In Between

Summertime is the new cool, my friends. Let's celebrate this season with every chance we get! I'm off to Chicago this weekend for some 90 degree weather, a wedding and explore-time with my husband and his brother. Ta!

From an early age, we're taught that there is a formula to having an identity, and it usually involves knowing exactly what you like. If you have a favorite color, a best friend, one food you could eat forever, top five songs, and heroes, you're all set. You've successfully been admitted into society.

Struggling with the answers to these questions for almost three decades, I'm slowly  starting to feel like things are clicking. If life were a science experiment, I feel like I've made my hypothesis, done a ton of research, and now I'm starting to make conclusions. To be honest, it feels really satisfying. Like I am not at a disadvantage, or that I can look at others and not feel that pang of jealousy. I got my own thing going on.

I still think it's funny to ask a 13 year old who their biggest influence is, because pretty much everyone is an influence at that age. And I think influences are mostly recognized in hindsight, long after we realize how much of a personal impact they actually had on our lives. But when we do finally realize, let's be thankful. It's all part of our story.

Mainly for autobiographical purposes, I'll be sharing more influences here. I'm keeping an eye out for influences, both new and old, object or idea, person or place, so if anyone asks me who my heroes are, I'll be able to finally answer.

photos by milan via instagram

We got married 9 months ago and how I feel is not dissimilar to a baby being born again. I feel like a different person, but in a good, natural, transformative way.

I like the idea that some things never change. I went back to my hometown, Davis, recently, and walked through downtown to pick up some supplies for a picnic. We walked past Silver Dragon Chinese Restaurant which we used to go as a family for Chinese. Of all the new Chinese spots that popped up over the years, I still argue this is the best spot in town, even though I haven't been in years. The tacky gumball machines are still in the same place. The same red leather booths made me think of the clear wonton broth and fluffy fried rice... my mouth watered at the thought. Of all the changes that happen as we leave our hometowns, make new friends and start new jobs, as we grow older and take things for granted, it's nice to be take a moment and remember a childhood that once was. That's what childhoods are for, right?




Last September I married the love of my life. Most recent photo of us above. We've grown together over the past five years, and more so than I'd imagined in the past nine months. After adjusting to being husband-and-wife (which I secretly hope never stops being a hot thing to say), we recently decided on a plan of action for the next year. A simple choice that we made in solidarity feels tangible and incredibly good.

No, it's not babies.

We're going to set our minds on traveling! Japan and Korea first, to visit our relatives, and then we have a Eurotrip and Australia on the list as well. We are super excited for this plan, and are set on making it work. I think I might add Malaysia/Vietnam/Thailand, after seeing some other people's photos on Instagram.

And that brings me to my last item, Instagram. I've been blogging profusely on Instagram. I heart IG so much it's annoying. If you'd like to take a look at my past year, my handle is @mrrrrrrp, or take a looksee here: http://instagrid.me/mrrrrrrp/

Til next time!

Yes, it's a 2009 wrap-up post! At times I feel like I'm going nowhere fast, at other times I couldn't be more content. Lately it's been the latter, and I am grateful. 2009 has been more of an emotional struggle for me than any other sort of struggle. I've fallen into some dark corners and flown to incredible heights, sometimes all within a few days. If I had to sum up the year in one word, it would be "patient".

Taking a look at my resolution post from the beginning of the year, I actually feel successful. I also feel sort of silly for having some of those as my priority, but what's done is done!

2009
1. Learn to appreciate what I have. √ certainly an ongoing effort

2. Blog more. √ I wrote 17 posts in the month of March! I also started another blog.
3. Be nicer.  I can't say I've improved much on this one. BUT, I have invested in custom thank you cards, and I've been more giving and responsive.
4. Move into my own place. √ I did it! And 8  months later Jason and I moved in together. Hey, at least I did it, and had a chance to do it. I loved that little apartment to pieces.

5. Get comfortable talking to strangers. √  I've come a long way on this one; I'm not nearly as clever as I would hope to be but I'm not as shy either. Yay!



Let's be more specific in 2010, shall we?
1. Get some lift and momentum with PG
Nail down a schedule and recruit talent. I'd like to develop columns and get some passionate people on board. Who would be dedicated to the cause? Set an example, take it seriously, publish great content. What is our goal?

