Day 332 is anything but conventional

This is the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. The building is actually only on one side of the street but there's this amazing dome on top that connects the buildings across the street. You can imagine how thrilled I was when I first came upon it. It's right my alley!

Day 331 misses the Truffula trees

I'm pretty sure I posted something that reminded me of The Lorax a while back but I have no recollection of what it was. 1000 points to anyone who remembers and/or finds it. These drain pipes (I think?) are all over Seattle. They come out at all kinds of weird/cool/awesome angles. Very Dr. Suess. Also, the "One Way" sign is obviously referring to traffic on the street below but I think it's kind of funny next to the pipe which is going many ways. Seattle is so weird.

Day 330 is one of the "theatre types"

The show started! Finally! The 5th Avenue Theatre is incredibly beautiful and you can be sure there will be more photos to come. This is the ceiling outside the front doors and it's one small part of the building but it's pretty amazing. I thought a shot of the theatre was fitting on our first night.

day 332: grammar rant

ahh, grammar. i think i've spoken before about how i used to be quite aware and particular about grammar back in my HS newspaper days. since college (and aim, texting, facebook, twitter, etc...) i've gotten into some bad habits. HOWEVER - subject/verb agreement are a huge thing for me. don't know why it bothers me so, it just seems so basic and easy and simple to get right, so why not get it right! here is a wonderful example of a lack of subject/verb agreement. frustrating, isn't it??!

day 331: free yourself!

this makes two "deep" posts in a row. i'm pretty curious as to what this is all about. i mean, what happens when you call this number? does a lovely old woman answer and get you to reveal your deepest secrets? is a prank number? Do people actually call? from a design stand point, the simplicity of the poster is very admirable though the typeface leaves a lot to be desired. just my thoughts....

anyone brave enough to call? let me know!

day 330: word.

saw this on a mailbox and i really like it. since first spotting this, i keep seeing this interesting "graffiti" line written all over the neighborhood. it's funny the things you see that you didn't see before once you're made aware of them. did that make any sense? too deep for a phoblog? lol

Day 329 doesn't know which meal we're on

Please note: Brunch + Lunch = bLunch. I don't know either.

Day 328 would rather be sailing

B, N and I hopped a sailboat around Puget Sound complete with 18 fellow tourists and a six-pack of local beer. Aside from the violent rocking back and forth which almost cost us the beer, my phone and our lives (in order of importance), it was a blast! Here's the view looking back at the city where you can see the Space Needle on the left and KCanny's very tall black office building on the far right. It really was a lovely day for a sail.

Day 327 likes to be in the game

KCanny took me around Capitol Hill the other day and we ended up in the park. It was a nice, relaxing, drunken afternoon people-watching and TV show-obsessing. Just the way I like to spend a free day. To cap it all off we saw this group of guys playing giant Chess. How cool and weird!

Day 326 is a barfly

The Pike Pub and Brewing Co. is an awesome place right near the Pike Place Market. They brew 6 beers in-house and for $8 you can try a sampling of them all. We did. They were good. I like beer. What was the question?

Day 325 is now a bookworm

This is the outside of the Seattle Public Libray. Otherwise known as... THE COOLEST BUILDING IN THE UNIVERSE. Will you look at this? I stopped right in my tracks when I saw it and stared for an uncomfortably long amount of time. I was totally that annoying touristy guy standing in the middle of the sidewalk that you hate. Then I took about 9000 pictures trying to get the best angle. Reading has never looked so goo.

day 329: seaside

there's an interesting store around the corner from my office. it looks like they sell odd antiques and household decorating treasures. I've never gone in, but I want to. It's actually one of the only shady spots where you can sit and talk on your phone without being a) roasted by the sun or b) interrupted by chinatown sounds in general.

ps. 10 points if you can spot a previous pho365 pic in the background. (*hint.... middle of the picture, reflected in the glass)

day 328: confusing

this is a starbucks. in a barn. why? not too sure.... inside it looks like every other starbucks you've ever walked into. but the outside is confusing and difficult to understand fully. it's country meets caffeine.

day 327: if they only had a brain

no. there are rules. THERE ARE RULES, people! for instance, we all know the rule that no christmas music is allowed until after thanksgiving. also, no halloween anything allowed until after labor day. these are basic truths! you know who made a big fail? that would be duane reade. mmhmmm.

day 326: chinatown bling bling!

