On nights and weekends during deadline, I've been taking shifts watching Eloise so Wendy can concentrate on the GR56 layout. One of the times, I walked her to the Giant Robot shop on Sunset. I think Eloise dug all the colors, and Katie was excited to see other GR folk.
Unlike GRSF, GRNY, or Sawtell--which have crews--whoever's at GRSL is solo. It's practically GR Siberia! Underrated and often forgotten, but I still dig it. Sometimes you can find stuff there that the other shops don't have any more, too. Unfortunately, no cat butt pencils sharpeners this time.
The demolition part of the renovation is finished and steps are being taken to being pouring a foundation. As the old structure was being stripped, it was discovered that master bedroom was built above a wood porch, which was rotting. As a result, it was strongly suggested that we expand our slab (which was going to cover the new kitchen, family room, and master bathroom) to cover it.
The additional work will add to the ever-rising bill, but that's how it goes when renovating old houses. Actually, the original structures are typically well built. It's the additions that are often sketchy--and our home was no exception. The frame above shows where the family room and kitchen will go.
And the work goes on... At least with the demolition complete, there shouldn't be any more surprises. This is view is from Eloise's room looking through the main bathroom into the master bedroom and beyond.
The other day, Mr. and Mrs. Monkmus dropped by the GR office the pick up the latest issue. (Yes, the one that features a Q&A with the amazing filmmaker.) It's deadline time so I couldn't really hang out as much as I would have liked, but I promised that we'd get some food after GR56 goes to press since we're practically neighbors now.
KXLU's annual fund raiser is going on right now. From my college days of going to Jabberjaw, Raji's, and Al's Bar to today's shows at The Echo and The Smell, LMU's radio station has always been a real cornerstone in L.A.'s punk and indie music scene. Without stations like KXLU--and none are really that close--I'd probably be reviewing much crappier music. I just pledged some dough (tax deductible) and so should you.
It doesn't hurt that the Part-Time Punks show is an excellent listen and guest huckster Kevin Bronson just said on the air that GR is a great magazine...
Haven't seen Fully Flared yet? No, you weren't out of the loop and lame for missing the best skate movie of the year. You were just waiting for the deluxe bonus edition with extra footage, deluxe book, and fancy box, right? The trailer is up NOW on the Lakai site.
Today, Wendy, Eloise, and I attended the wedding celebration of our friends Brandon (center left) and Andy (center right). The newlyweds are an awesome couple, the backyard decor was swanky, the food was delicious, and the company was topnotch. On the right side is GR contributor Martin Cendreda with his wife Jenny and their daughter Margot.
Californians, please vote NO on Prop 8 in November. This message is endorsed by a magazine toiler, sci-fi dork, and indie comics nerd--all represented above.
Just when I kicked the habit of buying Weller-designed gear for Fred Perry and Ben Sherman, FP throws Terry Hall into the mix. Holy crap! 85 pounds is a little rich for me, but it's limited to 500 and comes in a special box. Check it out at the Fred Perry site--there's also as a pic of what the singer for the Specials, Fun Boy 3, Colourfield looks like today!
It's deadline time and I got the green light from Wendy and Eloise to work late tonight. Eating in front of the computer means one of a few things: gr/eats, Thai food, Mexican. It's too early to treat ourselves to gr/eats. There's only three of us, so Thai food is out. (The place we go has a buy three, get one free deal.) That left one option: Tacos La Flama.
Minister of Color Pryor ordered two tacos with carne asada. That was it? Maybe he knew something we didn't.
All grammar and spelling ace Joyce knew was that she didn't want a vegetarian dish. So I ordered her the "La Flama Burrito" with cabeza. She was impressed by its girth, but chose to defer half of it to Mr. P.
What the heck was this? Not the chile relleno I ordered. I called La Flama, and it turns out they thought I ordered chile colorado. One more dish for Pryor; one more trip to Pico and Barrington for me.
Here's my chile relleno combo. Pretty good, but I could go for something sweet to chase it. Not more than a couple days ever goes by when I don't say, "Where are the cookies?"