2. Lay a foundation for freelance

More and more I'm getting job requests for graphics, website consulting and brand identity work. I don't plan to market myself aggressively but I would like to be prepared to receive business so that I may enjoy the experience and open myself to learning.

5. Stay comfortable

Read: Stay employed. I had that as a joke resolution last year but after seeing 2009 run its course I mean it. I have hope, and see the opportunities, but nobody likes bitten asses. Only unbitten ones. 

4. Travel abroad for three weeks, goddamnit
Self-explanatory.

5. Learn webdesign
I design for web, but I can't say I know how to design a website from scratch. Absolutely hands down a gaping hole as a designer that needs to be filled. Who wants to teach me?!!! :)

6. Take more photos

Starting with a new lens...

Anywho. All the best to you, who reads this blog. Thanks for being the receiving end of my sporatic tirades and pretty photo posts. I do appreciate you for giving me a reason to care. Happy new year!

Milan

It's been a busy December, hasn't it! Hope you all had a tasty holiday. Winding down this month also means winding down the year, and I want to start fresh for 2010 (which by the way still sounds to me like The Future, and even when it IS 2010 in the present, I will feel like I have time-traveled). Allow me to update you on the haps.

What I Have Been Up To.. In Reverse
Yesterday, Jason took me to buy some running shoes. I hadn't been to the gym properly at all this year, and I'm beyond the point where I'm even ashamed to admit it. It's a sad fact but a fact nonetheless, and already in this post I present to you my new years resolution: I, Milan Phan, resolve to figure out what "working out really means". By doing, not just in theory. I don't even know how it FEELS to be physically fit. Anyway, let that be a whole other blog post. *scheduling now* It was a quick purchase thanks to the lovely lady at Transports on College Ave, and paired with my new airy red running shorts, I'm really excited to drop all my excuses and start running.

I went home for the holidays and spent three days at my parents. By "spent" I mean I lay underneath the kotatsu all day and watched movies on cable TV. For three days. I literally did not step outside except to take the trash out. For the few of you who knows what it feels to be a "planner" who doesn't have that much free time, imagine coming to a screeching halt and finding yourself in this equation:

A) You are back in the home you grew up in, and your parents are, well, let's just say they aren't available.
B) Your laptop charger has died and nobody you know who has a MacBookPro is in town. (Read: No internet).
C) In fact, nobody you know is in town.
D) Eventually your iPhone charger also goes kaput, thankfully temporarily, but still, kaput. (Read: No internet OR mobile applications).
E) You have access to cable, which you don't have at home, and the warmest place in the house is underneath that cursed kotatsu.

I could have chosen to reconnect with Mother Nature and my childhood by taking a pen and paper to the park for a few hours, but I chose the mind-numbing, time-eating cable TV as my vacation. I can't believe how unprepared I was to relax, but at this point I just have to let it go.

Breaking the routine, Jason and his brother took my mother and I to Tahoe on Saturday. Tahoe is normal for us, but my mom hadn't been for years. She was a happy trooper and woke up before dawn, packed and dressed in layers and wore rubber boots. While we rode, she stood on a rock watching for us to come down the mountain, and when I took a break to find her, she was beaming brighter than the white snow. She even took some snow home in a Pringles container insulated by a plastic bag. I think she had a good time, and she was pretty cute... up until she threw a chunk of ice at my elbow. Apparently the snow was too dry to make snowballs, hmph!

We had a housewarming party, finally. It took weeks of preparation, mostly because I made it that way, but it was very much worth it in the end. We keep talking about how lucky we are to have such good company, both individually and collectively, and seeing everyone together really solidified our appreciation.

Big picture haps: Things have slowed down with my main side project, but I intend to fully ramp up beginning of 2010. I was contacted for several freelance projects all within three days of each other, and I'm excited about the opportunities. Sidenote: December is a big lull for many businesses, I realize. I hope that I can remember to prepare for the holidays weeks prior so that my future business stays consistent and strong.


What Is To Come
New Years is coming up and I really hope to have an easy transition. This year has been about making a home, deciding my career, and having good relationships. I plan to do one of them end-o'-year blog posts this week that'll include a new blog schedule, goals and photos from the year -- stay tuned! =)

Enjoy the last week of the Present, and prepare for The Future!

