Twenty Four At Heart

MIT

When I was in Boston a few weeks ago, I suggested visiting the famed MIT campus in Cambridge.  My host seemed a little baffled by my request.

I come from a family of rocket scientists and assorted other engineer types.  Most of them have been to MIT, repeatedly, for one reason or another.  I've heard about the campus for years.  (By the way, I hate math - aren't genetics a funny thing?)

I'd also been told the campus is like an amusement park for photographers.  

It is!  

I could have spent days roaming around MIT with my camera.

The Strata Center, framed by a red sculpture.  MIT, Cambridge, MA.

Architect, Frank Gehry designed the Strata Center.  He must have had a lot of fun doing it, too.  

I kept expecting Dr. Seuss to pop out of a window.

MIT with a few funky photography effects thrown in for fun - not that the buildings NEED any special effects!

I also knew I wanted to visit Simmons Hall while I was on campus.

Simmons Hall

As it turns out, it was a long, long, walk to Simmons Hall.  I wouldn't have minded if I didn't already have a zillion blisters covering my feet.  It was worth the walk though ... I had to see the different colored windows.  

But ...

I kept returning to Strata Center like an addict to his drugs.  So many angles ... so much fun and funkiness!

Strata Center

I also really enjoyed climbing inside Plensa's sculpture Alchemist.

Photo taken from inside Alchemist

People did look very puzzled seeing me crawl around inside Alchemist.  I can just imagine their thoughts, "Well, she's got a big camera - maybe she's supposed to be crawling inside the sculpture?"

I had SO much fun photographing MIT for a few hours.  I highly recommend you visit the campus if you ever have the opportunity.  Make sure you bring a camera.  (Even if you're a novice to photography, you'll want to take a few shots!)

P.S.  Thank you to the very friendly and helpful engineers who kept pointing me in the right direction when I got lost.  (I'm sure my friend Neil is wrong and you have seen cleavage before!)

© Twenty Four At Heart

Descanso Gardens

When I was a kid, my parents "made" us (my brother, sister and I) go on weekly hikes.

We hated it.

The other kids got to hang out and play (or watch TV?) while we were being forced to enjoy nature.

My paternal grandparents lived very close to Descanso Gardens, so if we weren't hiking in the mountains, canyons, or beaches - we'd "have to" go there.  (This was almost always followed up with dinner at my grandparent's house.)

Soooo boring!

On a whim, I recently drove one and a half hours to revisit this place from my childhood.

I loved it.

Really, really, loved it!

I can't understand how I wouldn't have loved it as a child too.

(This is the part where my mom laughs her ass off, right?)

The beauty of Descanso Gardens, begins in the parking lot.

I don't know what kind of tree this is, but it's beautiful and I want one.  And yes, people did stare at me strangely when I laid down in the parking lot to take this shot.  (I'm pretty sure this is the same type of tree they have growing on Rodeo Drive/Wilshire in Beverly Hills - such pretty pink blossoms!)

Due to my schedule, I didn't have the entire day to spend in the gardens - which means I'll have to return again very soon.  I didn't have time to explore more than half of what I wanted and, you know me, I can't leave anything half done.  (Of course, if I wasn't taking nonstop photos of everything in my path, I might have covered more ground.)

Bee enjoying adorable little white flowers.

I spent a lot of time in the rose garden.

Roses in the rose garden at Descanso Gardens.

I've never considered myself much of a rose person.  I like roses, but there are other flowers I like more.  

But, oh the pretty!

Pale yellow rose.

There were so many different types and colors of roses!  (Have you ever heard of a Bourbon Rose?  It looks nothing like a "normal" rose.  I'm sure I have a photo of one around here somewhere ....)

Instead of following the map I was so kindly provided, I wandered aimlessly.  

Minutes after leaving the rose garden I found myself in a forest.

Entrance to the Descanso Gardens forest.

I encountered a beautiful, huge, deer.

"You aren't supposed to be here eating in the gardens, are you?" I asked her softly.

The deer smiled at me, all the while looking at me doe-eyed.  We watched each other calmly for several minutes, and then she turned and disappeared into the trees.

While walking around in the forest, I heard the sound of rushing water.  I followed the sound and it led me here:

Waterfall at Descanso Gardens.

There was no one at the waterfall, but me.  There was a little bench nearby.  I could have sat there - by the water, and hidden by the trees, for hours.  

Maybe next time I will.

© Twenty Four At Heart

The Derby Square Bookstore

Piles of books everywhere.

The Derby Square Bookstore in Salem, MA is definitely unique.  You can barely walk in the store because there are stacks of books everywhere.  Finding the cash register when it's time to pay for something is also a challenge.  Somewhere, amid all the stacks, is a small "hole" where a man is hiding with a cash register.

It's hard not to fall in love with this store, but don't expect to find a particular title without help from the employees.  It appears to be pure chaos with aimless stacks of book, although supposedly there is some type of method to the madness.

This is a "must see to believe" type of store.  I am so glad I had the opportunity to visit.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Simplicity

Sometimes, the simple things are what we treasure most.

I found some cute little "olive oil" jars while in Boston.

They make ideal vases for single stem flowers.

White flower in vase

It's amazing how something so simple can be so beautiful.

© Twenty Four At Heart

The Charles

I thought you might enjoy a few more shots from my trip to Boston.

On my last day visiting, I went for a long walk along the Charles River. 

The Charles River

It was so beautiful!

I loved seeing the buildings reflected in the river.

(Sheesh, it's so nice to be able to share photos again ....)

© Twenty Four At Heart

Happy (Early) Halloween!

Spooky, scary - !!

This is a REAL haunted house next to a REAL graveyard in Salem, MA.

Salem, MA graveyard and haunted house.

In real life, it's even creepier than it looks in the above photo!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Snippets from Salem, MA

It's taking me about an hour to edit ONE photo with my current, broken, laptop.

I push a button on my laptop and then read several pages of A Clash of Kings while I wait for the damn computer to sputter its way through something that should take a milli-second.

I'm sorry if my posts seem half-ass as I'm waiting for my new computer to arrive ...

I'm doing the best I can with very little to work with.

I feel like I'm rubbing two sticks together trying to create a little warmth.

Yes, it really is THAT bad.

(And even more frustrating!)

Here are a few shots from my recent visit to Salem, Massachusetts.

From the moment I arrived in the parking lot, I was blown away by the COLORS!

Fall colors, Salem, MA.

I don't know if I've ever seen such a beautiful parking lot?

Vivid, vivid, colors!!

It didn't even seem "real" to me.  I mean, I expected fall colors but the trees were just breathtaking.

The town itself looked almost exactly as I had imagined it.

The Town Hall, built back in 1816, still stands.

Town Hall in Salem, MA.

There are a lot of tourists, and tourists shops, in Salem now.  I was more interested in the old stuff, vs. the shops.

For instance, no trip to Salem would be complete without a visit to the graveyard.

Graveyard in Salem, MA.

The graveyard trees even look haunted.  The grave stones are uneven, and in some cases - crumbling.  I could have roamed around the graveyard for hours reading the inscriptions from days long ago.  (I even read the inscription on a stone for a man who had come to America on the Mayflower.)

A lot of people do, truly, believe the graveyard is haunted ....

As "fun" as it was to ooh and aah at the thoughts of ghosts and haunted trees ...

There was no escaping the reality of what happened in Salem years ago.

Halloween might be full of pretend ghouls,

But the people who died in Salem years ago were not pretend.

Sarah Good marker, Salem graveyard, MA.

It's almost impossible to fathom the reality of the Salem witch trials.

© Twenty Four At Heart 

New England

I've been back in California for one full day now.

So far, since I returned, I've done the following:

  •  Tried to sleep, and failed miserably, thank you mega-steroids.

  •  Fought with my dying/dead/failed laptop for hours - upon hours, upon hours, in an effort to get a minimal amount of work done.

