, let along decorate it. One day...

I met my coworker/friend and her husband at the convention and then they took me on a quick tour of downtown Los Angeles on the way to their new house. Yes, I know I work there, but I barely ever get beyond a 1 block radius of my building and the train station.

We walked through the Watercourt where Grand Performances puts on Summer concerts. They were getting ready for one that night that looked like it was going to be a lot of fun. Then we took Angel's Flight down Bunkerhill.

Image originally uploaded by Wehardy

Image originally uploaded by Waltarrrrr

Then we walked through Grand Central Market which took me to another world. I will definitely have to go back there to actually eat sometime. My sister said that there is a papusaria that supposed to be really good there.

Image originally uploaded by Mort Guffman

On our way to their house we stop in the Bradbury building, which was amazing! I've seen it in several movies, but it is even more dramatic in person.

Image originally uploaded by Kansas Sebastian

Honestly, it was amazing to see so many Los Angeles landmarks in such a short amount of time. I've lived here the majority of my life and had never been to any of these places. Next time I head out on an adventure like this, I'll be sure to bring my own camera too!

Back home in Long Beach, I completely missed an arts and crafts fair that looked right up my alley. I love things that are handmade with care and passion. There is just something about items that are unique and made by someone who really cared about the quality of the item. I'll have to keep an eye on this organization so that I can make it to the next event. Don't worry, I'll let you guys know too.

Sharing is Caring

2010-06-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

Today on the train...I was worried I wasn't going to have a good story today, then a barefoot homeless man decided he wanted to sit in my section. The young man that he choose to sit next to was kind enough to get up and move all of his stuff, but when he sat back down the homeless man took over his own seat plus half of the other seat.

The young man politely asked if he could have some more room and the homeless man replied "No, I don't feel like sharing today." And started laughing. He thought he was so funny, but obviously came to his senses shortly after and moved over enough for the young man to sit comfortably...well as much as comfortably as one can when their nose is being filled with the scent of homelessness.

I was sitting nearby and really tried to not judge. I am currently reading "Tattoos on the Heart" by Father Greg Boyle and his whole message is about having boundless compassion. Even though I didn't like the way the homeless man smelled, I needed to not judge him. Who knows how he ended up in the situation he is in currently?

Sunday to Sunday in the LBC

2010-06-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend was full of beautiful weather! Nothing could keep us inside. Saturday the boyfriend and I took a walk through a neighborhood that we've never been through before, and we've lived here for 2 1/2 years. Then today to celebrate father's day we went hiking with my family on the Palos Verdes peninsula.

image originally uploaded by myhsu

After a good hike with gorgeous views, like the one above, we headed over to Nelson's at Terranea, a fairly new resort that is absolutely fantastic. The day and the company I was with made it even more fantastic.

Next weekend will be spent outside of Long Beach as well, at the Dwell convention. A couple of my coworker/friends are going to meet me there. We'll all be taking the trains from different directions, to meet in the middle at the LA convention center. I can't wait. Dwell is the one magazine that I actually still subscribe to. More often than not, I read it cover to cover, even the letters to the editor.

Dwell just knows how to capture my attention with gorgeous graphics and plenty of informative articles. The magazine is all about design, whether that design is architectural, landscape, interior, or technological.

I hope you all had a good weekend and that your upcoming week is filled with productivity!

Pride

2010-06-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today on the train...there was an energy that I haven't felt before. Two big sporting events were going on that affected Los Angelenos. Mexico was playing in the World Cup and the Los Angeles Lakers were playing their final game in the NBA Finals.

The train goes right by the Staples Center where the Lakers play, so there were a lot of fans that were on their way to root for their team. A young man got on the train wearing Green, the color of the Celtics playing against the Lakers, and a few guys started to tease him.

"You're wearing the wrong color today man."
"You're in the wrong neighborhood with that shirt on."
"You better watch your back."

Luckily these words were said with laughter, so there was no reason to take the threats seriously. There are definitely some serious fans out there.

Since Los Angeles is almost 50% Latino (according to the Census Bureau), there were also more than a handful of Mexico soccer fans. They had their flags and vuvuzelas in hand (glad they were smart enough not to play them on the train). A couple of old men got on the train and yelled out "Viva Mexico". It was very sweet.

