FOUND: Luz

LACMA's Permanent Light Installation is a permanent fixture in my heart.

One of my top ten things to do with your tourist friends:

Take an illuminated iconic photo at LAMCA.

FOUND: Walker Bros. Apple Pancakes

While my friends were living in the Guest House, chef mom was whipping up some morning delights, for my guests. Yes, I am super grateful... grateful that she made enough for not just my guests... but for me as well!

One of my favorite breakfast creations was The Apple Pancake from Walker Bros.

I am sure I have already referenced the last time my mother made this ... but let me tell you it is worth the second posting.

FOUND: Another Thanksgiving, Another Martha Stewart Dog.

Another Thanksgiving Filled with Rainbows and Pink's Hot Dogs. I dutifully shared our "American Holiday" with my Spanish friends while they were in town.

First we started with the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade...

Then we moved onto Pink's for some hotdogs...

Then we rolled ourselves back to casa de los Bennetts to digest with a fire in the fireplace and some cocktails...

And then... THE FEAST.

FOUND: PCH Weather Update from The Dirty 30's

La semana pasada, Ferdi, Vero y yo, pasamos el dia en la playa.

El clima era muy frío, pero la vista era super bonita.

Hemos visto los delfíns que siempre pasan en frente del club y Ferdi estaba nadando en la playa en este momento. Era fenomenal!

Comimos en el club y hemos puesto un fuego en la chimenea. Era divina.

Me hace tan feliz que puedo compartir un club de la playa con unos amigos tan agradecidos.

FOUND: Venice Canals

Please ignore the smudge on the photo to the left. It was from a chunk of Short Rib Sandwich from Joan's on 3rd that fell gracefully from Fernando's mouth into my bag.

A little snack for later, he said.

I have walked the canals before, but the day was so glorious I could not help but fall in love again.

I wish that I knew the history of the canals while I was acting as a tour guide, alas... I only wiki'ed that shit... post-tour.

So, here I go:

"A man named Abbot Kinney originally built the canals. In 1905, our modern day equivalent of Venice was originally named Ocean Park; it was envisioned and designed to be a Southern California beach resort.

To help create his vision, Kinney modeled and named his dream town literally after the fabled Venice, Italy. His plan was to reproduce several miles of canals and gondolas that help to navigate that famous Italian city. Kinney– in furtherance of his beach resort idea–built a 1200-foot-long pleasure pier complete with an auditorium, ship restaurant, and dance hall. To keep the amusements coming, by 1910 the Kinney Pier added a Venice Scenic Railway, Aquarium, Racing Derby and other smaller rides and game booths. About this time, the name of the town—Ocean Park–was changed to Venice. However, a fire in December 1920 destroyed the Kinney Pier.

Not willing to have his dream go up in smoke and be defeated, the Kinney family (Abbott Kinney died in November 1920) rebuilt the Pier even bigger and better than the original and by then there were thousands of visitors arriving every weekend.

Venice’s Decline Period

But the hard times which gripped the rest of the nation during the Depression along with Prohibition, also lead to the downfall of Venice. Los Angeles laid claim to it and in 1925 voted to annex it to Los Angeles.

In true political style, Los Angeles decided that Venice wasn’t road friendly enough, so by 1929, most of the canals were filled and paved. However, the residents didn’t go down without a three year legal battle."

While walking the canals, Fernando and Veronica fell in love with a home that they hope to purchase one day.

Obviously I would be the designated house-sitter when they are in Madrid.

FOUND: Venice Public Art Walls

I have always been drawn to graffiti.

I love how Venice has embraced it, as it very much so is a part of our LA culture.

I stop to look at the Venice Public Art Walls every time I find myself on the bike path in Venice.

I recommend stopping by and checking it out. The artists are incredibly friendly and love to share their stories. Let me be honest here, the guy wearing his Skull Sweatshirt was even friendly enough to tell me where he got his jacket.

If you bleed money, here is a way to donate.

FOUND: Venice, Paradise, CA

Veronica and Fernando came to LA to visit me and taking them to Venice was a "MUST SEE/DO" for us!

The lighting was perfect... we got there just as the sun was starting to set.

More photos to come...

FOUND: 64 carat plastic

All things were calm at Umami in Los Feliz...

Abigail, Joe, and I ordered all three Kombu Meals, 1,2,3, Obviously so
we could share all three, a very solid method of ordering. The fiscally responsible way to go, as each meal comes with a side and an alcoholic beverage and can be purchased for under $17.

So, as we were all discussing Thanksgiving plans, all of a sudden Abigail pulled out a 64 carat plastic ring (keychain) and passes it to Joe, who then proposes to me.

He proposes that we hang out over Thanksgiving while Abigail is away.

YES, YES, A THOUSAND TIMES YES!

The city gets so empty around the holidays... I am pretty much left with the nativos and my family.

