Pho365 is on holiday

We out, fools! The Bahamas called and we answered. We're going on a cruise from Miami to several places in the Bahamas and we'll be out of reach pretty much all week. We won't have access to internet so there will be no posting. We promise to take (hundreds) of pictures every day and post them all when we get back. Also, we don't feel bad about this at all. Keep reading, commenting, spreading the Pho gospel and we'll let you know how it was in a week. Peace, playa!

Day 146 has an ouchie

Come on! Boo Boo Juice!

Day 145 likes city lights

This one is from the same spot as the day before. You can see the skyline of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. I spend a lot of time in San Francisco when I'm home and it holds a special place in heart. You might say I left my heart... never mind.

Day 144 plays with Tonka

The Bay Bridge is the longest bridge in [insert rest of fact here]. I don't actually know whether it's the state, country, universe... Suffice it to say, that mother is LONG. It's one of my favorite stretches of highway because it connects the East Bay and San Francisco, both places I love visiting. Also you get incredible views of the bay and the city. I took this while driving (I'm the safest driver of all time) and I love how it came out.

Ps. I know, I know. This is so late and I'm sorry. I've been behind the last few days and it's only partially my fault. I've been doing a lot of flying (and I'm about to do more) and there's been a serious lack of internet access. I'm trying!

day 147: wide load

passsed this beautiful scene on the way to target this evening (to get tropical vacation supplies, of course). it was truly a terrible eyesore in a neighborhood that really didn't need anymore eyesores.... just sayin.

day 146: now you C it....

oh, weekends. they mean the train I need just ain't comin. Its on vacation or its on some kind of national holiday for subway trains, I don't know.... its just gone and I miss it. I don't actually miss it..... but i miss being able to have a train show up when I want it to (never happens). So my little trip to the gym was stretched to an even longer experience with the addition of 15 unexpected minutes of wait time.

gnight!

day 145: fashion soldiers

This store is right around the corner from work and I walk by it every now and then during the days. It always kind of freaks me out how they are all just standing there staring - like little gray soldiers of fashion. It also kind of looks like their sleeping.... its just all around a strange window situation.

gnight!

day 144: is it better to have options?

how nice of the MTA to give new yorkers a variety of options to slowly and painfully get to their destination.

that's all. new york is cold. get ready for a week of pho[365] post-vacation (we'll still be taking pictures, but will post late...).

gnight!

Day 143 can and did.

Word.

Day 142 has a drinking problem

We moved into a new house with my mom when I was in eighth grade and I set up about decorating my room. It was always a work in progress and I never quite got it right. My best idea was to hang glass bottles from the ceiling and put white Christmas lights inside. I thought it was the coolest thing and custom-made for and by me. The biggest challenge was getting just the right bottles. Each one needed to not only look cool but have an interesting story to tell. I set about finding just the right ones (dumpster-diving on several occasions) and forced my friends and family to buy and drink only certain beverages so I could use the bottles. Sobe and Snapple Elements were the best and Arizona Iced Tea was a close third. We moved several times since that house and the bottled never managed to make it back up onto a ceiling in any of my other rooms. For years now we've carted around a giant box of my glass bottles and (since we just moved again this week) I found them and had to officially say goodbye. I don't think there are any pictures of my bottle masterpiece but here, preserved for all eternity, is my sacred collection just before I let them go.

day 143: side by side

this is from that same great store that did this masterpiece from baby jesus. What i like most is that FORMER president bush is surrounded by floating high heels. spectacular. It means something awesome and symbolic, i can tell..... just don't know what. which makes me awesome.

gnight!

day 142: leave an imprint

the snow aint cute. first snow of the season I was all "yay, snow!" and now i'm like "wtf....". This cute little old lady was dragging her shopping cart along the sidewalk today and it made this funny little crooked path mixed with the footprints that I really liked.

enough of that.... OBAMA ya'll!!!!

Day 141 is confused

Flying and airports have never bothered me. Some people are afraid of flying, some people hate the hassle of airports... I guess I've just done it so many times over the past five years that it just doesn't get to me. I get in airport mode and I just go. Print boarding pass: check. Check bags: check. Shoes off, coat off, belt off, laptop out, cell phone out, keys out: check. Shoes on, coat on, belt on, laptop in, cell phone in, keys in: check. Starbucks: check. You know, all the essentials. Yesterday I was caught off guard, however, by the sprawling neon lights of... the O'hare airport? The light display was in the underground passage between terminals (wtf?) and makes no sense whatsoever. That being said, this picture came out well so I'm not complaining. Seriously, though. Airports are so weird.

