Friday, October 31, 2008

Trick This!

This is what I want for my Halloween treat. A hearty rum concoction topped with pineapple. See that dark liquid floating on top. Oh yeah. Happy All Hollows Eve. Keep your heads on.





Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Random Blurbs, Birds and Such

In the forest, I saw faces. No, I wasn't smoking anything.








Goldfinch party in our backyard.

This breakfast of chorizo, potatoes, fried egg and a tortilla made my travels abundantly happy that day. YUM!

Sunrise over Ventura.




Ventura sunrise sandpipers.





Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Following Bliss...Blissfully. Most o' the Time.

So, friends, this is how my life rolls along. Here in fact is a perfect persnickity example of winds blowing me to new adventures. Last Sunday when I ditched out early on housework (where are the house elves to hook it up?) I nestled in on the couch and watched 4 movies. Yup. Four.
One of them was the scrumptious lovely flick P.S. I Love You. I know it was a book first, but I never read it. Oh my. What a fantastic movie! I loved it. P.S. I Loved It! Hilary Swank is so totally cute. Gerard Butler is a fine looking hot piece of ass specimen.
Anyway the story touched me deeply as I have experienced devastating loss and I related to her journey and heartache. Kinship is a word thats bubbling to mind.
So, besides the fact that her wardrobe is ridiculously chic (the green dress, where do I find that?) part of the movie is filmed in Ireland. Oh, mee jolly Ireland. I fell in love with Ireland (well, the cinematography of Ireland) and decided as I watched the movie a second time as soon as I finished it the first time, that my next big foreign travel writing assignment will take me to Ireland. Period. I started researching and I hope to be on an Ireland bound plane before April of next year.


Thanks Hilary. Merci Gerard. All hail the cinematographer.




How cute is her jacket! Look at the flower pin. The hat, too.
Hat! Buckle. Black trench. Hmmm, Gerard?




Mapping it.




P.S. I LOVE YOU!


Monday, October 27, 2008

Oh Hi!

Cool Native American wooden statue in out front of a mish mash fun store in Ojai.









Just had a conversation about a bike and a basket (not to be confused with a ball and a biscuit) yesterday.


Sunday, October 26, 2008

Globular Art (Cool Globes)

Whilst at Balboa Park in San Diego the other day, I became enthralled with the display of colorful globes dotting the parkscape. The round art pieces present a wide righteous array of topics and purpose. Unique ways to bring important attention to global warming and it's horrendous dastardly effects on the enviroment and then some.

La message of this powerful visual installment is "We can solve the problem. We can stop global warming if we inspire government, corporate and community leaders to lead the way..."

Go see this if you get a chance! They will be on display at San Diego's beguiling Balboa Park until the end of November. Then roundies are taking a road trip to other locales.







One of my favorites! A hard task indeed to choose one favorite. Not possible, but the sunflowers, butterflies and farming edge warmed my whole heart.


Sweet! Keep it local. Support your local farmers!

This is another one of the best (in my screwy opine). Made of recycled plastics, metals and cell phones. Made me think about how lamely superglued to my celly I am. The light is flashing red! The light is flashing red! Quick check to see who what when where and why!
Seemed to be the crowd favorite. Check out how blue the sky is! I don't use adobe photoshop or any programs to adjust/alter my photos...really blue-y blue.



Globes in a row. Not in a roe.






Saturday, October 25, 2008

Blue Lagoon.

Meet Alberto. He's a true Mayan living near Tulum and spoke his native Mayan language to us as we toodled down the road on our way to Muyil. Incredible! His grandfather was a shaman who lived into his hundreds. Living in tune with earth and all her healing healthy gifts. Never even went to a doctor. Gifts a' plenty in the natural realm. I think we all need to get back to more of that magic! This particular branch of the journey took us to Sian Kaan Biosphere. I have always had in intense interest in Mayan culture..my bookshelves are stuffed with books on the subject. And since we are coming upon the date of all dates December 12, 2012 my need to know more is at all time highs.
If you ever go to The Riviera Maya, this adventure is an absolute MUST. Mayan temples, jungle hike, learning about Mayan culture and myths, fresh lagoon, waterways that the Mayan people used as trade routes (more on that later)...amazing experience. I will go back.