PEOPLE! these "earrings" are gigantic! is there an ear strong enough to hold such precious gems?? I think not....

no joke, each one is no smaller than 2" high. umm.... that's bigger than my pinky. I do not need anything that size hanging from my ear. (granted I did go through a large earring phase while in my early college years, we'll brush over that time....).

man, downtown is always ripe with crazy shit to shock me. they must know i have this blog and need a fun/interesting picture everyday. tricky tricky.

day 325: conversation by candlelight

OUCH low light iphone pictures.... never exactly what i need them to be :(. this cute little restaurant in midtown has some awesome drinks and food, but the lighting is low and it can get pretty loud in there. but i still love it cause, umm.... tequila. thank you. anyway, took this shot during dinner - was trying to catch the awesome candle we had going on at our table. enjoy!

Day 324 brought to you by the letter S

Grammar and spelling are important. Always. I believe this wholeheartedly. I have an admittedly annoying tendency to correct mistakes when others make them. I'm aware of it and I'm sorry to those who take offense, but learn the rules! One of my mom's friends used to carry around a red sharpie and correct public signs when she found a mistake. I'm not that bad but I'd like to use today's post to discuss the oft-misunderstood apostrophe.

This little guy is a tricky little fellow. He denotes possession or a contraction. Only. It should never be used when the item is plural. Therefore, it can be "Elie's tortas", meaning they belong to Elie, or "Elie's got the tortas", meaning HE HAS got them. Clear? An apostrophe as it's used on this menu begs the question "What does the torta own?" (Note that "Burritos" is apostrophe-free.) (Apostrofree?) If I ever catch any of you with an apostrophe in a plural word, I may have to ban you from the Pho. Don't think I won't.

Ps. Extra points if you noticed that "deluxe" is missing an E and "crab" swapped in a K.

Day 323 found some greenery

Will you look at Seattle?? Seriously. Beautiful. Feels like equal parts big city, friendly neighborhoods, gorgeous nature and really painful hills. I mean calf-blasting workouts just to go to the grocery store. But with views like these, who cares! And just in case you were wondering: yes, that is Puget Sound at the very end. That's right, there's water here too!

Day 322 likes airports

You know how much I geek out over exposed construction, mechanics, support beams, etc. Imagine my glee when I arrived at the Seattle airport and found giant model planes hanging in the main terminal which is, by itself, a structural masterpiece. Look at this place! Look at the stairs! I mean, come on! Tell me this isn't seriously cool.

Day 321 remodels

Our house is under major construction. We're building a brand new kitchen and dining room and replacing the current ones with a new bathroom and laundry room. The house is currently about 1500 square feet and the new addition will be almost 500 more. In other words, we're increasing the house by a 1/3. That's major!

Day 320 is amidst the chaos

Lunch in San Francisco took us past a collision between two Muni trains. The entire intersection was blocked off with dozens of emergency vehicles on the scene. I have no idea how many people were injured and if there were any fatalities at all but it was utter mayhem. That shit scares me quite a lot.

Day 319 is messy not dirty

The bro and I tend to descend upon our house when we come home. Our shit is rarely in order, never organized and hardly ever contained. We feel that the living room is shared space and thus we stake our claims. In this shot you find three suitcases, five baskets of laundry, three boxes of non-clothing items and at least 12 articles of clothing not contained in anything. These counts represent a combined 8+ trips, 2+ years, 6+ apartment moves and 1000s of loads of laundry. Despite all of this mess, we're both rather clean people. I often find it necessary to describe the difference between "messy" and "dirty". If you don't know, let's talk.

Day 318 enjoys a nice gradiated sunset

California has always had some of the most incredible sunsets I've ever seen. Sure, you can go somewhere tropical and see colors that will blow your mind. But ours are more subdued than that. They're not the kind that will knock your socks off. More the kind that you happen to notice and then can't look away. I caught this one from our back patio and couldn't believe the difference in colors from above and beneath the trees. This is why I love my state.