Last week I reviewed a stack of CDs for our next issue. It was an impressive batch--maybe too many good ones to fit into my slots. That doesn't happen much. Out of all the music is listened to, it's a song by Frank Turner that I wind up listening to a couple times a day:
She's not as pretty as she thinks she is/Just picture her after she's had kids/I bet she sits home and listens to The Smiths/Deep down she's just like everybody else
I think the video is too literal and a little trite, but here it is anyway:
Who is this guy? Turner used to be in Million Dead, a British punk band that I never heard of. But this song is pure gold--vague enough that you can like it after you graduate from college and specific enough that it strikes a chord. Upbeat but self-deprecating, smart but no pretentious--you get the idea. Right now the album is import only, but it's coming out domestic soon.
Now, I go back to movies for the TV Party section. Four down, three to go.
Went back to the site to pick up mail and check in on progress. The rear has pretty much be chopped off and dug up, so CalAsia has set up an office in front. On the right is the annex.
John and Michelle were there, too, trying to adjust their plans to match reality. Old houses yield all sorts of surprises, and most of ours involved the foundation.
It turns out the rear bedroom was built directly over a wood porch, which is now rotting and needs to be reinforced by a concrete curb. (I like how the contractor built a temporary table to use as a writing surface.)
Check out the stringwork, which marks where the foundation and walls will go. It's quite intricate--like a cat's cradle. The trenches? That's where our terra cotta soldiers will be placed.
This one is worth heeding. GR56 is coming together and we could use some help copy editing, proofreading, fact checking, and scanning in the next week or two. We make a glossy, classy looking mag, but our editorial staff is two (Eric and me) and our production team consists of two moonlighters (Wendy and Pryor). Besides that, it's contributors and volunteers.
This morning, Eloise and I met up with longtime friend of the magazine and ace reader Hane at a Silver Lake coffee shop to enlist her help. But we don't have time to personally appeal to everyone--hence, this blog. Regulars have my cell phone number. If you don't, or if you want to get in on it, hit me up at martin[at]giantrobot[dot]com for the scoop. Help must be done in-person (most often near the Sawtelle shops but possibly one day or two in Silver Lake). No, we don't pay but you will be listed on the masthead, sometimes we have snacks, and we do write killer letters of recommendation.
If Daewon Song is the Tupac of skateboarding, Daniel Castillo is the Ice-T. Seriously. I crossed paths with the Chocolate/DVS/Grind King rider at 11:00 a.m. on Sawtelle, which is like 6 in the morning for most skaters.
Although we relocated from the reservoir in Silver Lake to the Sunset Junction area a few weeks ago, I still haven't quite figured out my morning walk with Eloise. It was so easy to go around the body of water with all the other walkers, joggers, and dog owners. These days I zigzag around bungalows, apartments, and shops. This morning, I took Eloise down to Sunset to check out public art--including this blue piece not far from El Cid. Its form recalls "muffler man" predecessors as well as the "decorated fire hydrant" genre. The perlious positioning along a particularly busted up portion of sidewalk on a cliff adds some drama to its otherwise quizzical expression.
Not far from our first stop is the mural on the Solutions audio shop, made famous by Elliott Smith's XO album cover art. After Smith died, the wall became a memorial of sorts, as layers of scribblings and tributes were added to its surface. Not long ago, it was tagged by non-indie rock listeners but today it looks better than ever. Two personal connections with the piece: (1) Going to a Smith's garage sale in Portland after seeing him perform with The Spinanes opening for Versus the night before, (2) renting PA equipment from the shop for my brother-in-law's wedding reception and having to return a connector to their shop.
Around the corner from Solutions is The Kitchen. It's kind of a trendy restaurant because it's open late and located next door to a popular gay bar. The tofu steak is just okay. But the main draw is the David Choe mural painted shortly before he split town. Dave probably finished it in one day and wrote "See you later L.A." by the logo. He's not bitter or anything, though, since he returns regularly.
In front of the aforementioned bar was an actual artist showing his wares! The pastel on paper work was rather colorful and the abstract patterns were engaging, but the creator was not giving comments.
