Well Hello There, You Little Minx

When was the last time you saw guns marketed to women?

And as an accessory no less? They even describe the gun as "cute."

My my how times have changed.

Michael Scott and I Have Something In Common

And no, its not our love for Pennsylvania.

I was watching a recorded episode of The Office last night. I think it was from a week or two ago. Michael Scott (Steven Carell at his finest) is starting a new business. From home. And is wearing his loungewear--which includes a pair of crocs upon which he spills eggs.

I too wear crocs at home. Yes they are hideous, but absolutely perfect for keeping giving you a little cushion from the floor while providing ventilation. Seriously perfect slipperwear for not-so-cold places. And good for people who spill things in the kitchen alot, like me. And, apparently, Michael.

I'm still contemplating what this says about me. If I start coming up with harebrained ideas I have completely failed to think through or having wild delusions about my worth at work, please stop me before I become the manager of a Scranton paper company.

Happy Easter!!

All I could think while watching this video is that the dude that created this Rube Goldberg device has wayyyyyy too much time on his hands. Like infinitely too much time. But impressive. Definitely impressive.

I too smashed a bunch of Cadbury creme eggs myself this weekend. Nothing as elaborate as this, of course. Mainly just me and my teeth.

Maybe Because We're on the Coast They Figure We Have All The Water We'll Ever Need?

My parents live in Georgia. They have extensive water regulations in place there, including when one can water their lawn, wash their cars, that kind of thing. Common sense regulations designed to encourage conservation. Don't water your grass at noon in the summer, for example.

Here in L.A., technically a desert, we have zero water regulations. None. Like, use all the water you want, no rate hike, no penalty, no nothin'.

Consequently, we have yard after yard of unnaturally green lawns and luscious non-native plants like magnolia trees. Its not that people don't have to pay for water, but they obviously don't have to pay enough.

This week the L.A. City Council was presented with a proposal to increase rates for excessive water use. You know--if you fill and re-fill your pool once a month, or if you go crazy on the watering or fountains or something, the rate will increase after you cross a certain threshold. Well the City Council in all of its wisdom totally shot the proposition down.

Disgusting and unbelievable. How entitled are these people? Will we have to drain the entire West before we realize that maybe we should have gone easy on the greenery?

Work it, Girl!

Damn RDJ! Lookin' saucy! You think the trucker behind him was honking at him?

Temescal Canyon Photo Essay

Lately I have been exploring Topanga State Park, the largest wilderness park contained inside any major city in America.

Temescal Gateway Park is one of the ways to access Topanga and its myriad hiking trails and fire roads. The entrance to Temescal is right off of Sunset, which is probably one of the reasons why the place was so damned crowded.

The entrance to Temescal Gateway Park. Be warned, there is a parking fee.

The park has several trail heads. The ridge/canyon loop is very popular. If you start on the ridge trail all of the elevation is at the beginning of the hike. We took the canyon trail first, past the waterfall and then back on the ridge.

Wildflowers were in abundance this weekend. Just a week ago in the Pacific Palisades we saw almost none.

Temescal park has several outbuildings, including a general store, a conference center, and some seemingly abandoned buildings along the canyon trail.

Lots of lovely conglomerate rocks to gaze at along the way.

The waterfall is about a mile up the canyon trail. Right after the waterfall the hike gets HARD. Switchback after switchback, up up up! Thought I was gonna die, but I made it.


This is the payoff. Check out that view.


And this one. Amazing.

Thank god for trail markers.

A bevy of yellow beauty.

This was one of the easier parts of the downhill hike. My toes were totally shoved into the toes of my boots the last half hour.

And purple flowers too!


This one was my favorite flower. She was all by herself on the side of the trail. Big and bright!

Overall great hike if you can stand to be hiking with plenty of other people. Short but plenty of different things to see and if you choose not to do the loop you can keep heading out the canyon trail to a place called "Skull Rock," which I most certainly plan on checking out next time.

Go Girl Scouts Go!

This story was in the L.A. Times today about a girl scout that warned both a local city and the state transportation authority about a dangerous intersection where train accidents were likely.

She did a powerpoint presentation for the City of La Canada just last month which was forwarded to CalTrans, but no one actually listened to her. Then, earlier this week another accident happened in the same place--a fatal accident that could have been prevented had the City and CalTrans heeded the girl scout's warning.

Girl Scouts is important y'all. Seriously. I learned stuff like what bark I could use to light a fire even when it was raining, that rose petals are edible, and how to rappel. Not to mention how to make and market majorly kick-ass meatball sandwiches.

I'm so proud of Ms. Malia Mailes, even though the asshats at Caltrans and the City of La Canada totally ignored her warnings. Maybe next time they'll take a 16-year-old with a powerpoint presentation a little more seriously.