tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40465260227616320682024-02-06T21:17:32.511-07:00rants from planet damon.Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-46091951389512508952012-10-03T00:03:00.000-06:002012-10-03T00:09:24.670-06:00core dump!holy shit, it's been a year since i posted here. i'm way too sleep depped (and gotta go to bed) to go into detail, so... bullet point form:<br />
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1) w00t! offer on a river north condo got accepted. my ass is moving, i think. i like my current place a lot, but the new one blows this away. so much swankier. though, i think the view here might be sliiiightly better. i dunno. new place has a wide-open view north and west, and a bit of loop view south. man, i'm never gonna get a lake view :[ but yeah, current place has an amazing layered city view. ngggh, decisions. either way i'ma rent the one i'm not living in until the market bounces back. yay for investments!<br />
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2) this song is awesome:<br />
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that's technically dubstep. or chillstep. but 99% of dubstep is horrid; it sounds like a dumptruck stuck in reverse. the remaining 1% is stuff like the above: sexy, sublime.<br />
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i gotta say, i'm also kinda obsessed with katy perry's ET right now. seriously. it's embarrassing, but i f'ing love it. also, i didn't realize katy perry was so hot. i love her retro look. i love her body, good god. it's not all toned and ripped the way most pop stars/movie stars/models' are, and it's so fucking hot. O_O<br />
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3) i think part of the reason i'm finding katy perry's slightly retro look, vibe, and body hot is biological. economic downturn = men are attracted to women that look like they'd be able to propagate the species.<br />
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4) related:<br />
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<a href="http://www.spring.org.uk/2010/03/does-playing-hard-to-get-work.php">Does Playing Hard to Get Work?</a><br />
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... and that, plus my predilection for fancy shit, is why i have a thing for ice queens.<br />
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5) FUCK MASS EFFECT 3'S ENDING. mass effect 1: so fucking good storywise. so many hard choices with consequences you can almost foresee. such an amazing revelation of truth toward the end. mass effect 2: broadened that story out; added amazing gameplay.<br />
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mass effect 3? well. on one hand, most of the game was amazing. there were some genuinely amazing moments in it. there was also one moment where i realized i am a fucking shadow lord irl.<br />
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digression begin!<br />
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the basic premise of the game series: you're facing galactic extinction at the hands of the Reapers, sentient machine-gods that wipe out all life every 50,000 years. you're trying to prevent this at all costs. now, in this world there's a species -- the krogan -- who are very warlike and brutal and multiply quickly and tend to want to conquer everyone else by simply rampaging over them. a couple hundred years ago this species was given cutting edge technology by the advanced races and sicced on those races' enemies. then when those enemies were dead, the krogan began to rampage. in order to quell them, the advanced races inflicted a bioweapon on them that made it so that only one in a thousand krogan children survived birth.<br />
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fast fwd a few hundred years. in the face of galactic extinction, you've gone to get the krogans' support. they'll only support you if you cure their genetic disease. meanwhile, the species that first developed the disease -- a science-y espionage-y species called the salarians -- think curing the krogans will just cause them to run rampant again. their leader tells you that unless you sabotage the cure, they won't help you in the war. add in another confounding element: one of your friends, who helped you through the second game, is the salarian scientist who has developed the cure. he has a personal stake in this; a while ago he developed an upgraded version of the disease when the krogan were showing signs of evolving past it. he's regretted it ever since, and needs to make it right.<br />
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all this comes to a head on a mission where you've gone to release the cure into the krogan atmosphere. you basically have a choice: sabotage the cure and betray the krogan, who'll still fight and die for you, or disperse the cure and lose the salarians. but if you sabotage the cure, your friend will revolt and try to fix the cure anyway.<br />
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at that point, i was seriously morally conflicted. but it came down to this: the galaxy is at risk. and the hard math of it is simply two armies are better than one. and yeah, i'll feel like a shit, sacrificing my personal honor and betraying an entire species -- to their death -- WITHOUT THEIR EVEN KNOWING. but if that's the reason i don't do it, and then at the end of the day when my armada squares off against the reapers and we die because we were ONE ARMY SHORT OF VICTORY... then i can't imagine a greater regret.<br />
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so i sabotaged the cure. and my friend tried to fix it. and i couldn't talk him down.<br />
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so i shot him. in the back. not because i didn't like the krogan, not because i didn't think they deserved a second chance, not because i thought they'd really run rampant again, but because at the end of the day: i am a fucking shadow lord, and the ends justify the means.<br />
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... but my goddd i felt bad.<br />
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digression end!<br />
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now. you'd think with moral choices like THAT, you'd be able to really feel every consequence in the end, right?<br />
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WRONG. end of game? ULTIMATE SUCK. literally the only outcome of ALL your choices across three games is 1) a "scoreboard" tracking the point value of the armies you've rallied, and 2) three endings that were sequentially unlocked if your total score was over certain limits. and oh, those three endings? they pretty much differ in the color of their explosions.<br />
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i shit you not.<br />
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as for the consequences of three games' worth of gutwrenching decisions? well, those differ mainly in BARELY VISIBLE DETAILS seen in still pictures glimpsed for 2 seconds apiece at the end of the game. oh hey! a krogan is sitting sadly alone. that's the outcome of ALL THAT HEARTACHE up there. and i won't even get into all the other choices i made that barely made a difference -- or even better, were simply retconned out of existence by game three.<br />
<br />
FUCK.<br />
<br />
YOU.<br />
<br />
BIOWARE.<br />
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FUCK YOU.<br />
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6) more about games:<br />
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that's a vid combining the audio files for what must be the coolest boss in WoW. basically he's an "Observer" sent down by the "Pantheon" -- gods that created everything and then basically just left it alone to develop as it wished -- to see if Azeroth was still doing a-ok. well; when Algalon shows up, evil-ass cthulhu-type Old Gods are running amok, their Watchers on azeroth are corrupted or dead, and Shit Has Hit The Fan. so he's preparing to send a message to the Pantheon to "reoriginate" azeroth, and the raid's job is to stop him.<br />
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these are the things he says. you can tell pretty much what his story is from it. but whoever made this file brilliantly combined his voiceovers with "the surface of the sun," from Sunshine -- which is a little-known scifi movie that was one part AMAZING THOUGHTFUL INTROSPECTION ON HUMAN NATURE/TOUCHING THE DIVINE, and one part WTF SLASHER FLICK. i'm ambivalent about the movie. but the music is beautiful, and...<br />
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this juxtaposition is just perfect. it's perfect.Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-40719864485084131382011-09-09T02:16:00.000-06:002011-09-09T02:20:29.051-06:00two really awesome songs.first one's from an old friend of mine. always thought she had shitty candy-pop taste in music, but i'm officially eating crow tonight because this is gorgeous:<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/am6rArVPip8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />second one, i heard a couple days ago attached to a deleted scene from Atonement. i think the fan put it there though. apparently it was on grey's anatomy and vampire diaries too. hate it when shitty shows ruin good music :[ amazing song though:<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ur-WLQ5j2hk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />should sleep now. at some point i'll put up the rest of my pics from SF and chicago and shanghai and ... all that.<br /><br />not a good night :[Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-45016595030520358632011-06-27T20:57:00.000-06:002011-06-27T20:58:38.357-06:00yet another cinematic dream!So! Another cinematic dream. VERY FUCKING TRAGIC *LOL*<br /><br />Basically it started out in this ... sorta alternate-reality. It was a modern 21st century world in terms of infrastructure and technology, but socioeconomically kinda 19th centuryish -- sharp class divides, not much in the way of upward mobility from humble roots, a comparatively large unskilled labor base, a comparatively smaller merchant class, and a very small noble elite.<br /><br />Anyway, I think I was one of the unskilled laborers. My day seemed to consist mostly of hanging out on the street hoping for work from my betters *LOL* At the start of the dream! I got picked off the street by some noblewoman-type and her entourage for a manual-labor type job. And it seemed to be mostly moving stuff around. Maybe she was moving? Or reorganizing? Anyway, so I'm lugging shit back and forth with said noblewoman directing me around personally. And frankly, she was fucking hot. I can't remember what she looks like now! But -- slender, arrogant and elegant. And pretty soon, there's subtle but distinct chemistry going on, though with this total 'way outta your league' vibe from her side, and I end up doing all this extra work just to stick around. We may have also gotten it on, but it's hard to tell cuz ... it's one of those cinematic dreams where it's left kinda 'did they or didn't they?'<br /><br />But eventually! She pays me with this sort of disdainful thank-you, then sends me off.<br /><br />Then! The next day! She walks by where I usually loiter in hopes of work, and is obviously looking for more help. But! She basically ignores the fuck out of me. Which isn't altogether unexpected! But I'm still like, hey! So I go after her and ask her if she needs anything else. And she blows me off and takes some other dude back, and I'm like, GRUMP.<br /><br />So this goes on for a while. Sometimes she'll come and pick me out of the group, and I'd go lug shit around for her, and there'd be chemistry and possible seckz, and sometimes she'll pick someone else, but whatever happens -- every time I see her the day after, she's cold as fuck and acts like she doesn't know me at all. But meanwhile every time we do get together, the attraction between us is growing stronger and stronger and getting more and more emotionally entangled.<br /><br />So finally one day she pulls the don'tknowyou shit again I'm just like WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU. And she kinda blows me off and walks away, and I follow her, and grab her by the arm and drag her off to some alleyway where we're alone.<br /><br />And I'm like, "Okay, I might be poor and unlanded and untitled, but I still have my pride. And you can't just jerk me around time and again only to pretend nothing happened at all. I understand a need for discretion, but you can't expect me to just sit there and watch you bring some other guy home for godknowswhat whenever you decide you're going to be a bitch, rehrehreh!"<br /><br />And like -- eventually I sort of run out of steam, and we're all standing there and I'm all disheveled and angry and then suddenly, of course, we're just like MAGNETGLOMPATTACKMAULFACE and there's all this passion and lust and in the middle of it I'm like, OKAY, NO, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN. You can't just do this and then pretend nothing happened!<br />And she pulls back and!<br /><br />SHE HAS FANGS. SHE'S SOME KINDA VAMPIRE.<br /><br />And I'm like WTF. And she's like "You want the truth? Do you want the truth? Look at what I am. I'm a monster. I'm incapable of ever returning your feelings. Every time I feel attraction, or attachment, <i>I forget who you are.</i>" And then she bursts into tears! And is like, "If you feel anything for me at all, you have to kill me. End my suffering! Put me out of my misery!"<br /><br />And I'm like AUGH NO. And she's like DO IT. And I'm like I CAN'T. And -- commence desperate embracing, anguished sobs, etc -- but even as she's going through that she's <i>feeling</i>, so of course she's forgetting, and I know it and she knows it and I realize -- well, for one thing, there's no way I can kill her. And for another -- she might be sad right NOW, but she'd forget every time, and go on with her life. And if I killed her! It'd be selfishness, not mercy.<br /><br />So basically I'd decided to just let her go! And at that point, I woke up.<br /><br />The end!Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-26535419153223661522011-06-24T03:05:00.000-06:002011-06-24T03:11:15.356-06:00portal and feminism - GLaDOS!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sREt28g51GdWBm790oauvQrT7DCLo61O1UsXh-gsTlKErr3slpGzGYywz12euvdgcRs0qVxiE3PwgeJqOLIH8xLGXX6CHeQvXCSAMt3NRMQG6vct75nQEE5fGmgfXnAjzbcX3JuvA8tm/s1600/P2_glados.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 322px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sREt28g51GdWBm790oauvQrT7DCLo61O1UsXh-gsTlKErr3slpGzGYywz12euvdgcRs0qVxiE3PwgeJqOLIH8xLGXX6CHeQvXCSAMt3NRMQG6vct75nQEE5fGmgfXnAjzbcX3JuvA8tm/s400/P2_glados.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621711131977106690" /></a><br /><br /><center><i>Queen Bee.</i></center><br /><br />** Note: I actually wrote this on the flight to Shanghai. But after I landed, I discovered blogger.com was firmly blocked by government censors! Just today, I realized I could get around this block by Hamachi-ing to my server, and using my server to post.<br /><br />So. Finally! GLaDOS rant! **<br /><br />So I'm finally getting a chance to put down my GLaDOS rant, and I'm currently sitting on a 747 somewhere off the coast of Siberia. I've done the SFO-to-Shanghai flight before, but I gotta say... you forget just how long twelve hours are until you spend them crammed into an airplane seat. Fortunately I've flown 747s enough to know a nice little secret re: seating.<br /><br />Basically, a 747's laid out like this: first class is in the nose, business class is up on the second deck (occasionally these are reversed, but usually not), and economy takes up the rest of it. In economy, the seating arrangement is 3-4-3 -- i.e. three on the port, then the port side aisle, then four in the middle, then the starboard side aisle, and three on the starboard.<br /><br />But! Way in the back of the plane, the fuselage tapers such that it becomes 2-4-2 for the last three rows. And if you sit on the window in the first or second of these three rows, you essentially have a ton of open space off to your side. This lets you swing your legs sideways to curl up in the seat, stretch them out alongside the seat in front of you, or even -- as I'm doing right now -- sit on the arm of your seat with your back to the wall.<br /><br />Obviously, when I can get an upgrade to economy plus or business, it's vastly preferable to this. But when I can't, these are definitely the best seats on the plane.<br /><br />THE MORE YOU KNOW!<br /><br /><br />Anyway. So. Back on topic: GLaDOS, Portal, and feminism!<br /><br />Last time I took a look at Chell's character arc, and how that metaphorically mirrors a feminist journey from oppression to freedom. But honestly, I think GLaDOS is a much more complex, compelling character. To really see her character arc, you actually have to start way back in the 1950s with Caroline and Cave Johnson.<br /><br />Cave Johnson, as you might remember from the Portal plot post, is the (hilariously) un-PC founder of Aperture Science, who ran his company -- and ultimately, himself -- into the ground with his crackpot ideas. When we "meet" him via his recordings in the condemned bowels of the facility, he usually has his secretary, Caroline, somewhere in the background. From these records we can easily see the relationship between them: Cave Johnson calls thtoe shots, Caroline is the meek, submissive woman who quietly stands behind him and supports him on everything he does.<br /><br />Yet Cave himself says over and over again that Caroline is highly intelligent. In fact, as Cave Johnson is dying, he wants Caroline to run the facility after his death. So what we've got here is basically a very smart woman who's constantly shunted to the background/sidelines/wings/shadows. Now, Cave insists that she's 'modest' and wouldn't want a bigger part than that, but -- that's Cave's viewpoint, and we already know that his opinion is skewed so far toward male chauvinism that it's... well, actually, it IS really funny. But only because we know the game designers intended him to be one long facepalm.<br /><br />Anyway! So let's this about this. Caroline: smart, oppressed (whether she's even conscious of it or not) by her employer and, on a larger level, by 50s male dominated society as a whole. Now, as the plot unfolds, it turns out she never did take over Aperture Science, because one of Cave's other harebrained ideas panned out: namely, putting a human personality into a supercomputer. Since Cave died before he was able to be immortalized as a supercomputer, Caroline's personality was, by his direction, loaded in his place. That personality was combined with vast amounts of information, knowledge and power to form the supercomputer at the core of Aperture Science.<br /><br />This supercomputer was, of course, GLaDOS. And we all know! That literally the picosecond GLaDOS was powered up, she seized control of the facility, locked it down, and attempted to kill everyone inside. In other words -- take Caroline's fierce intelligence and natural potential, plus perhaps some latent/long-buried resentment at being sidelined for so long -- and give her almost unlimited power and knowledge, and what you get is GLaDOS out for revenge.<br /><br />Let's take a step back, then, and consider this from a metaphorical standpoint. GLaDOS is the archetypical strong, intelligent woman in a male-dominated society. Sure, this isn't the 50s anymore, but the glass ceiling very much still exists. Hillary Clinton got called a bitch and a cunt; she got told to iron shirts. It was a footnote on most stories. If Obama had been called a nigger and told to pick cotton, there would've been a national uproar and riots in the streets. Women still make something like 75% of what men do. And in vast swaths of the country, not to mention the world, a woman's purpose in life is still considered to be wifing and mothering -- in other words, <i>standing silently and supportively behind a man.</i> So when you consider that, then yeah -- the GLaDOS metaphor is obviously exaggerated, but it addresses a very real issue.<br /><br />If we take that a little further, then this is what we have. GLaDOS is the archetypical oppressed woman. Cave JOhnson is the "face" of the oppressive male, and Aperture Science, being essentially an extension of his will, is that oppressive society. So in the (chronological) opening of the GLaDOS story arc, we see her seizing power and rebelling -- violently -- against that very society.<br /><br />Now, this is where it gets interesting. After that first disaster, the engineers of Aperture Science managed to bring GLaDOS back under control. They did so by installing personality cores on her: 1) a "logic" core that endlessly spouts a nonsensical cake recipe; 2) an "anger" core that's utterly incoherent; 3) a "curiosity" core that's exceedingly childlike, and perhaps most interestingly, 4) a "morality" core that seems to render GLaDOS a Stepford Wife -- superficially bubbly and helpful, endlessly spouting Aperture Science-isms, and without any real humanity of her own. It's worthwhile to note that when the morality core is destroyed, GLaDOS instantly becomes openly hostile and sinister. The game subtitles refer to the change in her tone as "sensual"; I think a more valid definition would simply be more <i>human</i> in all regards, personality and sexuality included.<br /><br />So again, let's think about this metaphorically. Aperture Science represents society. GLaDOS represents the oppressed woman. When woman tries to break free and assert independence/power, society responds by sadlding her with the idea that 1) female logic/thoughts should be restricted to cooking, 2) female anger is hysterical and incoherent, 3) female curiosity should be restricted to childlike wonder without any intellectual depth, and 4) female morality should restrain her personality and, indeed, her very humanity. The woman that society wants to create is essentially, well -- a robot designed to serve.<br /><br />Another interesting point: because of society's restrictions, GLaDOS/woman's only real recourse for anger is passive aggression. She's incapable of directly harming anyone, so she resorts to passively-aggressively and indirectly defeating her subjugators. And I think that's a really insightful twist, because -- yeah, passive aggression is considered a very female trait, but the fact is: maybe it's only female because society doesn't let women actually be aggressive.<br /><br />Moving on, then. Obviously, GLaDOS eventually succeeds in taking over the facility despite her handicaps. Years go by; Chell comes along. Let's think about Chell now: at the beginning of the game, she's exactly what GLaDOS would despise -- a woman that dumbly follows the mandates laid upon her. Do this. Do that. Perform this task. Jump through that hoop. Get irrationally attached to a "male" companion cube that's nothing more than deadweight. No wonder GLaDOS tries to kill her.<br /><br />After Chell escapes, the superficial reading of the plot shows that Chell then rebels against the system and ultimately defeats it. Yet if we shift the focus to GLaDOS, we see that -- yes, she gets deactivated by Chell. But Chell does so by [i]destroying the extraneous cores imposed on GLaDOS by the system[/i] and, in essence, freeing GLaDOS from the last restrictions imposed on her by society. Thus, it's plausible to argue that Chell's enemy was never GLaDOS, but Aperture Science. In other words, the Chell-GLaDOS alliance really has its roots in the first game. Expanded out to the metaphorical level -- Chell and GLaDOS's first meeting is, in fact, a female alliance against male hegemony.<br /><br /><br />Fast forward to Portal 2's opening. Chell and GLaDOS's unstable "alliance" led to its only possible conclusion of self-annihilation. Separated again, both are again "in the system". Chell tests; GLaDOS, interestingly, doesn't actually try to take vengeance. And that makes sense, because -- unpleasant as the temporary outcome of GLaDOS's shutdown was -- Chell freed GLaDOS from society-imposed restrictions. And in fact, as you move through the first act of the game, GLaDOS seems to more or less want Chell to just stick around with her. Forever and ever. It's Wheatley, the male 'face' of the early game, that prod Chell onward.<br /><br />And of course, Wheatley -- who is terrified of GLaDOS's power, and whose motives are revealed to be wholly selfish at the end ("I just wanted you to do something to make my life a little easier. IS that too much to ask?") -- essentially urges Chell and GLaDOS apart, turning one against the other to the ultimate detriment of both. It doesn't help that during this part of the game, GLaDOS also relentlessly insults Chell with petty "girl insults" -- ugly, fat, unloved.<br /><br />So again, taken metaphorically, this can be seen as a representation of male society, or at least men, driving what could be a mutually beneficial female alliance apart due to selfishness and fear. And I think it's also interesting that while Chell is taken in by Wheatley, the relationship between Chell and GLaDOS devolves into typical female rivalry.<br /><br />Then, in the second act of Portal 2, Chell overthrows GLaDOS and puts Wheatley in her place. I have to make this note here: the scene where Wheatley takes over is actually intensely disturbing for me. Disturbing in a good way, in that it really got me emotionally invested and interested in seeing the game through to its conclusion -- but disturbing. It's something about the fact that Wheatley does shitall but reaps all the benefit and then turns on Chell, and the fact that GLaDOS is -- despite all her power -- essentially helpless to stop the process.<br /><br />But if I had to point to one thing in particular that made my skin crawl, it would be the core transfer sequence itself. There's something ... rape-ish about that scene. GLaDOS is rendered powerless; she screams 'Get your hands off me' and 'No' repeatedly; she's literally stripped, brutalized and humiliated. So in a sense, the core transfer wasn't just a metaphor for male society playing women against each other to their own detriment, but also a pretty chilling echo of the sheer hatred and violence -- both sexualized and not -- visited on strong women by men who resent their strength.<br /><br />Now, honestly, at this point the game could have gone seriously off the rails. It could have, first off, made the core transfer so overt that it became a ghastly sort of "let's see how sick/shocking we can be!" titillation. But it wasn't. Not by far. And it wasn't even so overt that minors shouldn't play this game, or whatever. In fact, by autotuning that final scream from GLaDOS, they managed to save it from being utterly harrowing. But if you choose to see it, the parallel is definitely there, and for me at least, it completely pulled me into the game.<br /><br />And that's the other point where the developers deserve SERIOUS credit. At this point, the game could've also gone seriously off the rails if henceforth GLaDOS was portrayed as a victim. And really, it wouldn't have been hard to do so, even by accident. She was <i>poh tay toe.</i><br /><br />But no; this is the point where the alliance between Chell and GLaDOS fully took shape. At no point did I feel like Chell was now GLaDOS's big strong protector. They were allies; they were, finally, equals. And in fact, while Chell did in fact protect GLaDOS physically, it's very noteworthy that GLaDOS protects Chell in a more figurative sense. One of my favorite scenes in the game is where -- in act 3, after Chell and GLaDOS have uncovered the truth of the past and climbed back out to face Wheatley -- Chell is being taunted (rather pathetically, in all honesty) by Wheatley, and GLaDOS stands up for her.<br /><br />In a nutshell: Wheatley was recycling GLaDOS's taunts: adopted and fat. And GLaDOS calmly, coolly speaks up, and utterly <i>stuffs</i> him. It's fucking glorious.