I must say, going into the holiday weekend I was pretty stressed. We had 5 dinners/parties attend, a day trip to the mountain and painting to squeeze into four days. And somewhere I really hoped to relax! Sort of like how I never really know what I'm going to feel like eating later on, I never really know how what I'm going to feel like doing any day, so I like to just leave things up to fate and keep an open schedule. I tend to feel overwhelmed when it comes to obligations, a struggle I'm working on, but I'm sure you all know what it's like to have to divide your time between families over the holidays. But hey, we can't always have things our way.

At one of the dinner parties hosted by my two friends Hannah & James, who by the by pulled together a stunning gourmet meal for 8, there was a conversation topic about cultural hospitality. We talked about how we, in California specifically, lack in that area. As a society we are incredibly selfish and self-centered, too occupied and scared to offer a helping hand to someone in need. Even I can't do anything without asking myself, what about me? What's in it for me, why should I give up my holiday for someone else? So terrible, I know it's wrong, but I'm scared of losing time, being in risk of discomfort or unexpected situation. In other cultures, say in South America or even in our southern states, it's okay to be friendly "just because". Because it's the right thing to do, and why wouldn't you offer a stranger a ride, or a meal, or a tour around town. Why does everything have to be planned and convenient? What about the children?

I could go into religious reasons about why California is so different but I'll instead say that in hindsight, I'm really glad I was able to see all the friends and family that I did. That's what the holidays are for, right? And to my relief, not one thing was stressful. I really enjoyed just being with friends and their friends and my family and his family and being able to make tradition. It's important to have some meaning to the things we do, otherwise we lose that sense of community and culture. The meaning for the holidays is to give thanks and share good spirit with others, and less so about the individual. I do still need to relax and recenter myself soon, but I just learned that there's a time for thinking of others and a time for thinking of oneself. Mixing the two up is always going to be more trouble than its worth.

Now we're back to work this Monday, with a few things to look forward to. Friday, I'm volunteering with Habitat for Humanity for the day and building homes with a few of my co-workers. It should be a rewarding experience - I can feel it! My goal for this week is to have a proper dining table. Watch out Craigslist -- I'm about to be all over you.

Special thanks to Jason for all the driving and support and willing assistance this weekend. Happy Monday!

Just an update on the waking up early routine: I've been successful. Who knew I would ever get used to waking up at 5:33AM? I wouldn't be able to do it alone, so most of the credit belongs to the ever-so-dedicated Jase. Our mornings are consistently as the following:

We wake to the sound of his alarm, lay around for what seems much longer than the 3 minutes that passes, and after sharing a quick hug and a kiss he'll get going first. I'll quite literally stumble to meet him at the sinks, but not before stretching like a cat and collapsing for another few minutes. Blurry-eyed [yet to put my contacts in], I reach out to turn on the water, and while waiting for it to warm I try to stand straight. If I can't catch my balance I lean on his left shoulder and give him a horrid morning-smile that can't possibly be endearing but he seems to think it is. He laughs. I wash up, style the hairs, put the face on, and get dressed. Of course by now he's been waiting for 10 minutes, patient as a lion, and I'm hustling to get my things together and run out the door. Normally I'd joke and say, "Gosh, are you ready yet? I've been waiting for you!" [even though, clearly, he's been waiting for me] and he'll go, "ho-ho-ho-really?!" and I'll go, "teehee hee yeaaaa," but now I realize, I should probably just thank him for not ditching me.

We've officially moved, US Postal address changed and all! First and foremost, I must give a shoutout to the generous friends who helped us make the move go smoother than butter at room temperature: Casey, James, Japheth, Ben, James, Sarah and Jae. These guys really went out of their way to grunt and groan with Jase and I and we don't know how we'd have avoided a panic attack without them. (By "we" I mean "me", of course). So thank you.

I love love love the new place, and we're constantly thinking of ways to define 'home'. It's interesting to see the physical joining of our belongings in one place, and how they complement each other. For example, before, my mattress/box spring combo somehow sagged toward the middle, while his memory foam mattress always felt a little stiff. But, his bed frame combined with my mattress makes for perfect cush. Throw our new flannel sheets on top and voila! A dream bed.

