I Went Went, Back Back, to Cali Cali pt. 2

Slow Saturday day. I double-dip into LA burgers with a lunchtime trip to Tommy's and In n Out.

In n Out Secret Menu suggestion: "the Briggie"--Double Double, animal style, add pickles and raw onion, hold the lettuce and tomato. Finally, something good from In n Out

Somedays I'll take a Tommy's chiliburger over In n Out anyday

Saturday night I went down to Hollywood for a comedy show that turned out to be, err, pretty not funny BUT Milana Vayntrub (a.k.a. Lily from the AT&T ads) was one of the joke/story tellers so that was kinda cool.

Dipped into a show opening at a gallery before the jokes

The idea of the show was that it was comedians and their best friends telling stories, that's why there's always two people in these pictures. The secret idea of the show was that it was comedians and their friends telling stories without having planned at all what they would say.

Maybe I found a tattoo idea?

Finished off the night with too many tacos at Leo's and a run across the street to try the tacos at Super Gallito

See that guy on the right? Listening to him order tacos was like listening to a poem. I guess you have to take my word for it.

One of the best things about Leo's Tacos is how close it is to SK's Donuts. 

Sunday I drove down to Dana Point to hear Cher give a Father's Day talk at her church and then we ate salads on a lawn overlooking the ocean. That's how I like my beaches to be: lawns.

It was a little windy for an umbrella

Like I said, a little windy

Look at all those sandy suckers

Miscellaneous Orange county charm

Then we drove to San Juan Capistrano for a field trip to the Mission. It was old and rocky and had lots of bells. Also: Very bright and sunny and hot. I got a spectacular forearm sunburn.

Hot as heck but happy I called it an Orange County day and headed back up for San Marino. I was cruising along nicely, approaching Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim stadium when Grandma's car stopped working...pressing the gas, there just wasn't any action. But I had the momentum to cruise to the side of the freeway and even down an off-ramp a bit. BUT thanks to the power of OnStar all I had to do was press a button and then wait FOUR HOURS for a tow truck. FOUR HOURS. I had a book, though. And my camera. And could even see the Disneyland fireworks around hour 3.5. So it could have been worse?

Tow truck trick of the trade: When making your customer wait 4 hours for your services, send the friendliest and most helpful guy you've got, so the customer has to stop being mad and starts being appreciative.

I Went Went, Back Back, to Cali Cali pt. 1

I've been between work assignments for a minute and was starting to get bored so I flew out to LA for a week to diversify my loafing.

Landing at LAX, American Airlines was having a throwback colorway moment

Becky picked me up and we decided to lunch at Locol, Roy Choi's new socially responsible fast food concept in Watts.

All ordering done on touch screen terminals, I've got a few notes I'd like to pass on about the UX, if they're taking them.

Clockwise, mas or menos: chicken nuggets, collard greens, a carnitas foldie, and cheeseburger (just look at the fat glisten atop that bun!)

lots of little characters all over the place

"Don't you get how good this nugget sauce is? But what flavor would you call it?" That's the mystery, what to call the nugget sauce flavor. Lemon/Lime?

Local characters on the bulletin board

All in all, pretty pleased with my meal at Locol. I wouldn't say it's destination-worthy, but if you can work it into a detour or ride home from the airport, then do it.

After meal, checking out Watts a little and those famous Watts towers. I'd never seen them before and thought they were a little short until I realized they were handmade by one crazy man over thirty years. Then they seemed to be just the right height.

Then it was home to Grandma's. Imagine photos of me being at Grandma's house for a few hours before this one was taken of Collin. Because Collin and Mallory came over and then Greg and Becky came over and then we went to dinner at Lucky Noodle King in San Gabriel.

Driving down to the restaurant, goofing off with my f1.1 lens

Driving past this place I thought "I wonder if that's where we went roller skating in 1st grade?" even though I can read and it is a bowling alley

No food pics from Lucky Noodle King but we ordered all the hits--twice cooked pork, chongqing chicken, smashed cucumber, wontons in chili oil, dumplings, maybe something else

Then it was time to return to the most important restaurant in my life, the place where I learned to order for myself and what I liked (fried shrimp sandwich Rest in Peace) and didn't like (all those peas that came as a side with the spaghetti), for a dessert of onion rings and bittersweet hot fudge sundaes

This is what you'll find as the central image of the Condie/Taylor/Barnes family crest

Then Becky and Greg had us over to their apartment for some games (video) and my first night in LA wrapped up at a reasonable hour.

Don't freak out! It's there to scare away ducks.

Guys, We Went Camping

This weekend there was a well-organized excursion up to Camp Liahona and, guess what? I went. It's nice to get away and go camping every 7 years, that's what I say. Most of us arrived at dusk and by campfire time it was completely dark. No one really could tell how many people were there or who they were talking with, but still, good camp vibes did abide.

Camp finally quieted down around 2am, just in time for the Dolby surround sound snoring to kick in, so by 5:30 I was like "Well, I guess I'm awake now?" but I held out for 6 before I got out of my tent.

Also, shout out to Ned for lending me ALL his camping equipment after me just asking if he maybe had an extra sleeping bag. I didn't know that most tents were see through now, and so much easier to set up than 27 years ago. Lying in Ned's little see through tent at night, looking up at the stars, listening to everyone talk and talk and just not shut up, I thought "Hmm, maybe I love camping?"

Do not disturb the bat houses

I don't understand why Spanish-speaking swimmers have to wait for a soccer player before they can get in the lake

By 8am breakfast was happening. I was worried it would just be granola bars and stuff, but no, it was mountains of eggs and bacon and fruit and pancakes. Me, on camping principle I woulda subbed some Brown n Serve sausages for that bacon, but the bacon was Christmas-morning crispy, so I gave it a pass.

I asked for a Batman pancake and got one! Or a hammerhead shark! Whatevs!

After breakfast it was straight on to fun. Some people hiked, some people swam, some people canoed, some people tossed a ball by the campfire. Me, I had accidentally left my swimsuit behind, so I sort of lingered around the lake like a fully-clothed creep.

Mark was walking around offering bites from a fistful of pancakes

Before using them for pancake frisbee golf

In the distance: family slack line antics at the chaperone encampment

Who wore it best?

Lazy sunbathers

Look at me, I'm Cesar

Leica on Leica

"How did you get up to camp, Brigham?" a ride in Leanna's car. "How'd you get down?" a ride in Kim's car

And speaking of Kim's car, guess it's leaving now! Better get going! Thanks everyone that put together such a nice, easy camping trip for doing such a great job.