Midway through our jungle trek, we came upon this rickety wooden high-ass perch. The ladders going up were narrow and even though I am not afraid of heights, hummingbirds buzzed in my belly. Once to the tippy-top the breeze blew sweet kissy breezes and cooled me down. It's allmighty hot and humid in the juicy jungle! Climbing down made my knees weak. WEAK!







Here is the lagoon. Glorious in all it's crystalline blue wonder.
**Note: the absolute funniest/grossest/wierdest/hilarity ensued on this particular boat ride. I don't think I've laughed that hard in at least 5 years. So glad Glenn from Florida was next to me. Someday I'll share what happened. Someday. It is legendary. We will call it the Heinous toothy pookeeatchy event 2008.



Headed out to the Carribean Sea. The water is extremely salty there. Warm and salty. We swam for about thirty minutes in the ocean before making our way back to the lagoon. Stunning.
There were about 12 of us. We bobbed up and down in the surf laughing like children the entire time. It was tremendously divine and wonderful.





Dive in.








Hothouse Flowers

Ode to Joan of Arc.




Fuzzy fields of gold. My lens had a smudge.




Tools of my trade. So much can be done with pen, paper, observation and imagination.





Friday, October 24, 2008

Double Dog Dare'd Me.

A few years ago I fell in love with a group of magical little ancient muses known as 'pottery shards'. I sat at a table 8500 feet up at an artist retreat in New Mexico and watched as my friend Swazo dumped out a box of Anasazi pottery shards in front of us. He had just returned from a trip to Colorado where he aquired these intriguing little buggers. All different shapes, colors (mainly muted earthy tones) with distinct black markings on them. Some were big and bold, others were small and simple. All beautiful. I grabbed my sharpie and started drawing the shapes of the shards and arranging them in different scapes. Trees, mountains, boats, oceans, houses...all composed of the shard shapes in front of me. Then, something started pushing through. Things buzzed and unfolded at the tip of my pens. Goddesses started to appear. Colorful ones. Loud ones. Scared ones. Singing ones. Fat and skinny ones. They all held distinct personalities and purr'd out of my pens.

I'd like to introduce you to three of them. These gals are friendly, they don't judge, they joyfully bring gifts from the otherside and from ancient times past.

They are pleased to make your aquaintance.



She's singing and dancin'.









Sunny earthy cosmo goddess.

Billie Holiday/Aretha goddess.




Tin Roof, Not Rusted.

Crossing 'Alligator Alley' on the way to South Beach Miami. Did I mention my freakish love of random logos on trucks and vans? It goes way back.








Tenya's tin roof island home.



Thursday, October 23, 2008

People In My Lens

Mayan siblings at the edge of a magical Mayan lagoon I was about to embark upon. We had just hiked through Mayan ruins in the jungles of Tulum and popped out here. Long live Havianna flip flops. Those babies go the distance! More photo's later.




Security and protection.


Altar.



Goddess.


Goddess!







Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Desert Snark


Use your unbridled imagination.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Shhhhh, I'm Finding My Innerself.

When I rolled up to Hotel Solamar a few weeks ago, I had no clue how riddled with style this jem would be. I parked, handed the beetle over to a cute tall blonde valet and clickety clacked into the lobby. Whhhhaaa? Where am I? Did I mysteriously teleport to New York? Slip through a wormhole to South Beach? The swanky atmosphere permeated the entire space reminding me of being in the aforementioned places. Look at you San Diego, snap! I almost took the front desk girls hand off when she handed over my room key. Snatched it right out of her paws. If the lobby is this slammin, I wondered what the rooms had in store. I bolted to the elevator, pressed 10 and the giddy set in. I tried to be cool strolling down the hall, but I couldn't get there fast enough. Slid the key, opened the door and....POLKA DOT CURTAINS! Sweet baby Jesus! Sheer ones! Sexy ones! I could make one ridiculous (in a good way) dress outta those beauts. I rolled on the bed, tested the pillows (hello, heavenly soft) and threw open the windows to breathe in the crisp oceany air.