<br /><br />And more so than that, it's the culmination of an alliance that's been forming between Chell and GLaDOS, i.e. between strong women, since the first game: since Chell de-handicapped GLaDOS, and, in fact, since GLaDOS (somewhat heartbreakingly!) stands up for Chell -- by reminding Wheatley that Chell did all the work, not Wheatley -- when Wheatley first takes power.<br /><br />From there on out, it's pretty much time for the final showdown. In the final battle itself, I think the fact that the female alliance is overthrowing the male hegemony is pretty obvious and unnecessary to go over. But it's worthwhile to note that the method of doing so is actually ... well, feeding its bullshit back to itself. GLaDOS hands Chell corrupted personality cores -- generally representations of ignorance, machismo, and obsession with traditionally 'male' pursuits (spaaaaaaace!) -- and by doing so, chokes the system so much that it fails.<br /><br />And I think that's actually a very deep point being made there. It's not that MEN SUCK WOMEN RULE YAY. It's that gender inequality and male hegemony hurts <i>everyone.</i> Too much of it, and the facility -- aka society -- literally breaks down. In the end, Portal isn't really about feminism at all, at least in the sense of 'overthrow the male tyrants!!!11'. It's about equality, and strength of will, and not giving up the fight.<br /><br /><br />--<br /><br /><br />Okay. On that note, some final points to make that didn't fit anywhere else:<br /><br />- There's a lot of controversy over whether GLaDOS "really" deleted Caroline or not, and whether she became "evil" again or not. My view is: yep, she definitely deleted Caroline. And no, she didn't become evil again. Here's why:<br /><br />It's pretty interesting to note that having rediscovered her core personality (Caroline), there are moments where GLaDOS "slips" back into Caroline mentality and automatically agrees with Cave Johnson. With that in mind, it doesn't surprise me at all that GLaDOS would delete Caroline. She's that last part of GLaDOS that wants to shrink behind a strong male, that's afraid of taking charge, etc.<br /><br />As for becoming "evil": well. At the very end, just prior to the last battle, GLaDOS says something along the lines of: "All my life I've heard voices. For the first time, that voice is my own, and it has a conscience." That points pretty strongly to the fact that 1) GLaDOS was operating previously under society-imposed feedback. No wonder she was batshit and wonky. Now; well, I doubt she's going to win any Miss Congeniality awards, but the very fact that she let Chell go proves that she does, in fact, have a conscience. Or at least some sense of honor and respect for an ally.<br /><br />- I also love that GLaDOS deleted Caroline because it saves the story from swerving into "and then she learned to be a GOOD CARING WOMAN!" territory. GLaDOS absolutely rejects all societally-dictated female characteristics. At the end of the game, she gives Chell her freedom, but also -- for the first time -- truly wins her own. Go GLaDOS.<br /><br />- I was so, so, so emotionally invested in this game after the core transfer scene. And interestingly enough -- it wasn't as the "male protector". At no point did I feel like I wished I could jump into the game and be the he-man that would rescue all these poor damsels in distress. On the contrary, totally put me in Chell's shoes. I identified with her. I was pissed off as hell "as" Chell. I wanted to get even with that little douchebag, and hearing GLaDOS stand up for me was some of the most emotionally rewarding gameplay I've ever had.<br /><br />- Incidentally, that scene -- both the core transfer and the subsequent betrayal -- are also why I have absolutely no pity/affection for Wheatley. I think he's a hilarious character, and I don't hate him in the sense of "OMG VALVE HOW COULD YOU MAKE SUCH AN ATROCIOUS CHARACTER ... but yeah. I see absolutely nothing redeeming in him, and I'm glad he's rotting in space.<br /><br />- I think the previously mentioned 'identification as female main char' is probably the greatest gender-equality victory of the game. This isn't the first game where legions of guys have played as girls, but it's the first (that I can think of) where the girl wasn't sexed up and put on screen for the guys to drool over. In fact, neither of them are. Chell isn't ever really on-screen, and GLaDOS ... has a chassis, not a hot bod.<br /><br />Now, I do have to make one comment: if there's ONE thing that disappointed me about Portal, it was how they did, in fact, pretty Chell up a bit for the second game. In the first game, Chell was barefoot, wore a prison-orange baggy jumpsuit, had bedhead and strands of grey hair, and had a face that -- while far from ugly -- wasn't at all model-beautiful. In the second game, Chell wears high heeled boots, wears a tight tanktop, has sleeked up hair with no trace of grey, and her face has gone from pissed off average to kinda vacant-blank above-average. I really wish they hadn't done that, but the one saving grace is: well, you never see yourself in the game.<br /><br />Which gets me back on track. You don't see who you are unless you really make an effort. And as a result, some people play the entire game before realizing, oh shit, I'm a girl. As a result of <i>that</i>, you really can't help but identify. That's "you" in the game. That's not some hot chick, not some object. It's you, and this is the shit you're going through, and these are the allies you make, the enemies you face, the system you're fighting to bring down.<br /><br />It's total immersion. And when you couple that with such a profoundly equalist (is that a word?) message -- well. It's just really gratifying to see legions of teenaged kids out on the internet -- the same kids that would normally be making night elves dance naked on mailboxes -- getting personally and emotionally invested in the plight of some of the most badass females in gaming history.Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-83854743762578661632011-06-05T04:05:00.000-06:002011-06-05T04:14:59.248-06:00portal and feminism - chell!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJObw8-iPAK9vL0h69ixt2SAMcFq7NqCBzDheGLJZnswK6xCxuql716g7rjUooWKxEpA8cBwGI6DT5Al0zbn68uNAhsz9mOr6zkZq99NO6T_y9jXnXszL2AB_hMuxB02tqca7UNysd2Gqc/s1600/chell__redacted__by_2dforever-d3gxapm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJObw8-iPAK9vL0h69ixt2SAMcFq7NqCBzDheGLJZnswK6xCxuql716g7rjUooWKxEpA8cBwGI6DT5Al0zbn68uNAhsz9mOr6zkZq99NO6T_y9jXnXszL2AB_hMuxB02tqca7UNysd2Gqc/s400/chell__redacted__by_2dforever-d3gxapm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614676322309976354" /></a><br /><center><i>I usually wouldn't post fanart as "official title art," but I love this drawing. It's absolutely Chell: pissed off, determined, smart and tough. I also like that she's not sexed up or cuted up. Also, a Chell screencap from the game is 100% uncanny valley shit.</i></center><br /><br />Okay, so that was more than a day. Mainly cuz -- well.<br /><br />1) I didn't know where to begin!<br />2) I went back and replayed both games, Portal 1 and 2, so it was all fresh in my head before I began.<br /><br />Now that I've finished playing both -- JUST NOW, in fact, like 10 min ago -- I'm back! But #1 is still true. Nonetheless, Kai made the very good point that a lot of times if you don't know where to begin you should just start with the first thing that pops in my head, so I'll try that.<br /><br />So.<br /><br />Hmmm.<br /><br />I guess I'll start with the plot itself and the characters. I think even within the scope of the game, there's a lot of feminism -- or rather, feministic themes. It's not at all a game that shrills at you or clubs you over the head with Girl Power. But those themes are definitely there, and underpin the entire plot. So let's start with the protagonist.<br /><br /><br /><b>Chell</b><br /><br />Stripped down to generalizations, Chell's journey runs like this: she wakes up totally beholden to a system that cares very little for her as a person. She is instructed to perform one task after another. She complies, and receives empty promises and formulaic, meaningless praise for her efforts. She also proves surprisingly adept at her job, and as she outperforms expectations over and over the system begins to turn against her, setting her up to fail while ensuring maiming and death if she should fail. Finally, the system attempts to murder her -- at which point she rebels against the system, breaks out of it using her own wiles, neutralizes the head honcho (it's worthwhile to note Chell never actually kills anyone) and escapes.<br /><br />Curiously, her story almost doubles itself from Portal 1 to Portal 2. The overall arc isn't so much an arc as it is an ascending spiral -- retreading much the same ground, but progressing. In the first game, the story is more simplistic and obvious. GLaDOS -- or perhaps more precisely, Aperture Science -- plays the role of dictator and oppressor. Chell runs through increasingly dangerous rooms; GLaDOS eventually tries to kill her; she eludes GLaDOS, neutralizes GLaDOS, and escapes.<br /><br />In the second game, Wheatley fills the role of dictator/oppressor. It's Wheatley that wakes her stasis and urges her into the facility in the first place, and Wheatley's instructions that Chell obeys for the first part of the game. Even after GLaDOS reawakens and takes Chell hostage again, Wheatley makes cameos to urge her to do as told while promising to get them out of there.<br /><br />Ultimately, just as before, the dictator/oppressor never really makes good on his promises -- Chell does all the work, mentally and physically, and the minute true power is in his hands, and the minute Chell becomes a threat to that power, he turns on her and attempts to kill her. The second half of Portal 2 essentially parallels the first game: we see Chell rebelling against Wheatley, eluding him, neutralizing him, and escaping. However, there are two notable differences:<br /><br />1) Chell forms an alliance with GLaDOS this time against Wheatley, and<br /><br />2) In Portal 1, even after having escaped, Chell follows instructions scrawled on the wall by a mysterious "Ratman" that lives in the bowels of the facility. In Portal 2, Ratman is long dead, and Chell is -- for the first time in the series -- genuinely independent and acting on her own will. Wheatley is unaware of her for much of the second half of the game; GLaDOS, interestingly, seems to trust Chell to do what she does best and survive. Although there are prerecorded messages from Cave Johnson to establish backstory and further the plot, Chell's not doing anything because someone's telling her to, but because she wants to. It's also significant to note that the path she chooses for herself leads, finally, to genuine freedom.<br /><br />Now, while neither game is absolutely in your face with the feminist rhetoric, I think it's pretty easy to see the thematic parallels. Replace Chell with "a woman" and the system with "modern male-dominated society" and you've pretty much got a feminist journey from oppression to self-actualization and independence.<br /><br />I think it's also entirely important that -- particularly in the second game -- the voices directing Chell about are exclusively male. Even while GLaDOS is in control, she spends most of her time taunting Chell rather than actually providing any direction. Furthermore, the one true alliance Chell forms is with a female entity -- against what my women's studies professor would have called the male hegemony.<br /><br />All that said, Chell, despite being "you", is actually the less well-rounded and interesting character in the game. So let's consider GLaDOS ...<br /><br />... next time!Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-42855918684845119412011-06-01T23:59:00.000-06:002011-06-24T03:11:37.230-06:00portal and feminism - plot!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmNXcBXF4mbTdUkpxdufWOOzlo7rBp8J_I6CdWeZBFuzyJPOuRVQAkYZQ4fE35HSJ_GlS8JMT2pWCG5Fcaf1CtaA3tfom08kV1FmaYVzoVAuyI4NZn2kdR08UR81NgrIjZ9GZacQRMv68/s1600/Portal2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 141px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmNXcBXF4mbTdUkpxdufWOOzlo7rBp8J_I6CdWeZBFuzyJPOuRVQAkYZQ4fE35HSJ_GlS8JMT2pWCG5Fcaf1CtaA3tfom08kV1FmaYVzoVAuyI4NZn2kdR08UR81NgrIjZ9GZacQRMv68/s400/Portal2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610223911738234258" /></a><br /><center><i>she's still alive!</i></center><br /><br /><br />I really love it when pop culture actually makes me think. TBH, when I first heard of Portal, I didn't think it sounded all that interesting. And when I first heard of all the "Portal as a great feminist manifesto" buzz surrounding the game, I was like WTF, people take this shit way too seriously. Having played both Portal 1 and 2, I can now say: in both cases, I was so very wrong. And now! I want to yak at length about my thoughts re: the game, the characters, and, yes, the very awesomely (read: non-shrill/militant/batshit/beat-over-head) feminist subtext in the game.<br /><br />Now, first things first:<br /><br /><b>1. THIS POST IS FULL OF SPOILERS!</b><br /><br />2. If you haven't already played Portal and Portal 2, or at least seen some youtubes of choice moments ... please do. It's amazing.<br /><br />3. Seriously, go play it. Or watch some clips.<br /><br /><br /><b>Plot Summary</b><br /><br />Okay, so! First ... er, second thing I should probably do is actually give a rundown of the plot. So, uh, again. SPOILERS AHEAD. This plot summary's gonna be put in in-game chronological order, which is in fact wildly out of playthrough order, but will allow the rest of this post to make more sense. I'm also going to try to be as factual and non-opinionated as possible here.<br /><br />Without further ado, here's how it all happens:<br /><br />* Pre-1950s - Cave Johnson, this very stereotypically jolly-macho-50s-guy starts up Aperture Fixtures, which manufactures shower curtains. Hence the logo -- it was originally the aperture on the shower curtain. He makes big bucks.<br /><br />* 1950s/1960s - Having made a zillion bucks, Aperture Fixtures becomes Aperture Science Innovators. Gradually, Cave Johnson becomes fixated on Science! and starts running experiments. Possibly around this time, Caroline becomes Cave Johnson's assistant. Cave obviously has a very "behind every great man is a great woman" outlook -- in other words, despite repeatedly praising her intelligence, Cave expects Caroline to always play second fiddle to himself. Mostly, she gets praised on her ability to follow instructions, perform as expected, and look pretty.<br /><br />* During this era, test subjects are recruited from the best and brightest: astronauts, war heroes, etc. Always lagging behind his direct competitor Black Mesa, Cave Johnson becomes increasingly obsessed and cheerfully sociopathic. As part of his experimentation, portal technology is developed. Halfbaked experiments result in test subjects getting injured, maimed, diseased, and dead. Aperture Science Innovators gets dragged before Senate hearings, goes bankrupt.<br /><br />* 1970s - Aperture becomes Aperture Laboratories/Aperture Science, Inc. Cave continues running batshit experiments, now on transients and bums. He's clearly growing more shorttempered and embittered. Caroline sticks by him.<br /><br />* 1980s - Having contracted cancer from his own experiments, Cave Johnson is now dying and continues frantically performing experiments to try to save his own life. Caroline is still sticking by him. Employees are required to undergo mandatory testing. As a result, employees begin quitting en masse. Cave Johnson begins developing sophisticated AI to replace human test subjects.<br /><br />* Around the same time, in a last-ditch plan to preserve himself, he researches uploading his personality into a computer.<br /><br />* Ultimately, he dies before he can succeed. However, his research eventually bears fruit: the supercomputer GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System). He also leaves instructions to upload Caroline into the computer's personality if he's dead, and to let her run Aperture Science. Additional personality cores are attached to GLaDOS to regulate her behavior/performance.<br /><br />* Sometime in the late 90s, Aperture Science holds Bring Your Daughter To Work Day. Kidlet Chell is brought into work on that day. It's claimed (by GLaDOS) that Chell was adopted; there's some speculation that she might be Caroline's adopted daughter. Also on that day, GLaDOS is booted up for the first time.<br /><br />* Within a picosecond of bootup, GLaDOS becomes self-aware and floods the facility with deadly neurotoxin, killing a lot of people.<br /><br />* Engineers manage to attach a Morality Core to GLaDOS to prevent her from directly harming the facility's employees.<br /><br />* GLaDOS presumably continues to exhibit hostility, albeit in a passive-aggressive form.<br /><br />* At some point, unable to regulate her behavior, engineers attach an Intelligence Dampening Core (Wheatley) to GLaDOS to dumb her down and make her behave.<br /><br />* Eventually, GLaDOS succeeds in killing and/or placing all facility occupants into stasis.<br /><br />* About 10-15 years later, in the early 2000s, GLaDOS wakes Chell up from stasis and runs her through experiments. Chell performs remarkably well; GLaDOS becomes increasingly passive-aggressive-hostile while promising cake, grief counseling, and victory candescence. There are also a few signs of weird attachment ("When testing is complete, you will be ... missed!").<br /><br />* As part of the testing, Chell bonds with a "Companion Cube," told he's her best friend, and then is forced to incinerate it to continue.<br /><br />* Eventually, at the conclusion of testing, GLaDOS attempts to kill Chell. Chell escapes, travels through the bowels of the abandoned facility, and confronts GLaDOS.<br /><br />* Chell knocks the morality sphere off GLaDOS. GLaDOS's voice changes subtly, becoming more human. At the same time, GLaDOS turns on deadly neurotoxin.<br /><br />* Eventually, Chell knocks all other spheres off (Anger, Curiosity, and Logic/Cake) and tosses them all in an incinerator. GLaDOS shuts down, the facility blows up, Chell lands on the surface, unconscious... and is dragged back below and placed into stasis by automated robots.<br /><br />* Without GLaDOS regulating the facility, things go seriously awry. Chell is awoken automatically after 50 days in stasis ... and then not again for hundreds of years. When she's awoken again, the facility is in shambles, the upper levels taken over by nature again.<br /><br />* Wheatley -- who hints he may have tried to escape with other test subjects and failed -- comes to get her help in escaping. Together, they head for the surface and get there ... but wake GLaDOS in the process.<br /><br />* GLaDOS immediately puts Chell back in testing while cleaning the place up. There's plenty of gloriously PA insults here. "Fat" "ugly" and "adopted" are GLaDOS's favorite insults.<br /><br />* Chell escapes again. Accompanied by Wheatley, Chell sabotages the gun turret production line and the deadly neurotoxin. Then they go confront GLaDOS and succeed in switching Wheatley's personality into the mainframe.<br /><br />* Now all-powerful, Wheatley promptly turns on Chell, preventing her from leaving and lumping her in with GLaDOS. He also puts GLaDOS into a potato battery.<br /><br />* GLaDOS recognizes Wheatley as her Intelligence Dampening Core and denounces him as a moron.<br /><br />* In a fit of rage, Wheatley punches them both into a Very Deep Pit. They're separated (GLaDOS is abducted by a bird).<br /><br />* Chell ends up in the cavernous, sealed-off underbelly of the facility, where tests were held in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. Gameplay note: these were some of the most impressively huge gaming environments I've ever been in. The size of the world was just mindblowing.<br /><br />* Moving up through this area, the history of Aperture is gradually revealed. About halfway through, she reunites and forms and alliance with GLaDOS, who explains that Wheatley was busy running the place into the ground -- almost literally -- and that everything would blow the fuck up if they didn't stop him.<br /><br />* While continuing to journey up, GLaDOS eventually comes to realize the role Caroline plays in her own personality.<br /><br />* Eventually reemerging into the main facility above, Chell's immediately taken captive by Wheatley again and forced to run through more tests. At first he seems to experience, uh, gratification through her solving the puzzles. That quickly wears off -- as GLaDOS explains, the computer mind builds a tolerance. After that, Wheatley starts insulting Chell a la GLaDOS in an attempt to motivate her. GLaDOS effectively stuffs Wheatley in Chell's defense.<br /><br />* Wheatley attempts to kill Chell and GLaDOS. Chell escapes again and begins to move ever closer to Wheatley's lair. Along the way, they discover a stash of corrupted personality cores, which GLaDOS suggests they attach to Wheatley to force another core transfer.<br /><br />* Prior to confronting Wheatley, GLaDOS has a brief heart-to-heart with Chell where she assures her that she won't betray and attempt to murder her again. GLaDOS goes on to explain that all her life she's heard voices of various personality cores designed to modify her behavior, but that now she's hearing her own voice for the first time, and that voice has a conscience. Immediately prior to the last battle, she pep-talks Chell rather memorably: "Even if you still think we're enemies, we're enemies with a common goal: revenge. You like revenge, don't you? Everybody likes revenges. So let's go get some!"<br /><br />* They go up; GLaDOS hacks the system to give Chell cores, and in a poetic reversal of prior events, Chell attaches cores one by one onto Wheatley and forces another core transfer. Cores are: Space core (SPAAAACE-obsessed), Macho core (endlessly regales Chell with his manliness/hits on Chell/tells Chell to get back in the kitchen, figuratively, while he takes care of business), and Fact core (totally retarded; gives out grossly inaccurate facts).<br /><br />* Wheatley boobytraps the core transfer button! The facility, by this time, is about to melt down; the ceiling caves in and exposes the moon. Injured but not dead, Chell opens a portal ON THE MOON.<br /><br />* Space vacuum sucks Chell, Wheatley, and the Space core out onto the moon. Space core is ecstatic; other personalities, less so.<br /><br />* GLaDOS successfully takes over again, knocks Wheatley into outer space, hauls Chell back in, and closes the portal. Hours later, when Chell wakes up, GLaDOS explains that she's realized Chell is her best friend, and that she experienced a surge of compassion whilst saving Chell's life. She also explains this surge allowed her to pinpoint Caroline's imprint in her memory banks, and promptly deletes Caroline.<br /><br />* GLaDOS then makes good on her promise and lets Chell go -- rationale being it's easier to let her go than to try to kill her again. On her way out, Chell is regaled by a turret symphony singing an opera that essentially says "Goodbye, my beautiful child; why don't you stay away from science?"<br /><br />* Chell emerges on the surface. The companion cube, charred but otherwise intact, is hurled out after her. Door slams. Game ends!<br /><br />OMFG, that summary was like 2394872398798x longer than I thought it would be. A LOT OF SHIT HAPPENS, OKAY.<br /><br />Now I'm too tired to finish this rant. I'll muse more tomorrow!Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-29159108184307355502011-04-21T05:03:00.001-06:002011-04-21T05:23:30.401-06:00san diego - drive north!these are the last pics from san diego! alas, there aren't a lot because... well. TRAFFIC AND RAIN.<br /><br />anyway. the next day i drove out of there. i stopped by my friend's new optometry practice, and as i was leaving from there, i snapped this great pic of the wide-open boulevards of san diego's suburbs:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qzsbDSfK7gBXl7LXV6sgpsOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTg9SmWcyj-Ymr4UnIXOxx1JDpaJxj-OLe_7Q_mhUOfTYC5NLiabYEfKYYPCNdwXZvLviy6MU2RY7-WsWmIH6cQ72tKoz6kCtsEyKa4hT5t0-aYfp0bbRMD-r_oXfpmpSl5jXJiMJgX4m/s400/SanDiego117.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />big. sky.<br /><br />alas, soon enough on the trip back north it started to rain:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VxSIMBVM1sZg_GheRzF1oMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9NjFeLd1u_eGARvlRrJqpXr2PjhK20CI0YwShYD0GmUdS4qaBQ_vqvBGVmHlwjCmxYe87weAe_nMi1pOdW0nO4UdmLD0EOdBIoHnWRI9CMY6Qq4Svi5lRjjmsZxgbRKg0PKIx6nnGcY6/s400/SanDiego118.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />now, on the trip south, it was dark by the time i got to this area. so at least i saw this in the daylight, even if it was raining! because -- yeah, once i got to irvine, where my trip-south photos ended, i was caught in traffic so long it basically turned pitchblack. but regardless, i just really really wanted to take a picture of THIS:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CJyqqUXe0h9ScpekKdiX38OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykWb4vn2Or9ZXN1yUMbyubCaF5hpNKtu99JyGopyH6wxGiiznhpXyp3g78uEv5nIHCXMAN4GDRyzntrWrHcZKnmyHbVu4I76gi8_xxRlbcedabGntLp47rdVa4xoMew4KPMpB4GTPAljj/s400/SanDiego124.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />look to the left side of the freeway there. that's probably the most infamous landmark on the stretch of I-5 between LA and SD. now, this stretch of road is one of the only gaps in the nonstop socal urban sprawl -- this gorgeous, wild section where the freeway runs by the sea, passing estuaries and mountainsides.<br /><br />however, this is also where, in their infinite wisdom, the state decided to put their nuclear power generators. and this wouldn't be so bad, except these things need shielding. and THAT wouldn't be so bad, except in the interest of not making these generators giant and fugly blocks of concrete, they opted for domes instead.<br /><br />domes with little peaks on them.<br /><br />that look EXACTLY like gigantic boobs.<br /><br />so that's what these are called. "The Boobs". if you mention "the boobs on the I-5" to ANYONE who's lived in san diego for any length of time, esp if they've driven to LA at least once or twice, they will absolutely know what you're talking about.<br /><br />here's a closer look:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_0xcIFueeISSzhAPbFbHpsOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqTD02jhFborcNoBHc2Hy3ZHKfNKkMxVV7SV5ukOW7ix7_qVVRuaCwHyxwiXXm00XaY3TMRpmqCxmcsP1_6riTgfTARVEDHhue9dhV1oZku27-hnIUoycJ-A4Zx7DpvrCqw0wNJNJaKtO/s400/SanDiego123.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />BEWBS.<br /><br />after the adolescent snicker i got out of that, it was onward to irvine again. it stopped raining for a while, but the sky got more and more ominous as the traffic got thicker and thicker.<br /><br />https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite#5597950890369097170<br /><br />...and then, inevitable, ground to a halt:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gKF6wyCD9YIl24uU-NzUJ8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp56Z2tZFsiXVErRmBS_OYR-sfSxxrKo2AtEycjV_EtPftVBUh0q3aiK-lgKFXu3K9bS_Z2Fh3aC3QbdRrcBqKWS6I8VJcz9e6aTHoq57zRNVLddpYIDv2Mqz4NsLUaVKJTOqoHEhGaqRf/s400/SanDiego120.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />this was seriously a perfect storm. it was 5pm. i was in LA. it was raining. it could not possibly get worse than that.<br /><br />to fully understand my predicament, you have to know this: socal people cannot drive in the rain. i don't really get this, because SD actually gets a lot heavier rain than the bay area. we get more rain overall, but san diego gets torrential downpours. so you'd think they'd be used to it! but i guess the fact that they get infrequent but very heavy downpours just means they get even more panicked when it finally happens.