day 121: must love dogs

world, meet lola.

lola loves everyone and often chooses to show said love by either lying on her back expectantly looking at you to rub her stomach or just flat out humping your legs. i prefer the first myself, but ya know... to each their own.

gnight!

Day 121 is a science nerd

Little known fact: I hate celery. Nothing more disgusting. It's stringy, it's exhausting to chew, it's hollow... No, thank you. I bought a carrot/celery party dip combo (long story) and I ate all the carrots which left me a bucket of celery. I forgot to toss it or put the lad back on or put it in the fridge or burn it or whatever and they dried out. Reminds me of that science experiment we did in fourth grade where you put celery in red-dyed water and watch as the veins soak up the dye. Pretty nifty. Still the grossest vegetable, though.

day 120: ohmmmmm

today was mission to get a decent tan, attempt 3. mission failed. It was just slightly overcast and the sun wasn't as strong as i like it. and by strong I mean i enjoy the feeling of my skin sizzling and getting crispy along the edges. its a sickness, i know. Here's a scene from the beach day with the girls.

enjoy!

Day 120 loves. its. C.

Name that commercial. Anyone? Vicks Plus C? No? Just me then. Wow, tough crowd. This box was lying in the gross hallway we share with the restaurant outside our theatre. It smells foul but it's different every day so I guess I should be grateful that it's never the same gross stench? I liked the box. That's all I got.

day 119: a melting pot

according to the hawaiian electric company (responsible for our lack of power for a couple of hours), these things naturally translate into hawaii. A palm tree, shave ice, the UH Warriors (football team), a gecko and a kayak. Oh, and a rainbow. I think they're pretty spot on, myself. I also love that this truck is just out there sitting along the freeway, mindin' its own business and lovin life (i'm assuming).

Day 119 shines on

I've been feeling very introspective lately, reflecting on a lot. Hannukkah is a pretty minor holiday (sorry to break it to you, non-Jews) but somehow it always makes me take stock of life and appreciate people I love. It really isn't a very big deal in my house but I've been away for the last few years and it's hard not being with my family. I'm always amazed at how quickly eight days goes by and this year was extra speedy. I'm thankful for so much and I thought about that tonight while I lit candles for the last time this year. Happy Hannukkah!

day 118: that is so wrong...

i think this picture is better appreciated without any words from me.

Oh, hawaii.....

Day 118 got an A in Geometry

It's been a very long day, in a very long week, in a very long month, none of which is over yet. I snapped this on the train tonight at exactly the right second because the one I took just after didn't come out. I love the layers lights and shadows and shapes and angles and patterns and reflections. Sometimes it's the abstract that I love most of all.


Day Seven! Happy Hannukkah!

day 117: a little ramen in the dark

i snapped this picture right before our side of the island completely lost power. lucky me! (no power means no wifi, sorry for the late post!) i got to eat this in the dark.

for those who can't see, this delicious meal consists of fried egg, spam, fish cake, ramen noodles, soy sauce, chives and flavors from heaven!!! i love my ramen :)

Day 117 sparkles in the light

So you know all that snow I've been bitching about? The problem with weeks at a time of temperatures below freezing is that the snow never goes away. It just keeps refreezing. So basically the streets and sidewalks have been cased in ice over and over for the last month. Awesome. This morning there was (finally) a brief hint of sunlight and it caught the ice on the ground in just the right way. The ground lit up and sparkled everywhere you looked and though this picture doesn't do it justice, it gives you an idea. A nice and unexpected way to start the day.


Day Six! Happy Chanukkah!

Day 116 got its wish for Christmas

Open escalator! Insides showing! Working parts! Christmas miracle! I was so excited to come upon this sight that I put my conversation on hold, put my phone in my pocket and ducked under stanchions to snap this picture. Thank you, Santa!



Day Five! Happy Hannukkah!

day 116: a little christmas truth

my morning began with a little beach trip and i had visions of posting a few gorgeous pictures and boast my being in a tropical paradise this holiday, but then we came across this and i couldn't NOT share!!

