Coney Island

july 21

Having always wanted to swim in the warm Atlantic, my second morning was spent down by the beach. It only took like 25 minutes on the nearly empty subway train until I could see the water. It was a gorgeous hot morning and the water felt perfect. Frolicly kicking and diving backwards, I tucked and rode in wave after wave. I walked from one side of the boardwalk to the other finding fishermen on this jetty struggling.

Later I found out that tests in 2007 found high levels of bacteria in 24% of the samples taken from nearby waters. It feels a little like home now. Don and I have been planning to hit the beach first thing in the morning, but it's easier said than done with long summer nights in the city.

When I got back to Brooklyn, I wanted to visit this coffee shop called Beaner Bar. A friend of a friend owns the spot and I'm trying to meet some cool people. So I jumped on the F -train to the L -train to Williamsburg. The shop was so rustic and quaint, which when combined with a good house brew makes for the perfect neighborhood hole to meet buddies.

Ryall served me up a refreshing iced coffee and added by a few locals, began to give me a long list of must see bars and eats in the city. Rudy, the owner responded quickly to my voice mail and came down the block to meet up with me. He was busy but invited me to a bar in Manhattan which sounded like a great idea for my Friday night.

I had plans to see Burning Spear at seven, so I left after a short while only to stop at this Italian joint for a slice. When I got all the way to Battery Park City, they were just about to start and crowds were pouring into the area fast. There was a beautiful view of Jersey city with the sun setting behind it.

They led us all into rhythmic dance for almost two hours and by the end my muscles need a break.

Philly cheese death.

July 18th

Philadelphia has a lot of history on it's soil. It's fun for the whole family seeing folks dressed in garb from the era ready push you off the ledge into the deepest sleep of your life with long winded stories about our nation's history. Some guys were sitting on park benches with signage above their heads saying story time. We were too smart not to get sucked in. Instead we approached them and asked them where to find things.

Most of our day was spent walking around and seeing the sights. The Liberty Bell, original congress halls, the stairs Rocky ran up in 1982..you know, the important stuff. All of the guys wanted to try a Philly cheese steak sandwich. I was eager to watch and judge. Right after parking in downtown, we asked this nice plump young lady where the best Philly cheese steaks are. After all, that plump didn't come from salads. She was quick to tell us that the best steaks are in south Philly.

After what seemed like a five mile hike in hot sun, we were ready to get our grub on and went to the 'best' steak places we'd heard about from a few people. Two of these joints were right across the street from each other in a small Mexican community. It sounds odd because it was. There was only fatty steak sandwiches and even fattier fries so I went to one of the over-priced Mexican food place.

When I got back, these guys were far from impressed. One guy tried one sandwich from each place and gave them both two thumbs down. He is from San Diego and said he knows a place to get better cheese steaks there! I guess they got better when they left Philly.

More DC

July 17th

My Auntie was able to get 4 passes on the amphibious duck tour from one of her local city council candidates and it was the perfect opportunity to take Carlos along. Coincidentally, he was completing some training in Baltimore and we had made plans to hang out in the District. I was worried about the availability due to the popularity of this tour and after a dramatic evening, the inability to take some friends on a complimentary tour would've crushed my spirit.

We were able to reserve some seats but the tour wasn't all it was 'quacked' up to be. After checking out more monuments and revisiting other with them, I decided to take them up on their offer to got to Philadelphia the following day. So we left for Baltimore after it got dark, and I was able to see some of the city lit up for the first time. Sheer magic!

With the greatest fatigue, we set out for a midnight romp around Baltimore's Inner Harbour to find a few intoxicated folks and loud party-goers. I had a bit of the boxer rash from a full sweaty day of walking and was ready to crash. TMI alert!

Freedom is not FREE

The petty restraints put on women and minorities in our country's not so distant past and history, reminds me of all the struggle that has put us where we are today in our position of power and influence. We have defined what civil liberties are and though I don't agree with war and many of the decisions made for us by our ruling elite, we have done a lot of good for our world. We are so blessed to have had much of the fight for liberty done for us and now we stand so ignorant to the world at large. Many natural and man-made disasters lay forgotten by the masses as we care more for 'idol' and 'jerseylicious'. As the population of the species draws nearer and nearer to 7 billion, what will come of our pestilence and misuse of our resources?