Finally, across the street and closer to the gelato and pupusa places is the longstanding Space Invader piece over the coin laundry. Or is it? The tiles seem larger than SI's usual stuff. Perhaps it was an earlier piece. Eloise and I will have to revisit the I [invade] L.A. book to confirm its authenticity. Either way, it's quite nice.
There were no wine, cheese, or poseurs dressed in black during our art walk because it started at 8:30 a.m., but the inaugural event was a success because Eloise had passed out by the end of it. Where will we go tomorrow? Let us know if you want to come along.
We went to see our friends' housewarming/open house of their newly completed loft in Chinatown tonight. Ali and Poonam did an amazing job of turning two old apartments into a designer home with an open dining area in the center.
Their cat is stoked! You can see nice pics at their LOC site.
As if inspiring architecture wasn't enough of a draw, there was also DJed music by Dewey (above) and Wing (below) and tons of great food--handmade pupusas and homemade samosas and punch. Awesome.
More people should throw early parties like this one so we can attend with Eloise!
Went back to the house and saw that sticks and strings have been put up to mark where the new foundation will be poured. That was fast. Afterward, Wendy mentioned that her friend's brother and sister-in-law made sure their kid never saw their torn-apart house during its renovation so she wouldn't be traumatized. Oops! Maybe this visit will increase Eloise's mental toughness.
Remember Tim Yeung, the ex-drummer for Vital Remains, Nile, Hank III, and Hate Eternal; winner of the World's Fastest Feet contest at NAMM a few years ago; and interview subject from GR45? Check out his clinic on the YouTube channel for his new band, Divine Heresy, which also features Dino from Asesino and Brujeria.
Ben Clark and I went to K-Town last night to catch the Mogwai show at The Wiltern. The pre-post rockers from Scotland were on tour with upstart drone washers from Bristol, Fuck Buttons, who I had arranged to interview for the next GR. We arrived on time but waited for about 45 minutes for someone to let us into the historic Art Deco venue. It turns out the bouncer thought we wanted to interview the headliners. Nope.
For two guys that make a lot of noise, Andrew and Ben turned out to be pretty quiet. Also quite serious. But they were cordial and the interview went well. With minimal gear and just a tour manager in tow, the art school graduates seemed slightly swamped by the massive green room. The table of drinks and snacks was bigger than their full load of equipment.
After the interview concluded and portraits were taken, Ben and I walked down Western to BCD Tofu House. There are harder core BBQ joints nearby, but the 24-hour chain is pretty good about handling non-Koreans. They didn't even scoff at Ben when he dropped the entire, uncracked egg into his soup. More like amused.
I was totally amazed by Fuck Buttons debut CD and wondered how the rhythmic noise would translate to a live performance. How do they make the soundtrack to clouds forming, glaciers imploding, and stars being born? A lot like two guys playing ping pong--minus the racquets and running around. Even so, they were very intense and the set was great.
Mogwai didn't move around much, either, but were solid. I have to admit it was getting past my bedtime and I was fading during some of the prettier instrumentals. So the noisy rock pieces that came out toward the end of the set were somewhat jarring. When house lights suddenly went on, it was as if my eyelids were being peeled by the beautiful, awesome noise.
On the way out, we spotted some of Ben's friends. On the right is fellow photographer Atiba Jefferson, who is not only a legendary skate shooter but has also shot portraits of some of the NBA's biggest ballers. It turns out we got a lot of the same shows...
Two nights out in a row is a pretty big deal for me. Time to catch up on sleep and crank out articles!
Last night I saw Sigh play the Knitting Factory in Hollywood. The black metal band from Japan has been around for more than 15 years, but this is their first headlining tour of U.S., and I believe this was their first show in L.A.
The group started off as a Venom cover band and got signed to the infamous Deathlike Silence album, gaining instant metal cred around the world. When I was buying up albums to prepare for the Sigh interview in GR46, I bought the Scandanavian import of Hail Horror Hail, a Russian bootleg of , and an overpriced cut-out of Imaginary Sonicscape. (I still haven't found Scorn Defeat or Ghastly Funeral Theatre.) Now you can get the last three or for albums re-mastered for a decent price from The End Records. In the interview, Mirai gave me a bunch of great quotes including this one: "Someday a maniac will be arrested and confess to listening to my songs, but that hasn't happened yet." When I finally met him last night, he was stoked to be handed the magazines. "This is cool," he said.