For those having trouble reading:
"I wish my wife was this dirty"
"She is"

okay... maybe one tropical paradise holiday beach pic :) it is christmas, after all

gnight!
(This is sandy's beach on the windward side of the island... i wish i could be here every day)

Day 115 can't follow simple instructions

I love me some Oreos. Always have, always will. Nothin' better than a package of Oreos, a glass of cold milk and a couch full of... well, me. (Note: Hydrox are an acceptable, though secondary, alternative.) I almost never buy them but when I do splurge, I stand in the cookie aisle at the grocery store and do battle between the Double Stuffed and Reduced Fat and always end up with the Reduced Fat. They taste exactly the same! Or maybe it's just been so long since I've had the real ones... Anyway, this new package opens from the top and reseals to "keep in the freshness" (totally better when they're stale) and comes with this warning(?) on the side. "STOP"?? Like an alarm will go off? Will the world as we know it come to screeching halt if I open the package like normal? I think this is a bit over-stated, don't you?

Day Four! Happy Channuka!

day 115: finally home for christmas

today was a test. a test of how much i could take before i actually punched a flight attendant in the face. or the pilot. but its christmas and on christmas you try and refrain from any type of violent punching or lashing out in general. oh delta, why must you test me so?

but the sister and i arrived in honolulu in one piece (though i seem to have lost the ability to hear out of my right ear....) and came home to a cute little christmas tree with gifts and little hawaiian dolls and everything!!

merry christmas eve, all!

Day 114 is walkin' in a winter wonderland

Christmas came early! A whole two days! I'm Jewish! I got two (2) boxes of Christmukkah joy today from the parentals (one set of two) and the betrothed (one of many). Let's break down this picture together, shall we?

1. MRocc sent me, among other nifty things, a little sparkly green Christmas tree! It's in my office and it will live forever. I love it and I will look at it daily and think of how much I love her. And Christmas.
2. My dad's box was stuffed with bubble wrap. More fun than the gifts!
3. Actually not when the gift is money. Thanks for the check, Abba!
4. MRocc's package was stuffed with, what I first thought was colorful paper, but turned out to be a paper chain! Everyone loves a good paper chain. Though they're a bitch to make. Which makes this present so much better!
5. Warm socks. Rabbi and the Stepmom are known for their warm, practical winter gifts (they've kept the Old Navy Performance Fleece Dept in busy many a year). I'm not a big fan of socks (they don't work with flip-flops so what's the point?) but these are warm, roasty-toasty and necessary when there's weather like we've got.
6. Framed picture of me and the Betrothed with Santy. We took it last year on Christmas Day (day after Thanksgiving, not day after Christmas Eve. I'll explain another time. Suffice it to say, it's the best day of the year) when we waied in line at Macy's with billions of screaming children. We had more fun than they did.
7. Jelly Bellys in festive Hannukah colors. My fam loves Jelly Bellys and I'm PSYCHED about these.
8. Card with picture of snowman with construction cone on his head. Awesome!
9. Sweet wrapping paper from the Betrothed. She wins the Best-Wrapped Presents award this year.
10. Last and coolest of all, "The Design of Dissent" from the Betrothed. I'm so excited about this book I don't even have words.

I had my own little Christmas morning underneath the tree and I thought this looked like an I Spy book. Thanks for the gifts, everyone! Yours are on their way.


Day Three! Happy Chanuka!

day 114: just a suggestion

okay so I may not know very much about marketing, but I'm gonna go ahead and say that it doesn't matter how much tinsel you use in your store to make it more "festive", the last thing someone wants to buy in 0* weather in the middle of a recession is see through lacey underwear. unless that shit is secretly lined with sheeps skin or whale fat, count me out. listen... its cold. cold like somehow during my 4 minute walk to the subway this morning my hands turned into a block of ice. sell me a parka not a kleenex thin robe.

that being said.... i'm off to warmer weathers where others just may be purchasing under garments of this nature.

happy holidays!!

day 113: Jews on wheels

on our way to sushi adventures, my sister and I found ourselves suddenly surrounded by men wearing black, handing out pamphlets and asking us if we were jewish (we are not). But this didn't stop us from wishing said men a happy chanukah!

which also (AGAIN) makes me wonder why sometimes I see it spelled hanukah and sometimes chanukah. It really means there's a secret club and only members understand the difference (there is no difference, right??) and me and my friend JC aren't invited to play in the club.

oh well, happy (c)hanukah anyway!

Day 113 GOOD TIMES, COME ON!