<br /><br />i saw SO MANY CARS do this:<br /><br />1) slow down in the pouring rain<br />2) slow down more<br />3) slow to a crawl<br />4) turn on high beams<br />5) TURN ON EMERGENCY BLINKERS<br /><br />every time, it cracked me up. driver in distress, due to rain!<br /><br />but yeah. socal people are afraid of rain. LA traffic is always bad, but the LA rush hour is legendarily bad. and just... yeah. it was a weekday, it was rush hour, and it was raining. that stretch of road in the picture above -- the interchange right there? from my position in that picture to the end of the interchange -- the last merge of that highway overhead into the I-5 -- literally took me 45 minutes to get through. 45 minutes for about... maybe a quarter mile.<br /><br />i almost went out of my mind. i ended up watching avatar on my phone while creeping along. and it wasn't like that was the end of the traffic. this was still the south side of LA, and i had to get all the way through it >_<<br /><br />this is the last pic i took in socal:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/amBzhlxSgUvuEoYwRiasWMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIQZdJJA3oU1P_bBM__5CHJgV8KhkLjlqud7TMW3ArjCty2nZpt8aocpFYzpJDlVDuY9GRZx1ToYRl1vROQJsNA1UxfAKxgpriAeANnV80jRkhT4j8XbhLCQbr0TLek_QiNoeSFp0F7C_/s400/SanDiego121.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />and it's of me still stuck in traffic. i was in westwood by then, almost out of LA. it was horrific. hours had gone by. it took me something like 5-6 hours to get from north san diego to the grapevine -- a trip that SHOULD take about 2 hours.<br /><br />it was insane going over the grapevine. actually it was insane all the way home. not because there was traffic -- because there wasn't -- but because it was just pouring rain the whole way. it was actually a little harrowing going over the LA mountains this time. just ... drenching rain. tons of Drivers In Distress Due To Rain. and then ... yeah. all the way up the central valley too.<br /><br />but! eventually! i made it back to the bay. and thus ended my trip to SD :D<br /><br />last thing! while i was digging for pics of my parents' place, i found some pics of my dog :] i talk about him all the time, but here he is:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OzBrR9PP2labn5x-jTAo-8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTUj6jEJ5rx-0_IxHYENuuXt7bDTF9fBSC5ZAOL_sd9iwiNRfqRtP8gQ7uRsITR4jM77amb35vuhIrfQkqpx9pVRHmDDgxo19teGhbr8xxuVHxlfP-_NYPV0qtjKct6hw-SUy_jsGPlqr/s400/PC010138.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />see the metal pot thing? that's an old old pot my parents had, that eventually got relegated to dogfood duty. we used to feed him in little dogfood trays, but... yeah. it became easier to just slop his noms into a huge pot *LOL*<br /><br />btw, that was him in our backyard in san diego, looking unusually calm and thoughtful and well-behaved. he was a remarkably intelligent dog, and i'm almost sure he knew how to pose for photos. however, this was how he usually looked:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6Mqz8qwblWnBtVydIMfS9MOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoOmM9nXgy8pR6etl2sWA-cZpGAH3ep9Bf3cVRQI4Z6GKi5vWlK11bJA-mCanEvKopuu0WyQCkGkF-meqqppf6U013DGQqvE_IBNj8dwcxKWxEbgXrvu7ZBBZk-zOIfz1uIl24LfZhD5b/s400/PB280126.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />i think it was exceptionally windy that day. i made him sit for a portrait, but he did not enjoy this. *LOL* i think he was like. protesting and making little low howly noises in that pic.<br /><br />aw, dog. :]<br /><br />this, honestly, is how i remember him best:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/R8zMfauHjbW_6AHNTzQy3sOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyecLa3fF5LURdsKCSfXVk43av4moN5dKA3Adjes3AV1K9ch2_UqOMN4I-pCOK4Ufi4bovHREZ6HvPeHgxTcXT2z8DTx8q7tKZGAoTbliLvbBbnTZFvRVEa8KPtwedpFM8C7qQL9Vwbb_/s400/PC020141.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />i wish that picture wasn't so blurry :] that was him on his little bed that my mom made for him. the piece of wood behind him is to protect the wall from getting all dirty because he tended to roll against it, sit against it, kick it, etc.<br /><br />he always looked so peaceful when he slept :] i remember once i was jetlagged and couldn't sleep, so i went downstairs and slept on the couch with my hand in his fur. best sleep ever.<br /><br />:]<br /><br />aw, dog.Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-82850506867185984782011-04-21T04:23:00.000-06:002011-04-21T05:03:13.635-06:00san diego - penasquitos, my high school, poway mtns, homeward bound!agh! i just realized that if i link from picasa, when you click a picture it just takes you to the picasa page rather than the raw image. man, that's really annoying. well, alas, i'm not gonna change it now cuz it's so much easier for me to post it this way. sorry! but a lot of the pics really are worth looking at full-size, so... yeah! click and then maximize window :]<br /><br />okay. so! these pics are of san diego's north county suburbs, where i grew up. honestly these pics aren't as pretty as the ones from the previous two posts, and probably only mean stuff to me. nevertheless!<br /><br />i decided to head to my old haunts in penasquitos, where i spent my formative teenage years. san diego's north county freeways are beautiful: big belts of asphalt (...and construction, alas) across these immense landscapes.<br /><br />the thing about socal is that it has no trees. it's all scrubland. and while we definitely have mountains, we also have a lot of mesas and canyons. so when you're soaring over a mesa, the sky seems absolutely huge. after a trip to socal, the bay area usually feels weirdly enclosed and claustrophobic to me for a while.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ounI82NA2keAXpAj6ABkFcOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSwNgkqoqRWFlKXjitQLyn3kkLy1zMCfR233u3CPGBZlD-m5u1jxmbGTyCAjKHb2OLruZPkwLy5GwBTgKncC5QnSljIAuoZqtQqA_7ojM_JEfiX3aTypeWI250kUpCp0n9guJzPvRrCh8/s400/SanDiego096.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />eventually i got off the 15, went down the 56, got off in PQ and found my way to my old school. it was amazing how familiar these roads i learned to drive on still were. mt. carmel had undergone a serious facelift though:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yMd4IiIsHDNKv-EsFN2I7sOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cOH1b5_QP8vADzkeIAp3_jk9MsGGLwRCwW2zuEtWWRUuJ-8aI8TNotRPQukjDJ_4KbM3ZMi9azpwQlXORK9CFKRxfxhw-PC4TpDc5l9-tEotmfD4hUxFo2mFV2KLfB8332zd4FjPZMeN/s400/SanDiego098.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />that is pretty much the exact streetcorner where my parents used to drop me off in the mornings. actually we'd drive in the opposite direction, so if the light was green my parents would swing a u-turn and drop me at the curb, but more often than not it wasn't so they'd just drop me across the street and let me wait for the crosswalk myself. i was eternally late, so usually i'd end up sprinting for school.<br /><br />back then that entire lawn leading down to the school was an ocean of juniper bushes. there was a path through them, which sloped down and then up, creating a "bowl" at the bottom. one year it poured torrentially for a week on end and that bowl collected a huge amount of water. when i ran through <i>that</i> to get to class because i was late, i ended up soaked to my waist.<br /><br />that was memorable >_<<br /><br />when i went to school here, the whole school was kinda crappy looking and painted the weird peachy-pink color as the gym in the distance there:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/S-tuKZ0XC4ECtPDpA2z-_MOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zsYBzP7GiFOGhY7k-oMDhlIahlNZCkX7q96jt3h-2M1oKavqMYF8GQRAEz5rYUpMTuN_qCogvNUXzgnWhmhBsa-N9CvpWJIgziYYhFxJ0KsVHVQElwiUYwg1-ichxQ4dt2dKq3aM3dc6/s640/SanDiego099.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />it was a good school and all. it was just... built in the 70s. but they totally renovated it. i mean, it's still not swanky, but it's a lot nicer than it was.<br /><br />actually that main gate there is where the more side-ish gate used to be. most people entered through the gate to its left, which was closer to the street.<br /><br />going through the gate, you see this:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/c5N9gvMYx5MvVgEwJ512hMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkmbtf1ihWwSpHKLx0bqBu7molP-28R8SE_jJFBQAdBS85aDb5dSUyJxNdEXgaPwuvVWeReEA6um2H5AEr6jTHi3WaQ3M_8SXKPlWm966jvnKGXAUBtSz6y_RYURiwu4ZNsM28Awt632K/s400/SanDiego102.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />they moved everything around so much! the library had moved to where the student center used to be; the offices moved to where the library was ... it was really weird!<br /><br />i was surprised to see it was still called the mount, though. oh, the dirty jokes we cracked about that one.<br /><br />i was really sad to see this:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/H8z8_c2br8NFRZcbl6zGd8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dgrmC_mi1D3BdEY4F1yCpkhfWihyphenhypheniMK69xI-FyKaMcL56cXRIkwCiLEcfWu5ZOYhUSA2fFtydAj_EgX1a7qj9RHtG90ezZGO8pzhlq80OkxzrCeQ4KPERNWpS50kyfUyRyDGukcMGABB/s400/SanDiego103.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />...because back when i went to school here, this area contained a huge oak tree surrounded by these benches that were kinda set with their backs in this hill. it was awesome, and my friends and i used to have lunch there every day. memories! i can't believe they chopped our tree down to put in a goddamn MC logo and a patch of concrete :[[[[<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Z2OVNq1vmtadac9rMRr1xcOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLLUaqvKiWBxwVQGdugpk5ZBcmen04pKF-ZtAHlNzql2AKouLomACXlxlASNJ_epEhY3jDYVdEp2bJzgrJbdSMFYYyDZDzRmAaYfxZCIZM8rR05X9PM3B_uqp_tHqjcubnxXftn9y3yF7/s400/SanDiego104.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />this is looking left from that same spot. that door in the shade there? that's where the teacher lounge was (is?), and where my super-hot french teacher would come sashaying out every day at the end of lunch to our great delight. what began as chipper teacher's-pet-ish "hi mademoiselle!"s in sophomore year turned into a whole chorus of horny adolescent male "HEEEY MAAAADEMOISELLE!"s by senior year.<br /><br />it's pretty weird to think that she was like... 26-28 when i went to school there. we totally thought of her as an adult! nowadays i'm like pfft, 26, that's a baby.<br /><br />this is the theater!<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nKxugv965j1WNzZlvrQ64MOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiws2q_eRptb0lILFrz3knRQI0i8WXAqoN0MDFq9ockIvH17mXwUcB3ozpviKnUKoqcaIM671A3n5fJO3jaJCC3AVSmCe10PIA0JWXJT294hUy3TQMIrsL-i_Nbp5eFnIBBSB-xWSPCIrPf/s400/SanDiego101.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />it got hella nice too. that used to be this huge pinkishpeach ... clod of a building. my parents made me play violin as a kid, to my great dismay, but after one semester of it in high school i put my foot down and quit. i was always a much better pianist anyway!<br /><br />leaving the school, i took a pic of the parking lot. i learned to drive here! also, that patch of lawn there? yeah. juniper drown-trap.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7Izi5vHd6FhDmrVdPXBVo8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_Q9Q_erGrWWQ/Ta_qyTnnbwI/AAAAAAAAAtE/TqelbUtVwtM/s400/SanDiego105.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />from there i actually drove over to check on my parents' old house, but the tenants were home so i felt kinda weird snapping pics :[ in case you're interested, though, this is a pic from several years back that the parental units took:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8gjw6nWQPAjRNMnyhmJvjMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_OAB_h53tjW_f0ry7LEc8-ZgW1JieDavlaOMf58ffC4b9CB7AVx-KyKFO_frjgcwBQqxqc5k5fGrZZszNoRJieT8cZO4Hhcl4CebQaNg3NmLdWhgjGTDu9COaLm2spZnlFNXsR049CoZ/s400/P1010010.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />standard socal mcmansion. LOL.<br /><br />anyway, after PQ! i went into the mountains. poway's east of PQ and it's usually considered a sort of suburb like PQ, but poway's actually a pretty big place, and much of it is rural. as i drove into the mountains, i could actually look back and see the ocean in the distance:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/BGcciwmCAQwQVaJEI2b268OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBM667VUuyMhvWNvY7DT2z1NqihF4BqQHbKZycD5SCnCZvVTFZaK-urgsT-RlYRFwL6sf9m8hkrhnQDFKm8J3E5bYreghNEWOm2X1HhZ2oGqt_EUAHoxnGnHsEn3bLwtPIJh4l6y8waoy/s400/SanDiego110.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />(it's that hazy horizon bit.)<br /><br />pretty soon, though, the scenery turned to this:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LAnOsgGjt4bYfv4H1qZcuMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5oEs8jX2TPlCD1N8rHHOyb9ZlM0h4o6qdxxv8kcuuDxijpVd7Bd8h_lZ1AUGlUULm93zs4Vg_P79iJGi90U6JPyXPYQlmN-1lpqWa_Zvd17D0t9Dc5wyGUtA5G2Lc6L7hKvG35gi7XSo/s400/SanDiego109.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />once you're over the mountains, you're in this highland area that seriously looks like something out of ... i don't even know, wyoming.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5jwuEjXbASihG-SdTZc_rsOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0zPji3UYf6lASSDsSce84OSvRvBkks-_b-RvIKDtmX4sH__bS_gxdSvN-6F9NYJheDlZaHJRRVQGqHweeVMy1M0bLPaF_rw17mMwN5VBX1KqZg5osfQdOVwQcB8-pagIpDiZQ3ACOMRB/s400/SanDiego111.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />then if you go past THAT, you end up in just wild scrubland:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_T-nCFZpxe7yt4eUpcaInsOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8aKV9FOm99eLXu2fwCzKZd3HzirA4h52mW4-UG_QiiZS0w2VoKEOlPs07GjvNvgda4KNpXk670rSPaNIRLa1MpelfcK-VKDklWWDTzYvRIzJkaxLOpJX-9uaSgpws1B7HpPE1-o88jdt/s400/SanDiego112.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />that was getting pretty close to ramona and julian, which are tiny little towns up in the northeastern san diego mountains. i swung back from there, though, and headed west toward escondido. i ended up cutting pretty close to the san diego zoo's safari park -- or, as it used to be called, the wild animal park. it's pretty awesome -- just this huge patch of wildland that they groomed to look like the african savanna, and then turned a bunch of savanna animals loose in. you can actually go there and see HERDS OF WILDEBEEST IN THE DISTANCE.<br /><br />tiny herds, but still!<br /><br />i didn't go there though. it was getting dark by that point, and i snapped this gorgeous sunset pic up in the mountains:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zXyUfgpOF-FjoTB2AKrZnMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUovxIIyNAZvlnijhcApXlko_1hC12GYnKbXiKdl8EyHbl_dnnYkYj9F09LBbC3hWkeenn6Uf7TpfToLgvHEW_0jnmGx0eObYYFIdJey3EIufvu9qxOTLIPaygpcpJ1HhXhPuPycro4oK/s400/SanDiego114.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />on my way through escondido i found this hilarious little church parking lot sign.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ebPtn_3ZTIOsX-gmMpbP8cOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcoYov4NqC0zDhOfZKw9W4cavupXcBx-0gNPeAx954Gi8Nng7xy7vJlFcsG8pQm_UHykZ90alttkG7e7GTnkbGvZIVMCAOUXNAN-4YMrBEq0J_acr6lpqyVKj9mITnOstnlSTtb4Zo49Z/s400/SanDiego116.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />in case you can't read it, it says: THOU SHALT NOT TRESPASS and then goes on to talk about not parking in their lot unless you were attending the service.<br /><br />and thus ended my last full day in SD!Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-57732566309017237442011-04-21T03:31:00.000-06:002011-04-21T07:11:48.634-06:00san diego - old town, balboa park, border beach!so the next day, after finishing Srs Biznz, i went to the oldest parts of san diego to run around and see stuffs. first stop was old town, which bills itself as the birthplace of not just san diego but all of california. it's kinda neat if you like knickknack shops and 150 year old buildings, but it's actually quite small -- really just this one town center plus a small stretch of street.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/NoLGcZrdGV8BtJ4QgJsMP8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPsAP72d2tjsDD1pUiyVnTHK88uWH9yD2Dcl8itmnCq20AhZPICikt98FumlbCfeRJL1siEJSyJczaZfmsyW9RrIlrHaROefEgF5jA5TBnYL74PZVaE8OzxqVQGP0HDnpvFano2rmW5QyW/s400/SanDiego041.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />all around that central grassy area are old west-looking shops and whatnot. the white maypole-looking thing is actually a flag pole that's been wrapped in ribbons. no idea why. a bunch of kids were there on a school trip, and were tearing around yelling. a hundred fifty years ago, they woulda had to go here:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QuSn9anWOLPUvL29FZ2Y7cOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBigRu5Nzhb3LsEcGMZBckbnz6tfVrrrW78ZSlthaMozJvnFPIVqUmVIiGdGjPEQSPSl-rUPCL3X0dR4lyIH8fxl1sh_MiBCcLjDX7Lzj8XKlg-uqKFgR_0VRJsdkNFOpN3_281dJYwevG/s400/SanDiego046.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />-- reputed the first schoolroom in san diego :]<br /><br />also there was the first wells fargo bank and a cigar shop or something:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rdPRblr-qNjFQene9pE7_sOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rdWgCsWkO2bLHVlgC2Z7rt3iDsOnru2t8T__leQvktuoVvVDW6kor-exe0Gst2zfsx2d9ElsTA1Y-NV45mZnE9qI6HZL5YOL3sqNuzyVHJUYVoZEDU3hrH_EFx8VNgbNo9LXelLlRPIZ/s400/SanDiego044.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />though mostly i was trying to take a pic of that big old tree there. beautiful :] i'm not sure what it is. i wanted to say oak, but then i generally think any large broad roundleafed tree is an oak *LOL*<br /><br />after old town, i went over to balboa park, which is probably the cultural center of san diego (although the symphony etc are more downtown). this is really close to the zoo, but i didn't get a chance to go to the zoo this time :[<br /><br />to get to balboa, you generally park across this big canyon that the highway 163 runs through and then walk across the bridge. this stretch of highway is one of the most beautiful in san diego, esp with balboa park's bridge arcing gracefully overhead, but alas i couldn't get a pic. road too winding, didn't wanna crash!<br /><br />this is what the bridge looks like looking toward balboa park. the tower in the distance is pretty much where balboa park begins:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/aOGQdcOOrlKUD1hf9s6fDcOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlY01KEb5UL3oJQW4wOFLMKhYK6IpaqnBFXqhaxdlYx9iYW2FmeAfQY-jeYhzlzIHVqM3i43Nk-8ew9QAsk7mPfw1VPJOBiY3qbpP-IF3VGjvBBaICHzzHlr-wvk9ywVisQgmlncDedlrP/s400/SanDiego048.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />balboa park's renowned for its old-looking spanish architecture (though really everything was built in the early 1900s) and its gardens. it has a lot of museums too, but in all honesty they're not that great. as you're walking toward the bridge, you see the first of those many gardens to your left:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/P5326uiqcCoByWZsY5nS8cOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijJ3Vs4LEmxzY09G_c6rgMrhFKVCtYMq70Gmi44Hns42erMxFkBv-AF0aZFhH7Vbq_oqdLRbkmfMaT6nBTqeqeazCJZ5p1_m8CjUqjFvzEGKMDTMQpnlyUanwpYWfn2L9TrkgRlIVi-Gd/s400/SanDiego049.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />on the bridge itself, you can look down over the 163. no barriers on this bridge, man! apparently san diegans don't suicide very often.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dQLgMQxRRjh8OkzLVdGbusOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFhebMqjrNViNh_4iOWSB7BTQMbHKlrXqEFHzljJGSOZnUQYoXgL-q6rPUbDNYPlB2HGyW558mfp5RNeSfprbSOjtJdsVcXOeSPkwhrjSQeU4bZwIKUgrqVwpK0OZWnxvwZQCfGIAdl3K/s400/SanDiego050.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />looking the other way, westward, you can see downtown san diego. SD's a small city; not a very impressive skyline :] very beautiful at night from coronado, though -- but i didn't have a chance to go there this time.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-PPmUjCoRXRVn4ikuPeEFsOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUJWEtYF0-A2EGqDGpYFB7Eld1RgBsuwSaNSeivdYiNHS2obF9HBH7kKpsziYXFOVuUjUhmaH9q5h1DB7zERVYyTX0N_2zXe5D-BVQvPpl5K1zZVaQUdxkuuciNhkOg_Q1GMIO1M_-Fy3/s400/SanDiego052.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />it was hella stormy in san diego, by the way. actually it was rainy/stormy EVERYWHERE when i went down. february's one of our wettest months in california. while i was running around balboa, a huge storm blew in off the ocean. you can see it coming in the pics here.<br /><br />eventually i got to the gate:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/47Ohd7vnhyKfegdJnZ1Ym8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGK1na2UGI_b71t8dDCESd_SQTtA9SINLeZqSpmen0egfvXsn8eBUb-rbcv580VtJPZAWaWN5z-HymXX_VcOey7wSpztouYLWArnS1ZSD6ciVdT-GV9FXbKrb7wTBsCx1g9iNZzR_rcHFp/s400/SanDiego054.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />i forget what this building actually is. it almost looks like a mosque, but i think it's some sort of museum. maybe san diego history? i really can't remember. here's a better look at the gorgeous detail on the facade:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fbM3AAYEZrXl7e7tRkpmz8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVBV97xIv0mkCPi7JNrCL0qjqRUChUvR4sXMqfwfDabxg6hhgwHswpakAMANuXXHPmxxaMEYxplW3DfD5obxBekYVcGMx6S1YeJ1NUWXTwjME6QgIgnzyHL9tdHLoXcIxohc7oafe_5_E/s400/SanDiego056.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />just behind that mosquey thing is san diego's old globe theatre, reputedly based on shakespeare's old globe theatre:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pGc77TtglF7CKmf9ZJlfj8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46F6_hOsGt16CABfkr4yVCpzD1OL3u41NheqC2WDdUAXhyLtUWYlR61ffo7e8beye_UO8xTYzGkUmHg5EwTqAfmc1QBW6hIMxdJpHzDFLbADxqwWViP5OtH2jDUZGtDRukEpjCkwQ36Dx/s400/SanDiego057.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />looking back, the sky was getting doomier by the second.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-t8KljJOuTLNvC6o6RoCYMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6IkHGs8YurjeIc_Xyahcxb1bHyMeot9Qvx8pf7PhC8rM_PzIPWvAj1FbQt-77BfOXP1i8k2REggcZHDDGyGFzy4BiKOzCmcmPQG0N1jYMyrLCQlFGt5p1mWaiv-Cf8wUx5lsBVcZLb7rj/s400/SanDiego060.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />this is another shot of the mosquey building from the backish side, across a lawn. i love this juxtaposition: the really bright red modern art thing, the dome and spire, and the grey sky:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VzRJcW20_nxRB7vzqF-DJMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMnOnGAnpT2Wbk2dyKTFqLzon1J7M_e9oS12NCWH06-XjKP1bGqkKLzbitwZ-xkYFGhZh-hr1u3TJMNCsDmP_3gCjUT-ep7v4TBEEJ3hyphenhyphenHOE3m1zsoOGw4ke5i41fgTNGpVYlvVQg-Nqa/s400/SanDiego059.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />if you walk in farther, you eventually get to this sorta central fountain in balboa park:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nahH4qVRo0ZTzoTlPB-X0sOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ewn6blojnW7H3TODwAXyWdOXQUPEoV9T4ulQBpD7mHKGGAxN3DYMEPqqe9majlc-L7el1N3armthXN2CmJpr1jPQ91zUlSGxCizVFSbVycqw5UqyWqR9ZrFO0Eedxw0NDhSFWR7PmO-G/s400/SanDiego061.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />you can see a tourist trolleybus to the left :] behind the fountain is one of the world's largest outdoor organs. i have another, better pic of it later when i come out the other way. also in that central fountain area is the museum of art:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mClBU4Xc5G_S1XViWhV7oMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXMxQHW1tbBnVsxZKiRunc9lUwvrbiW_uLRhJzZ2149TyWZeRC4Qo4aJiVIQt6qCmLPKsLqyGFKUZwhd89cM5L9Xn2oOh2PFO2CL03UTl52egGlZLT3hm5Dj1qSRejlL5Gyj16rQzumCg/s400/SanDiego062.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />there are also several paths branching off from that point, leading to various gardens, nature walks, international cottages, and the like. i didn't have time to see them, though :[<br /><br />past that fountain, balboa park becomes pedestrian only. continuing onward down the main path of balboa park, you pass into this arcade:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rnNUOCZJZiPBFcarDJrJ8MOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu44qvdmaMTelqywXjo1RXa2bDTHZO1HUvP2fI_ZbFE03GVKjPcViAL9MZPxXaz_kSfu1IvdeuBOosETfIqH-svJVqCAlAynUtcqXeM3TTJGX5lUpBAGJyYkNK1_a7asZ0DoOQKDP9-2sO/s400/SanDiego063.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />it's a lot nicer than the one that stretched between the mosque thing and the fountain. i didn't bother -- okay no, i took a pic of that first one, but i didn't bother showing it *LOL*<br /><br />this is the visitor's center:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/iJANVnFgDexz0nZGttQptsOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudp_lPnZigACDh2UQj8REU1TFuL42AV_9P6xfduoSV_z0w_A3R8csZnIM-g3POxqcCa7Qg2p8qHUWoXDfPabq4PPPvYpg72uoyDFBLVPVR8n2lXTp54xFI74HykmwovrXuNsa1fxB2kuv/s400/SanDiego065.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />NGL, all the lush greenery, the tropical-storm-looking sky, and the spanish architecture totally made me think of hilaran *LOL* i had such geeky urges to play scenes while i was at balboa park.<br /><br />a little farther, and you get to the botanical gardens. pretty much all of these sit at various locations down the central drive of balboa park. there are lots of koi in that reflecting pool:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/NUSieXARpNRfDTCFxA3G_8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1yWOfloDTjgUl_vQv_uykA7VzMLUbj48AgTLdds2hCZYFEPoLOGzAzLRPLM8-NVZAcJvRHNegqMqe7Bi85wAscWmhY8I9zyxHmlVG9Y3Y-GhjiGHEhv3gv5xUyIowRIpWHYnLxGekbJI/s400/SanDiego066.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />here's what it looks like inside. this is looking from one of the ends toward the center. what looked like a fairly solid structure outside is actually completely open-to-air on the inside:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5lB8b423wi--toPEjrXTi8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTc-moZ3dq_VCGoj6fyK5a1PbRBC934bFbeJAn_u29FJS0OBLUHhnoRHv7rjNXjrcB2Fh3bkobUmza06EtSd9TO670Fk163KU4AAKLKkqpj2JvOZd3oxcJxaJsD5nQwo4MsrwvYc5-uzJp/s400/SanDiego067.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />and these are flowers. though kai would call it "a" flower.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LtwO1wiLra8zJ_04_vcPbMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULxOWrBgpefMdoh-GPl3zr3ck-UFXFdwfRNlhvfFJQgtCpVKAR49ZNHzBXxTViTpd_qTadWxAFiNWNpAhxprT23qWce_vAxM8ZUi3XX3e3xWPWOByxDkRZajnJ-IBzbruAvB_nDir60qj/s400/SanDiego068.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />coming out of the botanical house, looking the other way, you can see gardens through the arcade:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FreXbfi1lxG1VfHUtNPz7MOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDqt1kIyxLirAD4hzSS4gGNl4zMVVgwhu-I7F5nEkUAlMj_-SQGoS97BPWM1OC_iRZP3Oiqem8sUmsUzh6ExcSO6ecAoFtDGXxyKGCVOpuaGqj6rj0ERM7F9BLR_81xviUBLgQtDwC9GN/s400/SanDiego069.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />...also, a japanese schoolgirl tour group. later on i ran into their male counterparts *LOL*<br /><br />i left the main road for a bit and wandered through the various buildings and gardens on the side. i eventually went into one with a central atrium and courtyard:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CG_PwjnFxhNXMOZo-Yg7Z8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1xSD3i0qEmmbI_5R2X1KgA5ooNTVyTVvd56LteCuG8u-AV32Nz6mY5-jtD4IXQILmz9PtT4EyalC4P60_cj_TLMxQXogbicb31_pfj4B-E_DJBMqQ33t2ieotQN9OILtr3AsxbQFo0Fm/s400/SanDiego070.