Things we've acquired: from Craigslist - a wooden slat bench for a coffee table ($100), and two woven bamboo poufs and a skinny floor mirror ($40). We took a trip to get IKEA soft cream and when we came home we constructed a very classy lamp, two kitchen stools and a towel bench from IKEA. Tonight we'll put together the TV stand on casters. I really didn't intend on getting so much furniture from IKEA, but I think we're doing a good job of making it more stylish over standard/plain. It's a fine line to walk on, between practicality and originality. Really, we first need to get our feet planted, then I'm sure in time we'll switch out the IKEA with found pieces that we really love. Photos to come soon!

Jase, this making-home with you has been a breeze. I didn't know what to expect but it's been a pleasant surprise to have your participation. I appreciate how you validate my ideas, and even challenge my suggestions. If that's not what a good partner does, then I don't know what is. I think we-gonn-be alright.

Posts on the way: photos of the new place! Also, as soon as we have a sunny Sunday, I'll take photos of the Farmer's Market down the street; it's right along the pier and possibly the most beautiful market I've seen. Reminds me of the market we'd go to growing up in my hometown. This past Sunday we just soaked it all in, and stopped to get a wood-oven baked pizza that took all of five minutes to bake, and ate it, steaming, right there on the steps. Love.

How do you discover new websites? Maybe your homepage is set to CNN or GoogleReader and that's all you really need to start your day. You might be like me and have different bookmark tabs set in the Firefox menu, ready for my hourly rummaging (which, btw, makes for terrible productivity, so I'm looking to better manage).


Where ever your starting point, you may catch a glimpse of an external link that takes you to another product, another website, which intrigues you and has you clicking into yet another website, and by the time you realize your tea is cold and your eyes are bloodshot because haven't blinked in a couple hours, you're 523 websites deep and haven't even checked your email yet.


That's my history log right there, thank you Firefox for outing me.

Allow me to share with you what I discovered from 7:21 AM to 9:20 AM this morning.

(Facebook) My friends Shannon and Jason are now engaged! I left them a comment congratulating the beautiful duo.

(Brizzly) @kickstarter tweeted about a video that someone made about them. Watched it, admired the reporter's flawless overview.

(Brizzly) @design_sponge tweeted about two martha stewart blog posts about her wedding. Quickly flipped through those.

• ...87 more Facebook links later...

(Cup of Jo) Joanna dropped a little link to a Flickr account about a red spray-painted chandelier. Here we go...

(abchao Flickr) Documented several interior remodels of her gorgeous home, and of course, I became obsessed.

• .... 86 Flickr photos later, I take a break to check my Gmail, my bank statement, and head back to Flickr...

(abchao Flickr) In her photo captions she mentions GOOP, Gwenyth Paltrow's lifestyle blog, and I remember how much I liked it so I pay her a visit and watch her latest cooking video on roast chicken and fingerling potatoes. Now have dinner plans and a renewed respect for Gwen.

She also mentions a good book (bought two copies, one for me and one for my mother),  a pair of shoes, and her blog, which takes me on another spiral.

• ... after76 more Flickr Pageviews between abchao and her friend 10cent's interiors...

(Max Wanger) I instinctively pay his blog a visit and he directs me to a cool ass user collected product blog. Mmmmm shiny things..

 (behance) .. which redirect me to a notebook that I like and remember that I'm in the market for one. Think about writing a blog post about it, and start looking for a variety of notebooks.

(Facebook) Saw a poster that reminded me of a friend and wanted to post the link on his page but got lost in 30 Facebook pageviews.  Back to Behance.

(99%) Accidentally clicked on a side link that turned out to be right up my alley. I spent all weekend studying leadership / business / organizing tools and 99% articles and tips cover it all. I even do a little research on their conference in NY in April.  Sweet Jesus.

*deep breath* I feel like I just confessed my sins to my mother. Except my sins are links, displayed shamelessly above. I wonder if you'll click on any of them, and go on a little escapade on your own. Can you relate to this insanity that is a little part of my life at a desk? I know I'm not the only stalker here.  =)

Anyway, happy Monday everyone.

What is it about people and their pets? What's so special about that relationship that make people coo and goo over camera photos and stories? I realize that might sound cynical, but please know that I'm genuinely curious and not trying to offend. I feel like a bad person to say that I can't relate to that mushy gushy love between pets and their owners. I can witness it and understand that it's real, but I just haven't experienced it for myself.