I was quietly sitting on my couch watching TV tonight when I started hearing some very loud, very intense, very frequent booming. Wondering what could possibly be happening in the CSI lab that was making so much noise, I muted the sound to see if it was on the show or not. It most certainly was not. I peaked nervously out the window expecting to find Godzilla and King Kong terrorizing the Chicago skyline with the Jurassic Park crew following closely behind, and found fireworks erupting off in the distance. I had a sweet view from my floor-to-ceiling window walls (did I mention it was 4 degrees today?) and snapped a few pictures. This one came out the best because it also got the weirdly vibrant and stunning colors of the view out my window.


Day two. Happy Chanukkah!

Day 112 is a lower class citizen

Okay, today it was -5 degrees here. AMBIENT. That's fake, right? It's gotta be a joke. I'm not laughing. Signs have gone up all over the city warning pedestrians to watch for ice falling from rooftops because it's so cold and snow doesn't melt away quickly like it does in New York. Today I passed this outside City Hall. I'm not sure why only City Hall gets the warning but I think it's elitist. I'm protesting. When it warms up enough to be outside for any considerable length of time. You know, like more than 2.35 seconds.



Tonight is the first night of Chanukkah so I decided to post candle pictures all this week. Day one!

day 112: read the signs

This is kind of intense.

Is there a big trust issue with women currently? i mean, a big enough problem that bumper stickers had to be made as a daily reminder and constant message?

i think i'm offended.... but i'm not sure. awkward...

Day 111 walked with Jesus...

...or was that on the beach? I'm Jewish, what do I know. Winter in Chicago! They ain't playin' around! This is serious snow, friends. Not that fake crap we get in New York. Or that man-made fake stuff we board on in Tahoe. Or that really fake crap we get once every ten years for two and a half minutes in the Bay Area. Legitly (for you, A&R) serious for-realsies SNOW. On the plus side, I'm finally getting good use out of my super expensive North Face boots (thanks, Imma!). Is it Jan 18 yet?

day 111: are there any snow plows in new york city?

i woke up this morning expecting to see a little bit of snow left on the ground, perhaps a light sprinkling over some cars here and there.

oh how wrong i was! apparently all those snow plows they had lined up for the storm went elsewhere because there was fresh, untouched snow EVERYWHERE. and it wasn't pretty. it was messy and cold and wet. and its gonna snow again in a few hours. that is some shiznit, ya'll! all i'm saying is this shit better not mess up my flight on wednesday.

gnight

Day 110 wants to be an accountant when it grows up

So you know how I like numbers, right? Here are some I found. Looks like an address. On a blank brick wall. Confusing.

day 110: snow, snow, snow, snow!

today the city got a nice little coating of snow. of course this translated into all of new york going into "emergency weather" mode and the local news showing footage of a line of snow plows locked and loaded, ready to go. It was kind of funny seeing as the end result was maybe 4 inches of snow and clearly nothing to get all crazy about.

oh, new york.

Day 109 is a holy experience

Renting a car can be a hassle. Proof of age, valid driver's license, second mortgage just to cover the cost... I say all of that is just in your head. If you accept our Lord and Savior into your life it can be a more positive experience. Just ask your friends at Hertz-Rent-A-Car, the #1 Club God. Now, it can be scary learning to make this change. But as they say, "the truth Hertz". (I had to!)

day 109: thank you for the warning

this evening I experienced my first office holiday party. it was 80's themed.....

h'anyway - this sign was both a warning and a welcome mat and it was much appreciated. as was the presence of the vodka. especially since karaoke was involved.

Day 108 is the hottest spot

You know those clubs you pass and you think, I wonder what goes in there? The kind that look too exclusive to even think about getting into? Like if you even consider the possibility of one day suggesting that maybe you might like to wander in JUST TO TAKE A LOOK, you'll be tackled to the ground by a bouncer bigger than your whole family? This is totally one of those. I present to you the hottest spot in all of Chicago: TRASH.

day 108: all in a row

on my way back from the temple of doom (united states post office, canal st. location), I decided to take a back road in attempts to avoid crazy tourists and people trying to sell me counterfeit goods.

What I came across as a result was this gathering of the handtrucks. just dozens of shiny and very new looking handtrucks all in a row along the sidewalk. It was quite curious and peculiar. Mostly because they were shiny and new looking on a very dirty street that I distinctly remember smelling alot like regurgitated garbage and bad chinese food.

and thats the end of your new york story.

gnight!

