I found this old Mervyn’s box from the 80s in with the Christmas ornaments when we set up our tree. Yes, we actually managed to get a tree set up this year!
Author Archives: Kelson
Look up in the sky!
You may never seen a halo around the sun or a sundog next to it, but they’re actually quite common. You just have to look up. (Just don’t stare at the sun!) I usually keep an eye out for sun halos whenever there’s a thin cloud layer, since there usually aren’t ice crystals near the ground in LA, but the upper atmosphere is a lot colder.
I actually wasn’t looking for this halo. I just happened to look up toward the tree across the street and *wham* – there it was.
Just one day later, I saw a fainter halo while walking to lunch…and noticed this rainbow-like sundog off to the right of the sun. I tried to take another shot with my sunglass lens in front of the phone, but fumbled it, and by the time I fixed the settings, it was gone.
You don’t even have to be outside — a few weeks ago I posted a view through an office window. But you do have to look up once in a while!
Decision Overload: Duct Tape Variety
All I wanted was a plain roll of duct tape!
Restroom for ME! All Mine! You Can’t Have it!
Someone had fun with this sign. Several someones, I suspect.
At first it seemed oddly specific. Why have a restroom for just ME?
A hand-painted N fixed it…until someone else scraped off the remaining letters. Now it just says N… Continue reading
Restaurant Crossover
Though their signature drink is a mean Flat White, Two Guns Espresso in Manhattan Beach has the perfect mocha: just the right balance of coffee and chocolate and not too sweet. If they were open in the evenings, I’d stop on the way home from work waaay too often.
For the past few weekends, Two Guns has also been hosting pop-up dinners by Doma Kitchen, a local restaurant that’s in the process of relocating. It keeps them in the public eye, gives regulars a chance to visit, and I’m sure it helps to bring in some money while the restaurant is closed. The fixed menu is a bit more expensive than what we usually buy there, but it’s a three-course meal including appetizer and dessert (and coffee), so it actually worked out about the same.
Considering that we all like both the coffee shop and the restaurant, it seemed like a perfect match, and we went last night. They added extra seating using folding tables in the area usually reserved for the line and milling around. I was worried when we were the only ones there at 6:30, but it filled up quickly.
The food was great, though I forgot to mention when I made the reservation that I couldn’t eat seafood. (I don’t remember seeing seafood on their menu before, but I guess I just ignored it.) Fortunately it was a three-course meal, and my seafood allergy is less severe than others I have, so we rebalanced things a bit and it worked out.
The funny thing is, from what we overheard of the greeting conversations (we were seated right by the door), most of the people there last night had never been to Two Guns before. We may have been the only overlap!
What about turkey pizza?
Surely this is an unbiased opinion.
Strange Searches
Some interesting search phrases that have brought readers to this site recently:
southpoint hoyel haunyed – It’s not the typos that I find funny here (the keys are right next to each other), but the thought that the hotel’s air pressure problems causing whistling doorjambs may have given rise to a reputation for it being haunted.
brand names for sex – This post on gender-specific brand names (ex. “Men’s X” or “Y for Women” or simply things like dropping “Liz” from “Liz Claiborne” when selling to men), has picked up a lot of search hits, but I don’t think this one was phrased quite right. Unless they were looking for something else.
alice in wonderland tl dr – “A young girl finds herself in a magical world full of nonsense.” There, that was easy. Anyway, check out the TL;DR photos of Katie’s Alice cosplay, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland–style, from this year’s Comic-Con.
why does no one go to the gardenwalk in anaheim – Probably because there isn’t much there to go to.
zucchini spam – Wow, there’s a flashback. An oddly specific one, too. (All right, they were probably looking for a recipe.)
why are there no stars in the sky anymore – Variations on “why can’t I see stars anymore” have been landing on my thoughts about light pollution, jumping off of a photo of the Los Angeles area at night from orbit. The question isn’t funny, but this particular phrasing is just depressing.