Growing up we had pets. Nippers and Melody were rabbits, and Angel was a parakeet. We brought home the class hamster. Clover, a German shepherd/lab mix, accompanied with us for a good 11 years, but we had to put down earlier this year because of an untreatable tumor. I miss her, and regret that I never took good care of her. I always saw her as a misbehaved dog, and never opened my heart to her until much too late. I loved her when she was little and cute, and then I became a self-absorbed lazy ass of a teenager. What was missing from me that kept us from having a relationship?

There are some days that I feel a longing for companionship, and a little puppy or kitten sounds like just the solution for my problems. But that's not very fair is it. I feel that it's not right to decide to have a pet out of loneliness and dependency, whether that pet be a mouse or a human. And on days that I feel good and solid, a pet would seem more of a responsibility than anything. Something is missing there as well.

Is it because I see animals as animals, and not as humans? It's selfish to say, I know. I'm sorry... I'm just trying to understand. Am I being self righteous, and bigoted? I would love love love to have a friend to listen, to cuddle and run around with -- but it all seems so weird and experimental to me. I know of neurotic pets whose owners pull their hair out over, yet love them to bits. I know of calm and passive animals who become part of the routine, and aren't babied. I know of perfectly co-habitable cats and well behaved dogs.

I don't know what about me is being reflected in my opinion of animals. I do know, that until I figure it out, I can't ever have a pet, and that makes me sad to know that I'm missing out on something.

"...Biggest one-day bloodbath in the publishing company’s 100-year history."

It's all over Twitter. With today's announcement of Conde Nast "axing" four of its titles, the world of print is trembling in their paper boots.. I'm writing to tell you to have a little hope! Be a little innovative! Sure times are rough, but all the more reason to look for those little opportunities.

"OUR MISSION is to reopen the doors of accessible design. By embracing an online platform we provide inspiration at the click of a finger, directly connecting our readers to their favorite products and resources. Our freedom from page limits means that we can share more content in each issue, delivering an intimate look into the way people really live." - m.a. belle

One complaint I have is the decision to stick to an 8x11" page format -- it doesn't translate on screen and every time I want to read something I have to zoom in. I suppose it's not a website, and encourages printing, but it seems a bit grey to me.

Anyway, alls I'm saying is keep yer chins up, print peeps. There are business models and new technology for the taking, we just need to realize it. If we think of ends as beginnings, maybe it won't seem so sad...

LETTERPRESS PRINTING. ANNA BOND OF RIFLE DESIGN. ERIN JANG OF INDIGO BUNTING ILLUSTRATION& DESIGN. COLLECTING BITS OF NATURE. START-UP COMPANIES. JAPANESE FOOD. DILL WEED. CAMPING BY THE OCEAN. THE OCEAN. DAYS OFF. ON-DAYS. A WELL DESIGNED ROOM. SEEING DREAMS MATERIALIZE. TIME ALONE. COOKING WITH FRIENDS. JASON'S SUDDEN DANCE MOVES. A GOOD SONG. WES ANDERSON'S FILMS. JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT. THINGS THAT FIT. BEING WITH MON SOEURS. WALKS IN DAVIS IN THE FALL. RECHARGING. A CLEAN HOME. MY FRIENDS. THE THOUGHT OF LIVING WITH JASON SOON. MAKING LISTS AND CHECKING THINGS OFF. QUIET SLOW MORNINGS. BOATS. MORNING LIGHT. GETTING MAIL. FINDING PARTY & WEDDING INSPIRATION. HIS SCENT. A GOOD JOKE. "I'D BE LYING" BY GREG LASWELL.



What do you love that's worth shouting about?

[Along the sideboards of my living room.]

[I don't know where I got this photo, I know it was a Japanese publication, so I'm sorry if it's yours but it struck me so soundly -- thank you].

I'm getting such a kick out of this new (beta) language setting on Facebook. Has anyone else found this yet? Does anyone know when this was released? Everyone is now a Capt'n, minutes are measured in shots o' rum, to "See More" is to "Peer into the depths". Want to leave a comment? "Weigh in" your vote!