Day 317 gets in the mood

Have you flown Virgin America yet? You should. It's life-changing. Not least of all because they have mood lighting. Seriously! On the plane! Look at the purple ceiling and red-tinged windows! I've never been on a flight where absolutely everyone is calm and relaxed. I'm telling you. Book a trip just to experience this shit. You'll never fly anyone else.

Ps. No, I'm not being paid by VA. They're just that good!

Day 316 likes the old way

Soho. One of the most amazing parts of the city. I spent quite a lot of time down there this last trip, much more than I usually do. I walked past this corner bodega several times and glanced at this sign on many occasions. It wasn't until my curiosity got the better of me that I realized what it actually says. Why are they "now" serving iced coffee? Do we really need a drawing to explain what iced coffee is? Why is it half bendy-straw and half normal straw? Why Tony the Tiger? Does this mean the iced coffee is GR-R-R-R-EAT? So many questions!

Day 315 bowls it up

It's been far too long since I've posted and, once again, I'm incredibly sorry. I'm posting pictures right now from three different states and in the past week and a half I've had continual internet access for about an hour and a half. No excuse, I know. I'll be better, I promise.

This shot comes from Bowlmor in Union Square in New York. The Great BCC had his birthday party there and it was a stellar night all around. The drinking started early and it didn't stop until very... well, early. HJ is pictured here taking her shot against the awesome disco lighting for which Bowlmor is known. Strike!

day 324: cover it up

there is a giant nose where this statue's penis should be. chew on that for a bit...

anything really CAN be art, huh?

day 323: kind words

have you guys ever seen anything like this? this little message of love at the end of the road sign really made me smile. I think that I wrongly associate construction workers and construction areas in general with fear and danger and men yelling inappropriate comments at me about my ass or boobs or whatever. But this is kind of nice and def made me stop and reconsider my assumptions. Not that one sign speaks for an entire industry.... but still. i like it.

day 322: weird....

i had to stop and get this. even though weird doesn't really describe it.... more like, horrifying and nonsensical. and morbid. mostly morbid i think. mercer is a fake street, kids.

day 321: in the desert...

and so we end the Vegas photos the way they began.... the airport. really though, what's this about? I think i like it, but mostly I'm pretty confused by it. this is something I don't think new yorkers would ever stand for. A freestanding art project taking up valuable walk/standing space in a public area.... no way. It looks pretty cool though.


ps. i REALLY can't believe there are so few days left with this blogject. I'm equal parts sad and proud of this accomplishment. Final stretch, ya'll..... :)

day 320: chinese money dragons!

the wedding in vegas was AWESOME. weddings are such special things to get to attend, so much love and family and dancing and drinking. The money dragons are a big hawaii thing for Filippino and Chinese families. can't really explain why except that its for good luck and a fun way to get people to feed the dragon money for the bride and groom (to help with their future). What better way to kick off an afternoon of celebrating!!

day 319: paris is always a good idea

even though my sister and I agreed that being in Paris, you'd likely just see this same scene standing below the eiffel tower as I got here from the Paris hotel in Vegas.... looking at this right now makes me want to travel there so badly! Just me and my DSLR, and i'd be all set.

note to self: go to paris.

day 318: sin city

day 1 of my mini vegas getaway - didn't see the actual landmark "welcome to Las Vegas" sign, but seeing this in the airport was pretty awesome. Speaking of pretty awesome... how bout vegas, huh? LOVED it!

day 317: livin la vida loca!

Ricky martin lunch boxes! saw these in an art store, thought they were awesome. done and done!

day 316: coconut style

i don't know why i don't drink after work more often. its relaxing, usually good conversation is involved, its delicious, and it brings some distance to the time that me + being lazy have together. PLUS.... alcohol!! obviously i'm reconsidering my post-work activities....

day 315: c'mon and do the splits!

bowling! can truthfully say i've never gone bowling in the city before. also can truthfully say i've NEVER bowled so terribly before. oh well, drinks were had then we got the splits!!

Day 314 loves a good outing

One of the OTHER things I miss most about living in Astoria is the street fairs. These take over the avenues somewhat regularly in the Summer and I can't get enough. Yesterday we had brunch on 30th Ave and enjoyed some spectacular people-watching. This was followed by some great deals on cool crap I don't need and free samples of a new contraceptive (we don't get it either). Ah, Summer in the City.