For years, I've been wondering how the band sounds live. On album, they are known for incorporating symphonic flourishes, banjo music, soundtrack effects, or just plain weird psychedelic touches into the blast beats and heavy riffs. It turns out the live sound is purely guitar based. Even though Mirai stands behind a keyboard, its use is pretty restrained. They crushed out a tons of my favorite songs--"Hail Horror Hail," "Death With Dishonor," "Me Devil"--and more. (Check out Shinichi's nice Mentors T-shirt on the left.)
The vocals are pure death metal, Cookie Monster style, and the newest member Dr. Mikannibal contributed almost half of them. I was totally shocked by her awesome singing and her sax is used in a dark, noisy, and complementary style--not at all in a "New York's alright if you like saxophones" manner.
The band didn't go on until midnight and played about 40 minutes before coming back for some Venom covers. Mika stood by the side and watched as their rendition of "Black Metal" inspired a circle pit. Awesome.
Afterward, I went by the merch table to pick up the band's latest release, A Tribute To Venom. The seven-song covers EP is an edition of 1,500 with vinyl in black, red, and peppermint, each coming with a CD. One side of the vinyl is etched with the cover art.
If you like metal, don't miss Sigh. Seriously, who knows when they'll come back?
09/06/08 Sat @ Jumping Turtle - San Marcos, CA 09/07/08 Sun @ Chain Reaction - Anaheim, CA 09/08/08 Mon @ Knitting Factory - Hollywood, CA 09/09/08 Tue @ The Clubhouse - Tempe, AZ 09/10/08 Wed @ Launch Pad - Albuquerque, NM 09/11/08 Thu @ Ridglea Theater - FT. Worth, TX 09/12/08 Fri @ White Rabbit - San Antonio, TX 09/13/08 Sat @ Meridian - Houston, TX 09/14/08 Sun @ The Muse - Nashville, TN 09/15/08 Mon @ Jaxx - West Springfield, VA 09/16/08 Tue @ B.B. Kings Blues Club - New York City, NY 09/17/08 Wed @ FouFounes - Montreal, QC 09/18/08 Thu @ Jubilee Centre - Sudbury, ON 09/19/08 Fri @ Wreck Room - Toronto, ON 09/20/08 Sat @ Peabody's - Cleveland, OH 09/21/08 Sun @ The Pearl Room - Mokena, IL 09/22/08 Mon @ Station 4 - St. Paul, MN
Went back to the house to pick up some stuff and found a new doorway freshly cut into the living room wall. Watch that first step, it's a doozy.
I'm not kidding. Where the kitchen used to be, there's now dirt. A concrete slab will be poured here to provide flooring for the new kitchen and family room.
The bedroom window used to look out at the shed, which is gone as well. From this view, you can see how boxed in our yard is. Our architect took this into consideration, and the patio area is going to be like a sheltered oasis...
Went back to the house to pick up mail and discovered that the entire back half has been demolished. Damn! It's only been four days since I signed the contract and turned over the key. Those CalAsia guys move fast. Above is where the kitchen used to be.
Directly behind that is where the master bedroom was.
The doorway to the same bedroom. We left the fridge in the kitchen for the workers to use and they moved it to the living room.
The view from the old dining room to where the kitchen was.
These are some of the models of how the roofline was going to look...
And this is the one we chose. Eloise has already claimed her room.
I pick up mail from the Sawtelle shops now and then, and it's not unusual to bring back more than that. Today, I picked up the new issue of Cometbus. Most of you probably know of my fondness for Aaron Cometbus's publication, which is 100 percent punk rock but most often having nothing to do with music.
