Alligator Spotting with the Family Octopus

We hoped that this gator would dive into the water and get all crazy violent, but all he did was open his mouth and move a leg.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! We spent the holiday in Florida with the family Octopus. On Saturday we tried something new and took the cousins for a field trip to the Everglades. The Octopus and I were the oldest in the bunch, so we sorta felt like group leaders. The power was almost intoxicating.


Sunset over the glades.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things ...

Where I like to go and where I like to take visiting friends and family:

• Huntington. My favorite place in LA. Skip the art exhibits and just walk around the grounds. The Desert Garden (esp the Succulent Greenhouse) is a must see. And the much anticipated Chinese Garden opens in February.


• Griffith Observatory. My second fave place.


• Norton Simon Museum


• Santa Monica Farmers Market


• Broadway in Downtown


• A movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery or at one of the historic theaters downtown

Your Friday Afternoon Video #17: It's the Holidays!!!

Cannot believe Thanksgiving and Christmas are just about here. If this doesn't make you smile, then you're a grinch!

Um, Uh, Hi ... I'm Boring

Sometimes I feel really boring. I hang out with friends and acquaintances and I feel like I don't have anything interesting to say. Sometimes I catch myself telling the same story twice to people, and I don't stop myself because I don't have anything else to say and I know they're too polite to tell me they've already heard it.

Strangely, I have the easiest time talking to people at work. Not because they're all my bestest friends, but because we can bitch and moan forever and ever. We understand, we suffer.

Is complaining the easiest way to bond? I suppose I could talk about movies, books and music, which I do, but I can only talk about that so much. I could talk about my family, but that's too personal for most people. Have I already blogged about this?

I Do, I Guess

I wonder what the average age at first marriage is these days. I haven't checked the stats, but I would guess that in the U.S. it's around 25 for women, 28 for men. I would guess a little older than that in Western Europe and younger in Asia and Latin America (significantly younger, in some places). When did your parents start bugging you about getting married (assuming they bugged you at all)? Do you feel there is a double standard with men and women?

Turning Back the Clock is Overrated

Today feels like the longest day ever. I can't believe it's only 9pm. I don't like that it gets dark so early. I need sun. I feel myself getting sad. LA life has made me really dependent on sunshine. I don't remember feeling this way in NY.


On a brighter note, I am really getting into succulents. I just got this great book called Designing with Succulents. Not only are they super cool looking, they require little water and are very good for fire prone areas like LA. Their leaves are filled with water and they don't act as fire ladders since they are usually low to the ground.


Chiricahua: "Wonderland of Rocks"
Last, but not least, I am making arrangements for our next trip: Arizona. The Octopus and I have been nostalgic for our 2005 road trip where we hit a bunch of national parks, so we decided that Arizona is the place for us. We'll be skipping the Grand Canyon and other Northern AZ sites in favor of the lesser traveled Montezuma's Castle, Saguaro and, what looks to be very interesting, Chiricahua. I'm looking forward to getting more national parks brochures.