Ps. Sorry this one is late too. Moving sucks, changing states and time zones sucks, lack of internet in new apartment at home sucks... I can't promise the next few weeks will be much better but I'll do my best.

day 141: sitting on an empty train

About 3/4 of the city had off for MLK jr day and I did not (wah wah). this made for a very odd morning commute. The train came on time, there were seats a plenty, the conductor was not angry and screaming at people to "STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS.PLEASE." and most of all I got to work a whole 15 minutes early! wah!! crazyness. I slowly sipped my coffee, had some breakfast, read the news.... it was beautiful.

Here's a shot of an almost empty train and a few of my other 9-5'ers who had work today.


gnight!

Day 140: Strike.

Ah, strike. That special time when the magic of the show is over and everyone's just sweaty and pissed. Not to mention bruised, hungry, hyper-caffeinated, over-tired, ready for a break... It's a beautiful moment, really. For those of you who aren't theatre people, stay away. Breaking down a show is the worst part by far. If anyone asks you to help strike a show, change your number and end the friendship. For those of you who are theatre people, I have news for you: big, giant, Broadway/touring-sized production strikes are no more fun or organized than the ones you're used to. (And you'd think at some point after high school techies would learn about deodorant. You'd be wrong.) At least it's done. My part anyway. Here's lookin' at three weeks vacation!

Day 139 likes the tchotchkes

The apartment where I was staying in Chicago (was! past tense!) belongs to a girl who is... special. She was very nice and very helpful and without her apartment I would've been paying way too much in rent and I'm very appreciative of her. However. She has her eccentricities. Case in point: this egg. It has her face on one side, a cap and diploma on the sides and quote about graduation and new beginnings on the back. Hello? When did porcelain eggs become the traditional law school graduation gift? It was utterly baffling and sometimes I'd find myself just staring at it, trying to make sense of it. I never came to any good conclusion. On this, my last night in the apartment*, I present to you The Egg.

*I know this is posted a full day late and I'm sorry. I spend said last night in the apartment trying to finish packing all my crap and getting in a little bit of sleep. I'd say The Egg makes up for it, no?

day 140: sending a message

here's one way to let the MTA know how you feel. I've seen these before on the subway but haven't been able to get a picture. Usually the post-its are not just in on area, they are all over several trains in a row which is so confusing to me! who has that kind of time? trains are in the station for less than 30 seconds (on a good day) so the logistics of this are confusing for me. also fascinating is how these stay on a train that goes like 60 mph (again, on a good day when the MTA decides not to punish all of new york).

i digress....


gnight!

day 139: keep it clean

i passed by one of those vintage and dingy corner stores today as i tried to guard myself from the bitter cold. This window arrangement struck me as very odd and intense. also, i believe ajax has since redesigned their packaging leading me to believe these have been sitting in that window for a very long time. sketchy!

day 138: the morning commute aint for everyone

see that? thats not the face of happiness. nay. that is the face of "why the hell am i awake at 8am and why is there no room on this B train??!". and i feel these things every morning friends. the nyc transit system aint just for anyone. you've got to be strong. you've got to be ready to fight and you have GOT to be caffeinated. I can tell you this man right here forgot about the caffeine. He was off to a bad start to his Friday.... he'll learn.

gnight!

Day 138 likes high art

I went to lunch at the coolest, weirdest Thai Fusion place today. The whole restaurant was covered in classic Americana figurines, toys, road signs, celebrity statues, etc. Kyle told me the bathroom was a special treat and boy, was he right. This wall was the most photogenic but if only you could see the thousands (I'm not exaggerating) of toys glued to the wall behind me. The Pad Thai was good and the bill was recession-friendly but the decor is the real reason to visit.

Day 137 supports the local establishments

Little known fact about merch managers: we all jack up our backs at some point. Also, we all drink a lot of coffee. I have yet to meet anyone managing theatre merchandise who would disagree with either. Luckily for me, I found a way to combine solutions to both problems. I've been getting regular massages here in Chicago and it's helped with my muscle pain and stress level more than I can express. Right down the block is Savor the Flavor Coffee House. It's hippie, it's cozy, it's warm and I love it. I stop by every time I go for a massage for a cup of coffee just to sit and read for a while. It's just one of those neighborhood places with mismatched chairs and tables and a weird assortment of bizarre items on the menu. The coffee isn't even all that great but the big mugs and crazy artwork makes up for it. This is also helps in reducing stress. I'll miss StF very much.

day 137: put yo pants on!

BRRRRRR!!!!! it was a cold, cold, cold day in new york. At work as we all sat shivering at our desks, we had a mini photo shoot going on in our office. I snapped this shot of a mannequin in the dressing process because it just looked so odd up against the wall half naked. that sounded wrong....



gnight!

Day 136 is a voyuer

Right on the corner of State and Randolph is a giant building that's been under construction since before I got here. It's been cool to watch the progress and I particularly liked the view today through the glass into the unfinished guts of the building. Not a particularly great picture but it captured the basics.

day 136: put your best foot forward

Today was a cold, cold day in new york. I spent my subway ride home trying to keep my body tight so as to generate as much body heat as possible. I got a good view of peoples feet this way. I just liked how you can generally tell a lot about a particular subway rider based on their footwear choice.

thats all i got for today. gnight!