Day 107: Portrait of a Blizzard

I got into O'hare yesterday and I landed in the middle of a snowstorm. A massive, stormy, freezing, blustery, snowy snowstorm. Every gate was jammed with people sitting around waiting for flights that may or may not take off. Ever. And thus baggage claim was EMPTY. I think this captured the whole episode very well.

day 107: a fresh coat

today new york got a lovely sprinkle of snow. it started in the afternoon with some GINORMOUS snowflakes! (which I soon discovered do not photograph well...)

i caught this on my way home. I had a lot of other fabulous pictures of snow falling with new york buildings in the background and they were all very lovely, but there was something about the mix of out of focus objects and the one focused bag in the middle that I really liked. You know me and my blur obsession!

gnight!

Day 106 is confused

Christmas trees and Palm trees. That's how we roll here.

Ps. Sorry this is late. Shit happens.

day 106: tanks, ah!

TANKS TO U!!!!

this reminded me of hawaii in a big way! this is how we speak da pidgin, ah bra! (i'm not crazy, i swear)

while trying to capture this picture the guy driving this truck stopped to hoot and holler and yell inappropriate things at me, further fueling my fear of truck drivers and construction workers. oh, what a day.

gnight all

Day 105 takes comfort in growth

These houses weren't here last time I was. They went up pretty fast. Some people don't like all the new construction around here. I think it's kind of nice.

day 105: i think someone lost a bra

welcome to the "why are there bra's hanging in that window?" edition of pho[365].

Its funny what you find when you go exploring new york. did you guys know this was an actual place? like.... not only in that movie of the same name? i swear i had no idea. oh, what a sheltered life i live!

enjoy!

Day 104 fills it right

We stopped at PMH tonight for a good old fashioned slice of Prima (there's just no other kind to get) and noticed this on the soda fountain. It's a little hard to read but the directions are as follows:

1. Fill to here with ice.
2. Fill to here with beverage.

Thankfully they give instructions for two kinds of cups. Fill it right!

day 104: i have no idea what this means

this begs the question, just how long was this person waiting for the 1 train for this poetic, academic, epic wisdom to happen? In any case, I stared at this for quite sometime and can say with absolute confidence that I have no idea what it means. at all. any takers??

Day 103 is appreciating the small things

My mom has had this big bowl of marbles in our dining room for many years now. I never really understood what it was for but sometimes I like to just look at it. I think marbles are fascinating and weirdly beautiful. It's been a very hard day and tonight was (in many ways) a time to be thankful for the all the little, common things in life. The bowl of marbles is just one of them.

day 103: canal st. memories

This is the iconic idea of chinatown to me. I remember it was the reason I went down to Canal St. the first time in my life when I was in HS just visiting new york. And here it is still... its funny how new york never changes but then it seems different from day to day.

ah, new york.

gnight!

day 102: the red, white and blue of it

i must confess, it was a nice change to see something non-holiday on the streets of new york. not that i don't looooove the holidays and all things tinsel, santa and reindeer but sometimes new york goes a little tooooo far and it looks like the holidays just threw up over the city.... and this was a welcome change. I still would like to know who has this kind of time. was someone bored or was this a rogue art project?? i just don't know.

gnight!

Day 102 is having a Charlie Brown Christmas

Menlo Park is alight with holiday cheer. Driving around tonight we found many eye-catching, cheer-inducing, Energy-draining displays that were very impressive. But none beat this masterpiece. We actually stopped the caravan of cars and got out to marvel (this is what we do in PA). The whole front yard is Peanuts-themed and this is just a very small section of the display. It's truly magnificent. And might I add that while "freezing" in the "cold" of the December in California, I zipped up my sweatshirt all the way and shivered in my flip flops. Because that's how we roll.

Day 101 got back on the horse

I tried for the blur again. It's still not quite right. Maybe AVH will give me lessons (or a new camera) when I'm in New York. For now, I think it's kinda cool. No? Just me? I'll keep trying....

day 101: not standin', ya'll

ahh, signage. don't you love it. new york really takes care of their signage. not only did someone WANT to stand where this sign once was.... they knocked the sign down. just to, ya know, show it who's boss. ya, take that sign!