It's going viral with my network of mateys and getting a high level of response. Who knew that Facebook got jokes?!? I love that people are excited about it. It's both entertaining and educational, and a totally clever way to re-engage your audience. This level of discovery is endless and while it was probably painstaking to go through and localize each data point, it was probably fun for the staff to come up with piratey words to replace "Wall" (Plank) or "Change your Settings" (Adjust your riggin's).

A disappointing change, however, is that My Profile is now "Me". Come on now, buckaneers. Shouldn't it be something like Master or Head Pirate??

I can see how this might get frustrating for those who don't understand the pirate lingo, but what better time than now to learn! Switch on over and impress your friends at how well you can navigate the networking waters.

I'm also interested to see what I've internalized as far as locating what I use frequently without having to actually read the words. This would be entirely impossible and frustrating if I found the Pirate setting at the same time Facebook launched their third large information architecture redesign. I would have walked the plank.

My favorite translation so far:
To "Like" something, a form of giving props or a thumbs up, is now a link called "Arr, this be pleasin' to me eye!"

Instructions on how to change your Facebook to Pirate: Sign in, click the "English (US)" link, find "English (Pirate)" and click it, and behold the glory of the merry language of the sea! Enjoy it while it lasts, because it's a beta version, meaning it's just being tested and is not a complete nor permanent feature.

Ugh. Is anyone else feeling as unmotivated as I have been lately? I can't seem to find a rhythm of things. My pipeline of projects is never full and lasts about oh, a day, before I drop it. For what, exactly? A movie. My interests lately have been drawn to movies movies movies. I can't get my Netflix DVD's fast enough. There's a GREAT sounding new movie released nearly every week this summer so far. 500 Days of Summer, The Hurt Locker, Funny People, TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE, Twilight: New Moon, Moon, Inglourious Bastards, Paper Heart, Harry Potter, Public Enemies, District 9, Ponyo. (I'm bolding what I haven't yet seen but bet your bottom dollar that I damn sure will.)

I guess the point of this was to acknowledge my lack of motivation, with hopes that things will turn around. Soon.

I was thinking the other day that I would like to have children so that they may go to school and that I may make them bento boxes for lunch every morning. Yes, I want to be That Mother. I've always loved that scene in Totoro where the big sister is gently pressing one umeboshi on top of the rice she's packed into cute little bento boxes, and then tying them up in a furoshiki for her dad to take to work. And then she gobbles up her rice with chopsticks really really fast before running out the door herself.



There's something magical this compact meal of delicious variance that fills me with joy. This feeling of satisfaction is so powerful that I try to replicate it in all aspects of my life.

• I try to create a living space that is visually tasty and hold lots of shapes and sizes surrounding one central piece.
• My friends are interesting to me and complement each other.
• I prefer that my meals have options to choose from, and lean towards dishes with the most variety of ingredients.
• I select my wardrobe to be mix-n-matchable and of no particular style but yummy.
• Sometimes I organize with a level of OCD until things feel right.

I wonder if anyone else feels this strongly about bentoboxes as I do. They are just so cute and clever - I can't help but swoon over it's awesomeness. Is it just a Japanese thing? Is it just me?

Drool over rest of Flickr BentoBox pool here.
How to Make Chicken Lollipops on Just Bento

Hello hello!

Hope you all had a great weekend - talk about nice weather huh?

My Favorite Pasttime
Saturday we did the thing where we wake up leisurely and eventually doze off again, refusing to get out of bed until we absolutely have to eat. Indulged in Country Waffles breakfast and then did something that some couples do regularly that, personally, I find a bizarre way to spend time. We went to the mall. DUN DUN DUNNNNN.

The Mall
We malled for so long that my knees hurt. We shopped at one street-skate store to the next, realizing after the third one that it's all the same even after the fourth, fifth and sixth. I knew it was time to escape when we finally lapped back to the entrance of the consumerist abyss. I emerged with a cardigan, a short sleeve cardigan, a black miniskirt, a black halter top, a blazer and some bangles. He got a striped polo, a short-sleeve plaid button-up, a soft thin v-neck sweater in pumpkin orange, and a pair of jeans that are exactly like this other pair that is my favorite but in blue. How does one evaluate a successful mall experience?