Longtime readers will be shocked when they pick up issue 51. The insides are typeset. No more paragraph after paragraph of handwritten, uppercase words. At first I was a little depressed, but then I realized what a pain it would have been to write this particular issue by hand. It's a history of various Berkeley institutions, from Moe's to Cody's to Shakespeare & Co. to Rasputin's to Amoeba. (Peppered throughout are the SLA, underground comix, Lookout! records, and other underground touchstones.) Cometbus must have interviewed at least 50 people to piece together the stories, and cobbling together handwritten drafts with scissors and glue sticks would have been a nightmare. The narrative is packed with colorful characters, insightful observations, and interesting facts but remains a fast, lively read full of obvious love for the subject matter. If you have any connection to Berkeley, you'll not only learn a lot about the neighborhood but appreciate it even more.
Down the street at GR2, Tru was going through art show invoices and calling deadbeat customers who had yet to pick up pieces. Half-jokingly, I asked if I was one of the culprits and--wouldn't you know it--I was. So not only am I going home with the brand new issue of Cometbus, but I'm also taking home an original painting by Louie Cordero from last year!
Last night was the first game of the Fall/Winter season for the Giant Robot softball team. A bunch of our players are also on another team's roster, so the lineup is going to fluctuate from week to week. For this matchup, we had a sampling of old-schoolers like Hap and KC (above, awarded the game ball after going 3 for 3 in his comeback game) as well as a fairly new player (Brian) complementing holdovers from last season: Eric, Bill, Chi, Jason, Greg, Sada, and BK.
And then there was me. Coming off a horrific 1-11 season, I sat out when Eloise was born and saw the team claim a division championship and go deep into the city tournament without me. Would my return to the mound mark a return to the old ways?
Nah, I struck out 4 or 5 and walked 1. Went 2 for 3. Had a great time playing with the guys. I am sore as hell, but can't wait for the next game. Thank you, L.A. Parks & Rec.
What's weird is that I have never played team sports at any level of school. I like skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, and running. But there's something about GR softball...
When the idea was hatched by Eric and his cousin Michael, we formed a team around the mag, stores, friends, and relatives. I couldn't hit and had to learn how to pitch. For a long time, I really sucked and even now I don't consider myself a great player. But maybe there's something to learning something new at an older age. And maybe there's a sort of competition, friendship, or kick that you don't get in front of a computer screen. Or maybe it's being the Asian equivalent of the Fat Albert gang beating up a bunch of ex-jocks and frat guys.
I've mentioned Sigh U.S. tour dates before, and they were canceled. Looks like the new campaign by the Japanese masters of symphonic dark metal is for real, and it begins in two days!
SIGH on tour with UNEXPECT:
09/06/08 Sat @ Jumping Turtle - San Marcos, Ca 09/07/08 Sun @ Chain Reaction - Anaheim, CA 09/08/08 Mon @ Knitting Factory - Hollywood, CA 09/09/08 Tue @ The Clubhouse - Tempe, AZ 09/10/08 Wed @ Gators - Farmington, NM 09/11/08 Thu @ Lola's - Ft Worth, TX 09/12/08 Fri @ White Rabbit - San Antonio, TX 09/13/08 Sat @ Meridian - Houston, TX 09/14/08 Sun @ The Muse - Nashville, TN 09/15/08 Mon @ Jaxx - West Springfield, VA 09/16/08 Tue @ B.B. Kings Blues Club - New York City, NY 09/17/08 Wed @ FouFounes - Montreal, ON (*Unexpect not playing this show) 09/18/08 Thu @ Jubilee Centre - Sudbury, ON 09/19/08 Fri @ Wreck Room Toronto - ON 09/20/08 Sat @ Peabody's DownUnder - Cleveland, OH 09/21/08 Sun @ The Pearl Room - Mokena, IL 09/22/08 Mon @ 4th St Station - St Paul, MN
As a teaser, you might want to check out Sigh's A Tribute to Venom, which harkens back to the group's roots as a Venom cover band. A sample is available at Brooklyn Vegan.
After the game, I dropped by my house to pick up mail and take out the trash. The demolition process has begun. Hardwood floors are covered up and the kitchen units have been torn down. It's cool but also kind of spooky.
Last night, Wendy and I went to Chavez Ravine for our first game of the season. By late summer, we'd usually have gone to four or five games, but we've been on haitus with the baby. It took an offer from our friend Karen to attend free fleece blanket night--in conjunction with moving out of the house to the in-laws and having babysitting--to get us to the ballpark. When we walked up the hill and saw the stadium decorated with likenesses of El Toro, Gibby, The Bulldog, and Piazza, I thought I was going to cry. Beautiful.