Day 135's other senses are hightened

Jimmy John's Subs is a chain here in Chi-town and they have this in every window. I think it's hilarious. Also the photo came out with the skyline reflected in the window and I love it. Keep smellin'. It's free!

day 135: i think you missed the point...

so.... I think someone took this sign too personally. I'm pretty sure its just a (poorly designed) ad for Subway. To an anonymous new yorker its a personal criticism against their vote. I'm gonna go ahead and guess that this sign had nothing to do with them, John McCain, Obama.... pretty much the election in general. Probably not what it was about. Just a guess....

Day 134 fights The Man

We walked by this drinking fountain today and found this hand-written note stuck on the inside. Is it a warning? A threat? A love note? Who knows. Crazy is fun for everyone.

day 134: mysterious optimism

it seems that there is someone going around downtown new york reminding us all to smile. This person is serious. They've seen a lot of frowning and they have had enough! You can tell its the same artist by the attention to detail around the 'a'.... truly spectacular.

smile, ya'll. gnight

Day 133 likes justice

You know we don't like to get political (except for Obama being in every picture on every day...) but I like this. Arrogance makes me angry and he deserves what he gets.

day 133: here comes the sun

i have no idea why this picture came out all blue and white, but i don't mind it at all. Today was an odd weather day in new york. It had been snowy and overcast yesterday and then suddenly today was sunny and blue skies. It was 24*, but still blue skies. This is Columbus avenue on the UWS, looking downtown.

gnight!

Day 132 is feeling nostalgic

...for another city. I generally like Chicago. Generally. It reminds me of New York in some ways and I DEFINITELY like New York. This is one of my favorite spots in Millenium Park because of this view. And how much it makes me think of New York. T-minus 8 days and counting!

Day 131 drinks till dawn

It was a very late night. I remember most of it. I think. My head hurts too much to talk about it right now. I snapped this at some point and I actually love how it came out. I'm too young to feel like I'm getting too old for nights like that. Ouch...

day 132: i love homemade signage

this man made sign is pretty awesome. I especially love that Greek like "C" thrown in for good measure. I love when people get so angry and fed up that they take matters into their own hands and make angry signs like this. amazing and hilarious!

gnight!

day 131: obama's watching!

sophmore year of college my mom sent my sister and I a caricature of herself... you know, one of those things you get from a painter on the street and they give you an enlarged head with exaggerated features of yourself and a tiny, tiny, tiny body. So my moms tiny tiny body was pointing a finger out and under it said "mama's watching you."

it freaked out every one of my roommates. i have absolutely no idea why she did it but i really wish I still had it. it was priceless.


today i present to you....
obama's watching you. its almost like my mother predicted this. i love my little obama and i love that he sits on my desk. wear your O love on your sleeve (or desk) I say! (it helps that my entire office is pro-O).

gnight!

Day 130 likes Mad Libs

MY FRIENDS ARE HERE AND I COULDN'T BE MORE ECSTATIC! We went drinking tonight and our glasses made phrases when you put them together! "Coors Light: It's For You!" You had to be there...

day 130: beautiful

i think this here is a message of love. It is a message of clarity. Its to the point, doesn't take no for an answer. Its also inspiring.


(wtf?)

Day 129 is a laugh a minute

There's a rubber chicken in the show and this is an extra in the props bin down by my office. I pass it every day and it makes me laugh every time. Rubber chickens are just always funny.

Day 129: Trees in the trash

sorry for the low quality camera phone action... it was a dark evening at 3pm today (ugh) but I wanted to capture this picture so bad!

This past week I've just been seeing old, dead, barren christmas trees lining the streets in the city. This is a phenomena I'm not at all familiar with! I'm confused and scared and wondering who killed christmas?? Someone here got creative. I guess wanted to make sure it was clear that this was trash and not, ya know, regular ol' new york foliage. Hilarious!!

Day 128 got mad!

Trash is fascinating. The things people throw away. I think we all feel like trash is anonymous. Like if it makes it safely to the garbage can it can never be traced back to you. Certainly public trash cans feel like that. I went to toss my anonymous apple core and found someone's forgotten CD collection. Most noticeably, the yellow one on top. "GET MAD NOW". Sometimes it's okay to get mad! Wise words, anonymous CD.

day 128: who??

When i saw this I had to do a double take. The democrat in me had the gut reaction of, "are there any republicans in new york??" and the harry potter fan in me thought "VOLDEMORT! lord of darkness!! yay harry potter!!"

normally i find little amusement in bumper stickers, but this one was a rare gem that made me smile... and want to re-read all the harry potters.

gnight!

