Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Vacation Notes


A few photos and comments about my vacation, and then I'll move on. At least I'm not forcing you to stay awake during a slide show.

First, a few observations about you Los Angeles-sians.

You're not quite as mannerly as Midwesterners. Most of us don't shove or cut in lines. We say "excuse me" when we step in front of someone, or bump into them.

I couldn't keep myself from it, and found myself, more than once, face to face with someone expecting something. "Excuse me." "Yes?" Well, nothing. I'm just trying to get by here, excuse me while I move around you. Too much work! I can see why you've dismissed it from your social niceties.

But in other issues, you're MORE polite. You don't flip off crazy drivers. Lori explained, to me, though, that it's not because you're all so polite, you sneaks! It's that you fear the other driver will point a gun at you. That's just crazy. When someone cuts you off here, you flip them the bird, and they flip it right back. It's therapeutic. There's no need for violence, people.

You all really are more fit than we are. You have more nice outdoorsy stuff and more access to fresh foodstuffs.

And it's not unheard of here, but it's still rare to see a man getting a mani/pedi. I didn't pass a salon in LA that didn't have at least one guy getting a no-polish manicure. Interesting.

And I'll admit it: your farmer's markets are WAY better. We do not have an omelet bar, homemade tamales, crepes, fresh OJ, or coconuts with straws coming out of them.

The flora and fauna in LA is amazing. It's so established. Ours freeze to death and have to fight their way back every spring. No time for gargantuan leaves and blossoms.

There are more co-ed bathrooms in LA. Girls here are oh-so-prim, and rarely share a bathroom with the boys. Furthermore, beach bathrooms are out-and-out disgusting; I perfected my hover on Venice Beach out of pure survival instinct.

Enough. Here's some photos, and I'll be out of your hair. First: 10-cent avocados. I'd be knee-deep in guacamole all the time if I could get an avocado for this price. You can't even get a gumball for a dime in this berg.



The girl on the back of this tandem bike has the right idea.



Ummm...this can't be good...


Flowers from the Santa Monica Farmer's market:


And one wild one, at Pt. Mugu.


A little something from the Santa Monica Fisherman's Pier.


And from Venice Beach:


And these from an outdoor furniture/statuary place along the Pacific Coast Highway. Oddly enough, it was one of my favorite stops on the trip.




Maybe these guys had something to do with it.



All of my photos will be at www.gnightgirl.smugmug.com in the next few days or so, if you really want to see the slideshow.

19 comments:

  1. No fresh meat in the farmers market too ..

    ./thanks
    ilaiy

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  2. great pictures (I used the one of the bright colored materials as my computer background now). Glad you got to see the sounds and sights of my ole stompin' grounds (southern california in general, that is).

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  3. Beautiful pics (as always).

    And your observations cray-acked me up!

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  4. Wonderful pics, as usual.

    About the first pic, I told you CA beaches are full of beautiful girls ;)

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  5. What a great vacation, and oooooh, those photos!!

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  6. Anonymous4:22 AM

    See that beach you are standing on, well a little to your right and just around the corner is my beach! Do you like the smell of the salt air? I can't live without it.

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  7. Ilaiy: That's one thing the IL farmer's market has going for it!

    Jay are: Oh! That's so nice! It was my first trip to LA, but I have family in San Diego, my mother grew up there.

    Momo: tyvm

    Twisted: Awwwww, sweet talker. ::blusshing::

    Nancy: You've got the photos, the vacation photos are still packed away in my head!

    Dogbait: I KNEW we shouldn't have turned around so soon! I should have a least waved in your direction.

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  8. Love your pics...I'll be sure to stop by and see the slide show...I highly doubt I'll be snoozing!!

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  9. Love the photos. Well, not the fish head so much. Ewww. But the rest? Awesome. Amazing colors. I almost feel like I was there. Thanks! I'll be checking out the rest...

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  10. As always - great pics!

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  11. These are fantastic photos! I love them. I'm going to put you on my photo link if you don't mind.

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  12. ....oh and great write up about LA-isans. :) I've never been there, but I hope to make it out to the west coast in this century.

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  13. Very nice. Good asesment and interesting pics, especially you at the beach. Sweet! HHNT! :-)
    BTW they're referred to as
    "Los Angelenos" not
    "Los Angeles-ians" :-P

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  14. Anonymous2:39 PM

    Like your shots of LA, was there in 1986 and thought it was a nice planet. Couldn't get good pizza (like NY) but it was fun.
    On LI we say FU and mean it.

    Like your fish head pic.
    Thx for coming by the P site.

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  15. MaryP: Still working on them, slow and steady, but they're getting there.

    Wendy: For some reason I like the fish head. I want to make an earring out of it. Only I'd need two.

    Barry: tanks!

    Stephen: Wow! Thanks. I'll link to you too; I should have done it ages ago, I've been reading your stuff for a long time!

    Andy: Arms count as HNT? Maybe I CAN play! I have arms!

    And in IL, we say hi, and we mean "hi, how are you, how's the wife and kids, want to get some coffee?" And when we say "FU", we end up feeling guilty and apologizing for it, and buying you another cup of coffee.

    P2: 86, the year my son was born. I was changing diapers while you were running the streets.

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  16. Has anyone told you recently that you are GORGEOUS????? If so, good. Believe them. If not, allow me. And believe me, too. ;)

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  17. Anonymous1:06 AM

    Wow, too bad you wasted all your time in southern California. Northern California is much much nicer. I am CU native and live in beautiful N Calif where the air and water is clean and clear, there are really beautiful beaches with no buildings and people around, trees and vineyards and orchards. I have been to southern California a few times. Too bad.

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  18. I'm a native Angelina, but I've lived here for so long that L.A. is a very distant memory. However, it was great to hear about and see bits of Santa Monica (old hangout). The avocados! The flora and fauna! The beach! The Mexican food! One does miss certain things. But not enough to want to actually live there again.

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  19. gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous photography!

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