excellent photos of an excellent bro

happy november 11th birthday, james!

fear vs. inspiration

when you are afraid, instead be inspired.

one of my very favorite couples

my brothers are both happily married... legally and otherwise. not to each other, of course, but to wonderful sister-in-laws (for all practical purposes). i just spent time with the older of the two boys. he and his sig other are so so happy, i can't help but feel the love when i am around them... have joy in my heart... swell with pride and glee... on and on and on it goes, but i will stop so we can get to the good part: photographs. (note: i am still experimenting with the new camera...)
here are a few from my most recent discovery that some people are just meant to be together. even if they are, on occasion, annoyingly cute. i guess that's just love and i am just cynical in my old age and single state. but my heart can't be made of stone yet. it's still smiling for these two. one weekend in october. colorado. engaged. finally. congratulations.

recent LP purchases

ms bike ride - ventura, ca

time for a little inspiration.. beatles style

san francisco trip: still more photos cuz it was so much fun

i thought i already posted these. guess not.

the ultimate story is the one Jesus has written... the one that Jesus has lived for us and with us. And it will be a humbling experience to see the thousands of Christians gathering in Times Square, New York City today at 12PM PDT / 3PM EDT to ask for forgiveness and worship the God of mercy. you can take part by streaming the event live at www.nycprayer.org. i am amazed and thankful and humbled myself. thank you times square church pastors and congregation for making this happen.

tell me a story. not just any story.

in honor of brandi carlile's new album release, give up the ghost (oct 6th, columbia records), let's go back to the first time i ever heard her sing. somehow, i found this video. the sound, the lyrics, the beauty, the emotion knocked the wind out of me. every time i hear this song, i still can't breathe. very few musicians really get it right for me all the way around. she did. she does.



All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I've been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don't mean anything
When you've got no one to tell them to
It's true...I was made for you

I climbed across the mountain tops
Swam all across the ocean blue
I crossed all the lines and I broke all the rules
But baby I broke them all for you
Because even when I was flat broke
You made me feel like a million bucks
You do
I was made for you

You see the smile that's on my mouth
It's hiding the words that don't come out
And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed
They don't know my head is a mess
No, they don't know who I really am
And they don't know what
I've been through like you do
And I was made for you...

All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I've been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don't mean anything
When you've got no one to tell them to
It's true...I was made for you

san francisco trip: i took too many photos

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

san franisco trip: walking from pier 3 to 39

san francisco trip: mission pie

our first stop right off the BART from the airport (lugging suitcases and all) was this delicious neighborhood cafe in the middle of San Francisco's Mission District. The Mission Pie website describes it's "mission" this way... "We offer a wholesome and supportive atmosphere not only for lovers of great coffee and pie, but for our workers as well, as we collaborate with local youth advocacy organizations to provide a positive work environment to San Francisco youth. As a thriving, progressive, for-profit business, we relish the opportunity to reinvest productively and creatively not just in the quality of our ingredients and equipment, but in the lives of the people and communities around and within us." Fair trade organic and even VEGAN ingredients (who would have thought that vegan pie crust could be so darn stinkin' yummy??) mixed with a social cause (teenagers!!!) was a magnificent recipe for a great breakfast. it was a delicious way to start the trip. maybe i should be a food photographer... or maybe not.






WHEATBERRY & GOAT CHEESE SALAD & PEACH PIE


VEGAN CURRY PIE

san francisco trip: live jazz in union square

san francisco trip: caffe trieste 601 vallejo st.

up the hill and over a block or two from city lights bookstore rests the Giotta family's 53-year-old cafe, home of the first west coast espresso. "espresso pioneers of the west coast" they call themselves. now it is the home of my heart, the captor of my taste buds. ode to caffee trieste (yes, it has two f's). by the grace of almighty God, we found it on a hot and sticky Friday morning. and did we care about heat and lack of air-conditioning? absolutely not. when the espresso is amazingly out of this world, everything literally melts away. it was and is the best espresso i have ever experienced. and as we all know, i have experience mucho mucho cafe short of inserting an IV into my stomach. it was blessed blessed coffee. and to top it off, the barista was, well, for lack of a better word.. he was hot, too. so all around it was a fun experience. it made me want to live in a neighborhood where folks gather every morning to drink and chat, laugh and gossip. it was so addicting, the atmosphere, the photos, the idea of accordian music every saturday from 1-5pm and the coffee, that julianne and i forced ourselves to climb up the hill despite all sore muscles and sweaty foreheads just to have coffee again on saturday morning. from now on, north beach with be synonymous with "the world's best coffee". at least, maybe until i actually go to Italy myself. see photos below... notice how my coffee seems to glow angelic.












fun fact: notice the italian flag painted around all little italy light posts.

san francisco trip: city lights bookstore

visiting the poetry room in this landmark independent bookstore and publishing company was one of the many highlights during my three-day san francisco trip. sitting in the rocker labeled "poet's chair," i was inspired by the poems i read, the view i photographed and the creative types all around me. it was a long strange hot trip up the hill from the ferry building, but it was worth it. i remember reading HOWL by Allen Ginsberg and ON THE ROAD by Jack Kerouac my senior year in high school. i had no idea what i was reading, but i knew that they represented the power of words. the power to express, identify, heal, stir, rage, convict, free, build up, tear down, condemn and inspire. whether or not i agree with them today, i recognize the need within my own self to use words as a form of social action to improve the world around me... to understand and identify my place in it and to make sense of all that happened to me in spite of it. i ended up buying two poetry anthologies to carry more words home with me to los angeles... enjoy a few quick photos. i took a bunch on this trip (imagine that!) and i will slowly post them as i have time and patience with this old IBM laptop.