They've just got to stop meeting like this.

My neighbor, bless him, and he's not a Muslim, can bow to Mecca all afternoon as long as there's a mechanical problem somewhere down in there - or a juicy bit of gossip. Now my knees would be killing me.

Humorous notes with a tone all their own.

I'm always bumping into these witty or charming - even 'pithy' attention-getters.
Even the most mundane can catch you unawares. Thinking this might be a series I'd like to follow for a while. So expect to see me poking around Laundromats and church vestibules in the coming months.

Best use of detergent recyclables this week.

No. It's not some fatally beleaguered coral reef off Hawaii. The vibrantly colored plastic hangs by design in a shop window with no apparent purpose beyond providing a glimpse of life on the inside, when all those fun bubbles are far out at sea.

How to balance work and beach.

The Boardwalk at Santa Monica and Venice on a July weekend is anything but boring. It can easily verge on annoying or infinitely entertaining, depending on your POV.

Glen Park Canyon - where the city falls off.

This park may be one of those well-kept secrets. Although I lived 2 blocks away some years ago and visited often, this was my first trip back in many years.
In some ways it's quite extraordinary because of the sneaky way it hides itself away - right in the middle of everything urban. Within a small area of perhaps a half square mile lie glorious Willow, Cedar, towering Eucaliptus, looping trails, reedy streams and even slightly daunting, rocky escarpments. Nimble, mating Damsel flies, buttery waterlillies and legions of song birds, hummingbirds and Red-Tailed hawks bombard the senses. On the east ridge tidy, unassuming homes dangle precariously over the canyon like freeway dead zones or hip, architectural statements. Nice.