  •  Ordered a NEW laptop which should arrive sometime next week.  (Happy early birthday to me?)

  •  Fainted a few times at the cost of laptops.

  •  Thanked the Pain Management Gods for emergency doses of steroids and the desperately needed pain relief they're temporarily providing.  (Thank you also to Dr. Painless for encouraging me to do what I love and finding ways to help me do just that.)

  •  Reviewed some exciting plans for Twenty Four At Heart's upcoming update/redesign.  (Hopefully, coming soon to a blog near you - !)

  •  Been overwhelmed with gratitude and amazement upon discovering over 11,000 of you are now following my photography on Google Plus.  (Thank you - so much!!)  

**  Thank you also to famed photographer Thomas Hawk who published my name again this week on his coveted list of Kick Ass Photographers.  He's an AWESOME, supportive, mentor to so many photographers.  **

Well,

Okay then ....

My daughter called to tell me I "got out of Boston just in time" because they're expecting snow during the next 24 hours.

(She's not very happy about the idea of snow in October.  Or, to be honest, snow in general.  Have I mentioned she'll be moving back to California by the first of the year?)

I honestly don't know what I would have done if it had snowed while I was there.  

I'm not snow-savvy, to put it mildly.

The weather was a little brisk, but so beautiful for my visit.

Boston sunset.

And yes, I did come home with one thousand new photos.

Why do you ask?

(Pain management?  Say what ....?)

I promise I won't make you look at all of my New England photos.

This one's a favorite though:

Boston in the fall.

Fall has always been my favorite season, even though colors don't change here in Orange County.  Being in New England for five days, in October, was such a treat.

Pumpkins on the steps of a Boston brownstone.

I must have squealed with delight a million times as I submerged myself in New England charm.

I was especially excited my daughter took me to visit the town of Salem.

Salem ... as in witches (!!), churches, graveyards, etc.

!!!

I'll have more about Salem in upcoming posts, but I wanted to leave you with this photo of the church in Salem.  (Make sure to notice the "witch" in the photo - she's walking down the street toward the church.)

Salem, MA

What could be more fun for a California girl than visiting Salem just prior to Halloween?

© Twenty Four At Heart

Massachusetts is Hard to Spell ( ... And Other Dilemmas!)

My trip home to California from Boston, did not go well.

My "nonstop" flight ran into a problem and I somehow ended up in Nevada.

Oh yes, I eventually made my way home yesterday but without a minute's worth of sleep in over a 24 hour period.  (Thank you to whoever suggested I take A Game of Thrones with me on this trip.)

Also?

Massive quantities of steroids for pain will WIRE you.

And make you JUMP-JUMP-JUMPY!

(But they do help a lot with my pain level, so ... fair enough.  Life is one big trade-off, right?)

Am I rambling?

Did I mention no sleep?

I'm back in Orange County.

I haven't slept in two days, I think.  

Maybe three?

I can't sleep either - thank you mega-steroids.

And yes, I am exhausted.

My laptop apparently does not have enough RAM (kind of like short-term memory for those of you non-computer-savvy folks) to run Lightroom and/or Photoshop, let alone both of them at the same time.  I've already upgraded the RAM as much as it can be upgraded since it's an ancient (three year old) laptop.  Current laptops apparently come with twice the RAM I now have.

Why did they name it RAM?

Don't tell me - I don't really want to know, and I don't actually care.

Also?

Something else is wrong with it also.  (It doesn't work - har dee har har!!)

Today I'm going to go price laptops.

I hope you'll bare with me as I try to get my online life back in order. 

(BTW, I can't type on a desktop due to my arm - I have to have a laptop on my lap in order to type.  Seeing as I've moved into full time photographer-mode, it would be so much easier and better if I could work on a full size, super smart, desktop computer, but sadly that's not an option.)

Getting a new laptop computer may sound exciting, but unexpected expenses are not exciting at all when you have two kids in college at the same time.

Just sayin' ....

The Charles River, Boston, MA  Fall 2011

I did manage to upload the photos from my trip, but it took over three hours with my sort-of-bandaged computer.  I also had to juggle while standing on one foot, balancing in mid-air, all at the same time in order to make the upload work.

Breakfast at a neighborhood bakery, Boston, MA.

Despite the lack of sleep, the steroid-induced jumpiness, the broken computer ...

I'm still on a bit of a Boston high.

It was so beautiful, and I crammed activities into every waking moment while I was there.  

Girls just want to have fun, right?

Fall colors, Boston, MA.

I couldn't get enough of the pretty New England leaves!

© Twenty Four At Heart

In Transit

I'm on my way back home ....

Here's a look at my "last meal" in Boston. 

Sorry it's so dark - it's an unedited iPhone photo, taken inside a dark restaurant.

It was a "Lobster Seafood Fest for Two," but it could have fed at least five.  It included lobster, clams, mussels, corn on the cob, potatoes ... and probably other things I'm too tired to remember.

My daughter has abundant leftovers in her fridge for dinner tonight.

It seems like I ate my way through Boston.

Oh wait, I think I did ....

© Twenty Four At Heart

Still in Boston, Still Have Effed Up Computer

My computer is still jacked up, and apparently will be at least until Tuesday afternoon.  (Assuming the nice Apple folks are able to fix it ...!)

It did let me upload a few iPhone photos, but none from my "real" camera.

Yesterday morning I had coffee and a brioche in a quaint little neighborhood bakery with my daughter.  After some decadent yumminess, we walked through Beacon Hill because it's the pure definition of CHARMING, and I can't get enough of the OLD and the CUTE.

(I'll have photos for you if I ever, ever, am able to upload photos again!)

Have I mentioned I've been walking 400 bazillion miles per day?  

(And blisters on top of blisters - have I mentioned that??)

From Beacon Hill, we took the T (subway) to MIT.  (Yes, I do have a Charlie card for the week - thank you very much Bostonians!)

I don't know WHY I asked to see MIT, but I'm so glad I did.

Self portrait.

The above is an uncropped, unedited, self portrait I took in the reflection of a really funky metal building at MIT yesterday.

I took a lot of photos at MIT.  The engineers there apparently pride themselves on designing funky architecture - a photographer's delight!

After MIT, I went on to Harvard Square for the primary purpose of visiting L.A. Burdick Chocolate.  It's my daughter's favorite chocolate shop and she was quite insistent I visit.

Cute!

Everything is cute here - bakeries, chocolate shops, florists, restaurants.  Boston exudes charm.

And coldness.

Brrr ...!

I caved in and bought a jacket yesterday after I returned downtown.

Oh, yes I did.

It isn't really a "coat."

It's a casual, short, black, sort of fleece (?) jacket - and it's warm, but not bulky.  It wouldn't be nearly warm enough for a Boston winter, but it will see me through the rest of my visit.  It wasn't expensive by coat/jacket standards.  I'll be able to use it in the evenings at home, and it's casual enough for cool weather high school baseball games too.

Jackets don't help the problem of a cold nose though.  I know it isn't that cold yet by east coast standards, but seriously people - don't your noses fall off?

Can I just add -

I've never seen so many jackets/coats in my entire life as I've seen during my first four days in Boston?  And boots!  Who knew there were so many kinds of boots?  There are thousands of different kinds of boots!  I'm just amazed by it.  I keep pointing jackets/coats and boots out to my daughter.  She nods patiently and says I know Mom.

Hmmmph!

I have so much more to tell you, but I'm going to attempt to publish this now.  

Have I mentioned I hate computer problems?

P.S.  My arm hurts like hell.  Teeth clenching *&%#$-ing pain.  I began my "emergency" course of steroids today.  I'd like to whine more about the intensity of my pain, but I'll spare you instead I'll pop another pain pill.

P.P.S.  I have one more full day here.  And then a red-eye flight.  Whose idea was the red-eye flight?  It's going to suck. 

© Twenty Four At Heart

Feeling Fallish!

Boston has been spectacular so far!

My laptop, however, is not well ... at all.