Lincoln Memorial

July 16th

My second day of trolley tours confirms how familiar I am with the central downtown DC area. I've been so fortunate to see as much as I have. But this is one of those overwhelming tourist destinations where you can never see everything your first trip. My original idea of eating my breakfast sandwich in the midst of Lincoln's memorial was potentially thwarted by signs saying no food or drink. So I ate right outside on the super-sized steps facing both the Teddy Roosevelt Bridge and the Arlington Bridge over the Potomac River.

Upon entering the Lincoln memorial restroom, the amount of water on the floor was shocking as I easily could have slipped and fallen if it hadn't been for the grip on my fairly new tennis shoes. In addition to the thousands of paper towels being saved by hand dryers in restrooms these days, one funny thing is the fart sounds you can make if your hands are clasped together just right. Old Abe never imagined the possibilities that technology could bring.

Visiting many of the museums here in our nation's capitol, I've come to reflect on the power of the human imagination and the ability to create that lies within us.

Sixteen Candles

July 15th

'Trolley Tours' has been the highlight of DC! This city is truly built around symbolism. At every turn, there is proof of painstaking structural details made with the utmost significance. They gave everyone 2 day passes for the price of one so I can take my time with the memorials and stuff.

Afterwards, I met with my Auntie so we could handle some dinner. She knew I had been craving sushi and I guess her friend owns a place. On the way, I found a nice barber shop and had to run in for a trim. Most expensive trim ever. Boy do I miss the 6 dolla holla shop I go to in Echo Park.

Her friends restaurant had a great selection and their like family to her. It was right down the street from UM (university of Maryland) and all the betties were out in their short shorts. Maybe my friend will pull through and take me out for 1.50 beers near the campus tonight. if not c'est la vie.

By that time is was about 9 oclock and I hadn't heard from Irina about going out with her gf's. It was cool cuz there was this 80's movie thing happening and Better Off Dead was on followed by Sixteen Candles and Ferris Bueller all un edited with commercial interruptions. God said, "Let there be 80's movies." And it was good.

Georgetown

July 14th
Giving the Portrait Museum some good ole quality time was exactly what I cold have imagined but better. I mentioned in an earlier blog that seeing some of the images of the people who helped make our country what it is now was cool because I didn't know what they looked like before. I spent around 2 hours in the joint and planned to meet my friend Irina shortly after.

Walking around near the capitol, I wandered into an Inuit exhibit at the Canadian Embassy. It featured a works celebrating nature and was similar to a large detailed exhibit within the Natural History Museum I saw a day earlier. The heat was getting bad and I was craving a brew or 2. Aimlessly bewildered, I came across Hamilton's, a 3 story restaurant pub with a sign claiming the best clam chowder in the district.

I figured I could grab a drink and wait for Irina to meet me there. I texted her the address and continued to test the chowder. We indulged in pleasant conversation and drinks after she arrived and proceeded to go to Georgetown after a bit. The trendy spot of town is pretty hip with hidden enclaves and tons of shops and eateries.

In a small alley I found this gallery space where the owner was moving stuff out. After hearing a story from him how he once made a 150k sale in one art deal, his friend told us he had the most comprehensive art collection in all of DC! I was on cloud nine after the brief interaction and felt that it was fate that I met that guy. Irina and I then continued searching the alleys of Georgetown for more fun and ended our night with plans to meet again the next day with some of her friends and do some bar hopping.

How could I say no?!

Natural History Museum

While tempted to see Avatar in IMAX 3D, I'm not sure if I can take it. Oceans 3D was only 40 minutes and it gave me the crazy eyes and a headache. Maybe it was due to my attention constantly being drawn to the snacks I was eating. Few things are better than grazing and watching a screen. I almost have no appetite unless I'm watching something on tv.



