Dear car,

On this occasion, the hour of your 10,000th mile, I am sorry you have been put through so much in your young life. I wish you a next 100,000 miles of no injuries!

Hopefully yours,
Laura

Seattle Art Museum

DSC05018a a photo by neonspecs on Flickr.

MMMBOP!

MMMBOP! a photo by neonspecs on Flickr.

Saw this on the way to see Junior Senior.

2011 Photo A Day Adventure!

DSC05204
Originally uploaded by neonspecs

I meant to start this yesterday, but due to brunch club lasting all day (awesome!), I am starting it today instead. We will now start on a daily photo adventure through my flickr collection. I have always enjoyed this Streamline Moderne building in Culver City. Let's hope 2011 is a year of no car accidents.

After the glow, the scene, the stage, the set

I saw Pavement this past Thursday night in Pomona and it was definitely magical, that is until we were stranded on the side of a freeway, but I'll get to that later. Most important information on that evening is that they played five out of my top seven pavement songs:

1. Spit on a Stranger
2. Roll with the Wind
3. Shady Lane
4. Cut Your Hair
5. Range Life
6. Harness Your Hopes
7. Stereo

I'm pretty satisfied with that outcome, as the italicized ones are B-sides I probably should never have hoped them to play (but can we just all agree that Roll with the Wind is spectacular?).

So then my friend's car has some sort of issue, in which the car fills with smoke and loses power breaking capability. Let me tell you, that is some scary stuff. And then we stand, freezing, on the side of a freeway in the middle of the night waiting for a tow truck. I obviously did not envision this occasion in choosing to wear a dress that morning. It's a good thing everyone bought shirts at the show; wearing three shirts did help a little. This situation would probably have been less frightening had I not watched so many Law & Orders and or film noirs that include scenes similar to these.

All in all, however, it was a pretty successful Nochella weekend: Pavement, first day of new job, long shift at old job (money!), Record Store Day (including buying a Robyn Hitchcock album I somehow missed which has a song titled "Raymond Chandler Evening"--what could be more perfect?!), pizzza I hadn't had in 14 years, square dance, maybe the best donuts in L.A., and learning how to make bagels.

Chalom

Dear Boyle Heights,

Thank you so much for this.

Best,
Laura

A few things that bother me.

This is not at the Auto Show; this is at the Seattle Art Museum.

1. My parents won't get me a car (nor can I afford to get one myself) but decided to make the Auto Show the post-Thanksgiving family activity. A little cruel, I would say.

2. If you are going to have something be entirely about Christmas, don't call it "holiday." It's not more politically correct or some nonsense because you call it 'holiday' when you don't include any other holidays in it. To be clear, I don't care if you only care about Christmas--just don't call it 'holiday' and get me excited about the prospects of just maybe there might be something about Chanukah!

3. My landlord is never in her office.

4. My blues professor looks like a mixture of David Dassa and my dentist. WEIRD.

California Stars

So, in the span of less than 48 hours, I was in Davis, Oakland, Santa Cruz, and Santa Barbara, plus probably around 18 hours in a car. I am now sitting at my desk, but my legs still feel like they are moving and my torso is not capable of staying upright.

Now, I get to write an essay! I would rather be asleep.