Wake Me Up When Sept Ends

Summer has really come and gone. Today is the first day of Autumn. Whether you are ready for it or not, it doesn't really matter. You will be going back to school, starting a new job like me, or at least wearing more scarves and sweaters like everyone else. I am convinced that Starbucks and Barnes & Noble probably do better during this season, simply because people are more likely to sit on a nice lazy sofa, open up a good book, and drink some coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

Today a new CNN/Gallup poll revealed that a majority of Americans believe the war in Iraq is unwinnable. For most people, the combination of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, coupled with the rising gas prices, have really taking their toll on their patience. No one wants to see the U.S. retreat from the Middle East. But people are understandibly frustrated with the current situation. Over 2,000 soldiers have been killed, and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. What the American people want to see, is a convincing argument for why we should stay longer, and a leadership team that is worthy of our trust, confidence and resources. Someone needs to step up to this challenge.

For now, just wake me up when September ends. From Green Day: "Summer has come and passed, the innocent can never last, wake me up when september ends."

On a lighter note, I found some interesting information about Autumn on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumn

"Autumn (often referred to as Fall in North America) is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition from summer into winter.

"In the temperate zones, autumn is the season during which most crops are harvested, and deciduous trees lose their leaves. It is also the season in which the days rapidly get shorter and cooler (especially in the northern latitudes), and of gradually increasing precipitation in some parts of the world.

"Astronomically, it begins with the autumnal equinox (around September 23 in the Northern hemisphere, and March 21 in the southern hemisphere), and ends with the winter solstice (around December 21 in the Northern hemisphere and June 21 in the Southern hemisphere). However, meteorologists count the entire months of March, April and May in the Southern hemisphere, and September, October and November in the Northern hemisphere as autumn. An exception to these definitions is found in the Irish Calendar which still follows the Celtic cycle, where Autumn is counted as the whole months of August, September and October.

"Although the days begin to shorten in July or August in the northern lattirudes and in January and February in the south, it is usually in September or March where twilight becomes evidently shorter and more abrupt in comparison with the more lingering ones of summer.

"Autumn colours at Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire, England.Autumn is often defined as the start of the school year in most countries, since they usually begin in early September or early March (depending on the latitude).

"Either definition, as with those of the seasons generally, is flawed because it assumes that the seasons are all of the same length, and begin and end at the same time throughout the temperate zone of each hemisphere."

By the way, the picture above is of an art sculpture at the University of California, Riverside campus.

 

Harvest Luna en Arcadia

Este domingo pasado fui con unos amigos al Festival de la Luna de Cosecha en Arcadia. Este festival se celebra en la comunidad china de California, en donde entre muchas cosas, se celebra el esfuerzo, la cosecha, y el porvenir de un buen future lleno de trabajo y bendiciones.

Mi amiga Angeline me invito, ya que dos de sus amigos hiban a participar como musicos en el festival.

Uno de ellos se llama Kyoshi Grace, y toca canciones de rock que dan animo hasta a los pequenyos a bailar. Vean aqui esta chica de rojo, que con mucho entusiasmo brincaba, ya teniendo un espiritu de bailarina a tal temprana edad. En fin, el dia estuvo estupendo, ya que el clima del sur de California, aunque un poco calido, pues nos dio su bendicion.

Lo chistoso es que el dia fue mas del sol, que de la luna.  

Desde Colonia Guerrero

Esa noche tuve la suerte de conocer a la chofera de Saul Hernandez. Le digo chofera, porque esta chica, judia y tahitiana, acababa de recibir ordenes de Saul, que en pocas palabras, ya era tiempo de sacar el coche.

Fue un poco padre que al ver que Saul Hernandez, el cantante de Jaguares estaba rodeado de fans, pues decidi no amontonarme con los demas, y platique con la tahitiana sobre su experiencia creciendo en esa isla magica del Pacifico, claro sin saber que era la chofera. Bueno, no es la chofera per se, sino que la "intern" para el publicista que se encarga de varios grupos rockeros cuando visitan Los Angeles, incluyendo Aterciopelados, etc.

