Day In The Life

Weed or Wildflower

2Feb13

Yesterday I went out to lunch with a friend who works in downtown Los Angeles.  We sat in a restaurant’s sidewalk patio area, which was bordered by a waist-high wall topped with planters.  In these planters was planted was a species of grass that resembled wheat.

While we waited for our food, I noted that this sort of landscaping would be easy to screw up, that you would need to be thoughtful in planting grasses, or people would just think you’ve failed to maintain your property.  My friend thought that wild grass was beautiful.

Just then, a homeless woman, wearing a dirty, backwards sweatshirt, strolled past us and pulld three handfuls of the plants.

Day In The Life

People Watching

9Jul12

I type this from a suburban Starbucks in the LA area. A man in his 40′s is sweeping the floor. He wears nice black slacks and wingtips under his green apron.

Is he a middle-aged, unskilled laborer who is dressing up, overdressing, as a sign of self-respect? Proof of a strong work ethic? Or, is he a former executive who is desperate for work and can’t or won’t dress in a way that will help him fit in with his college-aged co-workers?

He’s wearing a gold watch. Was that a gift from a wife who doesn’t know what job he goes to every day?

He’s assembling a new display at the front of the store. He seems to be a manager. He’s smiling as he chats with the baristas.

Is he an owner, too? Does he own multiple franchises? Is he worth more money than I’ll ever make in my lifetime?

Is he judging me?

Day In The Life

Framing Life

1Apr12

I’ve spent the last couple of days changing the art that’s hanging on the walls of my home. Took down a framed Kubrick poster and a couple of old paintings. Hung a few photos from my ’10 trip to Ireland. In the process I found a few framed photos in a closet that were caked with dust and insect remains.

The photos were taken circa 2008 when I considered a calling as an artistic photographer. I had shot a few friends, printed a few 5 x 7′s, and framed them for a local art contest. But one of the photos wasn’t intended for the contest. It was a nice, sepia-toned photo of a friend of mine in a nice, dark wood frame. It was a good looking picture of a person that was a significant part of my life at the time.

I’ve decided to replace the photo of my friend with a black-and-white shot of a Dublin pub. It’s a nice frame.

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