It was great to see everyone so excited. Whether they were proud to be from Los Angeles or proud to be Mexican, the excitement was the same!

Helping and Receiving

2010-06-15T16:59:00.000-07:00

I just felt the need to share. There is an Etsy store that has been created called Help the Gulf Coast where 100% of the proceeds will be given to charities that are helping with the clean up and recovery of the oil spill.

The items in the store look amazing! One of my favorite photographers, A. Jarrett has an item there Head on over and get a little joy out of helping the cause!

Be Kind

2010-06-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

Today on the train...two strangers became friends. Two men were standing and the first, we'll call Joe for clarity asked the other, we'll call Bob, if he could use his phone to have his friend pick him up at the station. Bob said sure.

That action alone was pretty rare to see. Would you give your phone to a stranger to use? I don't know that I would, and I'm a pretty nice person ;)

Then some seats opened up and the two men sat next to each other. They started with the small stuff. Joe had an obvious accent so Bob asked where he was from. Turned out they were both originally from the South and had been out here for less than 10 years.

They then went on to talk about family and make jokes back and forth like old friends.

It is simply amazing how strangers can connect in such a short amount of time. It isn't just crazies that want to chat on the train. Occasionally, one might interact with someone that is just plain nice.

Publicity

2010-06-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been sporatic lately. I promise tomorrow I will actually write a "Today on the train..." post, but today I thought I'd share a little publicity that I got this morning!

There was an article in the LA Times talking about what an adventure the Blue Line is and one of my friends left a comment on the web version talking about my blog! I better check my google analytics numbers today to see if I got any hits from it!

Hope you all have a great day!

Enjoy the adventure.

Short and Right to the Point

2010-06-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

Today on the train...the man sitting next to me was clicking his pen non-stop! Some people just don't realize that there are others in the world that don't appreciate noise like that. If I was brave enough I would have snapped that pen right out of his hot little hand and not given it back.

(I know this post is short, but I had to express the annoyance)

Happy Friday everyone!

Talking When No One is Listening

2010-06-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

Today on the train...I almost didn't make it past the 4th stop. My stomach started cramping and I got all hot and I knew that I wasn't going to make it all the way to work. The stop the train was just arriving at was the Compton station, normally not where I would chose to get off, but there is a McDonald's across the street where I could use the restroom. I was lucky because most of the stations don't have bathrooms nearby. That is one thing I think about when I'm not feeling so hot. Where would I go if I really had to "go".

As I walk from the restroom, I seriously considered just getting back on the train back home because I wasn't sure I could make it to work before another "episode". But I left it up to the universe and said that whatever train came first I would go in that direction. Of course it was the train to work.

I must have had the best train luck this morning because the train I got on was also the train a young preacher boy got on. He was reciting Bible verses that didn't really belong with the statements he was making, and jumping from one subject to the next. I would have given him credit if he was actually inspiring people, but it really just seemed like he was repeating bits and pieces of someone else's sermon. He must have gone on for about 20 minutes.

As soon as he got off, a young man that had been sitting towards the front of the caboose started to get louder. I had originally thought he was on the phone, and not being very nice to the person on the line, but it turned out he was just talking to himself. It was as if he was thinking aloud with his stream of consciousness. He turned to the man sitting next to him and said "Are you a good father?" The man answered, "I sure try to be." and the young man replied, "I wish I had a dad like you." To that a small group laughed and the people that were sitting around him slowly started to move away.

I couldn't tell if he was on drugs, mentally a little unstable or just wanted attention. Maybe all three?

Aye Matey

2010-05-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

Today on the train...I saw a pirate. Well, actually I saw a movie pirater (is that a word?). I've seen them on the train before but I'm always surprised at how open they are.

The man today went up and down the aisle saying "Movie man has your movies." One rider called out to him to see what movies he had and the pirate sat right down and pulled out his inventory. Told him the prices and even provided his phone number.

He said he had been in the business for four years. He definitely had the whole system down. His customers could call him on the first of the month and he would meet them somewhere to exchange the goods.

I just don't understand how comfortable guys like him are. How do they know there isn't a cop on the train? I wonder what the penalty really is for selling boot leg DVDs. I suppose it can't be life changing, otherwise people would be more careful.