Sin saber su conexion al grupo, le comente el libro de Mario Vargas Llosa, El Paraiso En La Otra Esquina, sobre el pintor mas famoso de su isla. Me dijo que las pocas piezas de Gauguin que quedan Tahiti son impresionantes.

En eso, llega Saul, y pues, me doy cuenta que Saul me esta pidiendo permiso para platicar con la tahitiana ya que es su chofera de la noche. Y pues, tambien se da la oportunidad de tomar esta foto y platicar un poco sobre su juventud en la Cd. de Mexico.

Aunque me acuso de ser fresa por haber vivido en el sur de la Cd. de Mexico, en el Pedregal, me dijo con mucho orgullo y gusto que el era de la Colonia Guerrero.

Al final, el concierto de Jaguares en Los Angeles fue estupendo. La ultima vez que los vi tocar en vivo fue en Filadelfia en el 2002 en la calle South St. Como pasa el tiempo. Pero la sangre sigue galopando, poco a poco, pero con el mismo espiritu.

Para leer mas sobre Saul Hernandez y sus contribuciones al mundo de rock en espanol, les incluyo la siguiente rendicion por el sitio de internet mundo rockero:

http://www.mundorockero.com/Saul.asp

"He is Saúl Hernández; the legendary front man of rock kings Jaguares. The living legend that is Saúl Hernández did not start where most rockers believe; with the formation of Caifanes. Rather, Saúl Hernández began his musical career as early as the age of 9, after the death of his mother, when he began composing what would later develop into lyric and song. Saúl's power of existence always came from music - listening to the Beatles rather than having breakfast before school and playing with three string guitars. But his power of existence is has not only fueled his own success as a Mexican rocker, it has influenced, motivated and given magic to generations of fans as well as to the entire international Rock en Español movement.

"Saúl's role as a vocalist began when he was fifteen, along with friends Salvador de la Fuente and Pepe Navarro, when the three formed Deimos. It was serendipity that gave the group the chance to play along with el Tri in a small weekly concert festival. When two bands failed to show, the beginning rockers were asked to open the show."

Since then, we have had the benefit of Caifanes and Jaguares music.

Viva el Rock en Espanol. Y gracias Saul por toda tu musica. Desde tu version de La Negra Tomasa hasta El Milagro.

 

Orale Vampiro

Aqui estamos mi amigo Alex y yo con el Vampiro de Jaguares.

Para los que no conocen mucho de Jaguares, aqui les incluyo este sinopsis preparado por la gente de PETA, los activistas de proteccion para animales, ya que Jaguares esta planeando un anuncio publico por toda la Republica Mexicana en honor de sus principios.

http://www.petaenespanol.com/celeb/jaguares.html

"La riqueza del historial del grupo de rock mexicano, Jaguares, ha solidificado el poder que la banda disfruta en las ondas musicales latinas. Su cantante, Saúl Hernández, y su baterista, Alfonso André, fueron miembros del grupo Caifanes, la banda que marcó el inicio del renacimiento del rock mexicano y que se convirtió en uno de los grupos de rock más importantes de México a finales de la década del 80. Por su parte, el guitarrista César “Vampiro” López fue miembro del popular grupo de rock Maná.

"Tras haber tenido un considerable éxito poco después de la creación del grupo, incluyendo una nominación al premio Grammy por su canción Bajo el Azul de tu Misterio, Jaguares logró el reconocimiento que merecía con el lanzamiento de su tercera canción, Cuando la Sangre Galopa. El álbum llegó a la cima de las carteleras latinas para convertirse así en el primero de su género en lograr el ansiado número 1. Más recientemente, la banda culminó una muy anticipada gira acompañada del legendario músico Morrissey, otro gran partidario de PETA.