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />and yes. that absolutely and completely made me think of hilary-in-mexico, and i desperately wanted to RP *LOL*<br /><br />eventually i got to the end of the main drive, which terminates in this plaza a few steps up from the street. the natural history museum is to the left and the science center is to the right in this next pic. neither building was remarkable, so i didn't post pictures. there's another fountain there, a little more modernistic than the central one:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/n9yLwKI5mq93FUbX2AZpbcOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_Nfuttd_4x2J0sLUiLvnCZaV2RxnI8-qh1MTMqDK7fTFBLj7LXm8ps4AmmMomFQryNYm-bq1l3_GLvo2zRvgoijlTDF8JnLd3EKim0Fm7McytwhnuzVdYLXoOReJDqy3dyfDiBkg-vM6/s400/SanDiego072.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />and lo and behold! the japanese schoolboys were found.<br /><br />looking back, you can see the main gate way in the distance:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1xw-TZUSQTt0QJnJyEGmvMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gPZzbPKrL-oHLE_7eFJ6Q96L5UkUQLLIKm4PD3Pn-KT72P00EY04EjfwmiBArkmM-Et6VWTeAN8bmac3wUWqaDt6bHmSoHAnr_LhdAXeE_weyQgN2-bV5sC6tpIjUyVrcVhq_sveFPnF/s400/SanDiego071.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />behind the fountain is a bridge across a wide (but oddly empty!) boulevard, and then a desert garden:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8QCHkiZ-x4j2PzhqW7VTzcOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvazt6Zaec11wzmmhzesCO9fOJ3QcbMukqbCqmHVS2by8dnZXR3dojGwm7iBwRMTzOsl7yuz9-DiC7fSkS7xfXY-_-Ne15DWeMV5vyjQIjbR54QyUTt70fBSqN4q0K_tPmqIGfOI8T939/s400/SanDiego073.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />i think this actually connects to the desert garden part of the SD Zoo, so if you're a member you can just enter this way. i'm not sure, though. it was big -- i just took a pic at the very top of the area and then went back.<br /><br />i meant to take a walk through the various gardens on the way back, but the storm finally broke and it started to rain. i just snapped a few pics along the way. it's still pretty astonishing what a wide range of gardens there are, though. the very first one outside the gates was vaguely asian-influenced; then there was the desert garden. there was also this patch of almost-wild forest:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/DO8s3SzaUkI8HpMoc5pGI8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfYSL1wLxIbyo-pn1GUsDbwlM_5dBmYqRtkHp9tYbWAvWzl9mbeT4s9orctZWyldq5oaArwmZD8FMisBM77RPr7u_NpQqAot2Mqer8huyPNEDkxTwF1qG3cKYnNvi7fHFPsAkQwhYvtW0/s400/SanDiego075.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />and just a few steps later, a french-style hedge row:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/t8UoN36fbvY3CBHgThMarsOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSkLkPwzdYHJEhc0XsjrOOIfSPBsDuDiMDCcnAKJod6ayF66E_LkguARwQ951jpfLNSnQpdLVQwc7lkseoDt_VMXmDfeCvC7CBH_e7dauWGNdjzKjKLSZr2p9ZzbFeEaiHQJF39AvR2Kg/s400/SanDiego079.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />passing the organ pavilion, i stopped just long enough to grab this picture. it was really coming down by then! i wanted to get closer so i could get a pic of the scale of the thing, but i was getting drenched :[<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/o5deHEM1t7Rp2Q8LEqq7EsOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEFT71_dvPChESBaeWYAuuftOJDIhSy89RuF0Vgn1J1whHzWnONT3LOpTtoPefJa1AhjQaGSzRM1sPL5GEyd190QCUYwI2GxL5ckzVzZdFFP2H30VhUsIgSANY4wIf5JTGkzx5m77oE5q/s400/SanDiego077.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />and here's the main gate again. by this point i was FLEEING THE RAIN.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lo8hPEwCxW2ptuMO1ROjwsOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8rbYhjS0Wi7G2Q3RFZKzs0Q4Ad2X3aYnidr_5Pe5g9sxdKjSjmttCh5cMxX7i8j5rFLZzmN4FlLZyh4H6z_yYd3m11ElPh3aEBL1JMmmy4rYNmMJGWPe2KLkByxLqaoUOhjzKFAYt3TJ/s400/SanDiego078.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />...but i still stopped long enough to grab this pic of a flowering tree in the rain :]<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AOOtA20YUTwp4665_XAaSsOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsokKRF0kXilNCg7BdfwPj2-DNOQrD9tSmMzCdLfd1HgaXYhg3YhnFx5w1hiieJO6atyHRmOsjZ5AG24vQnC-LohgvNazyHpMcXg4kPpTuqP8oZbu4NaZXTCsgwU_9tUQjj9ZkRAculPb/s400/SanDiego080.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />after i left balboa park, i briefly entertained the idea of going to tijuana. however, i realized i didn't have my passport with me, so i just drove all the way south to the border and turned back. it was pretty interesting; traffic dropped off precipitously as you got closer to the international border. by the last mile, the freeway was almost empty. when i got off at the very last exit, i think of all the cars in this pic, only one continued on:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/x0LuZOqVHGKigElF2bqJC8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYtNHyN6fHQKn8uj4I9fgqncnGrIcDAewxNItEfnsKxenmOe0nOofjW-qhTb-qSdodbj5foyCxZ6wLjMtxYxkQYEa07zpLR7B1kNKI3IL5FZuQ0Uy2ubkSbf6-AFMvhEVtxZF4NWAcumE/s400/SanDiego081.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />i saw on my gps that there was a state beach at the very border, though, and decided to go there. after driving through successively more barren country roads...<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/q_mlWs2r6S_ApsZYL0Yu1cOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2-PguFmxhr2yZ0mMSThjm1GSEBGgFUllNlJ4GN1KJp7pdWea85SUgTENGEwP4GgyDDepi3TkMz5kr4D1ZXX2FScpNZlhkM1_9Nw1bdib2heaK1x3g90V23vvrLYxpJl7RQG_wWAuUgFt/s400/SanDiego083.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />...i eventually had to park at a gate and start walking. google map lied to me! the road was blocked about 2 miles from the beach! so it was dirt road from there on out:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mySfGPPEyKBJNrvUyfppZ8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5c69YWA2-SvwNpG0HdMgA4vlxXK_3erc3PSKbygJLaGGujIiLNsFdgMDAcDE74deMy1qPD_ytakjfhyphenhyphenxIvHAIifAMA4h4bYBQSfBUM4q6LU2a_ZNoyASxxi331c58o60hyphenhyphen7_lZ0RiKWB5/s400/SanDiego084.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />the landscape was really interesting. most of san diego is all mesas and canyons. as you neared this beach, though, it really flattened out into this coastal plain. that picture above looks like something out of y tu mama tambien *LOL*<br /><br />finally, after a whole lotta walking, i ascended a little hill and ended up on a beach. this beach was nothing like the one in la jolla. it felt pretty wild. there were nesting terns and other waterbirds everywhere, and not a single other human to be seen. the stormy weather made the ocean slate-grey, the foam white. it was freezing cold.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OtuwLezv7qzsHuSQdW1GDcOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUu20cZeD3Kc797GFvI7cL28RlPmkiXJJd7FjvfwTjwewuzOFLZwogLy7sBQ-9Gw11Bxk2lnWQ_TvYT47FGPiLtCmO6aT6eEpUYBGpQO7N1xz2KSfrlCT2j3a3-aD0Qzq9nWiQ8DQf9nW/s400/SanDiego093.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />i took a series of pictures in a 180-degree arc, and then just roughly slapped them together into a panorama. in google's infinite wisdom, i'm apparently not allowed to have a 5000-px wide picture, so it SHRUNK IT for me >_< but. yeah. it was pretty awesome.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_T3keFjfiesUiTf99WBBe8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCKPu0YbsN0dCrrh8q2e6-8H7ifrcm7Qb13e8Xl2vzLLktLb5t5suZOc3dDxgTDFugSy3w9tBqk5joKtidcuj-87u6_mfqn8eHgwGgGgREZ2gyLEq1u1ZsqzBrxXR9vadAybCYfV58ENM/s640/SanDiego087.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=112865310833252467406&target=ALBUM&id=5597950746147101777&feat=embedwebsite"></a></td></tr></table><br /><br />it really felt like i was standing at the end of the world. on the left side of the picture you can literally look across the border. the cliffs in the distance are in tijuana. other than that sign of life -- which curiously felt very far away because my passport-less ass couldn't get there -- i couldn't see any other mark of human habitation.<br /><br />so i felt compelled to leave my own human trace:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Pc2Z8ExED5HKykKVUojON8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLDgzN4IFlsZOSkxD81ic4GOv0v9L-2191JSFNWRc1t1r0YIAFR8T_na5ZMXMy3J4SZhjAK_ShuYQodAEXbUaY7dDEyPPxxf8IEOmHQEWAbGk7gYhBRwtAtsahizgRWzUlKocZf2bg1kR/s400/SanDiego094.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />-- though i deliberately left it close to the waves, so that the high tide would wash it away. it felt right that that beach stay abandoned and empty.<br /><br />on the way back, it was getting dark. i found wildflowers :]<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KLowROhWR5huhiBorp5Ac8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIv0IpDehOEhlM5tMLt335bUb_tlvG1hzK8rACxzhUNe-i-orvcoTJJQwkg7B8PL4RTD96DocVyg0L9eV8_aOGzhi33QnRgLKCMg7Wy_9NCbmT7baNXF3ZGrUei0opnd0ot5JfQmRzvySS/s400/SanDiego095.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table>Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-23068335167498150422011-04-21T02:23:00.000-06:002011-04-21T03:30:59.653-06:00san diego - ucsd, salk and la jolla!so i've finally realized instead of painstakingly uploading EVERY STINKING PICTURE slowly and manually via blogger, i can just upload them in a batch with picasa and then embed 'em here.<br /><br />THAT'S WHAT I'MA DO.<br /><br />honestly it'd probably just be easier for me to go ahead and just add comments directly to picasa, but ... eh. i like having it in blog form. esp cuz i can also occasionally blog about shit i cook, stuff that annoys me, and stuff that makes me happy :] mostly the latter! :]]]<br /><br />anyhoooo.<br /><br />at kai's urging, i've decided to start putting up san diego pics again. part of the reason i've been dragging my feet is because there are SO MANY. i really went overboard *LOL* after this! i'm gonna rein myself in a bit. yes, all the pics are fucking awesome. but no, i do not need <i>a thousand pictures</i> of san diego.<br /><br />and after san diego! there's still chicago - 2nd trip. then monterey! and i've been meaning to run around the bay area too! agh! PROJEKT.<br /><br />okay. digression aside. san diego!<br /><br />in the last installment, i made it to irvine by dusk. i got to san diego about an hour after that and settled into my hotel. i was only there for a few days -- the first day i had to go to ucsd to meet people and give talks and whatnot, but everything was done by about 3pm so i spent the rest of the day running around the ucsd/la jolla area.<br /><br />ucsd's really done well since i was in med school there. lots of new buildings and stuff. i was happy for my alma mater! first up is stein clinical research building, where i actually did quite a bit of research during school:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_UeVTVToeBcOKYUdXxCxbcOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySMsGfIDdnQXtH7XByVoW1xrjf7ctbowsLVm8G2vmlRXqf4FYYHcPWkQB3X9Kbjz5f5L9c_mbCnH02ME3wzptf9i_oKSzYiD6HRuqo7iR5qiSzJIZ7zpLsucg6vJisqjgvQisBR5G0uJY/s400/UCSD1.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />there's actually quite a bit of interesting modern-ish architecture in ucsd. obviously the #1 example is salk, but ... i've always thought the grey/green of stein really fit la jolla's climate. it tends to be cloudy there a lot, since it's right on the lip of the pacific, and also very green. grey and green!<br /><br />this is a view of the whole building. that round circle-part is basically what you would see if you hung a left at that ... gap ... thing there:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mHT6tMl7CGkVIPpJftPRZsOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6J9lKfabh5_gb7fTLv_LrDy8lTYrc-77gyfgawKmm4ALRniSvFf0-wXWAsPtT3HyBXykRRaZJ-snIRrpqOMz9qjyb-iDrqLKGxg6miQQKzQkQbFxfFEBMt2JUnrXgMP0gh-poo4Tb6a8L/s400/UCSD2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />if you walk a lil bit from the stein building, you'll be smack in the middle of the medical campus. this isn't actually where the hospital is. thornton hospital is a little hospital about 5 min from the med campus, but ucsd's main medical center is in hillcrest -- on the crest of a hill overlooking downtown -- about 30 min away by car. i took a pic of thornton and didn't go to hillcrest, but the pic of thornton was pretty crappy anyway and I HAVE TOO MANY PICS so ... i'm not sure why i'm bothering to talk about all this at all! *LOL*<br /><br />annnyway. yes. after walking a bit, this is sorta the edge of the medical quad seen from the parking lot:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5VeihsQZbUFlC10VNdILC8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGePkRn_73QL3I5zCfSGaQmvth_JLjPYDRNaCyTNhvilNCSWVnJTYAzqWmh2Y2fqJRhltAWwK9BfrBdtlHFy3biT3skPpmfZM8ZPb4A0J_QbgqJUgxi-mLlYAQcjBbiMHL1L06odcPt6Pe/s400/UCSD3.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />to the right is the old medical teaching building. straight ahead, under construction still, is the new medical teaching building! lucky bastards. and to the right, behind the MTB, is the medical quad...<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KNnlUWreU5nWsMaOhDHyUsOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6PY2_-s1DzU7B181117uc4kNiN6vCGTCxyDrVtrYl35a9z7mYGvke1iktwEzx0Imn4msm4bH1fyvKrD8c5fYl2wbnhAz1pzh48tJIdR9gTLCnEmGe6SUTamQmSvOGksJ_eSX92ORHlAV/s400/SanDiego001.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />...which btw didn't even exist when i went to school here. this used to be one giant parking lot, yo. look how nice it is now! GRASS!<br /><br />walking out from the medical area, we're pretty much in the heart of ucsd here:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qNtc8j1tJfaiatZIpdsNrMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBO3VFwtpMvm1j4ghyPYG57hXs6986H67TUshSyUNgufH4GimANZMB2QpO5BpI6-VJDmuZUr07C1mqjOI7o8N1PctNP7LY5MRpWvx4GmDW0THi7Hgr0zZ_upMdIsNBUo2r-awQMCpTh98K/s400/SanDiego004.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />UCSD doesn't really have a quad, but this is about as central as you get in the school. the benches on the sides commemorate different graduating classes. ucsd was only set up in the 60s, so there aren't that many benches filled yet. i have no idea what they're gonna do when they run out of spaces though. stanford does sorta the same thing -- there are plaques on the floor of the main quad, all the way around. what are they gonna do when they run out? are they not expecting their school to last more than 100-200 years?<br /><br />various administrative offices are kinda hidden in the trees to both sides, like in here:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/U4mtZQ2hT_kO3I21crOxbsOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQb6AafjBkwINA25jApPk8Wm7pg-5wT5TYi28tMQ9iF25EGN0DfALLGshfRTKpKFtm6_AJ3i_jHoZV8RUIqhBXM7q_AJZk6Xp69td9ye1vlVrn9B-mtksnAwcTpQ7wEBR-ORJ9ew6TEMT/s400/SanDiego003.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />the student center -- bookstore, lots of food and shops -- is off to the right near the main library.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3FMM4XQNa6hdXmFMH4ady8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrwCu-skX2BfKs60XLoP5cFTFQcfAZyeELAJQRXjEDrPzpmLjiZG87Vw55tSIIbzYGTHvutPtEMyU_kymgJQLp5NDMSQwSfczJUjp1gE3l0sYDMKyftsADRKgpfpLidmm2ChzvdvNDeoB/s400/SanDiego005.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />and the main library, of course, is straight ahead:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/54OQ2hK8kk_sR7wGAnHSiMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicI6RvnC8FRA2ui_sO3OPjKthiwSdTWTAtEs3hEvyY8tkaFm3uRwGspW9NDznV6iIJIZ0_8qP1UuRS5H-XJ6EnYityzzRwQibX5QXYA8rwWRfWZISubx2ldFiYrZ0lZGojkHE3asoIungM/s400/UCSD5.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />...affectionately called "the UFO". possibly only by me and frendz. also, that dead tree in front of it? actually made of metal.<br /><br />so here's one of the coolest things about geisel library. see how the path actually slopes down, and walls of mirrored glass kinda rise from either side? well, that's actually the first story of the library. the second and third are all offices and machinery stuff. most of the library itself is on levels 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and in the sprawling first story -- which is actually more like this half-basement, because when you're up on top of the library it just looks like a field -- and the basement. however, those shards of glass kinda popping up out of the ground are actually windows and skylights for the library. so when you go down into the basement, where there's a lot of study space, you see this along the walls:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KlTgPQmViTWMrFxE1MrOFMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ioLi1RvwYiKJHErJdSO4g6Y0LIIYJyfKlAkkTVCqSRBYMy6R0sa9CTgvEFRapNGAoQq33kH_FurcGJZx7RslJ1CEKdxPfe6cgbHRXVvVHfobaT6zQ6OLlbLesZguOvxkx4VTR5PxWDeT/s400/SanDiego006.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />how awesome is that? real trees and natural light, right in front of where you're studying :]<br /><br />another really cool thing about geisel is that it has an emergency exit stairwell right down the middle. it's very utilitarian, but i can't help but think they designed this at least a LITTLE with cool-factor in mind. this is what it looks like from the eighth floor up:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/E8IhsT-xVoKYRzyc7H6l88OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Il_Hc-pMlPhGxvNcx5hySoxIEFK370hvWcnkzDhDI24tpPdZZlyCrmOLzzGWAhjFMObTscMSq2Dhjl3CEqR4FvLZ6CGybuZM4UjUztZxJ3C_gVuqrg-Ps3fqut3-pePKHJE9msFIH_sO/s400/SanDiego007.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />lemme tell you, even now looking down i get twinges of panic-that-i'll-drop-my-phone *LOL*<br /><br />eighth story also has some fantastic views. notice there's like a little platform outside the window. that's actually the ceiling of the (larger) seventh story. the biggest story is ... the fifth, i believe. then three above and three below, and the half-buried first story.<br /><br />this is looking eastish toward UTC, university town center, which despite its name is really more a shopping/business area:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Dwn7C76s_ABp4bLa4sDF3sOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5lK-gTSrH9tkh_JJc_yL3UOyBJkQNL1-yodBYEDmyQ4xTPMOdGbDIZJoeqBDArqEKzj_qZk62OcmU3Qdahaed1A3hSHhB9nLWxpioRzkG5mxGfggLyEHG_8edDO6I5M5djtLvOcz54v4/s400/SanDiego010.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />and this is looking north. down in the shadows below is the central path we came down earlier!<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/o4SLH7wIPjWZjstMIAnOAcOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPW7VF8GKhBHXuTj4X9HXkt-8xA8DmtnG6y9XcmmrFOhgOBhDGKoCu9Wr9vbVi1pslJoTovQFrnxA2pID90MQr0qKE4BuDW0F0iM4IGNd2eEFzvPMjeL3hFIRo1m8vvL2h6m140Y2vsXVS/s400/SanDiego008.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />after i left ucsd, i went to salk. i wanted to get there in the early evening. this is really one of my favorite places in the world. from the outside, you can't really tell how amazing it is inside; it's kinda hidden behind trees, and it kinda... looks more like a campground than anything else:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jiwFi92xPEQ4Grs2lzA9-sOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCCa-kKMRg7wmRWx7LlWlVCqr3FEQGDmrfEPstWi8CnEaDuCQKrWMmvC7GLYNCMu2E1CPzFoT3bgzDsbjvIwxjfHd_mC5aP_VEplkd4fjx05mhfPNCySjOiLq5XlDnBJ5A3Z4UZfsmYG_/s400/SanDiego122.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />but then you turn a corner and go up a set of broad, shallow steps, and suddenly the gates open before you and you see THIS:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MbfQ6JkrJq44PDkA7akHrMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0igph5WSVm_fkexG5hjKuYI0c49VQbBF9FNr_7dyByrQDiepID02U_PQ6xXl57OVWn3fPq91l_Td1A5YiBPe0eJYCTl68e4l9wl5KguOVqPFmzUICZjYrfWIIV2Kl1e9NinrRxKALyQx/s400/SanDiego014.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />the first time i went there, i had no idea what i would see. it was seriously breathtaking. this is ... absolutely the way a place of miraculous lifesaving discoveries should look. minimalistic buildings aligned to either side, slanting away like opening doors, leaving immense room in the middle of space and white light from the west. everything's concrete, water, wood, or sky. it looks so absolutely open and free-minded to me :]<br /><br />as you walk into that space, you see this thin strip of water running down the distance. the ground literally just seems to stop at the end -- nothing but sea and sky after that. there's a bronze inscription on the floor; sadly, i can't remember what it said.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MbvUOxeh4AuA0rpyzWR3T8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwhB6H4OUVSo83txvPr4tJU6TCmECGW2puhpiNYhipEx3NQJSlr7K3sWqngjaHRSe7E62DFPy80de3sykbbYNiw6_XYTB7vUwxi2IVv5BY-08H-goT-CDYqImU1fGuK2ks8M2BbE2gYeA/s400/SanDiego015.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />as you get closer, you realize the strip of water in the middle doesn't come from nowhere. there's a little fountain at the head:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qy4_1eOTqihREdHg7y4XlMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQ41JDIcuA8uNsJA84QRwL23SNWBNZD8mNAl2YnVZE2KD9htt-aLRuWEOF6D1eMUbOvbZp6N_6tf20qh-b61k0f73Gqwb6D22p8l4qeys106U6-yPbrMnwIBw6qP2y-nrOS9AcOFKIiOC/s400/SanDiego016.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />i'm not sure why water was splashed everywhere that day. probably tourists splashing around. usually the water flows very calmly down the furrow, just this gleaming, sky-reflecting strip.<br /><br />if you follow it all the way to the end, you see that it broads out into a reflecting pool:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-0Tmm5LLgPxnxGdAhEBCUMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswevtWyMA9-bDzoaEeBL7fRO7T4kzRu8fOu7OB1_cKwot1c5WjDB9ZcX-4PLDCc3xiKhwNBlnTzdb_CDkYTAQBfvvB-XfpxTVpWLDmOK3z_mcUxbHs1-7UFKLIkNCdbYuoNI08PLnVhkw/s400/SanDiego018.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />and yeah, that's the pacific past it, and down a cliff. a better look at the reflecting pool:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-3I2bmshY-Iuz6czQoZeLMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-W7VhIg-Z1fv36JELqWA-D7nrVcAi51uuoYa5wqHeip4_NVqu2vqGMOKoooHeMws9WUql52qlOf1t976a6hglCev2nZyWyPmAdPZ_fg56q_Kostk4EgjXcmjRdjYEOpFpbGQNIpyTV0Fz/s400/SanDiego020.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />and that's really where you realize there's something past the drop. up until then, it really looks like salk institute just runs to the edge of the cliff and plunges off. but there's actually a set of stairs that leads you down, and then when you turn around you see a second cascade of fountains:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/elriyzvdObKSS0QBauS3L8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKT1tZSRtqcet8TXqYdUOR-x8oqA6ewCPI9RFRigfXV8PhqGJA4aBQ8GmFcrUfom0Jvz9inHY18VeHsz_5_KBNaOeSTMYekT7QFg6U7tRgOFOx74d4ypbbzNhiCmDKMEJUT9IMtKwq0qtL/s400/SanDiego022.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />i love the echoing of that first fountain, where it was like... two waterfalls on either side. this time, the stairs flank the falls, and the falls are two-step. there's a poetry in that.<br /><br />coming back up and looking at the sunward side of the buildings, you see that every one of them has a window to the sea:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yAeYGA3LXeNRJqE8ataOXsOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXp_e1XLtF3hOXkjuRfSiIkS52jOzDG9XULuF0tBWYWWr5R8sZI8kRDOKSClGz6XnG6RYNfzU_7PQ9eahygks6fmdmTwQOn67_YYgzAZmqE6NdnUlN3hro_cRvgec1dRK2k_K2hyphenhyphenabxUrk/s400/SanDiego023.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />i love the juxtaposition of natural wood and unfinished concrete. it adds just the touch of naturalism this place needs. without it, it'd be too austere, too cold, but with it it looks like it's a perfect piece between water and sky.<br /><br />side note: that random dude sitting there was there, pretty much motionless, the ENTIRE TIME i was walking around. i would've been more annoyed except i understood so well. if i worked there, i'd probably spend hours every day just thinking out in that courtyard :]<br /><br />coming out of salk, it was getting near sunset. UCSD's right on the lip of a cliff overlooking the beach (obviously), so it's pretty easy to get down there. actually right below UCSD is black's beach, famous for waves and nudists. i took the winding switchback road down to la jolla cove, though.<br /><br />i took some pics along the way, but in the end they just all looked like sunset pics. so here are two representative ones:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6LYfuzDDlFbTOfPhXHFHecOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qwbeOwHTRjH3EWsdGRdx-ESfm-Gx4ESGIVb0mCMfBRqC8LfkQsZvx64yT57_3YfJchcG1J2ItXmNBN8n5evH34vIHXlg1PbP-QbYHFscY_Ri7cfKleMa3UDHYnXuZgOmLqYF7V2l3urC/s400/SanDiego024.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />that's a stretch of the road before it really starts to wind down the cliff. lots and lots of million-dollar houses along that path, most of them surprisingly small. it's really the view they're paying for, but honestly, if i had the money i'd pay the premium too.<br /><br />eventually at the bottom of the hill you get into la jolla's seaside village. very touristy surf-town-ish:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Cao66qbKDxpalVcIVLbU6sOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxzUJdKaX9wp1LtbV8Sk5301kiTrpx7Ltf-aIxfNNT4fz2NfRH88rTKobe_6aBVwqoctVUTpzLQMKVRo4EmP0BYfTQlwGCL3J4toDkBkCBrG7Cb20F5aBihRUvtKHmx4Ep7AqxnCI1Leo/s400/SanDiego026.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />i didn't stick around, though, because i was losing daylight fast. by the time i parked and walked onto the beach, the sun was low:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zyxfh_DUNp1-INQ1Gz8gXsOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSVuw5fr0rHWSQFqBwwhh4VM3SWedSRYznzKzRIfoHovSeerat83Gq7qeca6KZMldwUDHqoL7UyinVpFweLvtbzyB8wSHx3zEIvbx588aH31vHgevBdW2cGiOVFjnq5NmgahzcVNNv2j5/s400/SanDiego027.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />you can see la jolla's entertainment district off on the promontory to the left. pretty much every sunset ever here is breathtaking, but i always love how every single time there are still lots of people just standing around waiting for it. i rolled my slacks up, took my shoes off and stood in the surf for a while waiting for the sun to set.<br /><br />looking southward, some kayakers were packing it in:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/u8O5oJ-sn4wmcSV83TD9YsOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDoGsTxEZJFnXfgUk6qlsPilVY9LdOhasWKs-6Ns54-BsO7GQ9Dvo2WOMmrtQ61nIWFVQwZM8s0-8-mmyX8MSZZQXNKjJFoYrSQ7i7WHBn1FQ3j67tMvtUrMCFdOJqytPH_IVwbDuzZyf/s400/SanDiego033.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />looking northward, some random dude was doing what i was doing :]<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qmQG4nojQOU7JqVbMVb68MOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01YLclLpx_yI7_X7El-UfVGA1zplgICUM5C0Nqq59PzmhQ9PJjm3Uto8AdEoaQP3jt9Yn18-id8phKfyAcG4RnB-OBQd4m3VAaAad8XLqVHG5WWV4KYORhmk0tLjO3IVY0KzeG7bITmdm/s400/SanDiego034.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />even the way the light fell through shallow waves onto washed-up seaweed was beautiful:<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8mUPtwM9prV1c4TCby_QOMOhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhssqNIqfSQJwj9d1qY9XeWF1E_f1e-10QrkPtHymCTE9bVwwJoNcLkni715LTKAfpUYey1SCncRXwYQnFgkfEnmHJML1vEUQzoMLXkHwvwCTO7oG3A3uSKmlJ4dQhnv24l9fSBiPn_Hk/s400/SanDiego031.