I have an Apple Genius appointment made for next Tuesday when I return.  In the meantime, I've been unable to upload and/or access most of my photos.  Sometimes I can get into certain programs (like the one I use to write to you), and sometimes I can't.  

It's extremely frustrating - especially since I'm not at home and don't have time to deal with it while I'm here. 

I'll try to get posts up whenever I can, but if I'm absent you'll know it's due to *&$% technical difficulties.

So ...

I haven't stopped for more than a minute since I've been here.  I have so much to tell you about - beautiful trees, crisp fall weather, witches and graveyards in the town of Salem, amazing food, amazing blisters (!!) from walking miles upon miles upon miles.

My arm is (of course) in a pain flare-up, as it always is when I travel.

It's pretty bad.

The good news is - I've had worse flare-ups and I'm doing my best to keep this one from sending me completely over the edge.  (If it's worse today, I'll begin the "emergency" steroids I have with me.)

Weather-wise ...

I'm not freezing - but it does get pretty damn cold when the wind whips up.

And at night.

And in the morning.

It's fun though.

Boston has so much charm.

The trees are beautiful!

(Boston itself is still green, but the trees outside of the city are GORGEOUS.)

The city, at night, takes my breath away.

I'm taking a lot of photos, even though I can't upload them yet due to my computer technical difficulties.

I feel so fallish because it's SO fallish here.

Fall in a basket.

I can't wait to tell you more about this trip,

And share photos too!

Hang in there with me -

In a few days my laptop will be fixed or I'll be forced to get a new one!

(May the Computer Gods have mercy!)

© Twenty Four At Heart

Boston Arrival

Sheesh, it's a long trip from Orange County, to LAX airport, to Boston's Logan International airport, to my daughter's place!

Especially, by the way, when you have an insane taxi driver who can't speak, communicates in evil grunts, and drives his cab with all the windows down (brrrr!!) at night - hoping you don't notice the overpowering smell of URINE in his cab.

Ugh!

I just got here, so here's a photo from last time I visited Boston:

Beacon Street, Boston, MA

I'll have more for you soon!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Airport Security? Here I Come

Airport security poses unique challenges for a Bionic Woman such as myself.

(If you're a new reader ...  Well, I'm full of metal, and electrodes, and wires, and other not-friendly-to-airport-security parts.)

You would think, with modern medicine being what it is, the TSA folks would be accustom to dealing with people who can't go through metal detectors.

You would think.

Last summer, when I went to Hawaii, I learned that's not the case.  I allowed lots (!!) of extra time, knowing my bionic body might cause a delay.  Trust me, I'm an uneasy flyer, I want air-tight security on my flights.

Still, I couldn't have imagined the scenario which took place:

Please step ahead through the metal detector.

I can't, I'll set it off.  (Said with my medical device identification card in my hand.)

Please step to the side then and raise both arms above your head.

I can't raise my arm above my head.

Then you have to walk through the metal detector.

I can't, I'll set it off.  (Said with my medical device identification card in my hand.)

Please walk through the metal detector.

I walk through the metal detector.  

* Alarms clang. *

TSA man rolls his eyes.

Please step to the side and raise both arms above your head.

I can't raise my arm above my head.

TSA man rolls his eyes again.

Please step to the side.  You'll have to wait for a female office to conduct a strip search pat down.

A call is placed requesting a female officer.

I wait.

I wait some more.

No female officer is anywhere in sight.

Time passes.

And passes.

Eventually, a second call is placed requesting a female officer.

The clock is ticking toward my departure time.

I wait some more.

A female officer eventually approaches.

Please step this way and place your feet on the pads as shown below.  Since you prefer a body search, I will be touching your breasts and putting my hand down your pants.

I don't *prefer* a body search, I have medical devices which set off the metal detectors.

Oh.

Let me explain how I'm about to violate you.  Blah, blah, blah.  And now I'm going to touch your breasts.  And now I'm going to touch your crotch.  And now I'd like to pull the waistband of your pants out so I can put my hand down your pants.

Um, thank you?

Please raise your right arm for me.

I can't.

Explain to me why you can't raise your arm.

My arm was disabled in a car accident.  I have medical devices implanted in my arm and shoulder.  

Really?  (Genuine interest) That's very interesting!  I've never heard of that before.  How does that work?

Ma'am I'd love to spend another twenty minutes explaining it to you, but you've already delayed me substantially and I'm going to miss my flight.

Oh, well - you can go then.  (Said regretfully)

© Twenty Four At Heart

So Can She Write a Blog Post While on Drugs?

Hi!

My name is Suzanne.

Many people know me as Twenty Four and/or Twenty Four At Heart.

I'm being forced to take drugs in the form of pain patches.

I've been reassured they won't make me into a heroin addict.

I'm not sure if I believe that.  

I still have concerns.

If I become a heroin addict, it's NOT my fault.

OK then ...

So far, I feel okay on the Fentanyl Patches.

I'm starting with a low dose patch and supposedly going up in dosage in a few weeks.  I get occasional waves of dizzy-fuzzy head, but feel normal most of the time.  Feeling normal is a good thing, right?  I did feel verrrry sleepy for awhile yesterday afternoon, but supposedly I'll get used to this drug in time.

The pain is still very vivid at times, but less intense at other times.  I have "breakthrough" pain drugs I can take, but I'm trying not to.  I'm trying to see if I can handle a day or two with only the pain patches.  It hasn't even been 24 hours yet ....

I have noticed I'm all of a sudden getting hot flashes.  (No, I haven't begun menopause and no, I don't normally get them!)  I'm assuming the hot flashes are from the pain patch?

We'll see.

So -

Yesterday I went shopping for a few things for my upcoming trip to Brrrrr-Boston.

I looked at some pretty coats but they cost $800-$1000!

I'm sure there are cheaper coats, but the expensive ones were right in front of me.

I didn't buy one.

I'm so glad I don't have to buy coats ... more money to save for lenses, ya know?

I did buy two pairs of Gap skinny jeans - one dark jean wash and one black.  They'll tuck into the boots I already own much better than regular jeans.

I also found a cute cream colored "shawl sweater" on sale at the Gap for $35.

It looks sort of like this one, but with longer sleeves:

Shawl sweater.

I think it will look cute with jeans, boots, a scarf ... and oh yes, I suppose a shirt of some kind.  Hopefully it will keep me warm enough?

Wouldn't it be funny if I forgot the shirt and just walked around the east coast with a sweater and scarf?

I don't want to spend money on clothes I won't be able to wear here in Southern California.  Right now weather predictions are for 50s to low 60s F (13-14C) while I'm in Boston.  That's positively bone chilling by my standards, but I think I can just layer up while I'm there.  I might wear four shirts at one time and look very rolly-polly, but ....

I've also found a camera roller bag that looks ideal for use around The OC, and also is a perfect carry on size for travel.  Most of the roller camera bags I've found don't have a laptop compartment and I NEED to take a laptop with me when I travel.  (Obviously, if I'm shooting locally, my laptop can stay at home.)

The Lowepro Attache 50x bag appears (online) to be the best at potentially meeting my needs.  If you have any interest in a carry-on size bag on rollers, you might be interested in watching the video on how this bag works. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll have time to get my hands on one prior to leaving on my upcoming trip.  (I checked already and no local stores seem to have this bag in stock.)

Also?

Camera bags are outrageously expensive, including this particular one.

I can hear Briefcase swearing already and I'm only thinking about buying one.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills

I spent a day in Beverly Hills last week, primarily on Rodeo Drive.

(The sculpture in yesterday's post stands in the middle of Rodeo Drive.  I'm in love with the sculpture, and would take it home with me if I could.  I would name it Naked Pain and put it ... I'm not sure where.  Maybe Naked Pain would have to stand in the middle of my kitchen?)

Rodeo Drive street sign.

I hadn't visited Rodeo Drive in awhile, but little has changed.

