Since Tony's graduation we've been able to hang out more together and actually enjoy this pleasant, low key summer.  Here are just a few of the things we've been up to (in no chronological order). :)

*  "Transformations" in the old Westwood parking lot for the Transformers movie premiere.  Two drive-bys and attempted evasion of heavy security through the pretext of a Diddy Reese purchase yielded this nice glimpse of a two story Bumblebee, hulking over nearby buildings.



*  Tony and I also headed down to the Edgemar Center for our belated anniversary play.  The Edgemar Center was designed by Frank Gehry, and is a funky little building in the heart of Main street.  We were there a few months ago to celebrate Christmas with southern California style, that is, on a sunny day with a Christmas tree of shopping carts.



We watched the play, the Miracle Worker.  For those of you who know Helen Keller's story, the role of Helen as a child is an incredibly physically demanding role.  Watching her stumble around, kick, slap, and struggle is almost a little shocking.  But the actress, an eight year old child, pulled it off with convincing aplomb.  I highly recommend this play.

*  We also dropped by a community carnival held at the Venice YABA.  It was a loud, fun, tasty affair.  This was my favorite, a blueberry imagawa yaki, which was a pastry filled with blueberry filling hot from the steamer.  Yum.



My friend Ricky had a face painting and pie throwing booth there.



I lobbed one just as he was brashly taunting me, and it hit him square in the mouth.  Victory never tasted so sweet - wish I could say the same for him.  I know what is in those fillings and it is definitely not something I want to be eating. :)  But props to them for having such a fun and entertaining booth.




*  My friend Diana finally made the trek up to LA.  We went to Father's Office in Santa Monica for tasty burgers and beers.



We also checked out LACMA's contemporary collection. Tom surprised Diana with a kick at the lampposts.

 


I was not allowed to take a picture of the Jeff Koons exhibit, and finally snagged it through a mere technicality (I stood outside the building but propped open the doors).  Yes, I'm persistent.  But how often do you see a larger-than-life balloon animal??



We were on the elevator, debating which floor to go on, when on the second floor button we see the sign "Your Bright Future."  Was there any doubt which floor we'd pick?  The irony is that when we got onto that floor, we were told "members only" and sent packing.  D'oh.



*  The Public Arts Fair celebrates the works of Yayoi Kusama



*  Etsy in the real world would look something like the Renegade fair.  There I bought my strawberry plant, still in complete denial of my lack of a green thumb.

The key to success is learning to listen to the right voice.  What exactly that one voice is is dependent on faith, circumstances, or even the moment.  All my life I've been plagued with indecision, listening to so many voices that sometimes I end up not making a choice at all, and merely play it safe.

I was hiking with a friend on Friday, and she told me that she was lucky having people around her who take risks.  I asked her who those people were, and was surprised to learn that one of the people she included on that list was me.  Starting something new in the face of troubled economic times is not the wisest decision in anyone's book, even if it is to do something you love.  I find that really ironic that since starting my photography business, I have never been more beset by doubts.

But what I was thinking about is that fifty years from now, when you look back on your life, it won't be about wishing you had played it safer.  It'll be about the moments that made it all worth it.  And that means having a little more idealism, and learning to listen to the right voice.  It means working hard towards all your goals, but enjoying the moment and not letting fear and worry overtake your life.

Here's to hoping that everyone had a wonderful fourth of July, which earmarks a slightly unbelievable event driven by ideals.  Here's to hoping that despite tough economic times we are still worrying less and living more. And also a little thank you to everyone who has ever encouraged me, and helped me find that right voice at the right time.  Hope you had a great meal with friends and family. :)

** The shot below was taken at a friend's house, lying on the grass watching fireworks light up the sky.  I loved watching a flag she had mounted on the side of her house rippling beside the impressive pyrotechnic display.

Pros of a new blog:  Bigger pictures! :D

Cons of a new blog:  Goodbye old comments...

And because no post is complete without some pictures, this past Saturday I went to Forth Mag's carnival  at the Santa Monica Pier.  Forth Magazine is a new arts magazine that's hit the west LA scene.    Two of my pictures were published in the very first issue, which was really exciting. :)

A very strange sight awaits visitors to the beach in Marina del Rey. A gray whale has temporarily called the Marina del Rey channel home. This shot was actually taken from the walkway right next to the beach.

A few pictures from the UCLA Anderson Commencement Ceremony