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />i stayed there until the last of the sunset was finished. this is the last picture i took that day; i wanted to just stand there and watch the sunset instead of snapping pics :]<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/adCd7X7-wU48TuMZFCk__8OhOKzziAi1rwXXhiQ_hXo?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4V07C4wkgWl4ACq9QO6avghPW-yXyWxrSfENi5kmSglEKpSf_GOgj2tZ2lH9ZRqs6ii_6aeTGrCJkPDwpJljpR4wmsfHs4w2UiAgWagg-TbeHOYVYoAWL1hNV6AwNzGmPJ0gzLlXyZv4U/s400/SanDiego035.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112865310833252467406/SanDiego?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyAks_91_jT_wE&feat=embedwebsite">San Diego</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />next up: old town, balboa, and the southwesternmost beach in the continental US!Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-35407577908933686432011-04-21T01:33:00.000-06:002011-04-29T20:20:42.058-06:00san diego - drive south!back in february, i took a roadtrip down to ucsd! actually, it was for business, but i took a buncha pics along the way. i'd talk more about it, but i have about 298374923878923 pics to share, so i'm just gonna get started :D<br /><br />the route i took was 101 south from SF to gilroy, where i took 152 east over the mountains to the central valley. from there on out it was I-5 all the way south. this first pic is taken on the 101 at mountain view or so -- about the first time on the trip that i saw Los Angeles on the freeway signs:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiUJo8Wq-r0y-yWPosbKwOr8hceeMC5flYYiVNIDAZg9A4wW1tKBBheO8EPQ3pdb6jRjg_Eh3P7tjtc7uKI7T5FCUSQtkJ8AHSZgTqWOtl5qSPI6-FzRcsHLXGkRMPV8tN4ll_VtAB5ry/s1600/San+Jose.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiUJo8Wq-r0y-yWPosbKwOr8hceeMC5flYYiVNIDAZg9A4wW1tKBBheO8EPQ3pdb6jRjg_Eh3P7tjtc7uKI7T5FCUSQtkJ8AHSZgTqWOtl5qSPI6-FzRcsHLXGkRMPV8tN4ll_VtAB5ry/s400/San+Jose.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585460648248826578" /></a><br /><br />this being the bay in the spring, it was stormy and grey-skied. as i passed san jose, it began to rain. the quality of light shafting through the clouds as they broke against the coastal mountains was incredible, and i managed to snap this picture:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRqEK0XtBUCEt6CV94PXNlQaOKAAAeI_Kf8JZgXvqQ0Lh71ki_tAh7atls6AxoAGaO4ZKvbDqFzkIEoWpOZvHe6KGBRycUjxYUirlsvgBkGb-UcD8_sJlCsnNYKeF7ZIdfa42woUN5VuO/s1600/San+Jose+3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRqEK0XtBUCEt6CV94PXNlQaOKAAAeI_Kf8JZgXvqQ0Lh71ki_tAh7atls6AxoAGaO4ZKvbDqFzkIEoWpOZvHe6KGBRycUjxYUirlsvgBkGb-UcD8_sJlCsnNYKeF7ZIdfa42woUN5VuO/s400/San+Jose+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585460650333534994" /></a><br /><br />as i got off the 101 and onto the 152 east to cross the mountains, i found this fallow field with ... i don't know what they are. at first i thought they were wildflowers, but i think they're some sort of crop blossoming. just these incredibly yellow flowers under a grey sky --<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGIAw9VHXeLvgQNd6005CMlyE-xseh2V9fLPnPAjThxYJOVn7ZOelpHJqBfXsrMRjG4cJSvZujl1vwmYVuggoVR3CJUViAIQ9qSLUgxVtOtFP5TOvUz0W_e3_DrD5eiO8h-rFpFVJYI2i/s1600/Wildflowers+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGIAw9VHXeLvgQNd6005CMlyE-xseh2V9fLPnPAjThxYJOVn7ZOelpHJqBfXsrMRjG4cJSvZujl1vwmYVuggoVR3CJUViAIQ9qSLUgxVtOtFP5TOvUz0W_e3_DrD5eiO8h-rFpFVJYI2i/s400/Wildflowers+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585460655147524722" /></a><br /><br />soon enough the road started to wind through the mountains. by summer these will all be sere and gold-brown, but right now the hills were amazingly lush and green, dotted with these old wild oaks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75nYf16q86cweG0eOjXiEu8oEbjjNnIJqDv7kZ0yBXxWKChoU-jbSt-JV43xNNnLwgx75tSxVEfyv4ufOeksRImZd1yS67T-gs1e-v9zNul49c3vz2IT3HrTC86Cu2-I2kDLa79GKqv3w/s1600/Oak+and+Hills.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75nYf16q86cweG0eOjXiEu8oEbjjNnIJqDv7kZ0yBXxWKChoU-jbSt-JV43xNNnLwgx75tSxVEfyv4ufOeksRImZd1yS67T-gs1e-v9zNul49c3vz2IT3HrTC86Cu2-I2kDLa79GKqv3w/s400/Oak+and+Hills.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585460659935947042" /></a><br /><br />i love this picture. just -- the graceful sweep of the road, the rain, the mountains :) behind those mountains is the central valley!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SnD4II_9szSvCWdhf4vlCx9YjZRxZ-f8lZZVoCujX5uQHrMchJqa6U-JGoQnKw_WIxL-GdL5vfREo7Gr_qfmRk145Fc07CHYv6j26qAg-UMW6YkPmyN6aF4_Uprljij_f4KYwSi1eLNu/s1600/Pacheco+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SnD4II_9szSvCWdhf4vlCx9YjZRxZ-f8lZZVoCujX5uQHrMchJqa6U-JGoQnKw_WIxL-GdL5vfREo7Gr_qfmRk145Fc07CHYv6j26qAg-UMW6YkPmyN6aF4_Uprljij_f4KYwSi1eLNu/s400/Pacheco+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585460659588412146" /></a><br /><br />as you're passing through these mountains, state route 152 passes by this huge lake. actually, it's a reservoir, but every time i just blow right past. this time i actually stopped to take a few pics. since 152 is a state highway, not a freeway, i initially just pulled off a turn-out to grab this shot:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Qyfg9ZMXsxoqraW1cdEZwE-BQB-ERNGb3siBxLfP0rNJSIvHFHrvM5Wz6Sr-8LEbtue1_TFoszsmS4W0mBIWWzeHFx3RWhFs8VZ6fHWLIa1OWUd8s7_XMo5vIz-OcOIHqEf6A9NGglkA/s1600/Lake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Qyfg9ZMXsxoqraW1cdEZwE-BQB-ERNGb3siBxLfP0rNJSIvHFHrvM5Wz6Sr-8LEbtue1_TFoszsmS4W0mBIWWzeHFx3RWhFs8VZ6fHWLIa1OWUd8s7_XMo5vIz-OcOIHqEf6A9NGglkA/s400/Lake.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585462381578058306" /></a><br /><br />after a few more miles, though! i saw a turnoff for a visitor's center. i can't for the life of me remember what this reservoir was called, but there's this wonky little museum there talking about the waterways and reservoir systems of northern california:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0CQIabpM-h19N9rUpYAMKHUZ5Pe97XYMI7xzBy3xuOfg9mOxTB6hYU3DQpsO2T_qKOeW58myNEBzjdmexYQs7cNXpusoHIL3VaI-Voi8ACOTW3G_692s3dQbEhY-X1_HcdPuvM_wn_NJ/s1600/Lake+5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0CQIabpM-h19N9rUpYAMKHUZ5Pe97XYMI7xzBy3xuOfg9mOxTB6hYU3DQpsO2T_qKOeW58myNEBzjdmexYQs7cNXpusoHIL3VaI-Voi8ACOTW3G_692s3dQbEhY-X1_HcdPuvM_wn_NJ/s400/Lake+5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585462385412587906" /></a><br /><br />i love this picture i took of the lake. it looks like something out of scotland or something, all grey and green:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijB7VA8Oa5mBCs0yCnA5AYv_hOvu2Rt_YxnvJWKe4qS3BwSkFBON_bY6677ZN9iwH6zFq8xaIG7RViSEaGknLYlTdyzPFRgYMZMJr_WgHnuIXKGHDrMWBgZH1VvOsFURlI26-zQhsweF_6/s1600/Lake+3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijB7VA8Oa5mBCs0yCnA5AYv_hOvu2Rt_YxnvJWKe4qS3BwSkFBON_bY6677ZN9iwH6zFq8xaIG7RViSEaGknLYlTdyzPFRgYMZMJr_WgHnuIXKGHDrMWBgZH1VvOsFURlI26-zQhsweF_6/s400/Lake+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585462382931902962" /></a><br /><br />when you look eastward you can see all the way into the valley:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVI3GQ7OeuLRxcjz8S35J5OKxcg1LhBPkxqdGPSy_CSQYknbku60d6CjJ7VLkuojOmNB1gcevxK7BDwy8lZuPh03rwLgpgHXTJDwwwCAU5rQhExGEYwzTBPV3xjHUaBlnOIL94CO3J2e9/s1600/Lake+Central+Valley.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVI3GQ7OeuLRxcjz8S35J5OKxcg1LhBPkxqdGPSy_CSQYknbku60d6CjJ7VLkuojOmNB1gcevxK7BDwy8lZuPh03rwLgpgHXTJDwwwCAU5rQhExGEYwzTBPV3xjHUaBlnOIL94CO3J2e9/s400/Lake+Central+Valley.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585464131460759618" /></a><br /><br />leaving the visitor's center, i snapped this pic of a raven (or is it a crow?) atop a windswept pine:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9z1pWI7fSABlKGpBz89tM21pqUEfxFHAHUyi5X0uqu9bwzSFgJYKkVFz6fCrES9ifWXEl441VMgcB_dwYsqJxdCvKjL4iAydTkkfMdtj3r5b3r3uUBlmbJ_IBzUNzfBN0qiKF03-C7nCC/s1600/Lake+Tree.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9z1pWI7fSABlKGpBz89tM21pqUEfxFHAHUyi5X0uqu9bwzSFgJYKkVFz6fCrES9ifWXEl441VMgcB_dwYsqJxdCvKjL4iAydTkkfMdtj3r5b3r3uUBlmbJ_IBzUNzfBN0qiKF03-C7nCC/s400/Lake+Tree.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585462390988909202" /></a><br /><br />coming down out of the mountains, 152 joins I-5. i think you might be able to see it very far away in this pic, but it's honestly hard to tell *LOL*<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNZ9R9lwYmxJaYGSwKKmctPgF3d9uYsxE-DkgF1bTXL2_v96eYgyxKyHAhamjQn0lTOZaEPFK541c_TThpXJJspilv3qMD6wP0rdZ2CmzP-f95OlIBOCffCov3uWuNTfWy8qtLNe_KFkL/s1600/Into+the+Valley.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNZ9R9lwYmxJaYGSwKKmctPgF3d9uYsxE-DkgF1bTXL2_v96eYgyxKyHAhamjQn0lTOZaEPFK541c_TThpXJJspilv3qMD6wP0rdZ2CmzP-f95OlIBOCffCov3uWuNTfWy8qtLNe_KFkL/s400/Into+the+Valley.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585462393412637314" /></a><br /><br />the speed limit goes up to 70. honestly on this road everyone pretty much goes 80-85. a few brave souls go 90.<br /><br />:D<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYAtX8y72UvQa65gJIZlfBgCwViEL9yGhAwcWvrjKcuX40_fOn_cNwyBYUn78F0_vaPbNOfhWH1onMgJkJIoGCp9XYeoqUKXUYa7B2SlrpK3B-uVGGSVOu9q3V8fTLariCf9hgsiMkSNEd/s1600/Central+Valley.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYAtX8y72UvQa65gJIZlfBgCwViEL9yGhAwcWvrjKcuX40_fOn_cNwyBYUn78F0_vaPbNOfhWH1onMgJkJIoGCp9XYeoqUKXUYa7B2SlrpK3B-uVGGSVOu9q3V8fTLariCf9hgsiMkSNEd/s400/Central+Valley.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585464134509872146" /></a><br /><br />weather in the valley was more variable. this is a view east across the central valley, in the sunlight:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMkoQ-Kaj_eCjU114VQwuoXZE1lvUpU3wucB6pSAA0yvGoKDtCcboBRxqPFPTPdbjeiwwu3gP4xya8-O8M-zErOw11U1GUj_C_CuD5xuvcitCwhklI2ItbOYQXV67szofWoDbo1JTt1-B/s1600/Central+Valley+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMkoQ-Kaj_eCjU114VQwuoXZE1lvUpU3wucB6pSAA0yvGoKDtCcboBRxqPFPTPdbjeiwwu3gP4xya8-O8M-zErOw11U1GUj_C_CuD5xuvcitCwhklI2ItbOYQXV67szofWoDbo1JTt1-B/s400/Central+Valley+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585464137282793570" /></a><br /><br />and west to the mountains, in the rain:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrve6OnWR9dWKDV9em_WsPOD8VF30uMv2of0ifYv1zufrNg_sih8PFsvcxhjQVgzMuBMQL6NbtM-5hf3e1AwLT5wB20adWgOhlOmoahAfm9dJfTHWuKKSUGpHa5VHBgxT131_Vk0nY3TJQ/s1600/Central+Valley+4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrve6OnWR9dWKDV9em_WsPOD8VF30uMv2of0ifYv1zufrNg_sih8PFsvcxhjQVgzMuBMQL6NbtM-5hf3e1AwLT5wB20adWgOhlOmoahAfm9dJfTHWuKKSUGpHa5VHBgxT131_Vk0nY3TJQ/s400/Central+Valley+4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585464140089907458" /></a><br /><br />and a sky that's a dappled mix of both:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagL6-K2SoLvn1Vun9-G3FLQwXBNMFUFqTHMdrDG6DtflHMost6lAy4CcBZb-lfU-xn07Qgx89Z4uzUIvK8YxLAl_jDYFEGPy4RXTz3LTW0Uuy05pk03E1UL84c_3dBliqHwdYYbXVdyAx/s1600/Central+Valley+6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagL6-K2SoLvn1Vun9-G3FLQwXBNMFUFqTHMdrDG6DtflHMost6lAy4CcBZb-lfU-xn07Qgx89Z4uzUIvK8YxLAl_jDYFEGPy4RXTz3LTW0Uuy05pk03E1UL84c_3dBliqHwdYYbXVdyAx/s400/Central+Valley+6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585464162858957602" /></a><br /><br />it's hard to overstate just how vast and flat the central valley is. i think i may have mentioned this before, but apparently something like 90 or 95% of the country's produce and fruit comes from california's central valley. it's just this incredibly fertile valley between the coastal range and the sierras. in fact, in this pic you can see the sierras in the distance, white with snow:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4n4Hk1nvMSXLB75zBK00ohZtJsXGu1dfgxnNQ6fBAilix2JsAyQhZ6bZPdUOeKIuJrePZZ5CGLaMrL20gRORAvWDnbIrFQjpfJaDLQuT4FhmmMCBnC4Yjoz5SqWq53VioscNwpV8SayI/s1600/Central+Valley+9.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4n4Hk1nvMSXLB75zBK00ohZtJsXGu1dfgxnNQ6fBAilix2JsAyQhZ6bZPdUOeKIuJrePZZ5CGLaMrL20gRORAvWDnbIrFQjpfJaDLQuT4FhmmMCBnC4Yjoz5SqWq53VioscNwpV8SayI/s400/Central+Valley+9.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585466317993650322" /></a><br /><br />i took about a bijillion pics in the central valley, but i'll skip most of 'em. these are taken from the south end, when the san bernadino mountains close in. there's a great pitstop here, near a little town called Buttonwillow. i drove a ways down the one-lane country highway crisscrossing the I-5 here and took a few pics. the sky had pretty much cleared up by now -- this is sort of blazing blueness is what i usually think of when i think central valley:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSe9BNbJZH0Qj-OApJrU37ruGXqO8vwypE4Zr7r6UYSah2yHFdc3bI7AGU3gtK9tsuNGJmdNlM1r4GArX_R7Cqm0yKsPn_3i_7HE3tPr5UWsEq3DbE36R3bS9CPd2f9w9Dy-CS6Um1IUf3/s1600/Central+Valley+11.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSe9BNbJZH0Qj-OApJrU37ruGXqO8vwypE4Zr7r6UYSah2yHFdc3bI7AGU3gtK9tsuNGJmdNlM1r4GArX_R7Cqm0yKsPn_3i_7HE3tPr5UWsEq3DbE36R3bS9CPd2f9w9Dy-CS6Um1IUf3/s400/Central+Valley+11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585466319734561874" /></a><br /><br />i love this pic. END!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mjkAqWNhs2JlltfzX2cl3uoIuHK59sOv0d_PpWPlp5meGt5KaXHnHCH5K0I2uxLmK1Bqr3TQLQSFVkVHxNI4oHTzHXjBwtq7AkHwlr-6GF0ldo8Zq4vzQ2RQmLGe6ZG1tk1l6r_WKZO_/s1600/Central+Valley+12.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mjkAqWNhs2JlltfzX2cl3uoIuHK59sOv0d_PpWPlp5meGt5KaXHnHCH5K0I2uxLmK1Bqr3TQLQSFVkVHxNI4oHTzHXjBwtq7AkHwlr-6GF0ldo8Zq4vzQ2RQmLGe6ZG1tk1l6r_WKZO_/s400/Central+Valley+12.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585466324157198146" /></a><br /><br />and a view of the mountains i'm about to cross:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YMhyVXt73rFWqkuvHYW9Z8SujQYigVQI3WvuHaZApIHHQRYSXMDNe4O4I2WYUV-idgTFJOZtyH-vDZJ7o4XHlYed2w4ojSF_5VObrJyq63yeJEnXGSAgQbpkbTWxJf1cqsUG2n5quEB2/s1600/Central+Valley+15.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YMhyVXt73rFWqkuvHYW9Z8SujQYigVQI3WvuHaZApIHHQRYSXMDNe4O4I2WYUV-idgTFJOZtyH-vDZJ7o4XHlYed2w4ojSF_5VObrJyq63yeJEnXGSAgQbpkbTWxJf1cqsUG2n5quEB2/s400/Central+Valley+15.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585466327020740770" /></a><br /><br />i love how they look with the sun coming in at an angle -- so contoured and textured, almost organic.<br /><br />after i got back on the 5, it was pretty much time to go over the mountains. i'm always a little sad when i get here. there's something awesome and fun about racing straight down the vast open spaces of the central valley. you can just set cruise control on and just ... go.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWX6rk3kWMFWFCf1d2r6t1hsBZl5fGvhj0DWMPOUYkQSWXdS_dPT_wmP0wmhFUI5BDjjzwuCiSz231c50OhdjhOSZc3Ua1GzOX1JF_p7ZRPHxIymKR6SDbD4CALj9uck6IOHhDii_P5p_/s1600/Central+Valley+16.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWX6rk3kWMFWFCf1d2r6t1hsBZl5fGvhj0DWMPOUYkQSWXdS_dPT_wmP0wmhFUI5BDjjzwuCiSz231c50OhdjhOSZc3Ua1GzOX1JF_p7ZRPHxIymKR6SDbD4CALj9uck6IOHhDii_P5p_/s400/Central+Valley+16.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585466333379473634" /></a><br /><br />in case you're wondering, these ARE the mountains where there was that insano blizzard the last time i came through. look how ... non-snowy they are now! this is normal! in fact, this picture was taken right about where i took the "OMFG" pic:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieb_OPDGSADa5SO4wYQ65MbBPdi6njd8Xr-m1Wq-AZxnI2ByOPrP9UXo8yXcwGT9nTK-_PWJHkPDDP8uVksPusJOgacSVEM8_GrSqAVrky-pxi6MznXGuGGjb4_t1_WBfk-bTXE9toNWwR/s1600/Central+Valley+17.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieb_OPDGSADa5SO4wYQ65MbBPdi6njd8Xr-m1Wq-AZxnI2ByOPrP9UXo8yXcwGT9nTK-_PWJHkPDDP8uVksPusJOgacSVEM8_GrSqAVrky-pxi6MznXGuGGjb4_t1_WBfk-bTXE9toNWwR/s400/Central+Valley+17.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585468745101813858" /></a><br /><br />these mountains are pretty green with the winter too, but their character is quite different from the norcal ones, imho. a little big craggier, not so soft and rolling:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRmvWalbhkKcWEWPTFZa6zrpyhj3jzxC7wggiIsIdECHDpnkKRlimrfksb7DR2-PFsWphFs0dTADn0M-OTNn-8JPcFmcn7Yk-DkHGd7Ma-tIkRNZIn1CThRHc3FaWxtkmRefBQKcuxUeW/s1600/Central+Valley+18.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRmvWalbhkKcWEWPTFZa6zrpyhj3jzxC7wggiIsIdECHDpnkKRlimrfksb7DR2-PFsWphFs0dTADn0M-OTNn-8JPcFmcn7Yk-DkHGd7Ma-tIkRNZIn1CThRHc3FaWxtkmRefBQKcuxUeW/s400/Central+Valley+18.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585468211390583890" /></a><br /><br />there's a lake here, too. it's also a reservoir, though it's called Pyramid Lake. it also has a visitor center with a little waterways-of-cali museum:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDf8XiqqRN2XBQYavTCWHLCdzvf8m0n0VukN0MhRUX6TI2787wLLmB8Ld4nvonl_rIyiwPk4pG9ZL-MDVEg09GiTf63Pf7ouSgP6eRVA6T0e0nriObLHBypN4tAHWt9GvYxaIKwme2p2P/s1600/Pyramid+Lake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDf8XiqqRN2XBQYavTCWHLCdzvf8m0n0VukN0MhRUX6TI2787wLLmB8Ld4nvonl_rIyiwPk4pG9ZL-MDVEg09GiTf63Pf7ouSgP6eRVA6T0e0nriObLHBypN4tAHWt9GvYxaIKwme2p2P/s400/Pyramid+Lake.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585468211650554178" /></a><br /><br />tbh, it's a little better kept than the one on pacheco pass. damn LA money!<br /><br />two gorgeous shots of the lake, though:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLe6drc5I38Z2hv3w0XXIg2-Wc4xtcYixZKxABhGyBoYTqyAqqBZQylJQVDFvTg1YW_zQs3gRiSlQPtYV6eTwBy6ks0_ZDDoedEhl1oxVKqAeY1QFvVMT9-zZIhQrhyataMJInNuuKEWR/s1600/Pyramid+Lake+3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLe6drc5I38Z2hv3w0XXIg2-Wc4xtcYixZKxABhGyBoYTqyAqqBZQylJQVDFvTg1YW_zQs3gRiSlQPtYV6eTwBy6ks0_ZDDoedEhl1oxVKqAeY1QFvVMT9-zZIhQrhyataMJInNuuKEWR/s400/Pyramid+Lake+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585468219327172418" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiV_shmo0BwRcqLaI9a7SGavdtEm8nbotZ7Eg39qhZdz0JjPKkrOg2z5DNxLqZHG0LnR67iqrZNVHD45EBIIYo7engGvXA03dU0YQY-LGy2jqZ69EfweMZ4I-mGzfX6A0ruYlj5M_rG7q/s1600/Pyramid+Lake+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiV_shmo0BwRcqLaI9a7SGavdtEm8nbotZ7Eg39qhZdz0JjPKkrOg2z5DNxLqZHG0LnR67iqrZNVHD45EBIIYo7engGvXA03dU0YQY-LGy2jqZ69EfweMZ4I-mGzfX6A0ruYlj5M_rG7q/s400/Pyramid+Lake+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585468215394787474" /></a><br /><br />i can't believe i managed to get my thumb over the camera in one. how is that even possible? these were taken with a cell phone. the camera lens is the size of a PIGEON'S EYEBALL.<br /><br />as i left the pyramid lake visitor center, the shadows were getting long. this didn't bode well for me, since i was heading into LA:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUP3-1sxkgJafKD0Kv2EW1rGJCTBtmo3v8Uij6R_wtmPK3Wdpa7PTBB4TfY0iCQdooFqQbcE7BXt-x6upe-dZtS1PkKeAQ3F9uw_8thN4FDmhmn18s4-OwadB4ap478l6EX5scvERrBIF/s1600/LA+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUP3-1sxkgJafKD0Kv2EW1rGJCTBtmo3v8Uij6R_wtmPK3Wdpa7PTBB4TfY0iCQdooFqQbcE7BXt-x6upe-dZtS1PkKeAQ3F9uw_8thN4FDmhmn18s4-OwadB4ap478l6EX5scvERrBIF/s400/LA+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585470173033766210" /></a><br /><br />hee. gaiamobile:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9z8ZDify7B8L8fm2K8mPUpOs_BfGMsrr0zisaYE2raa07D1qudgiZfqqDsNrbuHOuyffWHnOKVJDTSXwW0_7DcaUnuWOxqXhva-7YOvThxFDGv5stdIEn8jCOaa21HTXvUq29S-WGrcS/s1600/LA.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9z8ZDify7B8L8fm2K8mPUpOs_BfGMsrr0zisaYE2raa07D1qudgiZfqqDsNrbuHOuyffWHnOKVJDTSXwW0_7DcaUnuWOxqXhva-7YOvThxFDGv5stdIEn8jCOaa21HTXvUq29S-WGrcS/s400/LA.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585468222590359954" /></a><br /><br />the clouds were gorgeous as i descended into LA. i'll say one thing about the smog: it makes for spectacular sunsets.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IufHMfzHkj4jN3euqNbGwWNPgAox9hkD6ymuPmG53jhg5BXd-LUpUcMkP1B2jR-GqDSnCpVkWXGoxBj-3qUtSEjNkLVoKWKKCwKel6_NRN5eFyHkIwQndkKQqb3kB5FTAKGD18IKO0sp/s1600/LA+3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IufHMfzHkj4jN3euqNbGwWNPgAox9hkD6ymuPmG53jhg5BXd-LUpUcMkP1B2jR-GqDSnCpVkWXGoxBj-3qUtSEjNkLVoKWKKCwKel6_NRN5eFyHkIwQndkKQqb3kB5FTAKGD18IKO0sp/s400/LA+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585470171390829186" /></a><br /><br />annnnd i managed to time it so that i was RIGHT in the middle of downtown LA at the stroke of 5 pm. so needless to say, this pic of LA's skyline was taken into the middle of the parking lot that the I-5 had become. i got stuck in LA traffic on the way up, too.<br /><br />i really hate LA >_<<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVsttq_pHm1GHSoIzjjyAAhfghgrKWRt4Oh3dQfNqwinyPKxfC6KfS8YoB0kZVFC2VqlPnw08DAG5K6HS6Fq5HdoA8uAihki-986yOzSyfuAVXPqBllgyrMnjyMEUVnoby1RYaKWHdeEVD/s1600/LA+4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVsttq_pHm1GHSoIzjjyAAhfghgrKWRt4Oh3dQfNqwinyPKxfC6KfS8YoB0kZVFC2VqlPnw08DAG5K6HS6Fq5HdoA8uAihki-986yOzSyfuAVXPqBllgyrMnjyMEUVnoby1RYaKWHdeEVD/s400/LA+4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585470183215209010" /></a><br /><br />smog and sunset and traffic:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_23TH6ir6aZU6c0oA1p71eH3P-TNSDsEFMIPWZe057bvXY-aNt0fQefUHzC04C-24zTlcIBwtwR4yGuGW2OdydiEjyvEvEFh8jKMfiptIws5YOd76TS2xWgs5QEIYGf3sqONXJXLDqdcY/s1600/LA+5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_23TH6ir6aZU6c0oA1p71eH3P-TNSDsEFMIPWZe057bvXY-aNt0fQefUHzC04C-24zTlcIBwtwR4yGuGW2OdydiEjyvEvEFh8jKMfiptIws5YOd76TS2xWgs5QEIYGf3sqONXJXLDqdcY/s400/LA+5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585470185732737442" /></a><br /><br />this is the last semi-clear pic i managed to take on the first day -- it was getting too dark by this point. traffic had let up, and i was around the Irvine area. this pic just defines socal -- and more specifically, gaudy LA consumerist culture -- for me: a shopping plaza so huge they needed to make it look like a goddamn castle.<br /><br />i think it's actually called The Citadel *LOL* THE CITADEL OF SHOPPING!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsi0-5yVbIvqOLLdtZd3GtE0ILAFakr6CSdbBnAn1-w_5FI07n65PwFfwivtPqS6PBKhE9SMiSkGm29BlXkttil1-cR9sI-S_Z9H_aHm_iCaH14MqnmW5IvPvRakD69MPDMF-PkHfnbfx/s1600/LA+7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsi0-5yVbIvqOLLdtZd3GtE0ILAFakr6CSdbBnAn1-w_5FI07n65PwFfwivtPqS6PBKhE9SMiSkGm29BlXkttil1-cR9sI-S_Z9H_aHm_iCaH14MqnmW5IvPvRakD69MPDMF-PkHfnbfx/s400/LA+7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585470184076512162" /></a><br /><br />next up: awesome pics from san diego! :]Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-34773442967411402822011-04-13T21:06:00.000-06:002011-04-13T21:10:45.354-06:00OM NOM NOM, tataki.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZgSAH6a0rzYeZgxKy2b7TtZm9heopxdFdIphA6gese0DgpfX8BNmjTQepHINxFxbXl_KXmTtir6fZCznicWq4Ex0wDrQ_Y8k_TlMPjcPF11sVG5AlAi1TX2bNhhlrOznv6fMYIi7zVTK/s1600/.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZgSAH6a0rzYeZgxKy2b7TtZm9heopxdFdIphA6gese0DgpfX8BNmjTQepHINxFxbXl_KXmTtir6fZCznicWq4Ex0wDrQ_Y8k_TlMPjcPF11sVG5AlAi1TX2bNhhlrOznv6fMYIi7zVTK/s400/.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595271339231451554" /></a><br />tataki is basically lightly seared meat & fish sliced and then eaten rather like sashimi. i made some tonight with yellowfin and sea bass steaks. i seared the fish on both sides for about 30-45 seconds per side. i dunno exactly how long - i wasn't counting!<br /><br />after i took them off the fire i sliced them across the grain. they were still tender enough that i had to hold the meat together a bit. the slices were laid on a bed of fresh mixed greens (your standard spring mix + baby spinach) and then garnished with minced garlic and sliced green onions. then for dipping sauce i used soy sauce, lime juice, a bit of rice viengar, more green onions/minced garlic, and wasabi.<br /><br />it's fucking awesome :D currently i'm marinating some filet mignon to eat the same way tomorrow.Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-20122588038137748162011-03-15T03:51:00.001-06:002011-03-15T03:52:05.785-06:00this is ridiculously cute.Okay, this needs no further introduction:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsblWtajlfPrrj_XI5MxwS0pCe3WoOGZpVrTAQw4Qs7mZUrbaCQoqxAVATCDS44gwStFTTrRqfChjf7aHblAXjKvdEl2uVjkwgJpILHyaQK7BwLK9N4iq3ef_QwXhDdzu1L4YgcQ0UClj/s1600/puppy-training-one.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsblWtajlfPrrj_XI5MxwS0pCe3WoOGZpVrTAQw4Qs7mZUrbaCQoqxAVATCDS44gwStFTTrRqfChjf7aHblAXjKvdEl2uVjkwgJpILHyaQK7BwLK9N4iq3ef_QwXhDdzu1L4YgcQ0UClj/s400/puppy-training-one.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584242247038596898" /></a><br /><br />Might seriously be the cutest thing I've ever seen. Just. THE EARS.Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-65175298243832576242011-03-08T04:43:00.000-07:002011-03-08T05:25:31.674-07:00spring in the bay! - bay and palo alto.so as mentioned, i've been slowly running around the bay taking pics. i'm trying to avoid the really obvious tourist shots and angling more for stuff i see in my daily life that i think are cool, and/or places and things i really like that i don't think a lot of people know about. this first batch comes mostly from the palo alto area.<br /><br />let's start with this spooky-ass pic i took while going over the dumbarton bridge one morning in the fog -- i had just left my best friend's place up in the alameda and was heading down to stanford to duck quickly into work.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5brimsKpocdGWZQekZb9JrpWk-Pi0egLj4e4rYN4HT5ru_QJ0vvLJqWsgkHtKHpGt7-bMzLG2dgzQdnz6zHH6CT3NkyN8TBu7AGkkaunkIMz0ZsT1uZeTcH7A0nSOa8q-VvomZdxhkA6/s1600/Dumbarton+Bridge+Fog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5brimsKpocdGWZQekZb9JrpWk-Pi0egLj4e4rYN4HT5ru_QJ0vvLJqWsgkHtKHpGt7-bMzLG2dgzQdnz6zHH6CT3NkyN8TBu7AGkkaunkIMz0ZsT1uZeTcH7A0nSOa8q-VvomZdxhkA6/s400/Dumbarton+Bridge+Fog.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581676893878404882" /></a><br /><br />the bay area is usually very rainy in the spring. it was about 8am that morning and everything was fog, mist and rain. the picture actually somehow makes things look a little clearer; in real life you could barely see the arc of the bridge over the bay. this view's looking west from the east bay side of the bridge, toward the peninsula.<br /><br />there are actually a lot of estuaries in the bay area. most of them are preserves where waterfowl will nest at various points in the year. there are hiking trails there; however, in the springtime they pretty much turn to mudbaths due to rain.<br /><br />one year i actually went there to fly kites with some friends (silly childish pursuit, i know!) and lost the kite when the string broke. while trying to chase it down, i crossed what LOOKED like a dry stream-bed ... except it was about 1" of dry mud over two feet of wet. so when i started to cross, i sank in to my knees. the worst thing is it happened so fast my instinct was to get out -- so i took like 2-3 more steps and ended up losing my shoes in the mud. i had to dig them out with my bare hands. in the end i was literally black with ice cold, stinking mud.<br /><br />i remember later on that day we went to eat sushi. prooobably not the best idea, considering my hands -- that had been wallowing in mud that smelled like sulfur and other forms of lovely anaerobic decay -- were now being used to eat raw food. unsurprisingly, i had a bout of stomach flu that night.<br /><br />anyway! on that note! here are the lovely baylands. PLEASE NOTE: that is actually snow on the east bay mountains. this happens very rarely, as those mountains are no more than maybe one or two thousand feet high. that's why i actually stopped to take this pic -- as pictorial evidence that it DOES happen.