"De modo que cuando PETA supo que los tres miembros de Jaguares estaban interesados en grabar un anuncio público para nosotros, sentimos gran euforia. Con un llamado a los televidentes para que sean más compasivos con los animales, el anuncio fue fácil para Saúl, Alfonso y Vampiro. Jaguares es bien conocido por sus llamados a favor del medio ambiente y por mejorar la conciencia social, mientras que Vampiro ha sido vegetariano durante años. De hecho, Vampiro y el grupo Maná fueron clave durante el exitoso esfuerzo de PETA que culminara con el fin de los abusos que sufrían siete osos polares del circo Suarez Bros.

"Sin duda alguna, con este último anuncio los miembros de los Jaguares ejercerán el mismo impacto favorable para los animales que viven en malas condiciones. En él la banda expresa “Somos Jaguares y queremos recordarle que sin importar quiénes seamos, podemos mejorar el mundo”. El anuncio público saldrá al aire en toda la nación y también se podrá escuchar por la radio. Para obtener más información, lea más adelante sobre el anuncio público o visite la página de la Internet PETATV.com."

 

Frugone's Ley

After the 2 hour long Jaguares concert, Alex and I waited as people trickled out of the theater. The Pantages is one historic landmark. The inside is truly amazing, very telling of what old Hollywood had to offer. You can almost imagine the history that was made during the 40s, 50s and 60s in this edifice of urban memory.

At the end of the show, they played a Jaguares video with clips of Mexico City. Having just relocated from La Gran Tenochtitlan, I was pleased to see images of the Zocalo, Insurgentes, and the Palacio de Bellas Artes.

But there was also this very cute girl, with short hair and an uncovered navel. She had a tatoo to the upper left of her navel, looked like a rose with thorns. She was helping her friend find some lost purse. She was very distressed, but never lost her impeccable style and cool calm. So there I sat for about 9 minutes, staring at her and at the images of Mexico City. I couln't help but sing to myself, "Florecita rockera, tu te lo buscaste..." (Aterciopelados).

Eventually, Alex and I decided to head backstage to put our passes to the test. Unfortunately for everyone else, we got in.

This is Pedro Frugone, guitarist for La Ley, my friend Alex, and I at the backstage mixer for Jaguares at the Pantages on Hollywood Blvd. La Ley is one of those bands that every Latino from southern California knows about. We've heard them on the radio, at parties, and carne asadas for so long, that you almost forget that you like them. Why? Because it's a given. You sing along even when you're not supposed to. That is La Ley. You abide by it.

For more about La Ley, visit their official website at http://www.laleysite.com/2004_biografia.html

"Es imposible pensar en el rock en Latinoamérica sin dedicarle uno de los mayores capítulos a LA LEY. Desde su formación en Chile, en 1987, la banda revolucionó los hasta entonces ultra estructurados conceptos de la escena rockera del país austral y avanzó veloz en su viaje sonoro, generando un inconfundible y melodioso lenguaje musical y una fuerte estética propia, hoy sellos inconfundibles dentro de la propuesta del grupo.

"Catorce años, siete discos y decenas de premios -incluidos un Grammy y un Grammy Latinos- después de aquel comienzo, LA LEY es uno de los pilares del pop-rock en castellano. Cada nuevo álbum, cada tema, cada video, refleja el crecimiento de un combo que sorteó fronteras con inteligencia y arte, que conquistó escenarios en toda Latinoamérica, Estados Unidos y España, y que cosechó en el camino el reconocimiento de sus seguidores, sus pares, la crítica especializada y los miembros de la industria.

"La travesía no fue fácil: en la senda la banda perdió integrantes –entre ellos a Andrés Bobe, guitarrista y miembro fundador del combo, que falleció en un accidente automovilístico en abril de 1994-, y debió reinventarse a sí misma, contra la adversidad. Como reza la letra de Día Cero, uno de sus temas ya clásicos, LA LEY ‘sopló cenizas de su ayer’ y renació a una nueva etapa, que marcó finalmente su consagración internacional y la alineación de trío [Beto Cuevas (voz), Mauricio Clavería (batería) y Pedro Frugone (guitarra)] que mantiene hasta el presente."