After leaving the mall we stopped for a cold snack. The photo above illustrates our typical selections every time we get froyo -- mine is the one without sprinkles. Attempted to play some video games before heading to dinner for a friends' birthday, and then re-met the group in the city for a fun night of champagne, lounging and finally some got-damned dancing.

Sunday, A Contrast to Saturday
Sunday was an spontaneous and interesting version of Saturday. Jas came over as soon as he woke up (a few hours later than I expected, so insert Mamma Mia! dvd here) and we went to eat breakfast/lunch at Ole's Waffle Shop. After stuffing ourselves silly we visited an antique store next door and perused the vintage postcards, board games, glassware and furniture. Then we ventured to this huge flea market that he'd seen from the freeway, which turned out to be the Public Market of Little Mexico -- Bienvenidos! Totally not what we expected which is what made it so awesome. I should have snapped more shots of the strange yet everyday items these vendors were selling but already felt a bit out of place. We saw tools, toys, toiletries, fenders, socks and underwear, vegetables and fruit, stereo systems, wallets, peanuts, more tools, good looking rope... And again, we lapped the aisles and left with a whole new experience under our belts.

Nature + Time + Art: A Validating Documentary
We came home and put on this great documentary about Andy Goldsworthy that my little sister sent me for my birthday. It's about the work of an artist who uses natural elements of his surroundings and creates ephemeral sculptures to the brink of their collapse, against the natural context of time. It's really refreshing to 1) witness the process of such beautiful work and, 2) listen to someone talk and DO life work that which I've always yearned. I'm a collector of elements that I find in the places I've been as a momemtum but also for their beauty. There's something there that I'm trying to understand and bring within my home, within me. I guess it was validating to hear all these half-thoughts of mine in Goldsworthy's words. Thanks Mica.

Movie-marathon
In addition to the River and Tides documentary, I also watched Yes Man (a little shallow in plot but very funny), Mamma Mia! (during which I cried three times - why!??) and also, gulp, Bruno. Yes, Japheth, I said I wouldn't but I did -- I paid real cash dollars to watch that movie and I must say I don't totally regret it in the same way as I thought I would because of how MUCH it made me laugh. WHY it made me laugh is a little... eh... can't find... awkward... words...

A Harmonica Clip
I leave you with something awesome, something sweet, a moment on the way to Ole's. Waiting at a red light we thought for a millisecond that we heard a harmonica closeby, looked around but couldn't find its source. Then we realized the old man in the sunglasses and straw hat in the Volvo next to us had a harmonica in his steering hand, playing it when traffic slowed.

So grateful for the iPhone for these moments exactly.

So I just want to write about the three elevators at my work for a bit.

Creepy Modernization
They've been working on 'modernizing' the elevators one by one for the past, oh, forever. So far they've finished one. The only noticeable upgrade is that the elevator can now announce in a 35 year old woman's voice what floor you are currently passing and what direction you are going (up, or down). It's really creepy. I don't know why anyone would ever choose to ride in it, and I think in fact that people don't.

Somehow in the 'modernization' project of the first elevator they managed to wire the two remaining elevators to run together while the third elevator is out of commission. These two remaining elevators face each other exactly and so you can see the doors open on the other side at the same time and see the people file out. And when you push the button to go back down to the lobby, you will wait for a long time before TWO elevators open for you, as if to say "Now wasn't that worth the wait?". No, elevators, it was not.

Shall We Race?
Now, every time I wait for the elevator with a group of people, I hope that I have the guts to take the 'other elevator' and race the rest of the group down to the lobby so that I can jump out and get to lunch first. But that woman's voice is really loud and so creepy that I never want to take the elevator alone, and it seems that everyone else also feels the same. Nobody rides that second, fancy elevator. What a waste of modernization.

Forced Philosophical Statements
Today, the doors opened up to my floor and I damn near ran into someone trying to enter the elevator. Where are his manners! You should wait for people to exit before entering, I was once told. I laughed anyway and said "Hi", and he was a little flurried because the other elevator arrived at the same time mine did, as usual. He didn't know which one to pick and cried, "I always have to choose!" and I laughed, and said something dumb about how yeah it's a race and as I walked away I realized I should have instead responded, in a spooky voice, "There's always a choice". The thought felt profound enough at the time to write about.

Admittedly, I could be selectively picking up these moments and reading into them as part of the choice-related theme my life has been following. More on that another time...