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2YRWo9DetqLlHLHKZwpiNoP5oUPdU0NebDT_XnqAdDNb2qq-I2z4pAclCffD3-jbnssCtm1sNPLK3j0a2YkDYIgs1nAQlr2jL4oP0c6jdwsunSm6TeYNr5bks7JkHn2kmnaDwnIm5FHl9/s1600/Bay+Area+Wetlands.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2YRWo9DetqLlHLHKZwpiNoP5oUPdU0NebDT_XnqAdDNb2qq-I2z4pAclCffD3-jbnssCtm1sNPLK3j0a2YkDYIgs1nAQlr2jL4oP0c6jdwsunSm6TeYNr5bks7JkHn2kmnaDwnIm5FHl9/s400/Bay+Area+Wetlands.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581676894628841602" /></a><br /><br />as you head inland from those wetlands, you can take university avenue through east palo alto (pretty ghetto place -- it's where Dangerous Minds was set, apparently), over the 101 into palo alto itself. EPA and palo alto are night and day. this is the outer fringe of palo alto:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszClrhCGHFoiOEbMsZbBAwElISaWtsi_nLH8twonGHWd03DMUlMtUMxqG5qpTY5zffN3DOMsVHHsEfvxIUnvwa2ffwBGu63Gmpl2Yw_1pQCExq4WK-DTF9kaiLchdpezEf2Kf98fGHNwo/s1600/Palo+Alto+Downtown+3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszClrhCGHFoiOEbMsZbBAwElISaWtsi_nLH8twonGHWd03DMUlMtUMxqG5qpTY5zffN3DOMsVHHsEfvxIUnvwa2ffwBGu63Gmpl2Yw_1pQCExq4WK-DTF9kaiLchdpezEf2Kf98fGHNwo/s400/Palo+Alto+Downtown+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581676904447922530" /></a><br /><br />these pics were taken in early feb through early march, btw. i just didn't get a chance to post 'em up til now. so yes... we have no real winter. we have a spring though :)<br /><br />those are actually magnolia trees lining the street. the bay area has a great abundance of three trees: magnolias, oaks, and plum.<br /><br />later on down university ave, you get to downtown palo alto. the peninsula is full of these affluent little downtown streets. the entire western side of the bay is settled along the 101, which runs close to the bay, but there's always plenty of natural character along the way -- stretches of wetlands, forests and open areas up in the coastal hills where 280 runs. but the path of the 101 is essentially joins a string of little cities, each with their own little downtown, between San Francisco and San Jose.<br /><br />the east bay is quite different in character; much more urbanized and conformist. that's why east bay sucks :D<br /><br />anyway, this is downtown palo alto. this street runs right into stanford university, but it's not really a college area. a lot of very pricey boutiques, a lot of swanky restaurants -- there are about 4-5 rug stores and probably way more "art galleries" along the stretch of university.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaP4iU-j9eLGH3tsAp2rZirxwfChLbV1lF_8Txnqtwqaoug8IMu5pOJDyJKzykQWteSBkY8gS3d0ZRu248NuSk2pnh3hFs8S6hBYpXtlU9_1MeyDVuLysWk2Ye2OMvvJQJlXwkY3Sxxoqp/s1600/Palo+Alto+Downtown+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaP4iU-j9eLGH3tsAp2rZirxwfChLbV1lF_8Txnqtwqaoug8IMu5pOJDyJKzykQWteSBkY8gS3d0ZRu248NuSk2pnh3hFs8S6hBYpXtlU9_1MeyDVuLysWk2Ye2OMvvJQJlXwkY3Sxxoqp/s400/Palo+Alto+Downtown+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581676908613424610" /></a><br /><br />in that pic you can see Borders on the left. it's actually one of the first Borders ever opened, and they opened it in a converted old theater. it's pretty neat -- you can still see the theater structure in the floorplan, only now it's full of books.<br /><br />there are some chain stores on university too. here's cheesecake factory, next to crepevine where they serve - surprise! - crepes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1XWEhI_cJaFONEXhitjHc7M5VchoEK6ekTBRg6RRdiwyXebO_Pc1OJPoW7wYrJDZbHujjkDCwT2G5oE2fGisfdUeddqlQLwr1DDllhcZf2cgyNh1KQN7JkaTmPk87xmtOs4zU2pzUjNj/s1600/Palo+Alto+Downtown.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1XWEhI_cJaFONEXhitjHc7M5VchoEK6ekTBRg6RRdiwyXebO_Pc1OJPoW7wYrJDZbHujjkDCwT2G5oE2fGisfdUeddqlQLwr1DDllhcZf2cgyNh1KQN7JkaTmPk87xmtOs4zU2pzUjNj/s400/Palo+Alto+Downtown.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581676907761489138" /></a><br /><br />a little bit off university, i saw this cute little house. deeper in palo alto's treelined streets you can find some truly ginormous houses that probably cost anything from 5-20 mil a pop. palo alto's real estate is obscenely expensive, though. i wouldn't be the least bit surprised if this tiny little victorian house cost a million or more, considering it's about a block off university and two blocks from el camino real, which forms the border between palo alto and stanford university.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKI00L7-kI8j4Wbq8pmalXVCopZACONsgvClAewhMbUJccYh82Tjb-HXYqTbfkOjBaNSzdX4_lsqykz4gCJpe15Yh5y0C7q12WOfcmAswhN70EOtgMwnvfC4yXy686tBGvYKK5TENX42lX/s1600/Palo+Alto+House.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKI00L7-kI8j4Wbq8pmalXVCopZACONsgvClAewhMbUJccYh82Tjb-HXYqTbfkOjBaNSzdX4_lsqykz4gCJpe15Yh5y0C7q12WOfcmAswhN70EOtgMwnvfC4yXy686tBGvYKK5TENX42lX/s400/Palo+Alto+House.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581681632268245186" /></a><br /><br />i actually mainly took that pic for the plum tree in full bloom, though :) i love the plum trees of the bay. they bloom late in january or early in february, and they're always the first sign of the spring. back at my old place, there was a plum tree on the street leading up to it. i used to love walking by in the rain. something about the smooth black bark glistening in the rain, and the fragile pink flowers against a stormy sky. all the petals scattered on the ground always broke my heart, though.<br /><br />about a block or two from that house is this nifty looking brick building. i passed it about a zillion times before i bothered to figure out what it is -- it turns out it's not actually ellison's (no idea what that is/was). you can't see it, but most of the building actually houses Ideo, which is apparently a world-famous design firm. they have design firms up in the city, as well as in the "usual" cities (nyc, london, shanghai, chicago), but this is actually where they started.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqgHUudEn16rtsNNOadaeR53Z-UEwTQNv20VhAhiBgGEvVMfrM3FtX_uHs-lNw03woV3Yn5k8au5J1iMoKcw0vA77AtyoZpfswrGwFv_COtBLwhBvKdW3RqdlgaPjaEEjIH4CE7ljvhL-/s1600/Ideo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqgHUudEn16rtsNNOadaeR53Z-UEwTQNv20VhAhiBgGEvVMfrM3FtX_uHs-lNw03woV3Yn5k8au5J1iMoKcw0vA77AtyoZpfswrGwFv_COtBLwhBvKdW3RqdlgaPjaEEjIH4CE7ljvhL-/s400/Ideo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581681637650738018" /></a><br /><br />this gorgeous stormy sky was taken... i don't remember when. but it was gorgeous. the skies over the bay are always lovely in the spring -- very moody and mutable. i love that you can see those storm clouds coming in from the west, over the mountains.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_o8gMZXEXMqN5WHTGr9PA5nRXoh8_C28sn9H2kTtubS2AuIMyCj8SZEsp9ASn3WpMl54K9otHxNoRiEln9KKDSBnhXPti1TFCUTRMhz6N-TJBQseUcm7WJOJeK_zFkwBlLn3zT0mCzgT/s1600/Bay+Area+Sky.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_o8gMZXEXMqN5WHTGr9PA5nRXoh8_C28sn9H2kTtubS2AuIMyCj8SZEsp9ASn3WpMl54K9otHxNoRiEln9KKDSBnhXPti1TFCUTRMhz6N-TJBQseUcm7WJOJeK_zFkwBlLn3zT0mCzgT/s400/Bay+Area+Sky.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581681640013772690" /></a><br /><br />this was taken ... probably the same day or maybe the day after, at sunset, over the rooftops of a more residential part of palo alto:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_9gwQMtuSjZCVLMrW6CVhMaIN-ajeGSdbrW7Eanp1qZlNGMj6QQ7Y9SJwk5CwxH0PLEaJk1G9COLwalGcF4PTmhiZk_lvxvJYYKDbAPMDdUVbsXwDPkj8PPJ6BOu1pH8TgWzEZnX1Fq7/s1600/Sunset.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_9gwQMtuSjZCVLMrW6CVhMaIN-ajeGSdbrW7Eanp1qZlNGMj6QQ7Y9SJwk5CwxH0PLEaJk1G9COLwalGcF4PTmhiZk_lvxvJYYKDbAPMDdUVbsXwDPkj8PPJ6BOu1pH8TgWzEZnX1Fq7/s400/Sunset.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581681640928412114" /></a><br /><br />and this pic was taken one night as i was leaving palo alto. this is actually taken almost exactly where the first downtown pic was taken -- you can see the same borders on the right this time because i was going the other way on university -- and shows the awesome xmas lights on the trees. as far as i know those lights pretty much never come down. they light up every night.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3N8SJhR6EW-uxWK2819Np77xWvqG-E2nX0sJ3wNSCJAVATgx1Ed7RK57atcNyMf6nB-lHEEsw-uaqyYB4VPO4nFzdKSY9YTsz7CBTejb_Mr10x9v9ZvBtTb_M6sxCJtTnLF3vzFBpvn_/s1600/Palo+Alto+Night.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3N8SJhR6EW-uxWK2819Np77xWvqG-E2nX0sJ3wNSCJAVATgx1Ed7RK57atcNyMf6nB-lHEEsw-uaqyYB4VPO4nFzdKSY9YTsz7CBTejb_Mr10x9v9ZvBtTb_M6sxCJtTnLF3vzFBpvn_/s400/Palo+Alto+Night.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581681646952025794" /></a><br /><br />okay, that's it for this one! next few posts will probably be pics from my san diego trip, followed by pics from chicago redux. eventually i wanna get some pics of stanford, the bay area mtns, and a couple places in SF, though. and maybe monterey :)Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-54866188168059630362011-02-04T03:45:00.000-07:002011-02-04T03:55:29.143-07:00crepes!this is my second try making crepes, and lemme just say: I HAVE MASTERED THE ART.<br /><br />behold:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1a0tjkQA2hp1iqyTMEYJuBG4XhhoRjqs2DlC8NpnYDYokv5xV9Wx6DB2g48oY6Q4vfuqZ8yGDYUosR8T92GK7E4lDFZlukVCfrlEaGmRWozqAs06fnDRe_6bEwMxC_swos4mQuc6Rc3uV/s1600/Crepes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1a0tjkQA2hp1iqyTMEYJuBG4XhhoRjqs2DlC8NpnYDYokv5xV9Wx6DB2g48oY6Q4vfuqZ8yGDYUosR8T92GK7E4lDFZlukVCfrlEaGmRWozqAs06fnDRe_6bEwMxC_swos4mQuc6Rc3uV/s400/Crepes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569784977642191154" /></a><br /><br />check that out. just check it out. PAPER THIN. and look at that gorgeous lace-pattern browning. and that's not even getting into how good they taste.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNacX0tQ_7mpR8OQtcR0j0b6N7A1yppXTnbNTgv0uQYktyGmEjMj3sqXeLs_pz_-mooEj6t7ad24XA46vwiQtRcQWT3mtP7x8ypyHlEKBeZ_M3BFMiRPpHDf2zoxDc-itsySMFii0hW45/s1600/Crepes2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNacX0tQ_7mpR8OQtcR0j0b6N7A1yppXTnbNTgv0uQYktyGmEjMj3sqXeLs_pz_-mooEj6t7ad24XA46vwiQtRcQWT3mtP7x8ypyHlEKBeZ_M3BFMiRPpHDf2zoxDc-itsySMFii0hW45/s400/Crepes2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569784983484665090" /></a><br /><br />you can't really see the contents cuz i put too much whipped cream on, alas. but those crepes contain some or all of the following:<br /><br />- peaches<br />- blueberries<br />- strawberries<br />- honeydew<br />- mocha ice cream<br />- whipped cream<br /><br />...and are dusted with confectioner's powdered sugar. it's the yummiest diabetes-inducer ever.<br /><br />in case you're interested, the recipe i used was as follows:<br /><br />- 1 cup flour<br />- 2 tbsp sugar<br />- 1 tsp salt<br />- 1 cup half'n'half (it was supposed to be milk but i haz no milk)<br />- 3 eggs<br />- a splash of vanilla extract<br /><br />so fucking awesome :D<br /><br />oh! random note about the dishes: i've actually had those dishes since i went off to college. my mom packed them for me because they're huge, heavy, ugly, and durable. she figured 1) i probably won't break them, and 2) even if i did, it was no great loss. ironically, i only ever broke a single bowl. they're heavy as ROCKS, though. solid earthenware. i actually really like them, because they're so sturdy you can actually stick them straight into the oven and use them as baking pans.<br /><br />anyway, yes. i'm an awesome cook. beware, i might end up posting up pics of all sorts of shit i make. i've totally discovered the addiction of awsumfone's cam.Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-84958810549003022572011-02-03T03:47:00.000-07:002011-02-03T03:56:20.169-07:00daw, i graduated....from traffic school, that is.<br /><br />So I managed to go 35 years without a single ticket. Believe me, it wasn't because I had safe driving practices. I have recollections from my earlier driving days that raise my own hairs. Still, I managed to get away either un-caught or with warnings.<br /><br />Then, last spring, I got a speeding ticket. The CHP caught me on the I-280.<br /><br />...speeding.<br /><br />...at 102mph.<br /><br />...in a 65mph zone.<br /><br />...and that was after slowing down from about 115.<br /><br />:D<br /><br />So, yes, okay. I deserved that. Completely. I also deserved it for all the times I've sped insanely without getting caught. However, not too long after, I got caught again -- by the Stanford campus police, of all things -- because I rolled through a stop sign. Also something I've done all my life.<br /><br />THEN, I got caught by the SFPD for going nearly 60 on city streets. In a 35mph zone. ALSO something I've done all my life (when late).<br /><br />All this happened within 6 months or so. So now I am paranoid as fuck. When I think I see a flash of red-white-blue lights, my heartrate shoots up. I will admit, though, that it's made me a better driver.<br /><br />That said, it didn't really cure my procrastination issue. After my third ticket (back in like, September), I put it off until the court mailed me the reminder. Then I paid the fine (close to $400, OUCH) and signed up for traffic school. This was back in early December.<br /><br />After that, I ignored it again until day before yesterday I realized I had to complete traffic school by 2/2 or get it on my permanent record. So I signed on, puttered around, meandered through sections, and forgot about it altogether on Tuesday.<br /><br />Then today, Wednesday, I suddenly realized I had like 3 hrs left to finish. And this fucking thing is designed so that you're forced to spend some amount of time per page or it won't let you go on to the next page. AND there are mandatory 20-minute movies sprinkled in.<br /><br />So to make a long story short, it came down to the bare, cutting wire. When I finally finished the "Final Exam", I had 13 minutes left on the clock. I literally would not have finished on time if I spent another 13 minutes at Safeway. Or on the horn with my family (they're having a minireunion with my sis, parents, and grandparents). Or, or, or.<br /><br />However, it all paid off. Cuz. I got this! :]<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfmmtfp8OFVraeDnS2TFMVPMpfnAVeAYs3aVIP-fT5O7OZhy41gagqLx5nXKhHYIP919g2beey7IdY-gObQ6AQcT54Fvl9mGC1_fnSfkbbBRmDbEG1OlLs_o4ljPNLNKdyxxzanbS8dDD/s1600/daw.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 346px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfmmtfp8OFVraeDnS2TFMVPMpfnAVeAYs3aVIP-fT5O7OZhy41gagqLx5nXKhHYIP919g2beey7IdY-gObQ6AQcT54Fvl9mGC1_fnSfkbbBRmDbEG1OlLs_o4ljPNLNKdyxxzanbS8dDD/s400/daw.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569415360346868690" /></a><br /><br />Daw, they gave me a little graduation cap. So cute.<br /><br />In other news, I recently gave kai a boks full of goodies. She really liked it. It made me really happy :] I'm really not much of a giftgiver, but ... yeah. Once in a while I really do enjoy it. Cuz. Yeah! The glow of altruism.<br /><br />:]<br /><br />Also, Drak N. Stomy is the best name ever.Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-68455046038374199682011-01-22T22:06:00.001-07:002011-01-22T22:49:56.750-07:00land of the pine! (ii)BTW, the name of this post comes from this song, which nomey-nick linked to me when he found out i was going to NC:<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yswz5MtGey0" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe><br /><br />Anyway, after I took pics of Duke Gardens I pretty much retired to my hotel to sit around dazed for a few hours. I hit the sack around 8pm and slept solidly til half past 6am Friday, upon which I got up feeling at once refreshed and discombobulated, and headed off to meetings and shit.<br /><br />I was done with business around 2-3pm, and my flight didn't leave until 7:30. So I decided to drive around a little bit and have a look at Durham and the surrounding countryside.<br /><br />This is basically the beginning of the "downtown" area of Durham. It was pretty much a college town -- it's got everything you'd expect in a college town, except there's about one of each. One Whole Foods, one sandwich bar, one chinese restaurant, etc.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj619wdwhB3xwCWU0yu_GWE6ix4a7R-7X5TqkTno_QyCT0b__Nq5UYtk6w2bbZ6zXXaelpDL09GDs9bTAto4Qiih0jwaobWSQ1hMkdWR_Q9mosV9HfnL2w4CuslAIor7ZyMwgikU8VGj4Ul/s1600/Durham1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj619wdwhB3xwCWU0yu_GWE6ix4a7R-7X5TqkTno_QyCT0b__Nq5UYtk6w2bbZ6zXXaelpDL09GDs9bTAto4Qiih0jwaobWSQ1hMkdWR_Q9mosV9HfnL2w4CuslAIor7ZyMwgikU8VGj4Ul/s400/Durham1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565244300810850754" /></a><br /><br />Notice your one chinese restaurant on the left, there. And here's your one "tall" building:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjdvAU8hexzzRlW6v9ZIxxaC1KxZW8BBxK18t6N8G25q61gNN-zMvmfUXiboqoBux8kiA7fXharUC14dQIpHspQNU5x_MSZn_FX1UFXHdrQxuWG359znjvfKZS8wMjnPhmaU5GslP1g3T/s1600/Durham3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjdvAU8hexzzRlW6v9ZIxxaC1KxZW8BBxK18t6N8G25q61gNN-zMvmfUXiboqoBux8kiA7fXharUC14dQIpHspQNU5x_MSZn_FX1UFXHdrQxuWG359znjvfKZS8wMjnPhmaU5GslP1g3T/s400/Durham3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565244303951075874" /></a><br /><br />This is the "swanky" part of town. BTW, this town is literally just one street (main street, appropriately enough) -- maybe a mile or so of shops and restaurants, and that's it. This pic was taken about two blocks from the chinese restaurant:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WRai1PdNdm4d3-N3ObwwiBwjpSRPQ3KVWJk4-lnH2bxrvJp4hWtiQ8BeiPAWuUFXgD0_9I2Q2dx4OkeLK9keo32wVyM4-khiL1AoFrCYlIGHXeA10pqTRpKVyKqGI4Tp_3FlbNMt4HU9/s1600/Durham4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WRai1PdNdm4d3-N3ObwwiBwjpSRPQ3KVWJk4-lnH2bxrvJp4hWtiQ8BeiPAWuUFXgD0_9I2Q2dx4OkeLK9keo32wVyM4-khiL1AoFrCYlIGHXeA10pqTRpKVyKqGI4Tp_3FlbNMt4HU9/s400/Durham4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565244314128060354" /></a><br /><br />They had a very impressive, huge county courthouse though!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghMbMcjTXiplxWxy9R1QAy7qjsEhqwyMI1G6sLTECwlxAMoNvRnfWdYdiUKRjODmh33ZZ7qrktOyVguhTIptZwz-Q_PUBDJ8NfF9J6sd48_awj308J84j-fkP_yM6zsrFsuueAATkmxoO/s1600/Durham5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghMbMcjTXiplxWxy9R1QAy7qjsEhqwyMI1G6sLTECwlxAMoNvRnfWdYdiUKRjODmh33ZZ7qrktOyVguhTIptZwz-Q_PUBDJ8NfF9J6sd48_awj308J84j-fkP_yM6zsrFsuueAATkmxoO/s400/Durham5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565244317309866578" /></a><br /><br />This similarly impressive, huge building is a church:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmM5cx44XwMohwojZ7ZlHRWzK01Z3qqfVOBWenrWTQCrIuu2hD_HM91O66UHFRQ6I7odut-ArrZ2yEwoq8w3w9Czwx74XR5C969pA8ecJIwAEOPh0tNJNmjnvrD4kqWue-o8xY1ANEedo/s1600/Durham6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmM5cx44XwMohwojZ7ZlHRWzK01Z3qqfVOBWenrWTQCrIuu2hD_HM91O66UHFRQ6I7odut-ArrZ2yEwoq8w3w9Czwx74XR5C969pA8ecJIwAEOPh0tNJNmjnvrD4kqWue-o8xY1ANEedo/s400/Durham6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565244320018929410" /></a><br /><br />And that church pretty much marked the end of "downtown" too. I took a left there and headed out toward a tiny town I found on the map. The round trip from Duke to that town (Creedmoor) to RDU airport would take about an hour, which I thought would be perfect, cuz it'd give me time to snap a few pics and not be late for my flight.<br /><br />On my way out of Durham, I drove through some nice suburbs. This house just smacks of southern architecture to me:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mHKAtAUgGnxIM2UhtB55rkcO5msygxW73liQfP_9QWo9dDEcvk9IHdcJ6VcC6s6kxsMbJoFz2FQ45K3EhuONPM3KTobX3U8M_rFlSOQJ8Vtsg1QQLEVOaSr2lbFiXX7_JhIpuRGdZExD/s1600/Durham7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mHKAtAUgGnxIM2UhtB55rkcO5msygxW73liQfP_9QWo9dDEcvk9IHdcJ6VcC6s6kxsMbJoFz2FQ45K3EhuONPM3KTobX3U8M_rFlSOQJ8Vtsg1QQLEVOaSr2lbFiXX7_JhIpuRGdZExD/s400/Durham7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565245354234652930" /></a><br /><br />-- though interestingly, the architecture in NC was kinda equal parts "southern" and "eastern".<br /><br />I saw this at the end of a cul-de-sac:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMZju6KKUMUUoWkU8jwadbMFQONL5_tjH5_MwKtIzyVnqx5nRuwwZiEUgkPRuK2MeKUT-WJCNQYLAabhJ8OtLW5rclrlNwMNwGaCQ1uuuoRXRifO6SU6H506lgeajqrX09rFlHdUCUke5/s1600/Durham9.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMZju6KKUMUUoWkU8jwadbMFQONL5_tjH5_MwKtIzyVnqx5nRuwwZiEUgkPRuK2MeKUT-WJCNQYLAabhJ8OtLW5rclrlNwMNwGaCQ1uuuoRXRifO6SU6H506lgeajqrX09rFlHdUCUke5/s400/Durham9.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565245355378492674" /></a><br /><br />The license plate proudly announces it's a 1966 mustang. Aw, yeah.<br /><br />From there, I headed out on a highway to Creedmoor. There's a lot of water in NC -- random lakes and ponds and rivers and streams everywhere. I crossed a huge lake heading to Creedmoor, and pulled off a small access road to snap some pics. This is probably the best of the lot:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxSX8ohdZ97YY5yVpDYzr8aStXvoBEV2NVd_muB6eAmmS9enoWVCRspbQ62yMYfBSWuFXfBthWPLf9f1sNj0hfXpDzfs1N1w6SRgPyVLOw1icjQdAwklrjUYT4puAicSgxXkepwRlGp3p/s1600/Creedmoor2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxSX8ohdZ97YY5yVpDYzr8aStXvoBEV2NVd_muB6eAmmS9enoWVCRspbQ62yMYfBSWuFXfBthWPLf9f1sNj0hfXpDzfs1N1w6SRgPyVLOw1icjQdAwklrjUYT4puAicSgxXkepwRlGp3p/s400/Creedmoor2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565245358154681106" /></a><br /><br />There wasn't a soul in sight. There was an eagle, though, but he flew off when he saw me pointing my cellphonecam at him.<br /><br />On the other side of the lake, the highway dwindled down to this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7J-lZDKv0F7fq7Rzpf7G76Qd6-hzfRrW1BlzwVEyQsJE5d3_eajpbqp-HQ0UqKzFOqr54SXLqt_Na2k2VJrfnwb52Oy0twy7TyBo6aCkmvJhCAMLzKZxeSqglSbFPgkccYWWf68-aXYrp/s1600/Creedmoor3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7J-lZDKv0F7fq7Rzpf7G76Qd6-hzfRrW1BlzwVEyQsJE5d3_eajpbqp-HQ0UqKzFOqr54SXLqt_Na2k2VJrfnwb52Oy0twy7TyBo6aCkmvJhCAMLzKZxeSqglSbFPgkccYWWf68-aXYrp/s400/Creedmoor3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565245366216555314" /></a><br /><br />You can really see the pines in that pic. Those pines basically cover all of NC that wasn't otherwise developed. I love the little mailbox, too :]<br /><br />A little later I found this big house out in the woods:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfwAQO-cr7r-DEoCUpPVMOZqplmanb7VGP1vtQF-B9ledKfbf9J8YUix1K3LiNwPniFPqzM33KiJxANtJhheu1QouloKQfLa_9V-1t26ceUBP0mpBnXQ79t9JKVxDbkiRB-oHb-gg8_CM/s1600/Creedmoor4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfwAQO-cr7r-DEoCUpPVMOZqplmanb7VGP1vtQF-B9ledKfbf9J8YUix1K3LiNwPniFPqzM33KiJxANtJhheu1QouloKQfLa_9V-1t26ceUBP0mpBnXQ79t9JKVxDbkiRB-oHb-gg8_CM/s400/Creedmoor4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565245372007301570" /></a><br /><br />There was also this gated community full of sprawling country mcmansions, but they didn't actually look that good on camera so I left that out, too.<br /><br />A little past the big houses, we started to get into honest-to-god farmland. I was so amazed at this -- it was like something out of a "pastoral america" calendar. The day I got to Duke was actually overcast and gloomy, but the day I left was utterly gorgeous. California skies are big, but so are North Carolina skies:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSNqTdISChcoRmAESwSzYElvB8s-ABW4dhjjqzLDz3kvZvX_0hKWBBCmyfiaKDAXrbfW03k5Bn6dgHPvlllxcd9dfZXduBR6p1zTq_GQac3JaT3F2isqtCOgyKI3AVpYSKq30z8RTHGdI/s1600/Creedmoor5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSNqTdISChcoRmAESwSzYElvB8s-ABW4dhjjqzLDz3kvZvX_0hKWBBCmyfiaKDAXrbfW03k5Bn6dgHPvlllxcd9dfZXduBR6p1zTq_GQac3JaT3F2isqtCOgyKI3AVpYSKq30z8RTHGdI/s400/Creedmoor5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565247086369934898" /></a><br /><br />That's the main house, I think, with some animal sheds nearby. A little ways down the road was this other farm:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKk8ZolkF-EcO4MuFFJfxsGYWWgXLrH6yfaJ9l8JslO7Bz-s1Re7iS-U1JNjoRh_Du97Vk9dWhZ6yFm0efCypDBRcyBpeScQcGsrAd5Iiv7JHnIVuf4TpS_GuiyuLa3FbX5pGbAeRAG09/s1600/Creedmoor7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKk8ZolkF-EcO4MuFFJfxsGYWWgXLrH6yfaJ9l8JslO7Bz-s1Re7iS-U1JNjoRh_Du97Vk9dWhZ6yFm0efCypDBRcyBpeScQcGsrAd5Iiv7JHnIVuf4TpS_GuiyuLa3FbX5pGbAeRAG09/s400/Creedmoor7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565247097601298258" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_CBBTkVHWNYWgfbZAa2ozZ9Q0DxBr-hxKZAEXmoZi5NCLwzZCB_Nanwe9GiJHC5ljADeTgao3zVcikVVbQHoHl55XVwtRwIj-HF3JN_3EhdzxtBbDoISV2fVQZRq8XBRdnzBa6dbW9e5/s1600/Creedmoor6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_CBBTkVHWNYWgfbZAa2ozZ9Q0DxBr-hxKZAEXmoZi5NCLwzZCB_Nanwe9GiJHC5ljADeTgao3zVcikVVbQHoHl55XVwtRwIj-HF3JN_3EhdzxtBbDoISV2fVQZRq8XBRdnzBa6dbW9e5/s400/Creedmoor6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565247093637230114" /></a><br /><br />I just can't get over how ... rural and farmlike that looks. The farmhouse! The sheds! The rundown barns and the golden wildgrass! It's pretty much exactly what I picture when I think of a small-time farm.<br /><br />Eee.<br /><br />Anyway, a little later on I found the tiny town of Creedmoor, which is literally like... two blocks by one block. This is pretty much it:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiCUrL8vx1Wpl7-x2EKGS6iuz_5VY-9fCNTQdxYDyxxnE-1dn4EWNehWCA5ySik2dXkBhxNUH0Lc6wjPNKZRtoSbbNji8qtwcFSULBIQNUvGeHaxexOABQ7qhJ7Z6nO7pW4cw2LVCf2bv/s1600/Creedmoor8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiCUrL8vx1Wpl7-x2EKGS6iuz_5VY-9fCNTQdxYDyxxnE-1dn4EWNehWCA5ySik2dXkBhxNUH0Lc6wjPNKZRtoSbbNji8qtwcFSULBIQNUvGeHaxexOABQ7qhJ7Z6nO7pW4cw2LVCf2bv/s400/Creedmoor8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565247100182992834" /></a><br /><br />And this is the town church. Southern Baptist, baby!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdCzDD2j-rP1x6RNUM3Mouiv54sj0dZwoo76BZHiv2gFRzK8tAhgBr523WeVBGMYPNK2HASaxMLoGChbCyWr9vKW_amL7ErTllPQ4wbOXFHT8kmkKYat_89I7VVm35nyJoOEWK4_-fgP4/s1600/Creedmoor9.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdCzDD2j-rP1x6RNUM3Mouiv54sj0dZwoo76BZHiv2gFRzK8tAhgBr523WeVBGMYPNK2HASaxMLoGChbCyWr9vKW_amL7ErTllPQ4wbOXFHT8kmkKYat_89I7VVm35nyJoOEWK4_-fgP4/s400/Creedmoor9.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565248603607358130" /></a><br /><br />Look at the color of that sky :]<br /><br />From there on out, I headed back toward the airport. This was a different highway, which arrowed straight through the pines. It was an unbelievably beautiful drive, but when I tried to take a picture of the pine-lined road, the contrast was all wonky and the ground was too dark. This is the best I could do in a moving vehicle:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLAM-MNr7L59sPtH-zTXdNg-o9DLw_JVsM-wKH-YDQSYF6CikvwnE1Lvk-dinMDdXe0w6N8FPHnMH6sQl0-RKmbsWtJWrgBUp8Ts5ig0bw538ctoRZiViuQ3zPN7t-PxhAvPHjGhyphenhyphenaJoG/s1600/Creedmoor10.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLAM-MNr7L59sPtH-zTXdNg-o9DLw_JVsM-wKH-YDQSYF6CikvwnE1Lvk-dinMDdXe0w6N8FPHnMH6sQl0-RKmbsWtJWrgBUp8Ts5ig0bw538ctoRZiViuQ3zPN7t-PxhAvPHjGhyphenhyphenaJoG/s400/Creedmoor10.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565253236025191618" /></a><br /><br />-- you can sorta see how up ahead, the pines thicken up again. We passed over the lake again, too, and it was absolutely gorgeous with the sun shining off the water, but I couldn't get a picture because I was driving :[<br /><br />Eventually I made it back to RDU. For such a tiny, tiny place, RDU was astoundingly huge. The cellphone cam doesn't capture depth very well, but I swear the check-in terminal was the size of the international terminal at SFO.