Did you know very few locals actually shop on Rodeo Drive?

It's primarily a tourist destination.

Now that summer has ended, it wasn't too busy.

Rodeo Drive - palm trees and Mercedes Benz.

One of the shopkeepers talked to me for a long time.  She was bored because the bulk of tourists are gone.

Rodeo Drive is charming, pristine, and arrogant about flaunting its materialism.

The above photo of a Beverly Hills storefront is slightly out of focus.  I was running from a security guard when I took it.

You think I'm joking don't you?

(They are damn serious when they say no cameras allowed!)

I met a French photographer who spoke little English.

He was very handsome, but he creeped me out.

He kept following me.

It isn't uncommon really,

A photographer spots another photographer and thinks,

"If he/she is taking a photo there, then I should too."

Except ...

He kept following me, and following me, and following me.

Finally, I told him he was scaring me.

He then tried to have a conversation with me, but it didn't go too smoothly.

Maybe he just wanted American-Woman-Rodeo-Drive sex?

Who can say ....

He didn't speak much English, and I only know about three words of French.

 

Did you know the entire (very famous) area of Rodeo Drive is actually a very small shopping area?

South Orange County is a lot like Rodeo Drive, except on steroids and with a lot less charm.

The intersection of Wilshire Blvd. and Rodeo Drive.

I apologize Orange County ...

But, you know, it's true.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Is It Just Me?

I'm still having technical problems, but I was able to upload this photo from Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

Bulgari store on Rodeo Drive.

Well ...??

Is it just me?

© Twenty Four At Heart

I've Got My Eye On You

Mural at Venice Beach, CA.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Venice Beach

Venice Beach, in Los Angeles county, is more famous for its boardwalk than for its actual beach.

When people talk about "those crazy Californians" they're most likely talking about the type of characters you run into at Venice Beach.

The people watching is the best you'll find anywhere.

In fact, if you stick around long enough -

There's probably nothing you won't see at Venice.

Approaching the Venice Beach boardwalk.

Weed is very popular in Venice.  There's a large Venice sub-culture supporting the legalization of marijuana.  Stores selling bongs, pipes, etc., are common.  So are small shops acting as medical offices.

Sign for medical marijuana evaluation.

Forty bucks and a flash of your identification gets you in to see a doctor.  Tell the doctor you have a medical issue, of any sort, and you'll get a license for the use of medical marijuana.  (More on this in an upcoming, separate, post.)

If you're not into kush, you can find other drugs too.

Botox on the Beach.

Who doesn't come from a day on the beach thinking they need a little Botox?

Hello?

Didn't you mention needing Botox the last time you went to the beach?

The boardwalk is lined with shops selling everything imaginable.

Venice Beach boardwalk shops.

Venice Beach boardwalk.

Venice is sort of old, sort of dirty, sort of gritty, and a "must-see-to-believe."

More than anything, though -

Venice Beach is about people watching.

Man at Muscle Beach, Venice Beach, California.

And, it's definitely the best people watching anywhere on the planet!

© Twenty Four At Heart

The Most Beautiful Sunset Ever

This is such a beautiful sunset photo from Maui.

Maui, Hawaii, sunset

I could sit on this particular beach every evening, for the rest of forever, watching Mother Nature's light show.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Somewhere in San Diego County

I've been very active with photo sharing on Google Plus.  I recently realized, a lot of photos I've shared there (primarily with other photographers), I have yet to share with you here.  Of course, you're more important than anyone else.  And yes, I sincerely do mean that. 

Today, I'm going to share a few photos I've taken in the San Diego area this summer.  San Diego is about one hour (driving time) south of where I live in South Orange County.  By Southern California standards, that means San Diego is pretty damn close to where I live.

San Diego beach near the Hotel del Coronado.

I normally like photos with a more realistic look to them, but I was playing with the above photo and had fun stepping out of my normal comfort zone while post-processing it.  (And for you photographer-types the above is not an HDR photo.)

Speaking of stepping out:

Oak wine barrels.

I took the wine-barrel photo at a wine tasting store in Carlsbad.  I'd tell you the name of the store, but I must have tasted too much wine while I was there because I don't remember it.

Alcohol and the city of Carlsbad, (which is in the northern part of San Diego county), seem to go together:

Liquor store.

I fell in love with this old, funky, liquor store.  I took a lot of photos of it while my husband looked on questioningly.  Have I mentioned I love old and funky?  (Especially when it comes to photography.)

I was walking to dinner in the Gaslamp District with my friend, Neil, one night when we both stopped dead in our tracks.  A man was crossing the street in front of us, his guitar in hand.  I immediately knew I needed to take his photo.  (Neil and I were both on the same wave length in this regard.)  We asked the man if he would mind stopping for a moment.  He was more than happy to oblige.

Mariachi player.

San Diego, the city itself, has such a pretty skyline:

San Diego skyline.

I took the skyline photo while hanging out with some blogging friends on Coronado Island.  We were waiting for a ferry back to our hotel after having lunch at the Hotel Del.  The people I was with were in awe of Southern California weather, plants, topography.  We went to Coronado specifically for them to put their feet in the Pacific Ocean for the first time ever.  It made me realize how much I take for granted my beautiful surroundings and beach lifestyle.

I hope you enjoyed the photos of San Diego, and San Diego county today.  

Tomorrow I'm going to answer some reader questions I've received.  If you have anything you've been wanting to ask, feel free to leave it in the comments section today even if it isn't related to today's San Diego photos.  If you're too shy, you can also email me directly.

© Twenty Four At Heart 

Maui, Yet Again

© Twenty Four At Heart

Maui, Oh How I Miss You

Maui, Hawaii, at sunset taken from the beach at Mama's Fish House restaurant.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Visualize THIS

I'm not in the best place, so to speak, to write a post.

I saw Dr. Painless yesterday.

I ended up getting three injections.  (Or was it one injection in three places?  Neck, upper back, top of shoulder-ish.)  

Either way?

It wasn't, and still isn't, fun.

The man knows what he's doing - he stuck that four hundred foot needle right into one of my worst trigger spots.

I'm pretending I'm back in Hawaii.

Napili beach, Maui, Hawaii

Getting through pain is all about visualizing yourself somewhere else, right?

And breathing ...

Breathing is something I forget to do.  (I tend to hold my breath for as long as possible when I'm in pain because the very act of breathing hurts.)

The injections were a mix of pain killers, steroids, and maybe (?) something to force my spasming muscles to relax.  I can't quite remember because I'm suffering from pain-med induced brain-fuzziness right now.  

Since my arm doesn't work, when I move it, I'm really using surrounding muscles to do the work.  Those muscles don't like being asked to act as a shoulder and an arm.  They weren't built to do that type of work.  They spasm.  They freak out.  In other words, I always say my "arm" hurts, but really it's the entire upper right quadrant of my body and neck.  

Have I mentioned my life is lots of fun?

Dr. Painless put me on a new/different muscle relaxer because the one I was taking (Zanaflex) gave me bizarre nightmares.  I'd wake up after a night of fighting my sheets.  Sometimes the sheets would win, because I've only got one working arm.  It was exhausting.

He also gave me a new pain med to try.  It's called Nucynta.  

(I'm telling you the name of these drugs because if I don't, I will get several emails asking me which ones I'm talking about.)  

It's still too early to know if Nucynta will be a good fit for me.

Yes, I'm still on a host of other meds too.

Anyway, I've had injections (although, not this exact concoction) before.  My arm/neck/back/nerves always freak the hell out for a day or two and then, hopefully, start to feel better.

I'm not at the feel better stage yet.

I'm, in fact, at the polar opposite of feeling better even though I'm on pain meds.

In any case, I'm going to stop whining now.

I'm going to go sit in a corner and edit photos for the rest of the day.

I'll be really quiet, because if I'm not - I just might bite someone's head off.

P.S.  Does anyone know where Briefcase is hiding??