 

El Grito de los Jaguares

Last Thursday, I went to one of the best concerts I've been to in a long time. I went to see Jaguares at the Pantages Theater on Hollywood Blvd.

I am so grateful to my friend Alex, who works for Tower Records. I was supposed to go to USC with some friends to listen to classical music. But the night before, he called me up, and told me he had some tix to go see Jaguares. It was a no brainer. Although I enjoy all kinds of music, I couldn't pass up on seeing Jaguares on September 15th, the Mexican 4th of July! So I called my other friends, and they totally understood.

When I got to the Pantages the next day, the crowd was noticeably excited about the show. It was a cool feeling to be surrounded by so many Chicano rockero aficionados.

When Alex arrived, it turned out he had four free tickets and not two. And as luck would have it, I ran into Oscar and Eddie, some friends from the San Gabriel Valley. Funny how these things happen. So Alex and I decided to upgrade Oscar and Eddie, and what were we to do with the 2 extra tickets? It was too late to call up anyone we knew, the show was about to start. And people in LA take forever to get ready for any event. So Alex and I found this hot girl next to the Super Estrella stand (a popular Spanish radio station in LA, 107.1 FM), and just gave them to her. She was suspicious about receiving anything for free, but we eventually convinced her that the tix were legitimate, and that we were just being good samaritans. It's amazing how skeptical people have become. I guess no one wants to be taken to the cleaners, so much that they are willing to pass up on bonafide free stuff.

Once inside, we got some great seats, and just sat back and let the Jaguares do what they do best; not give political announcements about the Women of Ciudad Juarez, which they did, but play some good rock en espanol. Viva Mexico. Viva Los Angeles.

 

Angeline y yo

Angeline and I went to Penn Law in Philly.

I really loved going to Penn for law school, while she, like most rationale human beings, only liked it at most. But most people should know that Angeline is not your typical Asian American girl, not only can she salsa her way through any competition, she can also go toe-to-toe with any immigration attorney. You have been warned.


 

Quakers in Southern Cali

Penn had a recent reunion in LA for its Latino Alumni. The U of P decided to host the event at the Formosa Cafe, an asian themed locale on the Westside. While there, I hung out with a small contingency of Penn Law alums, including Sean, Angeline and Rodrigo. The JD clan stuck close together to give the impression that all lawyers, like the scene from A Civil Action starring Robert Duvall, travel in packs, for hunting, protection, and everything else in between.

For those that don't know, the motto for the University of Pennsylvania is: Leges sine Moribus vanae. The archives website at Penn has the following translation:

http://www.archives.upenn.edu/memorabilia/heraldry/guide.html#motto

"The phrase comes from an ancient passage in Horace, 'Of what avail are empty laws without (good) mores?' This was said by Horace in light of Augustus' attempt to lead the Roman people back to the ways of life that had made and kept them great, and probably reflects the thought Ennius expressed in the line, moribus antiquis res stat Romana virisque (the Roman state is founded on its ancient mores and its men).

This ancient concept, far from laying stress on law, rather deprecates law when it is not founded upon and supported by sound morals in the body politic to which it applies. This stress seems to us a significant one in any age and a particularly appropriate one for an institution of higher learning in our own time."


 

The Assassination of Richard

This past week I watched The Assassination of Richard Nixon, starring Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, and Don Cheadle. The film deals with some dark subjects about life during the 70s and how the everyman is challenged on various levels. Penn puts together a cocktail of various elements, including Death of a Salesman, Grapes of Wrath, and possibly a squirt of American Psycho.

