Ciclavia

Happy-camper report for Sunday 4/10: beautiful weather and an exquisite gathering of friends for the second, long-awaited Ciclavia.  The first, which happened in October, brought some 100k people onto the 7.5-mile, car-less route from Boyle Heights through downtown and over to Melrose@Heliotrope in East Hollywood.  Sunday's event pulled in an estimated 130k self-propelled participants.  We wheeled with friends and ran into others along the way.  The crowd was cool, the staff and volunteers equally so.  Happy (still) to report that another Ciclavia is in the works, with the eventual goal of having one each month.  You know, LA could be one of the best cities in the world if it only had a working (and extensive) metro along with a protected network of bike paths.  I have hope and Ciclavia is paving part of the way.  Big props to all the gente making it possible.   (Now, if only I could download the rest of my pics from the temperamental memory card... alas.)

The view from our starting point

Gilligan is already getting a buzz from the Xylovan

True that

Music is in her blood!

Road warriors

Yep, following the dope pedallers

Stylin

Real Rydas

Xyloman at the xylovan

Mah Birfday!

Ah, it was such a nice birthday weekend.  Where to start.... hmmm, the highlights? Kyle came by on Friday to show us his sweet new bike.  That night we went out for tofu soon at an old Korean haunt (had been ages since our last visit).  Their English and our Korean is limited at best but we all speak Foodish.  Saturday we walked and lazed around before going out for Ethiopian that night.  SUNDAY was grand.  Started with homemade lattes and our favorite Santa Rosa hens' eggs on toast... followed by truffles from my SLO peeps (my faves were mixes of fruit and spice like cherry-chipotle and apricot-habanero).  Mother nature was putting on a show outside (good luck, LA marathoners).  Just past midday, I was jonesing for pho ga so went yelping.  Amid the Thai listings (??), found a place with three main menu items.  Stands to reason they must be quite good at those three offerings.  So we braved crazy road conditions to seek out this little Vietnamese place tucked into a corner of China town obscured by fried-food and shark-fin vendors.   Ooo la la - what a find.  Delectable home-made rice noodles with chicken soup, rice crepes with pork, lemonade and iced coffee.  Northern Vietnamese pho ga is quite different from what we most often find in these parts.  There is a lemon-ginger dipping sauce on the side for your chicken.  If your constitution needs a healthful heat boost, you can pour it into your soup.  This is not your plum/chili-spiked concoction.  Instead, it's about a carefully developed balance of flavors and temperatures to tickle the palate and stimulants to detox/boost the body (lemon, ginger, mint, hint of pepper).  After that rejuvenating experience, we strolled the stormy streets of C-town then moved on to Echo Lake for a full lap.  Not that Echo Lake is big but the gusts and showers made for a big adventure and a wet ride home.  Maybe next year calls for an around-the-world adventure but this year's small weekend celebration was wholly satisfying.

B-day Precursor

Last weekend felt like a precursor to a good new beginning... my next new year.  P & E made the long drive south to join us for a whirlwind four days.  It was divine.  And what troopers.  We drug them through canals, to our favorite neighbors and friends, to Chichen Itza, to concerts far and farer.  Ames cooked like a fiend and hosted additional friends who harken back to NY-PA days (great reminiscing and catching up).  Phyllie brought some of her recent creations to share... maven of the marvelous and whimsical.   Come back, ladies!  I want to do it all over again and then some.

Ah yes, a little reminder as I enter a new year

SLO Snow & Sun

It snowed last weekend, ever so briefly.  No photo evidence here; you'll just have to believe me.  I do have proof of food aplenty and scenery from strolls.  Cold and gorgeous.

Super tasty broccoli

Ames' potato galette

Local abalone: tender and tasty

Dreamy Brussels sprouts

Working off the excess (I lie)

Remedy for cold ears

Could this be a Hooded Merganser?

Lookouts

Mighty resourceful given where the acorn fell

Gophers are officially off the protected species list.

The Doctor Is In

Need a kind soul to hear you out?  A confidante who will keep your secrets and still love you for who you are?  Don't let the devilish name fool you.  This Lucifer is a true angel with enormous patience and a huge heart.  She prefers to keep visits casual, has no time constraints, and definitely won't charge you -- although treats are encouraged.  Call any time, and remember to work in some play time.  Her good-health philosophy kind of centers around that.  We think she's on to something.

Saw Her Shadow; Didn't Give A Damn

Gopher Day 2011 was a huge success.   This year, the event was held at Dockweiler Beach near the hang gliding site.  People came from all over.  It was the highest attendance on record... probably because it was the first ever official Gopher Day or maybe because I was the Master of Ceremonies.   Hard to say.  Anyhoo, our mascot was perfectly fearless as her shadow taunted and spectators zoomed by.  This is a clear sign that Southern California will continue to experience Southern California weather.  Thanks Sweet Cheeks.  Till next year.  

Tis The Season

Okay, so we can't all be frolicking in the snow and ice.  Nope.  Some of us live in coastal California and, well, just have to represent.  Whateva.  We can deal with it.  And this weekend we did... with some familial tag-alongs.  In between soaking up the 70-degree weather, we biked 20 miles,  witnessed the Marine Mammal Rescue in action, saw some 40+ dolphins at play, had a Dirka sighting at the beach, supported our local In-N-Out Burger, napped, digested, refilled at the best Yucatecan place outside of the Yucatan, walked around downtown L.A. at night, did a LACMA drive-by, quick-toured Beverly Hills, zenned out at the Getty Center (ran into more friends), gorged on Armenian fast food, rode the solar-powered ferris wheel on the pier, cruised through Venice, visited LAX two or three times (which allowed us to catch the light columns in action and spy Randy's Donuts at 30mph).   Someone's gotta do it. 

Dolphins frolicking toward Manhattan Beach

Random bicyclists resting on the pier

The gull whisperer of Hermosa

Western Grebe rescue (poor guy's all oiled up)

Gotta have us some In-N-Out

SuhkooruhTAY!

Music wafting up to our rooftop perch

Graham girls saluting City Hall

A favorite get-away

Budding photographer

Budding model

... turned butt model (Dad grabbed the camera after this take)

Making the girls look professional

Bridging the gap

Out of our way, kids!

Shaka for the weekend