© Twenty Four At Heart

Carlsbad - Funky and Fun

Yesterday found me in Carlsbad, a city about 35 miles north of San Diego.

Garden and/or yard sculpture at the beach.

Because I live in South Orange County, it's about equal distance for me to travel north to Los Angeles or south to San Diego.  I tend to get restless easily.  I like to grab my camera and take off for a day of adventure and/or photography whenever I can.

Right now, like Orange County, Carlsbad is in the height of tourist season.  There were people everywhere.  There was also a craft/art festival going on which attracted even more people.

Downtown Carlsbad, art festival in progress.

I like Carlsbad.

It's a fun, funky, beach town.

Funky is the key word for me.  The funkier a beach town is, the more I like it.

Bike and surfboard rentals at the beach in Carlsbad.

I also know if I have a personal crisis, and blow out a flip flop, there's help nearby for only six dollars.

Flip flops for sale in crates at a beach store.

The funny thing about the flip flop crates, is they were available on an honor system.  No one was outside the store to see if someone took them without paying.

I was walking down the street when I noticed even the cars in Carlsbad are beachy and funky.

Old woodie beach car.

I only had a split second to react, but I was lucky enough to get a shot of this one to share with you.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Summer Fun

Children jumping off the dock in Maui, Hawaii

For a long time, I watched these "island kids" jump off the dock in Maui.  It was a hot (muggier than usual) day due to a tropical storm hovering in the Pacific.  They'd jump off the dock with shouts of glee, swim across to the larger pier, and then do it all again.

For hours.

The joys of being a kid ....

© Twenty Four At Heart

More Than Just Beaches?

* I've been asked to start labeling my photos individually, I hope doing so doesn't detract from your reading enjoyment.  This information was brought to you from an OC woman with beached-out, bleached-out, hair.  *

Most of my time in Maui was spent on the beach.

I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you there are other things to do on Maui too.

Whaler's Village, Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii

The above photo was taken at Whaler's Village, an upscale shopping mall in Kaanapali.  Isn't that tree amazing?  Whaler's Village is just a step or two off the beach but it's also the location of a Coach store, a Louis Vuitton store, numerous surfwear stores, etc.  

If you want even more high end shopping, Wailea has a ton of stores the majority of us I can't afford to shop in.

I like to stroll through the shops to get a break from the sun.  I don't think I've ever bought anything of great significance at Whaler's Village, but my daughter did purchase an adorable bikini this trip.

Tourist shop at Whaler's Village, Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii

I don't wear bikinis anymore, do you?

In fact, if I could I would wear a tent.  Tents aren't very comfortable to swim in though and I do love to swim.

If you're ever at Whaler's Village and/or Kaanapali, make sure and visit Hula Grill also.  

Hula Grill restaurant, Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii

It's such a relaxing spot to enjoy lunch (or a drink with a little umbrella in it). 

Cocktail drink umbrellas

Not that I would know anything about drinks with little umbrellas in them.

Of course, Whaler's Village would not be complete without a whale ...

Skeleton of a California Sperm Whale at Whaler's Village, Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii

So, they brought this whale skeleton over from California to show off.

I always get a good laugh out of that. 

© Twenty Four At Heart

My Terror-fying Travel Story

When I first returned from Hawaii, I mentioned I had a "shocking" travel story to share with you.

The airport on Maui is small, as airports go.

When our departure day had arrived (*sob*), we began the long drive from our remote little beach to the airport.  

My entire family was in the car, but my daughter had plans to travel to Kauai for a few additional days.  The rest of us were flying home via the San Diego airport.  My daughter's flight was departing about 40 minutes prior to ours so we dropped her off first, and then went to return our rental car.

As we drove to the car rental return, we noticed a line of hundreds upon hundreds of people winding out of the airport building.

A minute later, I got a text message from my daughter informing me at least one of the TSA screening machines was "down" resulting in an extremely long security line.

We returned our rental car, checked our bags, and made our way to the end of the long, long, long line for security.

How long was it?

(That's what she asked!)

(Sorry, I couldn't help myself ....!)

The security line was so long, it went the entire length of the airport, OUT of the airport and then into some weird type of never-ending spiral circle.

Also, there was only one line for everyone regardless of their airline, their flight, etc.

I've traveled a lot and I've never seen anything like it.

In addition to being spectacularly long, the line also wasn't moving.

At. All.

People continued to get in line behind us and we continued to stand there, and stand there, and stand there.

Someone near me went to check with "authorities" at the airport, and returned informing everyone (loudly) flights would not be delayed.  No, not even if all the passengers remained stranded in The Longest Security Line Ever In The History Of Mankind.

And that was when things got ugly.

People started pushing, cutting in line, and being as rude as possible.

There were no airport or security personnel monitoring the situation near us, whatsoever.

An almost-mob mentality set in with people complaining loudly, panicking about their flights, and deciding this was the perfect excuse to let the worst of their  inner asshole  personality shine through.

One woman, who had asked me where the end of the line was upon her arrival, suddenly tried to push her way in front of me.

I informed her, quite matter of factly, I had no intention of letting her get in line in front of me.

"Just keep walking," her asshole husband said.

"I'm not cutting in line," she said looking me straight in the eye.  "I've been here the entire time."

Seriously, bitch? 

[And no, she really didn't realize I was the same person she had asked (thirty minutes prior) where the end of the line was.]

Another woman told me, panicked, she was going to miss her flight.

"We all are," I answered as I gestured to the hundreds (thousands?) of people in line with us.

All of this, adds up to a travel nightmare but not much more.

Things got a lot worse though.

The airport porters (or baggage guys, as you might refer to them) began taking bribes to move people ahead in line.

How do I know this?

I saw it happening.

One porter even asked the woman behind me if she wanted to participate.  She thought about it for a minute because she was so worried about missing her flight, but then turned him down.

This is how it worked -

A panicked and/or totally irresponsible passenger would pay $20 to the porter.  The porter would then get a wheelchair and escort the completely able-bodied person to the front of the line.  

Things were in such a state of chaos at the front of the line, the wheelchaired passengers only got a slight, cursory, glance as they were wheeled past security.

Holy HELL folks!

Is that an opportunity for a terrorist or what?

And why?

Because totally irresponsible airport porters wanted to earn a few extra twenties!

One family had such a large group, I watched as they decided to put two members of their family in wheelchairs.  (I suppose they didn't want to take a chance some of them might be told to go back and get in line.)  

The mom of the family got into one wheelchair.  Her adult-sized teen son pulled off his shoe as he got into the second wheelchair.  He stuck his sock-only foot out and pretended his foot was hurt.  Their entire large group (with the help of porters) went to the front of the security line and whisked right by.

I was so disturbed by what was going on, I put out the following four messages on Twitter:

Porters at Maui airport are taking cash bribes to sneak people thru security line in wheelchairs

Hawaii? Maui? You should be ashamed of yourself. Terrorist threat made easy?

Mayor Arakaw what the hell? It's damn scary what's going on here. #Maui #hawaii

@GovernorAbercrombie. Are you aware of what's going on with bribes at the Maui airport?

I doubt if my tweets were read by anyone of importance but, not long after I sent them, airport security began monitoring the line.

(Eventually they even succeeded in creating order out of chaos.)

I'm still horrified ten days later.

How could this possibly happen post 9/11?

How can we keep it from happening again?

© Twenty Four At Heart

San Diego

I'm completely exhausted from the whirlwind of these last three weeks.

San Diego has been showing off all her glory while I've been here though.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Hele Mei Hoohiwahiwa

* I'll be posting from San Diego tomorrow, unless a gathering of 3,000+ bloggers causes the hotel's Internet to crash! *

Hele mei hoohiwahiwa means come celebrate in Hawaiian.

I'm in the process of driving to a big conference today, so I'm going to share a few more glimpses of Hawaii with you.  If I share, it makes it exactly as if you were right there celebrating a Hawaiian vacation with me.

Maybe?

And yes, I am having trouble adjusting to the end of my vacation.