Upon entering the Museum of Natural History, I was engulfed in a sea of children, all running around unsupervised and having the time of their young lives. There's a some things about so many little filthy hands flailing about that scares me. Perhaps one of these "kids" is a dwarf international spy trained to steal wallets from unsuspecting tourists. Or maybe, one of these kids found a rare rodent in their home state and without looking, mistakes me for their parent, and grabs the cuff of my shorts, spreading the next outbreak.

Bugs and insects are cool to look at, but I don't wanna hold your hissing roach ma'am. Maybe if I knew what hole you pulled it out of.

Special Korean exhibit displayed the thousands of years of illustrious cultural identity

It's all about the Benjamins. Actually, the National Portrait Gallery is all about a bunch of portraits of significant Americans. I never knew Edgar Allan Poe was such a baby face.

rain rain don't go away..

Arriving in the grand Union Station in DC.

For the second day in a row, I'm delightfully eating a toasted onion dill bagel with smoked salmon and a wasabi sauce from Au Bon Pain. It's Aunty Bren's morning ritual stop after clocking into her quiet corner desk here in downtown DC. They've let me use an empty office where I can sip rain forest nut coffee and browse through two of the local free newspapers while contemplating where my day is going to take me.

Yesterday, awakening to the sound of harmonious sound birds, my thoughts were consumed by all of the museums that awaited me. Cold and still with leisurely security staff, a museum is like a happy funeral. On this, my first day here, my instinct led me straight to the National Gallery of Art. A few scheduled tours and a many hours later, my mind couldn't take any more direct visual stimuli or comparisons between eras of artistic impression.

My preverbial jets were cooled with a hike through the sculpture garden, to the Washington monument, and then to the National Aquarium. A nice breeze brought in some cloud cover and sprinkles which was an absolute joy compared to the beaming UV rays. I came to find out that the aquarium was a far cry from what I expected and I guess the larger of the two locations is in Baltimore.

With only a short time before I planned on meeting my Auntie, I sucked in my gut (like I learned in yoga) and made my way to the National Botanical Gardens where I unleashed a vicious eco system of my own in the men's room. The guy in the adjacent stall recommended a stomach doctor who might be able to help.

We decided to eat dinner at Gordon Biersch where Eric our server suggested complimenting our meal with garlic fries. I followed his advice and proceeded to scare away two H&M employees while shopping for non-touristy eye wear. The saga continues...

Inspiration

Inside deep forest roads

Long and forever green.

Pure, thick, and with grand beauty.

Far from being lean.

West Virginia mountain top

So far from my reach.

Pinnacle of wilderness

Many lessons you can teach.

Your black bears must have it made.

Your bugs nibble with care.

In this coal mining town,

Two strangers formed a pair.

Deer will hop and run off scared.

Eloquent to my sight.

Abnormal summer thunder rains

The trees grow with delight.

what's next for the appalachias?

It's somewhat a sad state of affairs in this rural area where my Grandparents live. Once a bustling leader in the lucrative coal industry, West Virginia is home to Mt. Hope which once provided something like 1/5 of all the states coal. Without dragging this drab story of devastating natural destruction on and on, I wanted to briefly document in my own words what I've learned. I was eager to seek information out for myself why this and other Appalachian communities are continuing to have negative economic and population shifts.

It seems that the first halt in major mining and distribution occurred during the Great Depression. Only to be further decreased by WWII, which followed shortly after the economy started to regain its momentum the industry shrinked in size tremendously. By the 1960's, roughly 1/3 of southern West Virginia's population moved in search of work as coal was seen as out of date. It's interesting to me to see so many homes and buildings abandoned. Below are some structures I documented earlier today.

This first photo shows a home that was demolished, leaving only the chimney standing. There are many of lots like this. Abandoned buildings house unwanted vagabonds and are simply eye sores that add to the downfall of the community.

<--Notice here how vegetation and the elements can quickly over-run a home.