What's Next?

2010-05-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

Today on the train...an older man and woman were discussing how young people live their lives these days. They started the conversation by talking about a coworker was getting ready to retire after working for the company for twenty plus years.

The woman made a comment about how young people today just don't look to work for a company their whole lives until they retire. Then the man added that most young people don't even have the next five years planned.

Being a "young person", I would have to say that is mostly true. One of the reasons could be that there are so many different jobs out there now. When we first get out into the "real" world, there is absolutely no way for us to know what job or company will really be the best fit. It isn't just blacksmith, police officer, teacher, doctor, lawyer anymore.

I think many people these days don't want to work just to pay the bills. We want to like what we do for a living and feel gratified at the end of the day. To figure out just what will keep us motivated and engaged, sometimes times we have to experience it all.

I do fantasize about being retired, but thinking about exactly what position I'll retire from is impossible to imagine. There is just so much out there!

A few months ago, that topic would have stressed me out. The pressure of trying to figure out what you'll be when you "grow up" is heavy. I'm one step closer because I was accepted into the master's program I applied to, and will be working on becoming a marriage and family therapist for the next couple of years!

I'm very excited, but even that doesn't mean that I'll only be a therapist for the rest of my life.

Lesson Learned

2010-05-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

Today on the train...there was a man that I've seen before. He's an older man, well dressed, walks with a swagger. He jumps from caboose to caboose tempting people with his shell game. The lowest you can buy into the game for is $20. Now the first time I saw this man I said to myself, "if you have $20 in your pocket to throw away, you probably shouldn't be taking the train." But there are many people that keep this man employed.

I was sitting next to one such person today. He was a young boy, I'd say 23 or 24 years old, reading a book titled "Kindness", wearing plaid shorts, and brand new fancy European style sneakers.

The older man initiating the game was at the other end of the caboose, but every once in a while the boy would get out of his seat to watch the game. I could tell he was getting excited. He made a comment when he came back and sat next to me.

"That guy just made $100 from that game! It's an easy way to make quick money."
"Or a quick way to lose it." I replied. I wanted to add that it was a scam and that no one ever really won. The older man probably had several people on the train that were working with him to make it look like people win, but I didn't know who was a pawn and who was actually just riding the train so I kept my mouth shut.

Soon after the older man came and sat right across the aisle from the boy and me.

"Now he's really tempting you," I said.
"The money I have is my girlfriend's. I really can't play with that. But I could totally win! It's so easy." He said just as he got wrapped into the game.

The older man talks fast, draws a crowd, and is pretty aggressive. Before the boy knew it, he had put down $100...and lost it. Just as soon at the older man had the $100 in his hand the boy started to beg for it back. It was so sad to see.

"No no no no. That's my girlfriend's money. I really need it back. No no no no, please!" The boy cried.
"Nah, you lost! If you won, I'd pay you. I don't cry when I lose." The crowd that had built up around the game started talking crap and the boy sat silently.
"Ok, I'll let you try to win it back. You bet $20 and I'll give you the $100 if you win." The older man said and the boy jumped at the chance to get his girlfriend's money back. Which of course is not what happened. The boy was left with an empty wallet and the older man got off at the next stop to hustle some other desperate soul.

As the crowd disbursed the boy got his digital camera out and called out asking if someone would buy it from him.

"You really needed that money huh?" I asked.
"Yea..." The boy was sweating profusely. There might have been tears mixed in with the sweat, but I couldn't tell the difference.

Two men who had been in the crowd watching the game started asking him what happened and asked where he was from.

"Pasadena. I ride this train everyday."
"Oh! We thought you were a tourist! You should have known what was going on. You should have seen it coming."
"I did."
"You knew what was coming and you just gave him all your money?"
"I guess so."
"Hope you learned your lesson. You got schooled today." Just as the boy got up to get off the train they added "Put that on your resume!"

I felt really bad for the boy, but he had to learn somehow. Too bad his girlfriend had to be affected by it. I wonder how long she'll last.

Baby Mama Drama

2010-05-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

Today on the train...I was sitting next to a lady about my age. She pulled out her phone shortly after I got on the train with her day care center. Apparently, they charged her for picking up her son late and she didn't want to pay.