Is it obvious???

I took the above photo of coconuts right from "our" beach.  My son was sitting under the tree and I kept waiting for a coconut to fall on his head.  (It didn't, but one did fall later in the afternoon and he brought it to me as a "gift.")

This tree was right by our lanai.  Those are papayas you see up at the top.  (The yellow papayas are ripe; the green are not.)

This next photo was taken at Kaanapali Beach early in the day before it got crowded:

The water was so beautiful ... everything you'd imagine for Hawaii.

Can you stand another photo of a plant?

Hmmm ...

Which do you want to see - mangoes or bananas?

Okay, so the bananas won.  (They just seem more exciting than mangoes.  Also, I've got a weak spot for photos with lens flare.)

Here's something you'd never see in California:

It's illegal to ride in the back of a truck in California.

On Maui, we saw people riding around in the back of trucks all the time.  I couldn't get used to it.  By the way, the people in this particular photo found it very amusing I was taking their photo.  They probably thought my purpose in photographing them was to show friends Real Live Hawaiians vs. people riding in the back of a truck.

We also saw a lot of sea turtles.

(By a lot, I mean - too many to count, every.single.day.)

Of course, I now feel like I need to close with a sunset photo.  

Here's a shot I took of my daughter as she took a photo of the sunset with her iPhone.

I think she's caught the photography-bug.

Genetics are a funny thing! 

© Twenty Four At Heart 

Tuesday Transition

I have so much to blog about, but as I forewarned you - I'm doing a lot of traveling which is making it difficult to find time to write.

* Me (hair in ponytail!) in Lahaina on the island of Maui - photo taken by Briefcase. *

I know, I know ...

You feel terribly sorry for me ... travel stress going to and from Hawaii.

* Blurry iPhone photo from Maui *

What a catastrophe my life is, right?  

I have a really shocking travel story to share with you as soon as I get the chance.

I also have some interesting photos to post in upcoming days.

Today is a transition day as I unpack from Hawaii and prepare to leave for BlogHer11 (the world's biggest blogging conference) tomorrow.  

* Pre-Hawaii pedicure ... will it hold up for another week or two? *

Next week my life will (hopefully) begin to settle down into a more normal routine.

Hawaii was wonderful, of course.

How could it not be?

I'll be honest,

As of today, I'm not looking forward to attending BlogHer.

I signed up to attend the conference a year ago, and now I find myself less than enthused to go.

The reasons why are a soap opera unto themselves, and for the time being I'm going to keep them to myself.  I'm hoping, once I do arrive at the conference, I end up getting everything out of it I originally hoped for.  (Regardless, I'll let you know either way.)

The days in Hawaii were lazy.  

Every morning I sipped coffee on our lanai, listening to the waves crash just a few feet away.  

I spent my time walking, hiking, reading, swimming, taking photos, hanging out on the beaches, being amused by sea turtles, etc.  

(My Internet access was very sketchy which was probably a blessing.) 

Every evening we indulged in fresh sashimi and other appetizers, along with libations, out on our lanai.  

Most nights we barbequed dinner on the beach as the sun set.  

Have I mentioned how beautiful it is in Hawaii?

Occasionally, we treated ourselves to a meal out.

It was great to have some very concentrated "family time" with all three of my kids present.

I fell asleep each night with the large sliding glass window of my bedroom open.  The sea breeze and the crashing waves lulled me to sleep. 

Oh, how I wish I could live just feet from the ocean every day!

Now, instead, I'm doing a couple quick loads of laundry and heading down to San Diego.  I will be blogging as I continue my travels.  

I return to Orange County next Monday.

I appreciate your patience as I take you along on my journey!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Going Bananas

One of the reasons I love "our place" in Hawaii, is because of how it's landscaped.

Every day, as I walk in and out of my front door, I pass these bananas.

This particular bunch isn't ripe yet, but others on the property are.

In addition, we have trees with papayas, coconuts and mangoes too.

It makes me feel like I'm in Hawaii ...

Which I am ...

So, that's a good thing!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Maui

I'm taking a little break from the sun.

Have I mentioned it's hot here?  I'm used to heat, but I'm not used to humidity.  I know the humidity in Hawaii is nothing compared to what many of you live with every day, but ANY humidity is new for me.  I have to take short breaks from it now and then.

I thought I'd post a few Hawaii photos while I'm cooling off.

To be honest, I haven't gone through most of my photos yet and some of these are from my iPhone.  Nonetheless, I thought I'd share a glimpse of Hawaii.

My son took the above photo on Kaanapali Beach on Maui with his phone.

I took the above rock/seascape at Napili Bay after a wonderful breakfast at The Gazebo restaurant.

There are geckos everywhere.  This isn't much different from home for us, but we were surprised when this little, tiny, baby gecko appeared out of the sand and climbed on my son's foot.  (My son had a pet gecko for years so this occurrence didn't faze him in the least.)

A sign like the above (interpreted from Hawaiian into Photographer's Language) means, "If you go beyond this point, you'll be able to take some great photos." 

Of course, I speak Photographer's Language so I was happy to oblige.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Stopping In To Say Aloha

Aloha!

I wanted to check in today from Hawaii.

I've been here several days now and I've done a lot of ...

Nothing.

That's right - nothing.

I used to come here a lot on business, and I've seen all the tourist sights multiple times.

I feel no guilt, whatsoever, doing nothing.

I've been catching up on some much needed sleep, swimming in some of the most beautiful water on the planet, reading when I feel like it, taking fewer photos than I thought I'd take (but still a lot), eating delectable foods regardless of their carb and/or calorie count, and drinking way too much alcohol - beginning fairly early in the day.

Yes, I'm having the perfect vacation.

* Appetizers on our lanai at sunset. *

Our weather has been perfect so far.

Yesterday I had banana macadamia nut pancakes with coconut syrup for breakfast.  As an aside, I don't like pancakes and never have.  These particular pancakes are the only ones I'll eat - ever.  They were delicious.  (Although, I think I only ate one because they're very filling.)  When I finished my pancake(s), I began humming Jack Johnson's song Banana Pancakes and I don't think I stopped for the remainder of the day.

I followed up the pancake(s) with a pretty strenuous hike.  I'm making an effort to exercise every morning since there are so many beautiful places to walk/hike here.

As always, we're surrounded by zillions of huge sea turtles.  (We stay at a cove with a very high sea turtle population.)  For those of you who have never seen a sea turtle, it's hard to imagine how big they are.  Some of them get up to 400 pounds.

I love the sea turtles.

In fact, I honestly feel some sort of weird spiritual kinship with them.

They're beautiful animals, graceful, serene ... majestic.

* Coming up for air *

My Internet connection here is spotty at best, but I'll try to pop in for updates as I can.  In the meantime, I'm taking photos of some pretty cool sights to share with you in future posts.

© Twenty Four At Heart

My Technology "Must Haves" For Travel

I'm sorry my posts have been so photo-intensive lately.

It's summer ....

Summer means it's difficult to find a quiet moment alone to write.

Summer means I'm driving my teen(s) all over Southern California non-stop.

Summer means frequent trips to the beach, house guests, summer league baseball games, and a lot of pool time.

Summer means late nights, and an occasional lazy morning.

Summer, therefore, seems to mean fewer words and more photos in my posts.

I know a lot of you are planning trips this summer.

Maybe you have a weekend jaunt in mind, or perhaps you've planned a big vacation.

I might even see a few of you at BlogHer11 in a few weeks?

Obviously, what you pack for travel depends on where you're going.

I thought today I'd share a few of my favorite technology-related things to travel with.  I'm a blogger and obsessive photographer.  I'm rarely unplugged ....

Maybe my (unsponsored) list will help you with your packing?

My List Of Technology "Must Haves" For Travel:

•  Camera (of course!)  If I can't take a lot with me, I'll pack one decent multi-purpose lens (possibly my 18-200mm or 50mm?) to go with my camera body (a Canon 7D), a lens cleaning kit, possibly a filter or two, spare compact flash drives and always an extra battery.  Don't forget a charger for the camera battery!