Day 127 still likes the view

You know how I'm a sucker for a view or a city skyline at night or... windows. Tonight the cast of Dirty Dancing hosted an event to benefit the Joffrey Ballet Company's brand spankin' new Academy of Dance. I was the stage manager for the event and it was a huge success (those two statements are not related). We rehearsed and teched all afternoon and performed tonight at the Joffrey. I've passed the building a million times and admired the dance studios from outside on the sidewalk but being inside was incredible. It's a beautiful building with amazing performance spaces and it was thrill to run around inside all day. We used one of their performance studios for the event and an adjoining rehearsal studio for backstage space. The performance studio was covered with heavy black drapes to keep out the light from the streets. I'd spent many hours working in the dark before I stepped into the rehearsal studio with it's floor-to-ceiling windows. It was literally breath-taking. Being up above the lights of State Street and seeing the Chicago Theatre sign at eye-level is awe-inspiring. This picture truly doesn't do it justice but I was so amazed by the view and excited to be back in any kind of performance space that I wanted to share this. It was a really great day for me.

Day 126 falls for advertising

This block of S. La Salle has been under construction since I've been in Chicago. I take that back. This city has been under construction since I've been in Chicago. It's comforting, in a way. Reminds me of New York. And it pisses me off just like it does in New York. I pass this sign a lot and it always makes me laugh. I think it's super clever and I wish I'd thought of it.

In case you can't make it out: "Look! A sandwich joint disguised as a construction site!"




Ps. Sorry this is so late. I did actually take this yesterday (I have the time stamp to prove it!). It's been an exhausting few weeks at work and we're just getting started. I promise to attempt to be better at this.

day 127: the times building

i truly love this building. It feels very "new york" to me and of course that recognizable NY times font helps add to that feeling. I can't imagine what the inside of the building must be like or what it must feel like to work in it. it just seems wonderful and gothic and massive.

ahh, back in the city.


gnight!

day 126: it never ends

...my disdain for airports, that is. I'm very happy for Delta and their ability to jazz up the terminals but to me airports always seem like chaos on the brink of erupting into madness with the flick of a switch (or the cancellation of a flight).

i'm sleep deprived so... good night!

day 125: at the end of the tunnel

i really like how this picture came out! This is a tunnel on the H3 highway at home... best view of the mountains and crazy beautiful waterfalls after a heavy rain. the drive across this highway is always both scary (narrow roads, ability to fall hundreds of feet into the bottom of a mountain.... awesome) and breathtaking.

gnight!

Day 125 found its wings

Chicago in general (and the Loop specifically) is full of amazing architecture and beautiful art. Right around the corner from the theatre is a bank which has this hanging above it. I'm not sure if it's a painting or a mosaic but I look at it every time I pass by. It's one of my favorite spots downtown and it always calms me down and makes me smile. Enjoy!

day 124: chasing the sun

you can't really tell from this picture, but it was a gloomy and cloudy mess of a day here in hawaii. Did that keep me from the beach? hell no! We chased that sun till we found a tiny stretch of beach with the smallest glimpse of sunlight then we laid out there till we burned (no joke, we burned!).

Here's a shot of my mom sleeping in the shade.


gnight!

Day 124 wants a flying pony and a castle too

This gorgeous building is right near my old apartment here in Chicago (since I've been here SO long....). I stopped to look at it several times because it's really incredible. It's behind this wrought iron gate and I stuck my phone inside like paparazzi 'cause that's how I roll. I'm not exactly sure what it's used for but it really is beautiful and I'm so glad I stumbled upon it today and snapped this. Reminds me of a castle and I'd love to live even down the block from this place just so I could see it every day. The picture doesn't totally do it justice but trust me on this one.

Ps. I took this on my iPhone! Uploading it was a PAIN and I won't be doing that much anymore. But sweet that I can if I need to!

day 123: i will miss this view

this is the view at night from our apt in hawaii. In the day time you can see my old HS and all my other old stomping grounds. I always love how Hawaii tries to look like a city but really its just a laid back, happy old place to be.

gnight!

Day 123 likes its yolks runny

And its jokes punny. Get it?? Man, I'm funny. If you haven't eaten at Yolk you don't know what you're missing. If you have eaten at Yolk, let's go back 'cause it's so good! I wanted some hangover food today so I called up Yolk and went by to carry out. Good times at Yolk. Sweet logo too.

Day 122 popped its top

Ah, New Years. A time for drunken celebration, drunken counting and drunken kissing. All the components of a great holiday. My night is a very long story but suffice it to say this was my second beer (not the last) and I was almost done with it when the clock struck twelve, I pulled the popper string and after the "HAPPY NEW YEAR" shouts subsided... I found it in my glass. To be fair there wasn't too much left but to be more fair it was $10. Happy New Year!