It seems like a beautiful location where if someone were so willing, they could grow/hunt their own food and enjoy fresh air and true seperations of seasons. If anybody understands the lure of the city it's me, trust. But it's just a shame to see first-hand the degredation of these communities.

tempting fate or pushing the limits?

My routine thus far in this location has consisted of jogging every morning to absorb as much fresh mountain air as possible before I venture back into big city filth. Today my journey into the unknown wilderness led me past the high school where my Mom went to after the integration of white and black students. It is now operated by a missionary church trying to re-vitalize the community. I took a main road as to avoid any dangerous wildlife and noticed a non paved road below adjacent to a creek.

It seemed so beautiful that I couldn't resist to try and take that road back from where I came if I could. Luck would have it that I met up with that road and proceeded to make my way down. With nothing to protect myself besides a camera and mp3 player, fear slowly came over me. But I must press on I thought and was relieved to see some houses ahead through the trees.

What I didn't plan on was 2 unchained, unfenced in dogs leisurely waiting for a city boy to come jogging along with not even a stick to defend himself. Being someone who understands dog psychology, I knew that if I stood my ground and didn't show fear, they might not attack. But there being potentially 2 other dogs involved, I knew that I didn't stand a chance.

So I ran as a I fast as I could the other direction, only to look back and see that the faster of the 2 pit bull mix dogs chasing me was literally inches from my Achilles. I honestly think that these bruts could have had me if they really wanted to. Thank God whoever their hick owner was didn't train them with raw meat or run them on treadmills otherwise I would be dead behind Rovers doghouse with insects flying out of my mouth.

Carpe Diem! I'm so happy to be alive. Now I'm going to go out and get some mase so that I won't be afraid to face even the angriest momma black bear while trying to catch more glimpses of deer in their natural habitat.

need some ketchup packets? Grandma's got it..

It is with the greatest love for my family that I decided to visit this vast wilderness and risk health and injury as I attempt to maintain my LA-ness (whatever that may be) while simultaneously soaking it all in. One of the most troubling things about my stay with my Grandparents has to be my Grandma's inability to let things go. I thought my Mom had a hard time throwing things out, but at least my Mom can be swayed with a little reason.

My Grandma has literally every doll my Mom ever owned minus the ones my Uncle Lucky was able to destroy in his destructive youth. In addition, all of uncle Lucky's toys lay deep inside the cavernous basement where my Dad found mold of varying colors while visiting sometime last year. I know that there are some 'keep-sake' items that every Mom wants to keep around, but there is something to be questioned about saving packets of sauces and plastic utensils from fast-food restaurants.

It must have taken years to save all of these since the nearest fast-food joint is over an hour away and since Grandma cooks most meals. She is truly the queen of her castle though as you wouldn't know that she saves everything because the house is kept pretty tidy. I have to wait until she's fast asleep to clean up after myself because she won't let me do anything.

I LOVE YOU Grandma Peggy!

When in Cleveland..

There are few things more enjoyable than being with folks who haven't seen one another in a long while. Old family and friends revitalize the spirit and stimulate the mind. As we reminisce, old stories come alive with new meaning.

Coming from such a small town, my Mom's High School reunion is a celebration of graduating classes spanning some 25 years. Family members accompany former students annually to different cities and this year, we're in Cleveland!

This is truly a trip of firsts for me so far. My first time in Cleveland, my first time at the reunion, and my first time meeting a few of my cousins.

When in Cleveland... Downtown is a must see! It's very clean and on the coast of Lake Eerie. At the last minute, I decided not to go to the Rock n Roll hall of fame because Bodies, the exhibit is in town. It was a surprise when I saw a billboard for Bodies and because I missed seeing it in LA a few years back. All of the display specimens were once living and it was really intense.

Real sports fans dwell in this shoreline city. People were on street corners with signs saying "Mission" and "Home" trying to convince LeBron James of the Cavs to stay in Cleveland. It was pretty funny. We walked right past this building where LeBron was inside and a bunch of fans a paparrazi were waiting for him to leave. Again, pretty funny.