FOUND: SFMOMA - The act of sleeping....

I was taken to SF Moma by a friend, Gabor to see the Henri Cartier- Bresson exhibit and once again found myself in HEAVEN.

Every photo left me wondering, what an amazing life this man had led... without the ease of modern-day transportation methods, he explored the world... he photographed the world... the most important people, the most forgotten people...

Anyway, I found this quote particulary interesting.... and it jolted me.

At this point, I drew my own camera (iphone) and wandered into the very next room to discover what I thought was a sculpture installation- Two Asian Tourists sitting on a bench... I thought to myself how odd it was that they installed a Ron Mueck sculpture inside of a photography exhibit.

As I got closer... I realized.. these sculptures were not in the "act of living" they were in the "act of sleeping"... they were SOUND ASLEEP... the guy's hand was even 1/2 way through dialing a phone number.

Newly inspired...

"I was ready to POUNCE and TRAP Life... it was just that this life was in the act of sleeping. "

- Lucy Bennett 2010

FOUND: Buy Bi-Rite

Was a good sister (if I do say so myself) and treated Brooks and Kevin to a tub of Coffee Toffee from Bi-Rite & a Bottle of Mexi-coke from Bi-Rite Creamery/ Market.

What I most appreciated from the experience were the biodegradable spoons we were provided... oh and the cheese samples that were set up outside of the store... it is all about the cheese samples.

FOUND: Where's Waldo Bike

I didn't find Waldo, but I found his bike.

Nifty Fixie.

FOUND: Hallelujah

Just a little something to get you into the holiday season. Thanks mom for sending this to me!

Yule Tube! (Yes, I would like to call myself clever for first coining that one)

CLICK HERE

FOUND: Dolores Park

Sun shone.

Sky Azul.

Clouds racing.

Bi-Rite Quart Empty.

Mexican Coke Bottle Empty.

Hacky Sack in flight.

Dolores Park on a Sunday.

A lovely gentleman with dreads who had some mad sacking-skills joined in along with a pseudo-preppy hipster pipsqueak joined our hacking brigade. A sunday pick-up hack sesh.

I found it especially amusing when a couple of hours later I ran into the very same hipster on Mission St. who invited me to join his friends on their quest "to get drunk". Unfortunately I had to turn down his kind invitation, as I had a flight to catch.

Good Bye Mission! It is my mission to return soon!

FOUND: Sidewalk Juice

Joscelin recommended to Brooks that he cure his hangover with some Kambucha from Sidewalk Juice. Brooks pretty much felt it tasted just like that... juice from the sidewalk. I on the other hand, found it to be more like- acidic celery phlegm.

FOUND: Beretta

My favorite meal in SF was at BERETTA . I would like to call it the Gjelina of SF.

Loved that we had the best table in the restaurant.

Loved that the waitress gave us free Brussels Sprouts (ironically just after we cursed her under our breath).

Loved the Burrata appetizer.

Loved that the cocktails were perfectly crafted (by a Mixologist from Varnish in LA).

Loved the scene (the SF "sceney" is tame)

Loved that Joscelin lives a block away.

LOVED LOVED LOVED.

It was perfection, falling in line with the perfection that was my SF-cation!

FOUND: Science

Found this on the back of a vehicle in the Mission.

How does one go about ordering one of these? It's brilliant.

FOUND: SF-amily

Spent the weekend in SF and got up to no good.

Brooks & Kevin were kind enough to throw me a party that allowed me to invite my friends to a home in the Mission to imbibe "banned beverages".

Joscelin, my BFF from Madrid, happens to live blocks away... so convenient it makes me sad. Joscelin who once lived blocks away from me in Madrid, now lives blocks from my brother. No es Justo.

Marissa was my dedicated host for the entire weekend, but each of them put in some time to "Lucy-sit" whilst I was in town. Many thanks to my SF-amily for keeping me entertained and energized.

I will be back in a month, see you at Brooks' Cider launch party!

LOST: My Favorite Headband

MISSING: My Birthday Headband

BACKGROUND: I had some very good times with this headband and am saddened by its disappearance.

DESCRIPTION: Grey felt bow headband, hand stiched

Born: Camden Lock Market, 2009

Disappeared: Los Angeles, 2010

Please keep your eyes on the lookout for it... my birthdays won't quite be the same without it.

FOUND: NSFW.. and NSFMOM

Marissa held her 28th birthday at ASIA SF , the classiest of the tranny restaurants in SF.... and let me tell you, it was quite a colorful spectacle.

Between courses, the waitresses took their turns doing song/dance numbers on top of the bar.

I am not going to disclose too much information, as I think the photos do an adequate job of painting an image for the main highlight of the dinner. Marissa got a free birthday shot...conveniently held between the waitress' legs.

(FYI- I censored a portion of the photos from this evening, for obvious reasons)