Day 313 sees the glass as half full

One of the things I miss most about my old apartment in Astoria is the lanai. It's actually the very old, very rusty fire escape but we lovingly refer to is as our own personal balcony. This afternoon turned into an unexpected few hours of wine and laughs literally ON one of my old stomping grounds.

Day 312 lights the way for liberty

Macy's Herald Square cracks me up. Every time I stop in there's something even more ridiculous than the last time. This model of Lady Liberty is holding a torch that actually has a bulb in the flame. It's strategically positioned so the flame sits in this recessed light fixture which also has a bulb inside. This makes for a very bright display, indeed!

Day 311 keeps Kosher. Sometimes.

Six Flags has a food stand that is entirely Kosher and serves meat. This is beyond exciting. They also have this hot dog cart which, it seems, used to serve Kosher hot dogs but no longer does? Baffling. And hilarious.

Day 310 sleeps peacefully

First night back on the East Coast! I was so excited to be here and see the crew that I barely slept the night before. We spent that night at BC's parents' house in Jersey to celebrate his birthday and to prepare for 11 hours at Six Flags the following day. Realizing I'd been to caught up in flying and excitement to take a picture all day, I snapped BM getting ready for our sleepover. I've never loved New Jersey so much!

Day 309 is under construction

First off, I'm sorry for the long absence. I've been in and out of internet access and in and out of the state. I'm writing from New York at the moment (!!!) but this picture is still from home. My dad's organization bought this building out at the Baylands and they're restoring it for their future offices. The building sits right on the water (which you can't see in this shot) and when it's all put together it looks like a boat floating in the bay. It's been a very long and messy process to get to this point and they're far from being even close to finished but it's a pretty neat process. Here you can see my dad (in the blue blazer) getting an update from one of the construction guys. I'm pretty psyched to see the new building when it's all done.

day 314: apolgies....

saw this underground waiting for the train. signage and the MTA are apparently not a match made in heaven.

day 313: stop and smell

sometimes union square really surprises me. besides the insane amount of young people, free spirits giving free hugs and people selling pipes along 14th, there's also that little park. With flowers! Actually, are these weeds? Flowers like this are so foreign to me cause we didn't have this stuff in Hawaii.... to me, they're flowers.

day 312: where the clothes at??!

i've always said it.... you can find the weirdest shit in department stores. truly odd stuff. Here in the Macy's luggage department, apparently the thought was that dressing the mannequins might take the focus away from the $500 samsonite luggage set. Also, the naked mannequins are red. SO WEIRD!

day 311: scribbles

There used to be a giant rat on this wall. Then someone made it go away and painted it all white. THEN this happened.... sorry the sun is casting a very odd shadow on the wall, but you get the idea. black wall, white scribbles. Is this part of a marketing thing? is this a random piece or soho scribble artwork? I really have no idea.... I don't think I like it though. I'd like someone to please bring back the rat.

day 310: i don't get it....

heads up: midtown is a weird f*ckin place. like... WEIRD. stuff like this can be on the street for example. Not that this isn't weird enough, the strange thing is that people just walk by as if this is a common thing to have on the streets. I'm sure I was the only one who was confusedly looking around for someone else to share my "wtf?" moment with. no takers....

(ps. 55 more days of the pho??!)

day 309: a tribute

new revelation. this store is awesome (and rockin). Their newest masterpiece is this. It's simultaneously sad and beautiful. I really like it and I especially like how relevant this store keeps itself. done and done.

Day 308 gets all the best perks

On the way to the beach today we stopped at the grocery store and happened upon this... this... well, what do you call this exactly? I'd call it hilarious!

Day 307 is eating Gilbert Grape

I haven't been to DYC's house in many years and certainly not since they've renovated and landscaped. The backyard is really amazing and my favorite part is the grape vines hanging near the roof. They wrap around much of the back of the house and I think they're awesome. They're not, however, tasty. By far the most sour grapes I've ever eaten. And that's not a metaphor. Plus they make a neat photo op.