Pacific Daylight Time

For a major metropolitan area, L.A. has some serious BOONDOCKS! So I take my nephew out to hike in them. =) Me and Z. From the top, we could look out to see Simi Valley. It was a very cool location, but almost too quiet for just two people. We almost saw more deer than people...almost. =) Oh sure, he's all smiles now, but by the end it was, "I'm tired...I'm just a kid..." "Oh quit your whining and keep walking." That's love. =) -KM

On the road The Wigwam Motel From my Rte 66 tour with Reyner Banham Loves LA...

I drove to work this morning taking in yet another beautiful winter morning. I know it's just another day in LA when the sun is shining bright (and it was also beautiful--to me at least-- when it was cloudy and gray a few days ago, and yesterday). But it is a special kind of day that we get here, after the rain, when the sky is extra blue and everything has been washed clean...the sun shines clear and the mountains all around in the distance are seen... purple, blue, brown--and green. I come up over a hill when I can really get a look around, and it's just...wow. Eye wow. Just last month, I was wondering when it would ever get cold--so I could wear my new soft, warm coat that I bought in December and still hadn't faced a day cool enough to wear. I mean, Santa Ana's in January? Really? I appreciate t-shirt and flip-flop weather as much as anybody, but I wanted to wear that coat! And we'd had a long, LONG, HOT summer. Enough was enough. But now, it's real...

Well...It was MLK weekend. We had a holiday from massage school, and I found myself with a free Saturday on my hands (no pun intended). So I signed myself up for a unique So Cal adventure. Reyner Banham Loves LA: Route 66 Bus Tour. Here's why: "We are pleased to offer several architecture and urbanism tours which stem from host Richard Schave's course of study with the British art historian Reyner Banham , author of the seminal monograph Los Angeles: A Study of Four Ecologies . Taking the essence of Reyner ’s work--reverence, passion, and an eye to context--we tackle the development of Southern California as a built environment, looking at how the growing populations shaped the climate and ecologies , creating a unique sense of place which has captivated the world. "In this third installment in our ongoing architecture series, we explore California's Mother Road and the building of its dream. The dream manifests at the turn of the 20 th century as we exp...

Getty View Trail and Leo Carillo State Beach

The Broadway Phenomenon Comes back to LA! The last time Wicked was in LA, tickets were sold out immediately, impossible to get. That was NOT going to happen to me this time. Thank to quick action--and connected friends (OK, A friend with an American Express card), I was able to get tickets to take my mom, aunt, and grandmother out for my Grandmother's 73rd Birthday. It was pretty cool. I don't think either of them had been to a live show for quite a long time. Here they are as we wait outside The Pantages Theater for Nancy and Larry to arrive. Nancy was the connected friend, in case you were wondering. This theater has a lot of Hollywood History, and there's really something special about going to a show there. It has been fairly recently renovated, so it is beautiful inside, but it doesn't have an elevator for old people--or any people for that matter. That's what we discovered as my grandmother balked at walking up all the stairs that led to our seats. ...

The SACRAMENTO Kings, this time! Nancy, Larry, and I flew up to Sac to watch some pro basketball. Nancy and I both like the Kings more than the Lakers right now =( And it was a good excuse for a trip. We stayed at the same hotel (Hilton) I stayed at when I came up for my high school reunion. Nice place. One of my friends from high school (Jean) works at Arco Arena, and the four of us met up at the hotel later for a fun and very interesting chat. The atmosphere at Arco is very different from that of the Staples Center. I can't quite describe it yet. I think I need more research [more tickets, more events =)] and then maybe I can put it into words some day. We were excited to see Allen Iverson play (Denver was the opponent), but he was injured and didn't play at all that night. Bummer. But at least the home team won! My partners in crime.