In the end, you are left wondering how the average Joe of the 70s ever put up with all the diner crap that came his way. There was so much going on in the 70s, but most of it was dirty, not glamorous, it was the country's way of transitioning from the explosive 60s decade of change and social reform to the unfettered greed of the 80s. The 70s was the decade when the pendulum was caught in the middle, when the janitor is working the nightshift on a thursday night, hoping for something better, taking out the trash and hoping to get paid on Friday. The film captures that feeling, the hopelessness of running out of everything, gas, time, love, family. And fortunately for America, Friday came in the form of the 80s. The TGIF decade. Don't Get Mad, Get Glad.

The Assassination of Richard Nixcon, 2004, directed by Niels Mueller.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364961/
"Fact-based story about a disturbed office furniture salesman (Sean Penn) who in 1972 concocted a plot to kill then-President Nixon by hi-jacking a plane to fly over the White House to drop a gas bomb."

What am I doing in this photo? My little brother Abraham and I were visiting our community library where he will be volunteering this fall. I was pretending to be a PBS local correspondent.

 

Hydrated Copper Aluminum Phosphate

Several Saturdays ago, I visited my old neighborhood library in City Terrace. Outside this Los Angeles county library is a beautiful tile mural that is bursting with turquoise feathers and amerindian iconography.

While there, I was able to chat with its main librarian and family friend, Mrs. Garcia. Mrs. Garcia still remembers me from elementary and junior high school when I, the undisputed nerd of the barrio, frequently dropped by to check out more books to devour.

For those that don't know, or probably don't even care, turquoise is the chemical compound of CuAl6(PO4) 4(OH)8*5(H2O), aka Hydrated Copper Aluminum Phosphate. For more information regarding turquoise, please visit the following mineral website: http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/phosphat/turquois/turquois.htm


 

Carry On @ UCR

The UCR campus is full of eucalyptus trees and nice green open spaces. In the background you can see one of UCR's most distinguishable campus icons, its bell tower.

"Since 1966, the tower has stood at the center of campus. In 1964, Professor of Music William H. Reynolds toured existing carillons around the world and chose the Paccard Foundry of France to cast the bells.

"The 48 bells in the UC Riverside bell tower are considered some of the finest in the world. The largest bell weighs over two and one half tons. All the bells are played from a large keyboard of wooden batons in a room atop the tower. The tower and bells were the donation of Philip and Dorothy Boyd, long-time University supporters, and were dedicated in 1966. It is currently one of only five true carillons in California." For more information about the UCR Carillon, visit the university website at http://www.newsroom.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=1151


 

Go West

A couple Sundays ago, my little brother Abraham and I headed east towards Riverside. We drove to one of his many scheduled college visits in Southern California this fall. Our first stop that Sunday was the University of California, Riverside. While there, we walked around the campus and tried to make sense of the map, with all its icons and numbers on it. My advice to Abraham was to head west towards UCR's famous belltower at the heart of the campus.

 

Jet Blue

In the end, my Labor Day weekend trip to Berkeley, Napa, SF and Tahoe proved to be a great one. I got to see so many cool things in northern California, from the amazing San Francisco skyline in the Bay Area, to the geological diversity of Lake Tahoe.

And boy did Jet Blue really deliver. I had to change my flight at the last minute, and it was so easy to do online. Furthermore, the change didn't cost me an arm and a leg. From a nice wooden deck overlooking the lake, a couple clicks here and there on an Apple Ibook, and I was done. Jet Blue had rescheduled my flight, and seat 21 was now reserved for me.

When I finally boarded my flight to Long Beach in Oakland, I was ready to return to the Southland. I had been to the north, and was returning south with a newfound respect and admiration for my home state of California.

Although I had traveled to northern California before, both alone and with my parents as a child, this trip had a nice calming effect to it. Maybe it was the drive across the amazing landscape, or the Ipod music in the background, but whatever it was, it was a great way to usher the summer out, and welcome the leafless autumn to this side of the Pacific.

It's so nice to be back in Cali! Yeah baby, viva Califas!

What can the Blue do for you?