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDBUCpubu9BCzOnPyrFO_bAWV3KJr9jp_dN_VVrwB7H3G07mBnwPP_GjK3MWTYo4O8eeSc4i4rhjKs-hUdF-vZc0Sf1tPl0r-eYamAfSwBCkqcJkd9YViuKqlF_hsX58d6ikhvTUK6Uil/s1600/Raleigh3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDBUCpubu9BCzOnPyrFO_bAWV3KJr9jp_dN_VVrwB7H3G07mBnwPP_GjK3MWTYo4O8eeSc4i4rhjKs-hUdF-vZc0Sf1tPl0r-eYamAfSwBCkqcJkd9YViuKqlF_hsX58d6ikhvTUK6Uil/s400/Raleigh3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565248607857496050" /></a><br /><br />Inside, the terminal stretched forever in both directions. This is a view down the entire length of it, taken at one end:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajAj9hKyWE4TMtgsBDlSjCm3LrSdEm33vGYjyHGUsxu7WJYqq46wGp9-l1H3572z8hbv0_tjAPRhh1FdVVP6Z1XuTXNvK-AKadNQggTstjgw-O_huy4haTXnK4L4adKYE_Sz3a59dm8hT/s1600/Raleigh4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajAj9hKyWE4TMtgsBDlSjCm3LrSdEm33vGYjyHGUsxu7WJYqq46wGp9-l1H3572z8hbv0_tjAPRhh1FdVVP6Z1XuTXNvK-AKadNQggTstjgw-O_huy4haTXnK4L4adKYE_Sz3a59dm8hT/s400/Raleigh4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565248612684041650" /></a><br /><br />Unfortunately it's too blurry to see just how FAR AWAY the far end is, but trust me, it was like... a billion miles. Along that distance was all manner of shops and stores. There was a used bookstore in there. There were a bunch of semi-nice restaurants, and there was a Borders. A BORDERS, in an airport.<br /><br />That's pretty much the last pic I took, though. From there on out I got on a plane to DC, then another plane from DC to SF. Good trip!Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-66679618673247967632011-01-22T21:21:00.000-07:002011-01-22T22:00:23.153-07:00land of the pine! (i)lots of traveling lately, and as of the chicago trip i've kinda caught the shutterbug... bug. anyway, these pics are from my trip to the durham/raleigh area. specifically: my trip to duke univ and its medical center.<br /><br />it's kinda weird for me to find a world-class university like Duke in the middle of ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE. but well, there you have it!<br /><br />anyway, i flew in on the red eye, leaving SFO at 12:30am wednesday night. well, technically thursday morning. after about 3 hours, we landed in houston to change planes. houston's actually a pretty big airport:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALhpP24XBQKvwX4rCYuI1KpPs1Z5HvwFL4NbLoCiXQMQCDsBF-u0gWPpihwwsg8lyisJzJ12Ury0mMmX0E8VYnoaUYOpwiGzjIRdnhm73fYeOTt8NHapCyJwzIuXVIdqgqegdn2vLf2ci/s1600/Houston1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALhpP24XBQKvwX4rCYuI1KpPs1Z5HvwFL4NbLoCiXQMQCDsBF-u0gWPpihwwsg8lyisJzJ12Ury0mMmX0E8VYnoaUYOpwiGzjIRdnhm73fYeOTt8NHapCyJwzIuXVIdqgqegdn2vLf2ci/s400/Houston1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565233234907707010" /></a><br /><br />It's kind of amusing to me that the pics I took from Houston were all weirdly unfocused and hazy, which is totally appropriate because I was feeling completely unfocused and hazy after getting woken up at what was essentially 3-4am for me and made to march down a pretty vast distance to my next flight.<br /><br />That pic above is, btw, just like... the tail end of terminal E. The terminals are pretty weird -- all lined up and kinda oddly shaped -- but terminal C, I believe, is the largest. All the terminals are really swanky and modern.<br /><br />And yet!<br /><br />As you're walking through terminal C, there's almost no way to miss this statue, which sits RIGHT after the security gates. The only way you can be in Houston and not see this, in fact, is if your transfer gates are right next to each other and nowhere close to the main center of the airport. However, I swear to god they actually plan your transfers so you have to walk by, because I've seen this every time I've been at Houston:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nHy8_d3Fwh3X33oynZalfMtvY_AfbKflEGUu706yHQDLYu-6XZV9T82pDwKPTf6Ig1NoDFAnDyYoLO3FBn-_5cOlBrsFiuXrIwBWl74ta-CpeXNATRSIdYKjcOwXaufWxl15LIo-rs4f/s1600/Houston3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nHy8_d3Fwh3X33oynZalfMtvY_AfbKflEGUu706yHQDLYu-6XZV9T82pDwKPTf6Ig1NoDFAnDyYoLO3FBn-_5cOlBrsFiuXrIwBWl74ta-CpeXNATRSIdYKjcOwXaufWxl15LIo-rs4f/s400/Houston3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565233242840342994" /></a><br /><br />Yessir, that is George the First. I didn't get a good look, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's holding a bible. He's about 8ft tall -- add in the base and he towers about 9 feet over us wee minions scurrying past. I love how he's got a David posture going, but the REALLY hilarious thing is when you walk around the side and realize this is what he actually looks like:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJL7tx5zX4_d7v5ezQzCdwxfMyTt7iqz3xzEA9MBTek0Vvdf7wSm_tMX6rS8JamEkjzs2TC1oNeAUl7wVgeGyQmrNPO96pSE-3QQa5MI0kxjxUKmi6xXzliq0xlnHgccNCagD5zh9fjIwm/s1600/Houston2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJL7tx5zX4_d7v5ezQzCdwxfMyTt7iqz3xzEA9MBTek0Vvdf7wSm_tMX6rS8JamEkjzs2TC1oNeAUl7wVgeGyQmrNPO96pSE-3QQa5MI0kxjxUKmi6xXzliq0xlnHgccNCagD5zh9fjIwm/s400/Houston2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565233241567589682" /></a><br /><br />It's SUPERBUSH! Braving the winds of liberalism! Standing up for god, guns and gold!<br /><br />The name of the statue, btw, is "Winds of Change".<br /><br />After saying hi to George, I went on to my next flight. Weirdly enough, the 2.5 hour trip from Houston to Raleigh was made in a tiny little commuter jet like these:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBKaA9Sdr3rJ-H9TBmlaqKVcIJUN5Gjym0b3SC3BXCIo38o3FUpvgkZIlfRTQzpJDRditK41Oom3NjohIefpLMS-ueI8cx1arJuG2oHEWHCJO3egeQEsJLeqg7ZHiplniL5J-TjRpn6_Y/s1600/Houston5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBKaA9Sdr3rJ-H9TBmlaqKVcIJUN5Gjym0b3SC3BXCIo38o3FUpvgkZIlfRTQzpJDRditK41Oom3NjohIefpLMS-ueI8cx1arJuG2oHEWHCJO3egeQEsJLeqg7ZHiplniL5J-TjRpn6_Y/s400/Houston5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565233247212124578" /></a><br /><br />-- but the little shits apparently fly very fast, because I was a good half-hour early into Raleigh. Right after we took off, it was about 730 houston time, so I caught these gorgeous pictures of the morning clouds afire with sunrise:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuFiV3yIc1V1sJfI07prdfnjcvQnChTgR-7afmie8qozh3IS_e04aa7fDx1zFYkqnVNKwyR4R1GRUwKVvzkHKRZUs1-HJoTPMZYhssBsxr0pDiPLA6-xsCMbU7FxHtlOYfl8wZTufxzzW/s1600/Houston7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuFiV3yIc1V1sJfI07prdfnjcvQnChTgR-7afmie8qozh3IS_e04aa7fDx1zFYkqnVNKwyR4R1GRUwKVvzkHKRZUs1-HJoTPMZYhssBsxr0pDiPLA6-xsCMbU7FxHtlOYfl8wZTufxzzW/s400/Houston7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565233660109327250" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYYNLIa_Ky3vV3fcLSjmXyHKFKzX_JV3vJXB47gF5YJk-2DFgph-wGLMT9L0LXQg06jJiYMVZz6y4X7sDDugq_tuusAUuq9_85RHz2GWJBCeQuzWE2Q_5iNd9Qu-b1GA2KIIOfusbOHpb/s1600/Houston6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYYNLIa_Ky3vV3fcLSjmXyHKFKzX_JV3vJXB47gF5YJk-2DFgph-wGLMT9L0LXQg06jJiYMVZz6y4X7sDDugq_tuusAUuq9_85RHz2GWJBCeQuzWE2Q_5iNd9Qu-b1GA2KIIOfusbOHpb/s400/Houston6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565233251733222050" /></a><br /><br />When I got into Raleigh, it was about 10am and I'd slept about 2-3 hours total across the whole night, interrupted, so I was dazed as fuck-all. It was really pretty country -- very green, even more green than california despite the winter. I don't think I've ever actually seen countryside like this before. There's a lot of brown-gold wildgrass, and lots and lots of trees. Upon closer inspection, I realized all the trees were wild pines -- but not the tall, straight alpine pines I'm used to from various camping trips. This is what the freeway from Raleigh-Durham airport to Duke looked like:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWHxOGM3Fv97EqB28K9oBVBiJK0rMuUsatVy2EdpAGm9hQA3Nim6_myqekp6sjEgoA6jpRzZJtwLz2wXr-AFQyDNsVqP2VBauplfSSsACe15kjCInzD7e4j-DBTxDdAHfId0p9LSViU7K/s1600/Raleigh1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWHxOGM3Fv97EqB28K9oBVBiJK0rMuUsatVy2EdpAGm9hQA3Nim6_myqekp6sjEgoA6jpRzZJtwLz2wXr-AFQyDNsVqP2VBauplfSSsACe15kjCInzD7e4j-DBTxDdAHfId0p9LSViU7K/s400/Raleigh1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565233666523966306" /></a><br /><br />Kinda looked a bit like I-5 really close to the canadian border, actually.<br /><br />When I got into Duke proper, I was too busy looking for the place I needed to be to take pictures. This is unfortunately the only pic I got of the architecture there, which was pretty awesome -- very east coast ivy-league-style, which in turn was modeled after Cambridge and Oxford. All grey stone and gothic towers, along with a good dose of fortress architecture -- crenellations and arrowslits and all. The main quad was quite beautiful, and I regret not getting a pic.<br /><br />Anyway, here you go: Duke Chapel (it looked like a bloody cathedral, tbh) from the medical center area:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhro5ndw_6G6UFKhKd_eL-QkEPp06ZSjNreHI-ROM3yceo9C3Tb8mCZz_JKLOg2cPqOyY8NZxEDv_kKaFOQb94m2jk00Zlvx9oWIpSwQAiF1Df0gWds4c4wXA3kxt2OHqRwsI5ZS3GGt-Tk/s1600/Duke1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhro5ndw_6G6UFKhKd_eL-QkEPp06ZSjNreHI-ROM3yceo9C3Tb8mCZz_JKLOg2cPqOyY8NZxEDv_kKaFOQb94m2jk00Zlvx9oWIpSwQAiF1Df0gWds4c4wXA3kxt2OHqRwsI5ZS3GGt-Tk/s400/Duke1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565233669009195586" /></a><br /><br />After that, I slapped some alertness back into myself and went off to a quick meeting. When I got out of that, I decided to drive around campus a bit before heading to my hotel. Duke was founded by some very wealthy tobacco barons. Their daughter Doris Duke was your quintessential southern debutante, and she apparently commissioned a gorgeous garden to run along the east side of the campus. I stopped off in there and took quite a few pictures. I'm sure it's even more lovely in the spring and summer, but these are the Duke Gardens in the dead of winter. This is the entrance area:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18-JfaiBYZxiQHslh4-6OXBvEaf3FFOwfg3EXpwANzt38rr-idMJQjowHDsqrQc5z5iY5pdp7xTHKxGhBe0IKpC7Z-WDzPhBXTJ0oaY2jvNNp42sC4tlw_If_RgfIm6gEleX-kvRTB7GS/s1600/Duke2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18-JfaiBYZxiQHslh4-6OXBvEaf3FFOwfg3EXpwANzt38rr-idMJQjowHDsqrQc5z5iY5pdp7xTHKxGhBe0IKpC7Z-WDzPhBXTJ0oaY2jvNNp42sC4tlw_If_RgfIm6gEleX-kvRTB7GS/s400/Duke2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565233675523910274" /></a><br /><br />I think in the summer that central area would be filled with flowers. Right now it was filled with mud *LOL*<br /><br />Continuing past the rotunda, the path opens out into a little forest park-type setting. There's a lot crammed in there -- it starts with an almost french-garden-type look, then rapidly moves into a more english, pastoral garden. This garden is literally in the middle of campus -- you can see the school's buildings from the path:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8q8NKwddJ-xWKdk28ZrevXRkWfNK16mrRZpjruUjwob8ghnyzmYS07I2gHw1E2iJNDAUhyn94YIXAqfA3wuNw6EXYU3Iz-dQE6bZXEWRZ8AevnCcNZk2xU4A69sxVFrHfKaOysfzR5bA6/s1600/Duke5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8q8NKwddJ-xWKdk28ZrevXRkWfNK16mrRZpjruUjwob8ghnyzmYS07I2gHw1E2iJNDAUhyn94YIXAqfA3wuNw6EXYU3Iz-dQE6bZXEWRZ8AevnCcNZk2xU4A69sxVFrHfKaOysfzR5bA6/s400/Duke5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565233678216385682" /></a><br /><br />Here's a nice little stream-and-bridge:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHBKagqLm0FI06L_6hAWps26Ftsj_PVHc2PB8u4eN4L-zUlip-kPVwcb9EWUlT_eySiqxnNtvTyR8e3FBjpq22Zhxq_HqhAMeQ0JQMKtXSrdx12gDbEgZK6JFVF5yPxcewC34x6rzPXF4/s1600/Duke6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHBKagqLm0FI06L_6hAWps26Ftsj_PVHc2PB8u4eN4L-zUlip-kPVwcb9EWUlT_eySiqxnNtvTyR8e3FBjpq22Zhxq_HqhAMeQ0JQMKtXSrdx12gDbEgZK6JFVF5yPxcewC34x6rzPXF4/s400/Duke6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565234127764927842" /></a><br /><br />And on the other side, that stream leads to a pond with a pretty big variety of ducks peacefully coexisting. You can't really make them out, but there are ducks on the left side of the pond -- mallards and wood ducks and the like.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIt1Jchq3iofJx3dsDjaGIKtLTD0A5QAae9TriN_WdQrbgUZNUTnI_Tz9NH3jikcSLrnWjpzwiIYySPwewcJaTaA-uicURJRIiocblQILmlRWxoGVSs7xte-DkYP7oa3QiVTnMTjHjWgpz/s1600/Duke7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIt1Jchq3iofJx3dsDjaGIKtLTD0A5QAae9TriN_WdQrbgUZNUTnI_Tz9NH3jikcSLrnWjpzwiIYySPwewcJaTaA-uicURJRIiocblQILmlRWxoGVSs7xte-DkYP7oa3QiVTnMTjHjWgpz/s400/Duke7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565234134685822450" /></a><br /><br />I liked the red bridge :]<br /><br />Coming back up, you could circle behind the forest-y area and find a japanese-ish garden there. There's a small clearing with a cherry tree in front of a pavilion, which must be really beautiful in the spring. It looked like hell in the picture, though, which I think wasn't at all the intent of the gardeners, so I left that snapshot out.<br /><br />There was also a bamboo forest. In front of the bamboo forest were plum trees. Plums are always the first flowers to bloom in the bay, which is something I've always loved them for -- you see the plum blossoms in late january, early february, and you know spring is coming. The same thing seemed to be true in North Carolina. This is probably my favorite picture from the whole trip -- the very first plum blossom on the whole tree juxtaposed against the green bamboos in the background. I'm not sure why the image is tilted. That was an accident, not some ... artsy maneuver. Despite it, I like the way it came out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8oLDDM0Nh5ObZwo7EjAChDa9xMLRASNVWxr4CXn_K9g3KW6v5XAlcVjuvxhDcGnTTw2VkytfWqNeBOHR3OlP5STXdwDZITtESaG_gVRHEVCtTeIhZ9whQ_DfGonLvolHMOpL0llTVlY8/s1600/Duke3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8oLDDM0Nh5ObZwo7EjAChDa9xMLRASNVWxr4CXn_K9g3KW6v5XAlcVjuvxhDcGnTTw2VkytfWqNeBOHR3OlP5STXdwDZITtESaG_gVRHEVCtTeIhZ9whQ_DfGonLvolHMOpL0llTVlY8/s400/Duke3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565234134834943858" /></a><br /><br />Wandering into the little bamboo stand, I got this snap, which reminded me a bit of the panda preserve in Sichuan:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEo6P9KFwg9VDppwiS7LKx-SNDHPYDzoVDsbIMCLeupwsC901sHF7DoEW397tqtBcBih-11Dz6p4l2LhZYpI3jWGP3e2lb_XDDTi1tD6cw9IdGOp1oAAlySJ3AvOgp-uqTHE_o5hyphenhyphen9uja/s1600/Duke4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEo6P9KFwg9VDppwiS7LKx-SNDHPYDzoVDsbIMCLeupwsC901sHF7DoEW397tqtBcBih-11Dz6p4l2LhZYpI3jWGP3e2lb_XDDTi1tD6cw9IdGOp1oAAlySJ3AvOgp-uqTHE_o5hyphenhyphen9uja/s400/Duke4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565234138184213714" /></a><br /><br />On my way out, I stopped by the visitor center, which was staffed by a single elderly, perfectly coiffed lady. She looked like she stepped off the set of Golden Girls -- snow white hair and perfect, vivid makeup, plus a soft southern drawl. It was awesome.<br /><br />I gotta say, I liked the North Carolina accent. It wasn't as jarring and twangy as the southern accents farther south and west -- it was this very soft, classy drawl.<br /><br />Anyway, outside of the visitor center, I took a pic of their fountain:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiJ1-hqX6XHYBeKx5LmwAeV2A2r4wFAOGW9uz8DBQVt_Hrr_yuggoCYOjsdSSMbEknnq1dJjnuSudqTA8nmIBj6ECibezV35NEafLTF7VEby9DIhfRoxCxiUgeFUT6-DQgrYlgldzKd5Z/s1600/Duke8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiJ1-hqX6XHYBeKx5LmwAeV2A2r4wFAOGW9uz8DBQVt_Hrr_yuggoCYOjsdSSMbEknnq1dJjnuSudqTA8nmIBj6ECibezV35NEafLTF7VEby9DIhfRoxCxiUgeFUT6-DQgrYlgldzKd5Z/s400/Duke8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565234151833432162" /></a><br /><br />On my way off-campus, I snapped this pic of a tree-lined road pretty representative of the whole campus, except the central quad area --<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfwfdJ5atwq8wBLwwGHHr5am7Zez9Pdp_BauB9xeeN8eCaa4-NRtn3vOMWNgWZLuWyxelnF98UY-_1TIyFxLzceq-giwKfQa81yEo-tIhrUEY4TMxwVFAA-R9wHeDT9KaZykOBXygb6T4/s1600/Duke9.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfwfdJ5atwq8wBLwwGHHr5am7Zez9Pdp_BauB9xeeN8eCaa4-NRtn3vOMWNgWZLuWyxelnF98UY-_1TIyFxLzceq-giwKfQa81yEo-tIhrUEY4TMxwVFAA-R9wHeDT9KaZykOBXygb6T4/s400/Duke9.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565235597364505522" /></a><br /><br />Next up: "downtown" Durham, rural areas, and Raleigh airport!Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-45750380240439558272011-01-22T06:38:00.000-07:002011-01-22T06:55:03.365-07:00fox woman.I wrote this while on a plane from Houston to Raleigh ON MY CELL PHONE:<br /><br />--<br /><br />While I was in Chicago, I had the good fortune to rent a car with XM radio. Now, I don't think I'd ever subscribe to xm radio myself since I rarely listen to the radio, but it was really sweet to have a radio that would play something other than top 40 while I was scooting around the city and its suburbs.<br /><br />Anyway, while I was zipping about taking a gazillion pictures, I pretty much kept the radio tuned to xm's chill station. As I was driving out to Stickney, Fever Ray's "Keep the Streets Empty for Me" played. It's an amazing track - a very deliberate, subtly echoing beat underlying this sort of ... barren, minimalist soundscape, and all of it overlaid with vocals that are at once poignant and raw. Anyway, the road, the snow, the grey skies and this music fused into this remarkable, singular experience that instantly rocketed this song into my all-time favorites list.<br /><br />So of course when I got home I downloaded it, and now I pretty much have it looping whenever I have a spare moment to listen. The more I listen, the more it reminds me of that old japanese folk tale about the fox woman. Wikipedia relates it like this -- a very sparse bare-bones retelling that nonetheless is way better than any I could put together:<br /><br /><blockquote>Ono, an inhabitant of Mino (says an ancient Japanese legend of A.D. 545), spent the seasons longing for his ideal of female beauty. He met her one evening on a vast moor and married her. Simultaneously with the birth of their son, Ono's dog was delivered of a pup which as it grew up became more and more hostile to the lady of the moors. She begged her husband to kill it, but he refused. At last one day the dog attacked her so furiously that she lost courage, resumed vulpine shape, leaped over a fence and fled.<br /><br />"You may be a fox," Ono called after her, "but you are the mother of my son and I love you. Come back when you please; you will always be welcome."<br /><br />So every evening she stole back and slept in his arms.</blockquote><br />I don't know what exactly about Keep the Streets Empty For Me reminds me of that story. Everything about it, I guess. Some distinct parts of the lyrics ("I'm laying down, eating snow/my fur is hot and my tongue is cold/on a bed of spiderwebs/I think of how to change myself"; "take me home before the storm"; "morning, keep the streets empty for me"; "uncover our heads and reveal our souls") definitely struck a chord, but more than that, I think it's just the sound of the song -- a little bit lonely, very poignant, a little bit alien, and just a touch erotic. The almost-feral rawness of the vocals, too, strewn over that wintry beat.<br /><br />Anyway. I definitely associate it with fox-women now. :]<br /><br />Listen here:<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Tf7ddGcxzJ4" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-27121674006911755882011-01-17T21:46:00.000-07:002011-01-17T21:53:27.089-07:00shameless rp stuff, continued!Totally just an image dump this time. Stuff I drew like 1-2 years ago. First, four of my characters as playing cards. Silence, fenrir modi, as the ace of spades:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmh8Zf9UAMHQ6kzekdw30G8bzy_Vj4ZdZdiUMJ5JA_24L881PNLkOfDPvkI_g-ktJWtupaU90xxLSgmSVzeU3uNxHHu0viI5wfx0u4NedwCkt1ZZx3LA3sqQ4j8Xfk25DCHgLcB1ht77u/s1600/Ace-of-Spades.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmh8Zf9UAMHQ6kzekdw30G8bzy_Vj4ZdZdiUMJ5JA_24L881PNLkOfDPvkI_g-ktJWtupaU90xxLSgmSVzeU3uNxHHu0viI5wfx0u4NedwCkt1ZZx3LA3sqQ4j8Xfk25DCHgLcB1ht77u/s400/Ace-of-Spades.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563384261284777138" /></a><br /><br />Oberon, unseelie satyr king, as the ace of hearts. I gotta say, this was the second one I did, and spades took WAY longer, but I think this is my favorite. I just like the stern, cruel expression on his face and the BLOODY SEVERED EYELESS HEAD. cuz. i dunno. people think "hearts" and they think whoamance, LURV. but this is like. HEARTS. BLOODY, CONVULSING, VIOLENT HEARTS.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxb3mip0LxzaECxxclPhoUEPDZmX2fqir_NQgI1KMCGGZLniky_fQ-uG3iFO0EBVJIGMAdNH_Glcf5khNLis6AZ-RUUlfcAxsSNsDNqjFRFbnLM1xzP-9k3s8UZl59RUCuEsGWEQpVsjqT/s1600/Ace-of-Hearts.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxb3mip0LxzaECxxclPhoUEPDZmX2fqir_NQgI1KMCGGZLniky_fQ-uG3iFO0EBVJIGMAdNH_Glcf5khNLis6AZ-RUUlfcAxsSNsDNqjFRFbnLM1xzP-9k3s8UZl59RUCuEsGWEQpVsjqT/s400/Ace-of-Hearts.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563380824018469330" /></a><br /><br />Vast, fang galliard, as the ace of diamonds:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5yqgZKYyPSRowN_fCtXxWS3j_CUDQZSXTN03dnJaeWuC6kkzOym0b8a5n8p7FfXVwYsXtNlKZSol7867SaMd1qccI2dtpiebEOVm6FZVeuyetbwdYNo5GLcBIye-UIQFf7GHRArBqPzQ/s1600/Ace-of-Diamonds.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5yqgZKYyPSRowN_fCtXxWS3j_CUDQZSXTN03dnJaeWuC6kkzOym0b8a5n8p7FfXVwYsXtNlKZSol7867SaMd1qccI2dtpiebEOVm6FZVeuyetbwdYNo5GLcBIye-UIQFf7GHRArBqPzQ/s400/Ace-of-Diamonds.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563380810115314034" /></a><br /><br />Coll, fianna ahroun, as the ace of clubs:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJb0TpY9_fZBRzIzIuD3KbiQ4QO-scZidpGVdo_DHfo8eECGjAzvKAJmKGWmqAcLU2c0mcdJhLWj7o3YvGe87aJb2CeuFnaUGAvwQrijRrOnvplogJG4zP5Om5ruJU4-GcrWv755B3jo_/s1600/Ace-of-Clubs.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJb0TpY9_fZBRzIzIuD3KbiQ4QO-scZidpGVdo_DHfo8eECGjAzvKAJmKGWmqAcLU2c0mcdJhLWj7o3YvGe87aJb2CeuFnaUGAvwQrijRrOnvplogJG4zP5Om5ruJU4-GcrWv755B3jo_/s400/Ace-of-Clubs.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563380801277506674" /></a><br /><br />Moar Decker. This is where the whole sketch began. Later on I tacked on the rest of the body + Imogen, but tbh the proportions were always off. I think it looks best like this --<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyMjhWXZuHsy3gDwhTwq-2Xnj-9LX_a-IE0T3iZx2YNE8jcF_eSEKsXmMkdUBXilhyphenhyphenWaOrwYBkkhcGzkGBc-GSLXTFMKdnwysMVjpRh-xmgj5V2j-_SCB_1biVApQ5CveBOXIsFjja8YL/s1600/Decker+Detail.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 340px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyMjhWXZuHsy3gDwhTwq-2Xnj-9LX_a-IE0T3iZx2YNE8jcF_eSEKsXmMkdUBXilhyphenhyphenWaOrwYBkkhcGzkGBc-GSLXTFMKdnwysMVjpRh-xmgj5V2j-_SCB_1biVApQ5CveBOXIsFjja8YL/s400/Decker+Detail.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563380835572673330" /></a><br /><br />And last up -- I forgot I'd even drawn this. I think this is actually inspired by someone else's art, that I wanted to put my own spin on, but I lost interest mid-project and moved on to something else *LOL*<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUKx3_WYrH7EpyhLTHS_sKvU6aRkwXYMEaHaOUtVxUh51CujAn0SzlpJJtZ7EZKSH05NUZG7WCoivTAMZvVehS5Q4jZwe_pvLNvVi4ptGQ6yoeKHWWP_sR1MrGZ8X_1CWZymSis2l-fuX/s1600/Werewolf.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 278px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUKx3_WYrH7EpyhLTHS_sKvU6aRkwXYMEaHaOUtVxUh51CujAn0SzlpJJtZ7EZKSH05NUZG7WCoivTAMZvVehS5Q4jZwe_pvLNvVi4ptGQ6yoeKHWWP_sR1MrGZ8X_1CWZymSis2l-fuX/s400/Werewolf.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563382610385830578" /></a><br /><br />Hey! While I'm coalescing creative crap, might as well add this on:<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/A3vv6dMgBRg?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/A3vv6dMgBRg?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />...yeah, that eye totally wasn't green by accident *LOL*Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-92063678106517023482011-01-17T21:34:00.001-07:002011-01-17T22:00:48.340-07:00character survey, ii.So I first ran this survey in like, 2004. I asked chilltank again tonight:<br /><br />Complete this sentence: "In a hundred years, if anyone still remembers my characters, they'll remember me for my ... "<br /><br />Me: twinked-out tall dark and handsome ahrouns. *LOL* I'VE CONSOLIDATED.<br />I will remember you for your ugly metis BSD with the cleft lip. and his online dating encounters. - Liz<br /><br />Kai: "Impeccable and incredible smut-writing!"<br /><br />Jamie: "... uncanny ability to convince straight male players to RP gay sex scenes."<br />"... inability to keep a PC alive longer than six months."<br />"love for Red Shirts"<br />"SEXUALLY AND MORALLY AMBIGUOUS ASSHOLES."<br /><br />Angelina: "Gleeful willingness to be tortured."<br /><br />Kenna: "My spitfire Kin and Cold Death"<br /><br />Myr: "I would probably be remembered for my sentence fragments and abuse of punctuation :("<br /><br />Poison: "I would be remembered for my delightful off-the-cuff kinfolk."<br /><br />Jacqui: "I would be remembered for my germ-phobic Philodox Silver Fang Katherine, who terrorised Chicago's masses with her beauty and style. "<br />"a lady on the streets and a freak between the sheets" - Jamie<br /><br />Lessa: "my anti-social characters, with deep, moving, meaningful backgrounds no one ever discovers because they're anti-social characters."<br /><br />Liz: "fierce." you don't even need a noun for liz's PCs. - JamieDamonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-50085007399629249192011-01-17T03:28:00.001-07:002011-01-17T03:45:01.082-07:00magnificent geekery in chicago (viii)On the last day I was in Chicago, I was up before dawn, but by the time I got my metro ass groomed and out on the streets it was a little past seven and the sky was getting brighter.<br /><br />As I was driving off to my meeting, I happened across this, so I quickly pulled over and took a pic:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7QKfDuSENW1veukfPNPiAnZMJHqnAjRPGQIGVD8zA6yUtCW2Vd23hy40hkJOQ382wVg6HegL5LEgwW-VjspeMwl9C6ZEjx8nRQclytT0yI3xuuJLBIAxHUnaOMdDNsCauf48JapKBoqw/s1600/Affinia.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7QKfDuSENW1veukfPNPiAnZMJHqnAjRPGQIGVD8zA6yUtCW2Vd23hy40hkJOQ382wVg6HegL5LEgwW-VjspeMwl9C6ZEjx8nRQclytT0yI3xuuJLBIAxHUnaOMdDNsCauf48JapKBoqw/s400/Affinia.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563101829826995938" /></a><br /><br />Hee!<br /><br />Then, as I was crossing Chicago River between Mag Mile and the Loop, I wanted to take a pic from the bridge, but I could only stop when I was past it. This pic isn't nearly as cool as the one looking over the river would be :[<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBWvc2uE3FmgCyuP5YVIMaaoa3RXuilH3wPoo795ZLGhPXe65OcJRnw28RHprl7Y5XlchUMAozRpeK0Udz7LMVi6ND0bIbeKSsAfoYPM6buV8J_-5HigeHSmSabDCdleE3BH9hELhMr-5/s1600/Chicago+River.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBWvc2uE3FmgCyuP5YVIMaaoa3RXuilH3wPoo795ZLGhPXe65OcJRnw28RHprl7Y5XlchUMAozRpeK0Udz7LMVi6ND0bIbeKSsAfoYPM6buV8J_-5HigeHSmSabDCdleE3BH9hELhMr-5/s400/Chicago+River.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563101834080159298" /></a><br /><br />I was out of my meeting around 1:30pm. I decided to go have a look around Elk Grove before I headed to O'Hare. This is a pic on the big open highway heading out to EG. That is, as I discovered the hard way, actually NOT a freeway. The speed limit is 45, not 65. I got pulled over by a cop >_< Fortunately, after apologizing a billion times and explaining that I honestly did not know the speed limit was 45 and thought it was a freeway because I'm from California, he let me off with a warning. I was amazed, and incredibly grateful. I already have two speeding tickets and a running-stop-sign ticket from like. THE LAST YEAR :[[[[<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNsTuVYcbVeEsG7Sry9jKCFFdwTTHLCmNAxuZziMh_7LzY59deWemy5cSCr7YFCCZstU4Kcs2ETGQxdA1MqzbparvcOS27jrW2nTd-01gilQWrfPIn-DLW0oplhZE7Veu2MxIs8_IUiV4/s1600/Country+Roads.