New Project

Legos

Way back when I was small, er smaller, I would spend hours upon hours sitting on the floor sifting through a  container of legos that was roughly the same size as me. Anyone who is veteran lego engineer (yes, engineer) knows exactly what I speak of. Sifting for what seems like forever for that specific piece. The one buried underneath every other piece you own. By the time you find it...damn, what was I making again?

Don't get me wrong; I LOVE legos. In fact, it is rapidly coming back as one of my obsessions, much like the whole comic book craze. It is as if my inner child is taking over my life. I'm not really complaining, I am easily entertained these days.

I really don't know why, as adults, we so readily give up the things that we loved most as children. Maybe we would be happier if we held onto some childhood comforts.

Anyway, I started collecting legos again about a year ago. It all started with a leisurely stroll through the toy aisles in Target. What I saw in the lego section, I could not leave the store without. I bought a $40 set specifically for this guy:

Squid King. 

It was all downhill from there. I have probably dropped about $100 on various Atlantis sets (it was the only collection NOT based on a popular movie). If anyone asks, I am collecting them for my future children. I'm sure they won't mind hand-me-down legos. I know I didn't. 

The point of all this lego ramble is to bring up my new project. Lego Murals. If you are confused, just hop on over to Google images. I was inspired after I saw this. 

My version will instead be Link from Zelda, in 8-bit form of course. It was a specific request from a friend (the same friend who lent me his computer) as a birthday present. I figured it was the least I could do. The legos are whizzing through the mail as I write this; hopefully they will be here tomorrow. I will update you on my progress. 

In the meantime, I will leave you with this:

Surfer Dude is seriously wearing a thong...

The Sundae Challenge

I finally located pictures from the infamous Sundae Challenge on Memorial Day. Unfortunately, we do not have any from the beginning. We only have them from the end...when things begin to take an ugly turn. 

Realizing that this was a bad idea.

I think at this point I didn't know if I could continue...

Finished! I look like I am going to be sick. 

Dylan tried to tell me I had to lick the bowl to win. 

I had to search around the internet, but I found what the sundae basically looked like:

Two scoops. Hot Fudge. Whipped Cream and a cherry. 

It was the waffle bowl that killed me. 

Walking Adventures

One of the great things about living in Los Angeles is that almost everything is within walking distance. This is especially helpful in conjunction with the fact that I do not own a car. It is also great when one is trying to save money. Travel is costly.

Last Saturday Yano and I walked to Comics Ink, just down the street on Overland. While passing the behemoth that is Sony Studios, we spotted what at first glance appeared to be a butterfly laying on the sidewalk. Upon further investigation, we realized it was a lonely fake mustache. We had to stop and photograph the strange phenomena. Was it a free-range mustache? Had it been left behind in some kind of drunken debauchery? We were captivated by the story of the abandoned mustache.

Somewhere a hipster is weeping for the loss of his faux facial hair. 

It was the first time Yano had been to the little comic shop. Since it is on the way to the library that I frequent, I have made a habit of picking up Tank Girl comics there. We carefully scrutinized the tightly packed shelves while listening to intriguing conversation between the clerk and a regular patron (about the loss of macho man heroes in Hollywood). After almost an hour, we regrouped with our treasures in hand. Yano had Moon Knight and Batman: Year One; I continued my love affair with Chew. 

That is one badass Chicken. 

Sunday we walked to the movies in downtown Culver City. On the way, we passed a small, rather unloved theatre (with $6 matinees!) and decided we needed to go there in the future (if only to see Thor). Had our hearts not been already set on X-Men: First Class, we probably would have stopped then. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend that you do. Magneto alone is worth your time. 

Seriously, he could not have been any more awesome.

To wrap up the lovely weekend, on the walk home from the movies, we found a gingerbread house tucked away off of Venice Blvd on Dunn Drive. 

Okay, it isn't really a gingerbread house, but it might as well be. I love finding little magical places hidden around Los Angeles. It makes moving here seem less crazy.
Magical thinking, right?

Memorial Day

For Memorial Day, our favorite thing to do is meet up with the extended cousins in Monterrey and party on the beach. By party, I mean eat too much food and consume alcohol while sharing (usually embarrassing) stories. This, however, is not a new tradition. In fact, meeting up at Bird Rock Beach has been going on for more than seventy years (so they tell me). This year, only a few of us were able to go, between work schedules and the recent passing of my grandfather. Yano and I drove up from Los Angeles; Meg and Dylan drove down from Santa Rosa. It was almost meeting in the middle. Almost.

Trouble. 

We started our weekend in Monterrey at a local pub called Bullwhackers. By the time Yano and I rolled in, Dylan was drowning his sorrows in Boddingtons as he watched Manchester United lose to Barcelona. It was was the early afternoon and Meg was just happy he still had all his clothes on.  From there we wandered around Cannery Row, finding our way into a forgotten strip mall that had an amazing candy store.

 Have I mentioned that I love candy ?

Mmmm...America.

This tree talked about jelly beans. 

I walked out of the store empty handed (again). I think I just like the look of candy stores; I rarely ever purchase anything. There were an odd assortment of businesses in the mall. Next to the candy store there was a Chinese restaurant and upstairs there was an antique shop. 

There were also a ton of these things:

                                                             
What are these called? Yes, I realize we are too big to play in them, but you should have seen the rocket ship! Also, where else do you ever see anything from Richard Scarry? If you don't know who that is, you should.


Back at the hotel, Dylan decided to exact his revenge (for...something...) by stacking ALL the furniture he could move in front of the bathroom door while I showered. This is what happens when you are the youngest sibling in the group. Next time, my little brother will be forced to go.

This was taped to the trash can, just in case I didn't realize what was going on.

In short, we had way too much fun that weekend; even when Dylan dared me to eat an entire ice cream sundae by myself. Two scoops, with hot fudge and whipped cream, in a waffle bowl. It was the size of my head. The first half was delicious. The second half was...painful. I haven't eaten ice cream since. I might be traumatized.

Suffice to say, I may have found my nemesis.