(Also, here's a good question ... Do you like run-on sentences??  I seem to be full of them lately!)

•  My phone.  I know this is an obvious item, but when I travel I also make sure my iPhone has a Mophie Juice Pack attached.  I'm way too phone dependent.  I don't want my phone battery to run low right when I need it.  By the way, I always seem to need it. (My phone is also my alarm clock, my map, my calendar, my travel guide, etc., etc!)

•  An "everything bag" for the plane/car.  I've mentioned this item before.  This year I'll be carrying the Baggalini Only Bag with me.  It will store all my travel-on items except for my camera.

•  My iPod and my (very small) Sony wireless travel stereo speaker system.  Okay, go ahead and laugh at me, but I love music.  Small, travel, speakers can allow you to listen to music in your hotel room/condo/wherever without ear buds.  They also allow you to share whatever you're listening to.  (And yes, I just might hula with Briefcase, on my lanai, while listening to Hawaiian music this summer!)

•  My Kindle.  It's next to impossible for me to get undisturbed reading time at home.  When I'm on a plane or in a hotel I thrive on quality reading time!

•  My New Trent Power Pack.  Did I mention I hate to be unplugged?  I mean, unless I'm planning to be unplugged.  I'm all about avoiding low batteries!

•  My MacBook.  It might be fine for you to leave your laptop at home, but mine is part of my anatomy.  The sky will fall if I take a lot of photos and can't upload them instantly.

•  Voltage adaptors, if necessary.

•  Chargers for everything, of course.  So easy to forget - but so essential!

**  I also always have business cards with me.  You never know when a casual conversation with a stranger will turn into a potential photography client and/or advertiser/sponsor and/or reader.  **

 © Twenty Four At Heart

L.A. Tidbits

I hope today's post about the Kelby seminar last Wednesday doesn't make you snooze through your morning coffee!

I arrived a few minutes early in my attempt to avoid the worst of L.A. morning rush hour.  The morning light was fabulous, and I wished I had more time to take photos.

Sunrise in Los Angeles, taken from inside the convention center:

I was awed by the architecture of green glass and white steel in the huge lobby.

The above photo was taken from inside the lobby looking out, but it doesn't look much different from the outside looking in. 

This next photo was taken with me on my back, laying down in the middle of the lobby floor shooting the ceiling.  (Sorry it isn't centered better, but I had to take whatever spot I could get on the floor.)  People were talking to me and laughing as I took this photo.  

"You must be here for the photography convention, right?"

Right!

Can you see the windows at the very tip top?  (With the blue sky and clouds showing through?)  Well, later in the day, a storm rolled in and I took a close up shot of those same windows.  I wanted to emphasize the storminess of the late afternoon so I converted the photo to black and white.  

Pretty cool, huh?

The seminar was divided into five classes, with very short breaks between each one.  There were hundreds of people in attendance.  Here's a, not-so-great, snapshot taken during the meeting with my iPhone.  (The room was dark so we could see the projectors in the front of the room.)

For some reason there were mainly men at the seminar.  I was surprised.  Why aren't there more female photographers?

Also?  If you're a heterosexual woman (or gay man) looking to meet men ... start hanging out at photography workshops.

Personally, I could have spent all day just meeting the attendees.  Everyone I met had such fascinating stories.  I could have spent hours asking people what type of photography they do, how they got into it in the first place, etc.  It was fun to share photos too, and I was so impressed with the talented people I met.

Most of the time I was busy listening to the presentation(s) and occasionally jotting down a few notes.  The classes covered composition, shooting suggestions, photo formulas, fixing "problems" in Photoshop, and adding finishing touches in Photoshop.  

I made special notes throughout the day about any types of equipment, etc. which might make photography easier for me with my bum arm.

I was surprised to discover I already knew all the shooting/photography information covered in the morning sessions.  I did pick up helpful Photoshop techniques in the afternoon though.  

I really hate over-processed photos, and sometimes my photos don't look "real" even though if I haven't messed with the color (saturation or hue) in Photoshop.  In one session, they mentioned some of the flaws built into digital photography and how to correct them in Photoshop.  Those tips alone were worth the price of the entire seminar.

When the meetings ended, it was pouring outside.  Hence, I didn't take any photos of L.A. Live at night.  I'd love to return some other night though.  The neon lights, etc. would make for awesome night photography.

Next week I'll share with you the iPhone photos I took of the movie that was being filmed in the convention center at the end of the day.  Maybe with your help, we'll be able to figure out exactly what type of movie it was!  (I was hiding amongst the "extras" to take the photos I got!)

© Twenty Four At Heart

Hollywood, Take Two

I wanted to share a few more glimpses of my day in Hollywood with you.  I know many of you live too far away to ever have the opportunity to visit.  (I also want to apologize ahead of time for the quality of today's photos ... the sun was really harsh making decent photos impossible extremely difficult.)

When I arrived in Hollywood, I parked near the Kodak Theatre.

If you've watched the Academy Awards in the last ten years, you probably know the event is held in the Kodak Theatre.  (American Idol finals have also been held at the Kodak Theatre too, along with many other famous events.)

After traipsing around the Kodak Theatre for awhile, I walked down Hollywood Blvd.  

If you pull out your magnifying glass, you will see the following in the above photo:  both the good and bad Spiderman, the sidewalk stars of Nicole Kidman, Steven Spielberg, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, and Susan Sarandon.  

Good Spiderman was quite chatty with me, by the way.  I always seem to attract men who are a little "different."

My next stop was Grauman's Chinese Theatre which opened in 1927.  (Do I sound like a tour guide yet?)

I'm pretty immune to the celebrity-thing, having grown up here.  Nonetheless, it's still a lot of fun to wander around the Forecourt to the Stars and look at the hand/footprints of the famous.

From the city, the Hollywood sign looks like this:

As I mentioned last weekend, there's a "secret" hiking trail to reach the sign.  The view on the trail, looking back towards Los Angeles is pretty on a clear day.

Hollywood Blvd. is pure craziness.  The people watching could not be better.  Then you get up on the trail, and you feel like you've stepped back in time.  It's quiet and serene.  You run into other people hiking now and again, but (at least on a weekday) it isn't crowded at all.  It really was nice.

Also?

When you get close to it, you realize how HUGE the Hollywood sign really is.

It's gigantic!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Did You Know?

Did you know there's a "secret" trail leading up to the famous Hollywood sign?

Shhhh!!  Don't tell anyone!

I went hiking on it last Thursday.

© Twenty Four At Heart

New York City

I took this photo last summer when I was in New York.

It captures the city perfectly for me.  

© Twenty Four At Heart

Don't Forget the Crime Scenes

They were selling these maps at the Santa Monica pier.

Do people really want to go visit crime scenes?  

And if so, why?

© Twenty Four At Heart

Forrest Gump

I noticed a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant on the Santa Monica Pier when I was visiting a couple weeks ago.  

I've visited this chain of restaurants in the past, but this time I noticed something different right outside the front door.

The sign in the above photo is permanently fixed to a bench.

But that isn't all ....

Forrest's shoes, suitcase, and box of candy are also permanent fixtures.

Seeing this?

Made my day.

Sometimes it's the little things ....

© Twenty Four At Heart

Haunted Graveyard

I took this photo while visiting an old graveyard in Boston last summer.

The strangest thing happened when I got home and took a closer look at the photo.

I count seven ghosts ...

How many do you see?

 

© Twenty Four At Heart

Cloudy Skies?

I have a busy and special weekend planned. 

We've had an unusually cool, overcast, and at times - rainy October.

Normally, it's quite hot here in the fall.

I haven't really minded.  We need rain and having a cooler month has been a nice change of pace.

I'm hoping for some nice weather for this particular weekend though.