 

Simon at the Biltmore

Here is a night view of the Tahoe Biltmore in all its glory. The main casino is on the ground floor, while the hotel lobby and pool tables are on the second.

Dan won $40 dollars at the slots. Simon found two $5 dollar coins on the floor of the casino across the street from the Bilthy.

While having a drink by the pool tables, I remember asking Evonne to play a couple songs on the jukebox. Although she only got three songs for her dollar, I really wanted to hear Paul Simon sing "Mrs. Robinson." Coincidentally, when we finally left and boarded Simon's SUV, the radio began to whisper, "and here's to you...."

That was a good day.

 

The Filthy Bilthy

When you visit north Lake Tahoe, you can't help but stop by the Tahoe Biltmore. After spending some time by the lake, we headed towards the "Filthy Bilthy," as some of the young locals have grown to call this casino hotel on the main strip.

The Bilthy is full of patrons hoping to strike gold on its many slot machines, roulette and poker tables. They have live music and plenty of entertaining people to see. In fact, half the fun is watching the senior citizens, with plastic containers in hand, going crazy after winning a couple dozen nickels, yes nickels.  

Tahoe Agua

The water of Lake Tahoe is one of the best in the world. After the snow melts in the high Sierras, this is where it ends up. And when there is so few sources of fresh water in the world left, Tahoe becomes a jewel worth protecting.

For more information about drinking water and Lake Tahoe, visit the following website: http://raincloudpub.com/LakeTahoeReport/027.html

"Only 3 percent of the water on earth is fresh water and suitable for human consumption. Two-thirds of the human body is water. We cannot survive more than a week without drinking. It should come as no surprise that people like to live near water, especially during the hot days of summer. In order to live near water supplies and continue to drink clean, safe water, it is important to know what to do to protect drinking water.

"Lake Tahoe is an important source of drinking water. Compared to many sources of drinking water in the nation, Tahoe water is of excellent quality. When you visit the Nevada shores of Lake Tahoe, whether in homes, hotels, or restaurants, chances are you are drinking water from the lake, which has only been treated to kill the occasional bacteria."


 

Between a Rock & a Hard Place

The rocks around Lake Tahoe seem like pebbles from afar, but when you get closer you realize that giants must have tossed them around for our enjoyment. Nowadays, these rocks aren't going anywhere soon, unless of course a good ol' California earthquake hits Lake Tahoe. But that is unlikely since the San Andreas fault is closer to San Francisco. The only drawback of Lake Tahoe is that California has to share it with Nevada. But then again, because Nevada is so close, Tahoe visitors and residents can do some gambling on the side. And that is why visiting Tahoe puts you between a rock & a hard place, the casinos that is!  

Rock Tahoe

Whether you like lakes or not, it doesn't really matter when you visit Lake Tahoe. This lake really sets a very high standard for any natural body of water. Its blue glow is superbly enchanting. You can't help but sit on one of these rocks and than God for places like this on Earth. Viva Tahoe baby.  

Emerald Bay

This is Emerald Bay, a small but impressive part of Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe is the second deepest body of water in North America (a whopping 1,645 feet). And rumor has it, that if this lake were to burst and spill onto California, it would cover the entire state in 14 inches of water!

For more about Emerald Bay, check out this website detailing the history of Emerald Bay along with its underwater state park status since 1994.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=1160

"Emerald Bay was designated an underwater state park in 1994. As a scuba diver in Emerald Bay, you will enjoy an experience unavailable to most visitors to the lake. You have the opportunity to view and touch the artifacts of an age long past.

"Emerald Bay State Underwater Park is the resting place for many boats, launches and barges used in the lake before the turn of the century, during the heyday of Emerald Bay Resort and used in the construction of Vikingsholm.

"Please be aware as you view and enjoy these artifacts that we all have the responsibility of protecting them for others to see and enjoy. All artifacts you find while diving in the State Parks are protected by state law and may not be taken or disturbed regardless of size or value."