We sat in our favorite section--the Top Deck. In the last few years, ticket prices have gone up from 6 bucks to 8 bucks to 9 dollars, but it's still cheaper than going to the movies. You can tell that we are in the second from the uppermost seats, but the view is still great.
We always make the trek to the Reserved section to visit the single concession stand that sells veggie dogs. They're one dollar more than Dodger Dogs, but I feel like I have to support them. The soy weiners aren't bad at all--not chewy or fluffy. Add relish, mustard, and ketchup, and you probably can't even tell the difference.
Pitcher Hiroki Kuroda started smooth, but gave up 10 hits and 4 runs in 5 innings or so. The hitters picked him up and relievers helped him earn a win, though. (I'm hoping my return to the softball mound tonight goes something like that.) Of course, the biggest attraction this season is Man Ram. He's been playing out of his mind since coming over from Boston, but was O-fer with two intentional walks. He made a couple nice defensive plays, though.
On the jumbotron, you can see Manny and Kemp doing the chest bump after Broxton closed out the game. I never get sick of hearing "I Love L.A." at the end of a hockey, basketball, or baseball game.
Afterwards, we walked back down the hill to where we parked the car. Wendy and I refuse to pay 15 bucks to park in a congested lot. For that much, they should wash it. Besides, walking each way makes us feel better about eating stadium food. (Luckily, Karen is on board with us--even if she packs her own food.)
The game was past Eloise's bedtime, but maybe we'll get some shady seats in an afternoon matchup next season... For now, gotta focus on the big series with the D-Backs over the weekend.
This Jocko Weiland's documentary about NYC skateboarding is about to hit the road. Skaters include Cab, Alva, McGill, Vallely, Mullen, Gonz, Huf, and Ianucci. Of course, Alyasha Owerka-Moore is involved, and so are Haze, Futura, Larry Clark, and GEF. How do they all fit in there? Check out the trailer here.
Last night I went to see one of my heroes kick off his latest tour of the U.S. and Canada. I've seen Paul Weller play the Wiltern a few times, but this time he was coming off a crazy new album with a reconstituted band. (No Steve White?) How would this follow up on his last dates in L.A. and NYC, which mixed in large doses of The Jam and The Style Council to commemorate a career-spanning box set?
The set started off with five or six rockers: "Peacock Suit," "22 Dreams," "Changing Man," "Floorboards Up," "All I Wanna Do"... While Weller seemed really amped during last year's three-night stand at The Palace, I'd be surprised if he wasn't just a little stressed about the expections of playing old songs for the first time in ages. This time seemed like he and the band were just playing hard and having a lot of fun. While most of the guys in the group wore T-shirts, the oil painting on the keyboard was pure class.
There were some interesting new treatments of older songs... "Carnation" sounded larger than ever before and the end of "That's Entertainment" had some dueling guitars between the Modfather and longtime axe-player Steve Cradock. The tripped out version of "Picking Up Sticks" was wild, and I really dug the dubbed out take of "Wild Wood" with echoing drums and super heavy bass. Weller held a smoke and drink while he sang, practically shaking with energy without any guitar or piano to hide behind. I think the Obama campaign should use "Shout To The Top!" somehow...
No spoken word or acid folk from the new album. The second show at the Wiltern might be more mellow like that, but last night was all about power. The final three songs of the main set were "Echoes Round The Sun," "Come On, Let's Go," and "The Eton Rifles." You already know what the final song was.
Just five more Weller shows on the North American tour... If you're a fan of The Jam, The Style Council, Paul Weller, or quality rock 'n' roll infused with soul and politics, don't miss him.
03/09/2008 - Los Angeles, USA 04/09/2008 - San Francisco 07/09/2008 - Toronto 09/09/2008 - Boston, MA, USA 10/09/2008 - New York, USA
After some delays with binding and delivery, advance copies of GR55 are finally at the GR shops on Sawtelle, in the Upper Haight, and at the East Village. What's in it?