Keep your fingers crossed!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Santa Monica Pier

I've received a lot of comments/questions/emails regarding my jaunt up to Santa Monica last week.  (And yes, the first few photos in today's post - plus a few others, have been put in the Santa Monica album on my photo site.  Thank you everybody for all the photo orders lately!)

I have to admit, I had a great day.

When I was a kid and tween, I spent a lot of time in Santa Monica.  

There's a huge area under the pier which the public has access to.  I used to love to play under the pier as a kid.  When the tide is out, it's like one gigantic fort under there.  (And I do mean gigantic - it's not a normal sized pier!)

On this visit, I think I spent nearly as much time taking photographs under the pier as I did up on top.

I think I have a bit of a pier obsession.

I loved being under the pier just as much as I used to as a child.  The challenge this trip, was to take photos in impossible lighting conditions.  I love a good challenge.  It was fun!

There were also things that made me wonder why, such as this random "noodle" on top of the pier:

I laughed out loud when I saw it, and again when I read the sign next to it.

There was also a "contortionist" performing.  He plugged in a boom-box with blaring music, set out paper cups to mark his territory, announced he would like people to give him money and began turning himself into a pretzel.

How does someone get to the point in life where they're performing between paper cups for tips?  I imagine he's just like thousands of others who came to L.A. thinking they'd become a *star*. 

I've never had any desire to be a celebrity.  Maybe the fact I'm a 5th generation Southern Californian has left me jaded.  

How about you?

Have you ever dreamed of being a star?

© Twenty Four At Heart

Fun, Fun, Fun!

There's something about ferris wheels and roller coasters that is just so fun to photograph.  Throw the beach into the equation and Twenty Four is one happy photographer!

(Wow - I just talked about myself in the third person AND used my pseudonym.  Do you think it's time to stop drinking wine?)  

Naw ......!

The wonderful thing about the occasional storms we get in Southern California?

Almost no one goes to the beach when the weather is "bad."

No one, but me ....

© Twenty Four At Heart

The Day After

The last few days have been an emotional roller coaster.

First, I was extremely upset, angry, and stressed out.

Then, I was overwhelmed by an amazing outpouring of love and support.

To be honest,, I'm still floating on a cloud of wonder and astonishment and gratitude.  It is REALLY a warm, cozy, incredible feeling.

Thank you - again, and again, and again!

Due to some scheduling necessities, my upcoming surgery got moved up to November 3rd.  This causes a little unexpected chaos in my life which I'm not going to complain about for a second.  

A big goal of mine, for quite some time, has been to get dedicated photography time prior to my "big" surgery.  I've been told I'll have a two month recovery and I know I won't be able to use my arm much, if at all, during that time period.  

I'm going to go through terrible camera withdrawals.

Yesterday, I got in my car with a backpack of camera gear and started driving up the coast towards Los Angeles.

Hindsight being twenty-twenty, I would suggest none of you do any such thing when you are just two weeks post-arm/shoulder surgery.  Ouch a zillion times over!

Yes, I AM an idiot - why do you ask?

(Have I ever mentioned what a major inconvenience it is to be a one-armed photographer?  Such a pain in the ass!)

Eventually, I found myself in Santa Monica where I spent a lot of my time as a kid and a teen.

I have a list of places I want to photograph in Southern California.  Most of the places on my list are places I'm very familiar with, but have never taken the time to just stop and photograph.  The Santa Monica Pier was one of them.

I arrived in late morning.  We're just finishing up with three days of rain here.  (It's very unusual for us to have rain in October.)  The sky was fairly cloudy, the weather was cool, and the sand was still wet from the storm.

I ended up taking over 250 photos in just a few hours.

No, I won't make you look at all of them.

Yes, I will probably post a few of them on weekends here and there.  

(For those of you who are new readers - I rarely write full posts on weekends.  I usually just put up photos on Saturdays and Sundays.)

It was exactly the type of day I needed.  I had time to myself, time at the beach, time with my camera, and time to come to terms with everything going on in my life.

You know what I was reminded of this week?

I'm a very, very, lucky person to have the life I do.

What a wonderful way to end the week.

© Twenty Four At Heart

A Look Back

I came across this photo from my Boston trip.  I don't know how I missed it when I initially went through my photos.  I've fallen completely in love with it, so I knew I needed to share it with you.

© Twenty Four At Heart

What I Learned While In The South

I spent the last few days in the south visiting my son's college.  It was a whirlwind, extremely action-packed, trip.  I was even asked to be Frat Photographer for a busy weekend of fraternity events.  Who am I to say no to a bunch of Frat Boys decked out in collared shirts and ties?

As background, I've spent very little time in the south so everything there is a novelty to me.  In addition, when I was in college, I went to UC Santa Barbara.  My ex-campus sits on a cliff overlooking the ocean - a completely different type of campus life than my son's.  (As an example, UCSB has no football team, but they do have an exceptional surf team.)  The Greek life at UCSB was almost non-existent when I was a student there.  Fraternity life is, therefore, not something I've been exposed to.

The last few days, along with photographing campus and fraternity life, I was also busy experiencing as much of my surroundings as possible.  Here are some of my random thoughts and observations (some of them were jotted down as I had them):

•  Sitting next to a sick, sneezing, person is inevitable on an all day flight.  And yes, you will come home with a cold as a result.

•  I like collard greens, but do they always have so much salt on them?

•  I do NOT like grits - at all.

•  If you take a few college boys out to dinner you will be astonished at the amount of food consumed.

•  Four boys - TEN baskets of homemade rolls before dinner!

•  I have not outgrown beer pong, but I still don't care for beer bongs.

•  People in the south are SO nice!

•  I think I would have a lot more women friends if I lived in the South vs. The OC.

•  Frat boys are cute, and - very polite ... at least, to me.

•  I prefer my tea unsweetened.  I'm sorry.

•  Tailgating at college football games is a lot of fun.

•  Frat houses are disgusting even when they've been "cleaned up" just for your arrival.

•  There aren't a lot of botoxed and plastic people in the south.  People are so real.  So refreshing!

•  When a fraternity buys wine as a special treat, in anticipation of your arrival, you will force yourself to choke it down even though it's being poured from a bag.

•  With enough time, you won't care what the wine tastes like.

•  Your head WILL hurt from drinking bagged wine the next day.

•  Never use a bathroom in a fraternity.  (Not even the woman's bathroom.)

•  Hearing frat boys talk about their love/sex lives will make you giggle and giggle, because - really?

•  My body is not used to fried food and it makes me feel sick.

•  There are some damn smart people in college these days.  I was impressed!

•  Your toes will freeze at night if you wear flip flops to the football game.

•  You will be the only one in the entire, gigantic, football stadium wearing flip-flops.

•  College girls are wearing lots of short dresses/skirts and cowboy boots in the south.

•  College girls are AFTER the frat boys!

•  I could live on biscuits every morning for breakfast.  Yum!

•  Trees, trees, and MORE trees!  Beautiful!

•  I think it's "freezing" when the weather is in the 60's, but everyone there told me it was an amazing, warm, fall day.

•  I like the feeling of "brisk" evenings.  It feels very fall-ish.

•  Trees are beginning to "turn" in the south.  I wish I could come back in a couple weeks and see them at their prettiest.

•  Frat parties?  Are so ... frat party-ish.  And yes, I really DID attend one for several hours!

•  For the return flight home I was seated by an ahem-er.  Ahem!  Ahem!  Four and a half hours of ahem-ing!  It was BRUTAL.

•  On the other side of me, a man took his shoes off for the entire flight.  His feet stunk!

•  I hate flying!

•  It never gets easier to say good-bye to your kids. 

•  * Sob! *

© Twenty Four At Heart

The Public Garden

This shot was taken in the Public Garden in Boston.

I love the bokeh!

(Shutter 1/1000, f5.6, 130mm, ISO 320)

© Twenty Four At Heart 

Paradise Cove

© Twenty Four At Heart