 

King's Beach

Driving to Lake Tahoe after the Bay Area and Napa is a nice transition. Maybe it's the elevation, or the change from salt to fresh water, but these wooden bears are essentially part of the welcoming committee when you drive through King's Beach, a lakeside community in North Lake Tahoe.

"Kings Beach is located on the California side of Lake Tahoe in Placer County, the Tahoe City/Kings Beach area is referred to by many as “Old Tahoe.” King Beach is only minutes to Northstar, fine dining and public beach. Mountain Biking, Hiking, Canoeing and kayaking, Gambling and Sightseeing." http://www.destinationpartners.com/kings_beach.htm

 

Tiburon Tiburon

And then there was Tiburon. This affluent community in the Bay Area really blew us away. Driving along its quaint streets, and witnessing the relaxed communal feel of this town really makes you wonder how some people can be so lucky. Many people in Tiburon, California overlook the San Francisco skyline from their porches on a clear day, and when its foggy in SF, it doesn't really matter, because they can still go sailing under the sun. In certain cases, yes, the grass is always greener, especially in Tiburon.

But don't take my word, read this website's description of this amazing town north of SF:

"Tiburon is a sleepy little town at the end of the Tiburon Peninsula that curls out into San Francisco Bay. From fishing village to art colony to quaint town, Tiburon is one of those great places close to home where a visit of a few hours feels like a mini-vacation. Stroll great shops, dine and chat on decks that look out over the Bay toward San Francisco, or catch the ferry to Angel Island or San Francisco. Or, make a day of it on a ferry ride from your San Francisco hotel." http://www.californiatraveldreams.com/Tiburon.htm

 

Pacifica Beach

Pacifica Beach is a blue- collar town south of San Francisco. It is north of Moss Beach and Half Moon Bay. Apparently, it is undergoing some gentrification issues, as the housing market in California forces more and more yuppies to invade on peripheral urban neighborhoods. Don Johnson is not a yuppie, but he lives in Pacifica, and walks his dog every morning on this beach.

When we drove up from Half Moon Bay, we realized that we had beaten the fog, as Pacifica had lots of sunshine to offer. Dan had a box of cigars, but I decided that this was a good spot for Josh, Dan and I to each smoke the last three Cuban cigars I had from my trip to Havana last year. So, we each lit up our Cohiba cigars, and walked towards the Pacific Ocean on Pacifica Beach. I touched the water, and it was freezing.

As we walked back with cigars in hand, a nice sense of Old California came to mind. This must have been what the pioneers felt when they had finally reached the end of their wild wild west. From sea to shining sea.  

Blue Steel(e)

I took this picture when I was standing at the back entrance of the Burbank Home & Gardens in Santa Rosa. I was drawn by the grey blue convertible parked in front of this house.

Classic cars remind me of vintage K-ERTH 101.1 radio songs. K-Earth is a popular radio station in Los Angeles that plays hits from the 50s and 60s.

And if all cars came with their own soundtrack, I am sure this blue car would give any K-Earth DJ a run for his money.

Just like every person has a story, every car has a lot of human mileage. Not only do cars often have different owners, they have a rich list of passengers too. People get on and off, some drive, and others only ride in the back.

Either way, if cars could talk, who knows what they would reveal. They have seen and heard a lot of crap. She probably had fun, fun, fun, even after daddy took the T-bird away.  

Fuentes de Agua en Napa

Landscape design is huge in Napa. Because presentation is everything, many of the wineries go the extra mile to put wine tasters and prospective buyers in the right mood. You stroll through some lush gardens and courtyards, see some amazing views of hillside vineyards, and then you're finally ready to taste and order a couple of bottles to go.  

Napa Nymphs & Statues

Many of the Valley of the Moon wineries have picturesque courtyards and ample wine tasting rooms for the hundreds of visitors they see each day. On a clear late August day, even the statues enjoy the sun's rays.