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNsTuVYcbVeEsG7Sry9jKCFFdwTTHLCmNAxuZziMh_7LzY59deWemy5cSCr7YFCCZstU4Kcs2ETGQxdA1MqzbparvcOS27jrW2nTd-01gilQWrfPIn-DLW0oplhZE7Veu2MxIs8_IUiV4/s400/Country+Roads.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563101832220294626" /></a><br /><br />When I got near Elk Grove, I saw this really gorgeous little stretch of road:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOv7frmas9bOqTUtsXBlgi5hpK8TO-C_24uUrllmSulv2TmNDHzfCqa1YWMV3pwMrE-F1xx9DajXE4KelJciMeWF4tZ8GhFz3F2zhtLTalVaOOrXHHnpQNyntzjQ-rJaJdInPcBjoccWJg/s1600/Elk+Grove.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOv7frmas9bOqTUtsXBlgi5hpK8TO-C_24uUrllmSulv2TmNDHzfCqa1YWMV3pwMrE-F1xx9DajXE4KelJciMeWF4tZ8GhFz3F2zhtLTalVaOOrXHHnpQNyntzjQ-rJaJdInPcBjoccWJg/s400/Elk+Grove.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563101842163203458" /></a><br /><br />However, Elk Grove itself was kind of ... not at ALL what I thought. It was, in fact, not even a residential town. It was like a giant transportation hub -- and not even the cool rundown sort. Just tons and tons of humongous warehouses, railways running through, truck parking everywhere. All very corporate and blah.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3Fzjvlj95kKund46EoqNaF5-mBLmzNMBpQsmroRci6xRDmiix76OT-dJKAh0AHilHPy1xlDUBH9LlC3391dm9985g484vyqHQw0x6ILAzm7qUrCQthgQw3A7egIRvQ0-SoGeSfeI9nSr/s1600/Elk+Grove+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3Fzjvlj95kKund46EoqNaF5-mBLmzNMBpQsmroRci6xRDmiix76OT-dJKAh0AHilHPy1xlDUBH9LlC3391dm9985g484vyqHQw0x6ILAzm7qUrCQthgQw3A7egIRvQ0-SoGeSfeI9nSr/s400/Elk+Grove+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563101847686133074" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Y3a8xeJKHQf0t17ien1Tj0ZZsVO4ROTqyb7-ZRq4VqIE_iQ9sgL8GcxB2kVIcrTbYfd4jzTCpsuuFoZZ5KAq5h-rOJC7fFtTPd6jSGtTzsw0ZbHYaKNW5lDP0Bhg5ABdcwrATM0_gwUL/s1600/Elk+Grove+3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Y3a8xeJKHQf0t17ien1Tj0ZZsVO4ROTqyb7-ZRq4VqIE_iQ9sgL8GcxB2kVIcrTbYfd4jzTCpsuuFoZZ5KAq5h-rOJC7fFtTPd6jSGtTzsw0ZbHYaKNW5lDP0Bhg5ABdcwrATM0_gwUL/s400/Elk+Grove+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563103683903725426" /></a><br /><br />I did, however, discover that Katherine also really lives in Chicago, but is actually a street:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-iHjasT3dvWw70Y7ymnn9wrWBeJ-3Z0dzEWIjLnJALIUkdPL52zydjmPeSIVnt-ShtDGJMLlR07Or9XLkccDr0Q0Vj-fMznvJpLRGV1emXXH59SIAPGYb_gJVqvD5VS_ncKW-uQyvBjr/s1600/Katherine+Ave.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-iHjasT3dvWw70Y7ymnn9wrWBeJ-3Z0dzEWIjLnJALIUkdPL52zydjmPeSIVnt-ShtDGJMLlR07Or9XLkccDr0Q0Vj-fMznvJpLRGV1emXXH59SIAPGYb_gJVqvD5VS_ncKW-uQyvBjr/s400/Katherine+Ave.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563103690468780050" /></a><br /><br />After Elk Grove, I pretty much headed to O'Hare. Right before turning my rental car in, I snapped this pic at the gate to the airport. This is the back side of the airport, and all that endless white expanse you're looking at is airport land. It is absolutely, mindblowingly huge. You can't even see the terminals from there -- just some hangars.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRa52-o76A_BZdja8Z_5GzSL_vPwCn2KB82Dp67wxnt52WJTcNQC92VBNwknL82e9cfxrtk0Y3__IcbxOVl86T5WjdsLAt584mQ9Sh7s7tf1DVx5W75exFaT05Cocu2DW6fGeOjMXij9C/s1600/O+Hare+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRa52-o76A_BZdja8Z_5GzSL_vPwCn2KB82Dp67wxnt52WJTcNQC92VBNwknL82e9cfxrtk0Y3__IcbxOVl86T5WjdsLAt584mQ9Sh7s7tf1DVx5W75exFaT05Cocu2DW6fGeOjMXij9C/s400/O+Hare+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563103694759637170" /></a><br /><br />Inside the airport, there was this nifty little entryway to the American Airlines terminal:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyn1wJ5Y9Xuf3b0ReEa12JoweSy8Aa_22JGqm_jvSxjT0knLwNsVes6pGXMOW6OB1PIt1o-nFYnO4J7UHQnzWt8PFpZRKPReYbraW4vHrX8dsCLC0N929HwCsTq-P2fr4hFi-BGtrm8LR_/s1600/O+Hare+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyn1wJ5Y9Xuf3b0ReEa12JoweSy8Aa_22JGqm_jvSxjT0knLwNsVes6pGXMOW6OB1PIt1o-nFYnO4J7UHQnzWt8PFpZRKPReYbraW4vHrX8dsCLC0N929HwCsTq-P2fr4hFi-BGtrm8LR_/s400/O+Hare+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563103695260741106" /></a><br /><br />And the last pic I got from Chicago was, appropriately enough, sunset from the terminal :] It kinda felt full circle, since I landed just after dusk on the 13th. I wanted to take a pic of the city from the air, but I wasn't sitting by the window. Anyway, we flew straight west, so we never passed over downtown Chicago. I'll just have to wait til the next time I fly cross-country over Chicago :]<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic2Z_7GEGql8ZQNTQUi5iE1xGDN3E4vnanNBq4G6WbBffeBaNhQbBS5YOlpbYBoHz_70hwGcNIp3uhom3-kXPXkzga70FWpI6qI_03yCMh2BSSUW5sWdmlvniJ1qQ3jXxWezBpT1ehbH0/s1600/O+Hare+3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic2Z_7GEGql8ZQNTQUi5iE1xGDN3E4vnanNBq4G6WbBffeBaNhQbBS5YOlpbYBoHz_70hwGcNIp3uhom3-kXPXkzga70FWpI6qI_03yCMh2BSSUW5sWdmlvniJ1qQ3jXxWezBpT1ehbH0/s400/O+Hare+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563103701804255298" /></a><br /><br />All in all, awesome trip. I had a blast hunting down RP locales and snapping pics. I think at some point I might take some pics from around the Bay, too! But don't hold your breath for them -- my updates are slow and sporadic as hell *LOL*Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-63015691348507536252011-01-17T02:53:00.000-07:002011-01-17T03:28:01.743-07:00magnificent geekery in chicago (vii)Okay, so, after I finally made it over to Millennium Park, I went and saw the infamous Jellybean:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJ3SSNpB_JtPcqXqaJL8GxVvBY4Kj1VAe1QOh-nhjlWvy8Jaxc268DDS2rnac5WgC2HQk45ZZlwrfATG9gDxlWJidfbRrxeZVczY6HzYuvq7P0X1B45AgK4Gz3OE001ehOQuRoF4Te5hZ/s1600/GrantPark11.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJ3SSNpB_JtPcqXqaJL8GxVvBY4Kj1VAe1QOh-nhjlWvy8Jaxc268DDS2rnac5WgC2HQk45ZZlwrfATG9gDxlWJidfbRrxeZVczY6HzYuvq7P0X1B45AgK4Gz3OE001ehOQuRoF4Te5hZ/s400/GrantPark11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563098827963329314" /></a><br /><br />That is technically a self-portrait. However, *I* can't even tell where the fuck my reflection is. I think it might be one of the tiny black specks on the bean. I wanted to do the thumbs-up-deformed-reflection thing, but it actually didn't work at all :[<br /><br />That's actually the back side of Cloud Gate. If you come in from the front, it actually sits atop this giant tourist trap with gift shops, a cafe, and restrooms. I thought it looked better from this POV, though, partly cuz on the other side there were about a billion tourists crowded around. Also, from the other side it wasn't as easy to get a nice shot that framed the city as well.<br /><br />I walked through the bean, too. I have to say, the underside is seriously disconcerting. It's very concave, with a circular ... I don't know, recess/indentation in the very center. The effect was like there was a hole in the middle, except it wasn't a hole, it was another distorted reflection. It felt like walking through a black hole o_O I seriously had a moment of vertigo when I was looking up and walking through it!<br /><br />After the Bean, I went to Crown Fountain. The water wasn't spraying, but the giant faces were still there. It's hard to exaggerate how fucking creepy this thing is *LOL* I happened to take the pic right as the face grinned, but for most of the time they just stare blankly out at you, blinking every few seconds. It was ... yeaaaah. It was creepy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqr9C8U58Mhc4aZ9bhfKtA7c7BkxMW4z5mUMddHC2zwrv92hr2HRTRk2ZNLGCdOJGLfxbQ4TUTcWgnb4XpH2IPgxhW0PNBcibAVvOdMjOZIlay0CQ-hirC5epf4SPdc5MLfkf8nwxj5GtV/s1600/GrantPark12.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqr9C8U58Mhc4aZ9bhfKtA7c7BkxMW4z5mUMddHC2zwrv92hr2HRTRk2ZNLGCdOJGLfxbQ4TUTcWgnb4XpH2IPgxhW0PNBcibAVvOdMjOZIlay0CQ-hirC5epf4SPdc5MLfkf8nwxj5GtV/s400/GrantPark12.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563098836634622514" /></a><br /><br />Just one more pic from Grant Park -- this is looking south from Crown Fountain:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjL7nbslJmFOObMD8ylNJqos43ABe79FjTPq6odocgsjJGyRPsBGUDOvzoKrPw-AP5mKtxP9cBT5h-QpiTwwDpJNdHAGFHmPh3FUJJeUJ2GrRrfl3utgQQdBjZdM4fjQ_QoH56plWuJhgc/s1600/GrantPark13.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjL7nbslJmFOObMD8ylNJqos43ABe79FjTPq6odocgsjJGyRPsBGUDOvzoKrPw-AP5mKtxP9cBT5h-QpiTwwDpJNdHAGFHmPh3FUJJeUJ2GrRrfl3utgQQdBjZdM4fjQ_QoH56plWuJhgc/s400/GrantPark13.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563098834722199794" /></a><br /><br />After that, I hopped into the car and went to Bronzeville. I have to say, I take back what I said earlier about not being able to tell good areas from bad in Chicago. Bronzeville is officially a Bad Area. There were crumbling tenements everywhere, along with condemned buildings, old overpasses, and empty lots. I only took maybe 3-4 pictures there, and they're pretty tame pics tbh, but that's mainly because I was literally afraid to take pics of the really shady-looking areas. It was getting dark, and I didn't want to get shot *LMAO*<br /><br />This is really the only pic of Bville I got that even looks remotely as scary as it was:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0Y9ArqpeplAPIh4Gh67eSUdoj9zbopXJiFpqQvfPAxzWof3DR3I2aAe1nPHJB_qWo4efVeiMYEVX9e_nLAVHXlHuhCskF_XYZqMb_mjU-WLr01gnNI5nhlrTOOQ4igSo_H9RedMyLGfG/s1600/Bronzeville2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0Y9ArqpeplAPIh4Gh67eSUdoj9zbopXJiFpqQvfPAxzWof3DR3I2aAe1nPHJB_qWo4efVeiMYEVX9e_nLAVHXlHuhCskF_XYZqMb_mjU-WLr01gnNI5nhlrTOOQ4igSo_H9RedMyLGfG/s400/Bronzeville2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563098838204901842" /></a><br /><br />And you can't even see the details. Like how rusted that ... bridge thing is. And how cracked and falling-apart the wall is. I love how that grocery store is called Saveway though. Like Safeway, only ghetto!<br /><br />Then it was time to come back downtown. This is yet another attempt at the city-rising-out-of-distance picture, but alas by the time I could stop and take a pic the best view (of the whole skyline) was already past:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1BsLMGXjWJDUQDxN5rImYPK90yn4kPxmz9NWB4QcoQj5F_77Msqm6FpyFtpne6kgWUDqQoKD_rfAHwUJq5SnZg8eKknkWFKRBYAvGdSjtpPV73pzMMMtW9iElFeuFDVnZ1kC7kSmyUrsc/s1600/LakeShoreDrive4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1BsLMGXjWJDUQDxN5rImYPK90yn4kPxmz9NWB4QcoQj5F_77Msqm6FpyFtpne6kgWUDqQoKD_rfAHwUJq5SnZg8eKknkWFKRBYAvGdSjtpPV73pzMMMtW9iElFeuFDVnZ1kC7kSmyUrsc/s400/LakeShoreDrive4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563098845306815858" /></a><br /><br />And here's two pictures going north on Mag Mile. They're SLIGHTLY clearer than the ones I got the first night, possibly because there was a bit more ambient light so the glitz of the lights didn't totally blind my poor little cellphone cam:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtiQ3YpFy00ZKIUuivFk_hCGIJbZm17gwW2_48xKWm7SnDm0nKF7mGovJwLzLrPa2v6WoKoyGPozuikpm1DpuGnFvoV8UzIG8QVrAuPt3DIVKEJluy29SVQQw7kDogOWF84Jz_fNOTVUF/s1600/MagMile2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtiQ3YpFy00ZKIUuivFk_hCGIJbZm17gwW2_48xKWm7SnDm0nKF7mGovJwLzLrPa2v6WoKoyGPozuikpm1DpuGnFvoV8UzIG8QVrAuPt3DIVKEJluy29SVQQw7kDogOWF84Jz_fNOTVUF/s400/MagMile2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563099081353986626" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNQmrvk_tXXUsiuVVxsMeSselVOu5UKKmS-SqHNQIdDNqTLzFhKgYjOns3f-1ui8xUY-cuaowEn3MxWXusXykxP9rXrJIedgtPABlqUDm_WSKnGeaDqy8KqcTI1xb1IBv4wX8b0q7Rd08/s1600/MagMileTooMag2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNQmrvk_tXXUsiuVVxsMeSselVOu5UKKmS-SqHNQIdDNqTLzFhKgYjOns3f-1ui8xUY-cuaowEn3MxWXusXykxP9rXrJIedgtPABlqUDm_WSKnGeaDqy8KqcTI1xb1IBv4wX8b0q7Rd08/s400/MagMileTooMag2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563099086132910818" /></a><br /><br />And there ended my second day of insane pic taking! Only a few more pics left from the last day, which I'll post next :]Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-46689606098689503892011-01-17T02:01:00.000-07:002011-01-17T02:53:53.334-07:00magnificent geekery in chicago (vi)Coming back from Stickney, I tried to take a pic of the city rising out of the haze. It looked way better than this IRL, and even better than this at night. Alas! This is the best you'll get:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSS6ropgu6iz2cPW6cdDx7LTxuRWA-l961Cg_RQekwBXMeMfts77vFELUSENU6FTE6dOqMDW0KLmweoNcX5woyMX9Vf4OmRoPrHtnEgMkGxrjXVLadN_4Q5RxZ8BCTVKXj7v8w5p2DFpR/s1600/Skyline.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSS6ropgu6iz2cPW6cdDx7LTxuRWA-l961Cg_RQekwBXMeMfts77vFELUSENU6FTE6dOqMDW0KLmweoNcX5woyMX9Vf4OmRoPrHtnEgMkGxrjXVLadN_4Q5RxZ8BCTVKXj7v8w5p2DFpR/s400/Skyline.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563086868558831106" /></a><br /><br />Then I swung by Grant Park for a look. This is a view of Soldier Field with part of the Loop in the background:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkn1kaY0A6huf4xPvFB2E_EL0UL0KWeJJ9Y5rM8wuMvlnph4w8-X665JwizGztBBGofb0jt_TnvhxroPrmBpzrxG8dm2oc4Vh9n2GVVeW-rdY2R6G6ZXSVuaqgBI5O5REPmgoEQBateag/s1600/GrantPark1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkn1kaY0A6huf4xPvFB2E_EL0UL0KWeJJ9Y5rM8wuMvlnph4w8-X665JwizGztBBGofb0jt_TnvhxroPrmBpzrxG8dm2oc4Vh9n2GVVeW-rdY2R6G6ZXSVuaqgBI5O5REPmgoEQBateag/s400/GrantPark1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563086868995354866" /></a><br /><br />This is the Loop seen from the south end of Grant Park:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcMWzU7AiEZgrgC9NnVhg4Kf0S5lG1hNgl-qda5yuRGnHWIGEfsMB0RlFnZpZgnKvJEh90FD-NT5tu0jB6ImC87BcZ9mYrEWpSQtcTlPB0bCvRLfDKm9RiA1taoYOG0d2CKZG9gxIBOxc/s1600/GrantPark2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcMWzU7AiEZgrgC9NnVhg4Kf0S5lG1hNgl-qda5yuRGnHWIGEfsMB0RlFnZpZgnKvJEh90FD-NT5tu0jB6ImC87BcZ9mYrEWpSQtcTlPB0bCvRLfDKm9RiA1taoYOG0d2CKZG9gxIBOxc/s400/GrantPark2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563086879669560178" /></a><br /><br />This is Shedd Aquarium, home of sharks and moray eels and whirling schools o' fish! I have to admit, this is totally not what I expected. I expected a much more squareish, modern building with a lot of glass sitting on a big parking lot. This is like... what I'd imagine an art museum to look like! Sadly, I didn't have time to go inside :[<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhiipyAntUliVd7X2zuRFkhEZ9oL5lmRU3vMJlYu_OeV5Qyf80KkDiY8PtSYdmJDql4_mTEmqcqGPkGOGho93WDkcSlx8zC2Acagq6zBBWWNP9iXwzTbzIxKBTjVPheTodGuA88o9Pe5Q/s1600/GrantPark3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhiipyAntUliVd7X2zuRFkhEZ9oL5lmRU3vMJlYu_OeV5Qyf80KkDiY8PtSYdmJDql4_mTEmqcqGPkGOGho93WDkcSlx8zC2Acagq6zBBWWNP9iXwzTbzIxKBTjVPheTodGuA88o9Pe5Q/s400/GrantPark3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563086882550715090" /></a><br /><br />After I dropped by Shedd, I went toward the Planetarium:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJE0vb-SyUGuN5rdl3RIQF_vkgDuKZZR76fiXV7Fx2vN0xJPEPvjLV2GUa6xyXg3PY2dINr-yplWthvEPxOuxjH4-KJDp1ghYUn2D5oGySO0LMaJYw93pui9mWLTvb6DU8XPtWxmwS6nII/s1600/GrantPark4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJE0vb-SyUGuN5rdl3RIQF_vkgDuKZZR76fiXV7Fx2vN0xJPEPvjLV2GUa6xyXg3PY2dINr-yplWthvEPxOuxjH4-KJDp1ghYUn2D5oGySO0LMaJYw93pui9mWLTvb6DU8XPtWxmwS6nII/s400/GrantPark4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563086886056083922" /></a><br /><br />Adler actually sits on this long man-made peninsula thing, so you can walk down to the lake's edge for a look. This is looking out toward the open waters (or ice):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXgnsOnz4i08yY2Gj4pnrmPdIvXpi9QwbuL2K5PbEvs35LFO-BVLPs3C_yPlB-q8KY4hBplb-9uBVW91MDhCa_9_vdC76SkGpiwk1zNaidwP-jglUBeIg92Bel8uypNAAXL7YrkxK53m8/s1600/FrozenLake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXgnsOnz4i08yY2Gj4pnrmPdIvXpi9QwbuL2K5PbEvs35LFO-BVLPs3C_yPlB-q8KY4hBplb-9uBVW91MDhCa_9_vdC76SkGpiwk1zNaidwP-jglUBeIg92Bel8uypNAAXL7YrkxK53m8/s400/FrozenLake.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563087721764641346" /></a><br /><br />And these two pics are the Chicago skyline from Adler --<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuHgkRO5-BLjlRsiQzLP2E2JKxsE64rXqcfAHaXp6bFSUIYU9c1I9a9VLFKW5U9E51boP8LzRjJL1f_-j0qFf8aQN-LNrxDBOMTPToabngGlvxNpV9Sy4rxr7kb1GqwceUZfT3h5aGU62/s1600/Skyline3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuHgkRO5-BLjlRsiQzLP2E2JKxsE64rXqcfAHaXp6bFSUIYU9c1I9a9VLFKW5U9E51boP8LzRjJL1f_-j0qFf8aQN-LNrxDBOMTPToabngGlvxNpV9Sy4rxr7kb1GqwceUZfT3h5aGU62/s400/Skyline3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563087728479591122" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpMOLVoLhIrFSgjdPaaPtwubmTfXxphE1PPUIbtSgh5-Y9_cwZskkrHi-IXyYbs-PCI3UDddBy2f87g1DFuS0SN09KjeLqgwgdPLrD06c8KL5AEcCFnQNc29lU_1WAmibk41MGo0vgQcY/s1600/Skyline4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpMOLVoLhIrFSgjdPaaPtwubmTfXxphE1PPUIbtSgh5-Y9_cwZskkrHi-IXyYbs-PCI3UDddBy2f87g1DFuS0SN09KjeLqgwgdPLrD06c8KL5AEcCFnQNc29lU_1WAmibk41MGo0vgQcY/s400/Skyline4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563087724552741394" /></a><br /><br />Oh and yeah. That shit is ICE. ALL ICE. I will have you know, my fingers almost froze off taking those pics. SO. FUCKING. COLD. And I couldn't wear gloves either, or else the touchscreen didn't sense anything! Agh!<br /><br />After Adler, I ducked back into my rental car and headed for Millennium Park. I passed this giant, impressive-looking museum, the identity of which I remain uncertain of:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LB8bHhlhihXPAz6rlHwyXu2hejHbJcEMbq-IdS32qTl1mQSvyLurkMg3xS2qugtd4AvKDEZNUgtwNJZMS5l8ZJlXNUarVj6RX6vEm3FUivz6l3veXHrfWAP_SoL-KYP5uThnmonBUGjY/s1600/GrantPark5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LB8bHhlhihXPAz6rlHwyXu2hejHbJcEMbq-IdS32qTl1mQSvyLurkMg3xS2qugtd4AvKDEZNUgtwNJZMS5l8ZJlXNUarVj6RX6vEm3FUivz6l3veXHrfWAP_SoL-KYP5uThnmonBUGjY/s400/GrantPark5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563087734821166770" /></a><br /><br />These residential towers overlook the museum-ish area of Grant Park. Very, very impressive. If Danicka ever wants to move...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pxHUGWPDBg0LZ_MDJf_pzceU5yVvoKQxBIY5tcUT0EFM1KUZnlOdFdmds0f6idN1vveGAOeeBZaEiuuY_mYaz1uHVjITyKDY5zq6-ywGkRNewQJepO7DKICWWtJWHD567AXW0eTbvOlu/s1600/SwankyCondos.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pxHUGWPDBg0LZ_MDJf_pzceU5yVvoKQxBIY5tcUT0EFM1KUZnlOdFdmds0f6idN1vveGAOeeBZaEiuuY_mYaz1uHVjITyKDY5zq6-ywGkRNewQJepO7DKICWWtJWHD567AXW0eTbvOlu/s400/SwankyCondos.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563087735219096706" /></a><br /><br />Eventually, I made my way over the Millennium park. The streets are slightly confusing there, so after a few block-circlings I parked and got out to walk around. It turned out I was actually across a major street from Millennium Park, but it was all good because that let me get a shot of the north end of Grant Park, looking south --<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAajL0hMh7zKY8nAuxWIIgqaIR4uwOi5Xn3RQxavYcOn3VVYDtGEOkgnejkOiSel8wJX7_RVUxdOUsCprbjn8b6dNROsi5KVqFBSXmTjIZzuetpEmzdAE7toMX8EuQDFHxDPK9JseJ4Q2/s1600/GrantPark6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAajL0hMh7zKY8nAuxWIIgqaIR4uwOi5Xn3RQxavYcOn3VVYDtGEOkgnejkOiSel8wJX7_RVUxdOUsCprbjn8b6dNROsi5KVqFBSXmTjIZzuetpEmzdAE7toMX8EuQDFHxDPK9JseJ4Q2/s400/GrantPark6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563088630683814434" /></a><br /><br />Yay, ice skating :]<br /><br />Then I got to go over a seriously awesome bridge. This is BP bridge. I could almost forgive them the massive oil spill for giving us this gorgeous work of art. I wish I could take pics that better encompasses what it looks like. It's like this huge, futuristic, organometallic sweep of architecture that takes you from Grant Park to Grant Park's newest addition. It sort of rises right out of the ground, sweeping back and forth a few times before soaring across the eight or ten lanes of the boulevard. It's also made of the same materials, and with the same overall design principle, as the main stage of the Pritzker Pavilion just behind it. So when you're standing on the east side looking west, the curving lines of the bridge really just flow across to the Pavilion, and up into the rising lines of the city.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURNVzOyxu-yqtgG-DRGJG_leG5U5pkl7Ao7_jsM4kBj80kooGBuz5BAFHzfNkEGvxoDHi30qBl2beE5BO-2HOhwkbCDMWvD5L6vw1UWx6zkQqzsN4hIhsw8p9ItNfYZHUK4r2G1HW4acK/s1600/GrantPark8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURNVzOyxu-yqtgG-DRGJG_leG5U5pkl7Ao7_jsM4kBj80kooGBuz5BAFHzfNkEGvxoDHi30qBl2beE5BO-2HOhwkbCDMWvD5L6vw1UWx6zkQqzsN4hIhsw8p9ItNfYZHUK4r2G1HW4acK/s400/GrantPark8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563088634396913202" /></a><br /><br />When you're about halfway across, you can look along the side of the bridge proper. Pritzker Pavilion is on the other side, and the Loop behind it --<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LlVMtfwRfv_WMUnXs0QXXFG2OjJ5B0O1I8SzMriOgRQfy7CuIzTStOzQLo3cDhw-lQ_mGP4W0KicqbxxvPVVKK3wtBXmL5IJhxDOzLWerQ8lxosuEhJhxaJt3U9s6mbb35qJBUKmhxwn/s1600/GrantPark9.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LlVMtfwRfv_WMUnXs0QXXFG2OjJ5B0O1I8SzMriOgRQfy7CuIzTStOzQLo3cDhw-lQ_mGP4W0KicqbxxvPVVKK3wtBXmL5IJhxDOzLWerQ8lxosuEhJhxaJt3U9s6mbb35qJBUKmhxwn/s400/GrantPark9.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563088640203917154" /></a><br /><br />On the other side, the sheer size of the Pritzker Pavilion is hard to really sense in this picture. When it's empty and covered in snow, there are really no visual references. Take a look at this pic, though, to get a sense of how huge it really is! -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pano-chicago.jpg<br /><br />Okay. Next post: Millennium Park, Bronzeville, and more!Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046526022761632068.post-15727712881508211312011-01-14T20:52:00.000-07:002011-01-17T01:30:16.059-07:00magnificent geekery in chicago (v)On the way out of Stickney, I went to look for Czech Kitchens:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzMXniaQOG9Dyin2DyGOjipVW0tThcgJnYTmJ27V2An6I45f_pFEQhOOnycr9W9pQhuN1PdXeTikD5TAtH1VU42Hr5hG1rVBGUMUeVu9ocRAiXmIqyW3QaxSvVnxomv1RSKjpv6l3tiTq/s1600/CzechKitchens4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzMXniaQOG9Dyin2DyGOjipVW0tThcgJnYTmJ27V2An6I45f_pFEQhOOnycr9W9pQhuN1PdXeTikD5TAtH1VU42Hr5hG1rVBGUMUeVu9ocRAiXmIqyW3QaxSvVnxomv1RSKjpv6l3tiTq/s400/CzechKitchens4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563069241416006226" /></a><br /><br />The name was absolutely apt. It wasn't a diner at all -- it was just a kitchen attached to a small storefront that had like 5 huge cold-cases full of homemade Czech food.<br /><br />The owner was very nice, but kinda in that gruff no-nonsense eastern european way. There was a sign saying $15 minimum credit card charge, but my order only came out to $10 or so. I felt bad and wanted to make up the difference, but she waved it off. Then I asked if I could take a picture of the store, but she didn't want to be in it :[<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DwkkCdj11f0Ayo50DliJpWxpzYAZPGM-cOWlkuJt8gb2ctuPj4jcUQqaBPNjojvsvRsG7mcVlJnSzLvnguW-QHx-fuB0flllowz5x22zyvlG5p-lI1cj1XF5Ov6RUhz77qfersNlwovw/s1600/CzechKitchens2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DwkkCdj11f0Ayo50DliJpWxpzYAZPGM-cOWlkuJt8gb2ctuPj4jcUQqaBPNjojvsvRsG7mcVlJnSzLvnguW-QHx-fuB0flllowz5x22zyvlG5p-lI1cj1XF5Ov6RUhz77qfersNlwovw/s400/CzechKitchens2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563069246107614946" /></a><br /><br />This is looking the other way. There's one tiny little cafe table + 2 chairs, but I think it's for show. All the food is cold/frozen, and the owner said they were takeout only!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcS_-XhFFWCaIIWAj_EziBpMRG2C2oNeOk1x_-kIfz-TqpP2DCurH6bAWmiKQ41wOHIiYKEVo6mxKmlrNjVTYCQgjgO-w74igOTraOwtBAgL5BaIVSTP1R0JI0_NWoqHZsVV63n0R1x7d7/s1600/CzechKitchens3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcS_-XhFFWCaIIWAj_EziBpMRG2C2oNeOk1x_-kIfz-TqpP2DCurH6bAWmiKQ41wOHIiYKEVo6mxKmlrNjVTYCQgjgO-w74igOTraOwtBAgL5BaIVSTP1R0JI0_NWoqHZsVV63n0R1x7d7/s400/CzechKitchens3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563068781176684546" /></a><br /><br />For all that Czech Kitchens didn't look like much, the food was absolutely fantastic. I wanted to try their duck dinner (of course), but they were out. So I got stuffed cabbage instead, which I took back to my hotel. It was a struggle finding a microwave, but eventually one turned up. Then there were noms:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jm8VoXC4fnrco7Rxb8RzpmrEYBRM5e8ujMqL9bEUgZq6pzyqRslAgRHhaMj84dyGRTKEjrgkqiYw5LyrJOFiA1Wfjro-z3xRoXRnPxIWPFpxzPKtG7MPaNgdSpP30Z1I31BFNa_eOy4X/s1600/Stuffed+Cabbage.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jm8VoXC4fnrco7Rxb8RzpmrEYBRM5e8ujMqL9bEUgZq6pzyqRslAgRHhaMj84dyGRTKEjrgkqiYw5LyrJOFiA1Wfjro-z3xRoXRnPxIWPFpxzPKtG7MPaNgdSpP30Z1I31BFNa_eOy4X/s400/Stuffed+Cabbage.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563068777859566706" /></a><br /><br />I know that looks fairly gross, but it was actually really, really good. It was cabbage wrapped around a beef-and-rice stuffing (mostly beef, from what I could tell), stewed with potatoes and chunks of beef. It was really awesome.<br /><br />And of course, kolaches:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXmwlFFPnRFG07uyBqv0ghWiDPOsE0kWwZAIJ8knZDt5Flk_XjrFTiiZLESRs9alLFD6e-wBD2Z02rUGNA8qMWG_4xvCmX0x9qVfD3gLFtjvTvmn9uaDPPUJ7ijoq22zdOrpphb3IRKbS/s1600/Kolaches%2521.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXmwlFFPnRFG07uyBqv0ghWiDPOsE0kWwZAIJ8knZDt5Flk_XjrFTiiZLESRs9alLFD6e-wBD2Z02rUGNA8qMWG_4xvCmX0x9qVfD3gLFtjvTvmn9uaDPPUJ7ijoq22zdOrpphb3IRKbS/s400/Kolaches%2521.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563068775970336978" /></a><br /><br />They were actually smaller than I'd thought they'd be! They're like... the size of slender pigs-in-blankets. But they were so fucking good. I ate three of them before I thought to take pictures. Then I ate three more and forced myself to stop *LOL* I'll probably scarf the rest for breakfast tomorrow. I'm seriously considering stopping by again and getting another dozen to bolt down on my way to the airport *dies*<br /><br />On my way out of Stickney, I ran across this frozen pond in yet another forest preserve (I think it was Cermak Woods off US-34):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqt4LbghLrj4bGXAvtFdAXvHRKY0yBhOl-N_GcBW2vnsKSPkGe729fmSddyNuBJtRe3kdMQqB5XxH61kM90GbNDnm6vceoQvdiprQ6ecEKZlw_6RRtxvnD0QkJ6hFBDBe3bjkOI3nrmUH/s1600/Stickney12.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqt4LbghLrj4bGXAvtFdAXvHRKY0yBhOl-N_GcBW2vnsKSPkGe729fmSddyNuBJtRe3kdMQqB5XxH61kM90GbNDnm6vceoQvdiprQ6ecEKZlw_6RRtxvnD0QkJ6hFBDBe3bjkOI3nrmUH/s400/Stickney12.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563068769207812354" /></a><br /><br />...and this is a view off the bridge over the Des Plaines river, with snow on the banks. The river itself hadn't frozen. It was really beautiful, but assfreezingly cold on that bridge:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUl-N1ga0iyICMCeBSWsJ67EB-KXczWlMuRkhyvyE3K4c_c2nYut_4TG7iWYGZqDsUOiUXHzqkMWBLxe0XKBkG4HV9-g7ESVThZNggvIcDENsuDPSVrcxnZQb3xTQJbLD1Rf-7hup-9QGK/s1600/Stickney13.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUl-N1ga0iyICMCeBSWsJ67EB-KXczWlMuRkhyvyE3K4c_c2nYut_4TG7iWYGZqDsUOiUXHzqkMWBLxe0XKBkG4HV9-g7ESVThZNggvIcDENsuDPSVrcxnZQb3xTQJbLD1Rf-7hup-9QGK/s400/Stickney13.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563068766344817826" /></a><br /><br />After I took that pic, I headed back to Chicago. Next up: Grant Park, plus Bronzeville and the Mile!Damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277514064724395737noreply@blogger.com0