- Cover art and interview with GR favorite Saelee Oh - Filmmaker Monkmus talks about working with Badly Drawn Boy, Death Cab for Cutie, Kid Koala, and other nerd musicians - Angry Asian Man isn't really that pissed - KevJumba gets more hits that you - SD skater Jimmy Cao shreds Europe, Asia, and NorCal - SK scooter rider Wan Lee crosses the USA--twice - Choe documentary man Harry Kim - Bands HEALTH and King Khan & The Shrines - Scoop from Comic-Con and Anime Expo - Lardless donuts, mangosteen power, and more
Don't let it sneak up on you like it did to Chris!
Despite jet-lagging after his trip to Taiwan, Brian came over this afternoon to help me clean out the house. Not only did he help move furniture, clean out the kitchen, but he even helped take stuff to Wendy's parents' place where we'll be staying during renovations.
As a reward, I took him to Jack in the Box because I had some free smoothie coupons. "Real fruit" touts the ads. Well, it's more like Minute Maid concentrate mixed with soft serve ice cream. I guess they don't say how much fruit is in there... Anyway, the mango one was a decent treat after burning a bunch of calories moving, but you might not want to replace lunch with it. If you want a fruit fix, going to a fruta fresca dude on the street is a better and healthier choice.
But when in Rome... I couldn't resist trying the fried macaroni and cheese thingies. I've had fancy appetizers like this at grown-up restaurants and these are definitely the fast-food version. Not bad, but shockingly expensive at three for almost two bucks.
For a number of reasons, I'm not a fan of fast-food burger places. However, if you are desperate--like on a road trip or starving with no alternative--go to Jack in the Box. Not because of the excellence of what I ate (or the Sourdough Jack minus ham, which Brian got) but because they advertise in GR.
Last night my Dad and I took part in the Nike Human Race, purportedly the world's largest running event with races taking place in places like Shanghai, London, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and Tokyo on the same day. Because of the time zones, Los Angeles was the final race. My dad and I were among the 12,000 runners that began the 10K (6.2 mile) run by the Coliseum at 8:31:08 on 8-31-08.
This what it looked like from where we were standing at the starting gate. There are white signs that arrange members the crowd according to what pace they run. The world-class runner are in front. We were pretty far in back at the 11:00 minute-mile mark!
Dad and me "before" running. You can see people stretching in the background as well as the Olympic torch in the background.
It gets pretty crowded while running on the blocked-off streets. Not for claustrophobic people or agoraphobiacs. When people decide to stop running and walk, it creates weird obstacles and eddies in the flow. They should really move to the side.
The "after" picture. We sat under a tree so no one would walk into us and ate the freebies, including Power Bars, puffed potato chips, and bottled water. That was our dinner.
The run was sponsored by Nike but my dad wore Mizuno and I wore Pumas. Whoa, my right ankle is looking swollen. I swear my legs aren't that fat. Maybe it was the running?
The evening culminated in a concert by Kanye West with Common. I'm not super knowledgeable about modern rap, but I give West credit for being a smart guy and great performer. Not only did he step up and criticize Bush afer Katrina, but he is homies with Murakami. During the show, he said, "I would have run with you but I had to rap tonight." (The American Idol host who started the race didn't offer to wear no red shirt.) So it was cool to finally see him live. Actually, it turns out I might prefer Common's voice to Kanye's. It's powerful, and when he came onstage, it changed everything.
How do you train for a 10K? Well, Dad and I spent two hot days leading up to it cleaning out my house and filling bins. We never broke for lunch, but somehow we had enough juice to do the run. Good thing that took place in the cool evening air.
Amazingly, we packed everything into three bins, so we can return the fourth one empty and not have to pay rent for it. Now I've just got the ticky-tack work--like boxing up all the kitchen and bathroom stuff. I'm glad it's brainless busy stuff, because I am really beat.
As for Dad, I gave him the day off. Right now it's just me, taking a break to blog, but trying to finish before dinner and hopefully get some time with Eloise. I'll have to fight the in-laws for her attention now, and I better get used to it. The home renovation will take at least seven months!