Onto the bathroom; always like to see what hotels stock the powder room with as I am a product junkie/lover-One can never have enough lotions, potions, soaps and scrubs. Job well done Hotel Solamar product buyer! L'Occitane en Provence all the way around. Luxurious indeed. I opened the bottle of body wash took a whiff and zinged off to lemongrass land. You ever been there? You should go, it's good fun. Much better than stinky over perfumed land.








I padded over to a window, pressed my head against the cool glass, peered down and this is what I looksee'd at: (Oh, I am there...in a hot second). Out of another window, if I chucked a rock good n hard it would nail Petco Park. But, I'm not into vandalism.



K. I'm there. Again with the funky fresh style. A jellyfish-esque hanging lamp above the bar. There where several and how the sun twinkled through them!


Just out of frame in the following photograph there were gaggles of bathing bikini clad hotties sipping icy libations. Made me thirsty. Need. A. Cold. Beverage. Stat. I bellied up to the horseshoe shaped bar and began grilling the bartender. As any good investigative traveller knows, bartenders are a pandora's box of information and must be interrogated. Any celebrities stay here? WOW. I can tell you dear readers that a long winding list of A, B, C, D, E, F and G listers have all laid their heads on those heavenly soft pillows. Gwen Stefani being one of them. Holla Back! The night I was there, a grammy award winning rap group was also in da hizzouse. Bartender and I chatted about the hotel (Hotel Solamar is part of the Kimpton Hotel family), amazing real estate deals in downtown (a fellow realtor sat next to me and I evesdropped on his conversation. Man did he prattle on. Windbag), the 'elements' are pushing further east, JBar goes off on the weekends and Mr. Bartender loves his job. Great.
I finished my tart vodka cranberry deliciousness and went on my merry little way.


I had a date with sangria drinking, tapas eating, live flamenco guitar listening, salsa dancing and people watching later that evening so I retreated to my KILLER room to rest, primp, preen, coif, gloss, lotion and blow kisses to myself in the mirror. Hi run on sentence. Nice to meet ya.
Suns going down.


Good Morning Glory. As I took this picture the next morning, my head thu-robbed from too many vats of sangria. Seemed like a good idea at the time, it always does. Uh. Couldn't tell if I was gonna barf or not. Damn shame to puke up all that incredible food. I poured glass after glass after glass of water down the gulley and shored myself up. The polka dot's helped.




Gleaming vibes just would not quit. FYI, there are catalogs in the rooms in case you want to purchase robes, slippers, sheets, beds, pillows, etc....Smart. Those beds are B-A-N-A-N-A-S.



My stomach stopped surging around 10a.m. so I sludged my way down to JSix Restaurant in search of something greasy and heavy. Again, with the lamps. What is my deal with lamps? The interior was just as hip as the rest of the hotel. HIP!







Ultra nifty cieling detail.






Behold the hangover wunderkind. Man, did this do a belly good that morning. It was rough.
Strong excellent cup o' coffee to start. Then this dazzling display landed on my table. Twinkle. Perfectly spiced chiliquiles topped with 2 organic farm freshy fresh eggs, side of tumbled potatoes and homemade (well, made there) organic wheat toast. I only ate half. Pussy! But wait, my eyes are notoriously bigger than my stomach, in theory.



Seriously, all tomfoolery aside, JSix Restaurant is dedicated to the Slow Food Movement, earth lovin' sustainable practices and organic ingredients everywhere. AND, the menu is brilliant, creative and chock full of choices. No boredom here. The food is tremendously fresh and the chef is kinda hot!
Xo








Harvest Time, Butter Yellow.

Last day of the grape harvest. Sugar has to be just so.



How many bottles will this make?





While out in the vineyards witnessing the grapes being shorn from the vine, I had to give props to this crunky fella.

These guys move unbelieveably fast. They run up the line like a swarm of ants quickly cutting clusters of purple globes off the host, drop them into white bins and then dump them into the waiting recepticle at the back of a tractor, turn around and start all over again.




Snip snip so everyone can sip sip.




The cloud mottled sky reminded me of New Mexico.