If you leave the story at that, it sounds like she should have just paid the fine. The problem was that her son is normally picked up by a neighbor, THREE hours before they called her. The mother had a valid point in saying that the day care center should have called her way before they did to inform her that her son wasn't picked up, and if they had called her then she wouldn't have a fine to pay.

Of course, I could only hear her side of the story, but the fact that this conversation went on as long as it did amazed me. Instead of being all about the customer (and the safety of the child), the person on the other end of the line was trying to defend what was done and enforcing the fee being paid. The mother of course countered that by saying that her son is always picked up on time, all of the people that were listed as emergency contacts live nearby and no one was called until THREE hours after her son's normal pick up time.

The day care worker obviously then went on to theories of child abandonment and police being called, which the mother then repeated that someone should have called her or one of her emergency contacts before the police needed to be called, but the place waited THREE hours to call.

I give credit for the mother for staying calm and making all of her points, but I still felt bad because through her conversation I learned that she was a single mother of a two year old that doesn't get off work until 6:00 pm, which is why someone else picks up her son from day care.

That is a lot of stress for one person to handle. I'm sure she spends day in and day out providing for her son, and then this situation comes along, causing her to question her trust in the day care center's ability to take care of him, but probably not having many other affordable options or the time to look for them.

Sunday to Sunday in the LBC

2010-05-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

Do not worry my blogging friends! I'm back. It has been a busy couple of weeks. The days were full and I would get home just in time to slip into my jammies and fall into bed.

I got up early(ish) yesterday morning so that I could edit some more of my pictures from my train adventure. You all will get to see those over the next coming weeks.

I hope you all had a great Mother's Day. My family met at my parents' house and ate a delicious breakfast of almond, macadamia nut, buttermilk pancakes! Of course my father made them so that my mother could relax and enjoy her day. After breakfast we headed off to the Getty Museum to see the Leonardo da Vinci sculpture exhibit. It is amazing to think that these sculptures were created hundreds of years ago by hand. The technique is so precise and detailed. We just don't see that around much anymore. Da Vinci was a true genius!

Ok, on to things Long Beach related. Apparently, Long Beach Heritage puts on downtown walking tours every third Saturday of the month from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM for $10. They visit some buildings that have stories to tell and share their passion for preservation of Long Beach history.

Photo from Inflictfreedom

I really love old buildings and know that Long Beach has a rich stories to tell. It is a lucky city to still have many old buildings around to share those stories.

I think I may take a historic walk to find out a little bit more about the city that I live in and love!

Love is in the Air. Or is it?

2010-04-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

Today on the train...A young woman struck up a conversation with a man sitting nearby.

"Nice day, isn't it?" She said
"Yea, yea it is." He replied and off the conversation flew.

He moved to sit closer to her. She teased him. They laughed. He complemented her. They introduced themselves. And then it got derailed.

He told her that the next stop was his but that he'd really like to talk to her again so could he get her number. Do you know what she said? "Oh...no, I enjoy my freedom."

I just couldn't understand why she would start a conversation with someone, flirt with them more like it, and have no intention of having it go anywhere. There are so many ways to not talk to people on the train, I just thought that she was giving the poor guy mixed messages.

People are funny.

Sunday to Sunday in the LBC

2010-04-25T19:20:00.000-07:00

Ok kids, since Tina did not contact me I used random.org to find another winner. The winner this time is....Kathryn!

Yay! Kathryn, I really hope this pillow goes with your new condo! And if you want more to match, Stephanie has two more available. I'll bring the pillow to you this week.

Also, this weekend the boyfriend and I had a little train adventure and I got plenty of pictures to spread the love on blogs to come. We started at the stop where I get on the train to go to work (seen in the pics below) and took it all the way to Pico Station. But every couple of stops we got off and I found the public art work and snapped some photos.

The adventure made me realize just how much art we have at the stations. I had seen that a few stations had it, but never looked very closely as I sped by in the train. We took time at each station and I saw that a lot of care and planning went into where the art was places, the subject matter, and the neighborhood that it was placed in.

As I was taking the pictures I got a couple weird looks, but hopefully the people were able to see what I was seeing and appreciate their neighborhood train station a little more.