104 in West Covina right now.
Shoot me.
Showing posts with label west covina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label west covina. Show all posts
Friday, June 20, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Add one more to the visual bookshelf
I finished another book this weekend. That makes three in March alone, and it's only the 10th! Did I mention I'm 50 pages away from finishing another book? There really is nothing to do in West Covina...
Which brings me to the thought of bookshelf etiquette. What do you think, should you be allowed to display books on a bookshelf if you read them? Or should it be the opposite as Ezra Klein propounds (get it? Ezra Klein propounds....Ezra Pound? Yes? No?...okay, nevermind) that books you read should only be displayed on facebook? Discuss!
Which brings me to the thought of bookshelf etiquette. What do you think, should you be allowed to display books on a bookshelf if you read them? Or should it be the opposite as Ezra Klein propounds (get it? Ezra Klein propounds....Ezra Pound? Yes? No?...okay, nevermind) that books you read should only be displayed on facebook? Discuss!
Friday, February 01, 2008
Start Valentines Day depression early this year!
Speaking of not living on the westside...Whitney Matheson over at Pop Candy announced the list of the most romantic cities in the nation. Who was near the top of the list? You'd be surprised, Irvine came in at number four!
But what's depressing is that El Monte and Pomona, the two towns which border West Covina were at the very bottom of the list, along with Salt Lake City, Utah.
Thank God I'm married, or this news would be severely depressing.
But what's depressing is that El Monte and Pomona, the two towns which border West Covina were at the very bottom of the list, along with Salt Lake City, Utah.
Thank God I'm married, or this news would be severely depressing.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Lazy Saturday, Missing Mariana and Civilization
It has rained so much this year it's almost unbearable. I've never really appreciated the rain, and the dilapidated state of my beloved rain boots is not improving my impression.
Suffice it to say, the rainy overcast weather has made it near impossible to wake up in the morning. Boyan and I slept in until 2 p.m. today without a stir.
I don't think it helps that there is next to nothing to do in West Covina and besides trips to the Grocery Store, there isn't much of our neighborhood that Boyan and I have set out to discover.
Every Saturday and Sunday there is a swap meet across the street at Nogales High School, but Boyan and I have yet to go--maybe we're saving it up so we have something to look forward to.
Since Mariana has left the house has been very quiet, and it's been difficult to find anything to do. We have, however, been blessed with wonderful friends in Janea, Jon, Joan, Alex, Minh and Payal--who made the voyage up to our San Gabriel apartment to keep us company. But this weekend our first with an empty home since December, which has brought upon us this hopeless feeling of lethargy. Which would explain the poem I wrote earlier.
So what have we been doing you ask? Well I had been reading--but I finished all my books. The completion of the Harry Potter series as I mentioned before left me in a right funk. Then we were watching a lot of the Micheal Palin travel series but we finished those as well. Let me tell you, watching a man visit every country in the world while you are sitting at home in West Covina isn't the best cure for suburb blues.
Now starts the search for things to do and see. All the books I want to read will be released in March, so I have a month before I can entertain myself. The books are all just brain candy, but the series I do want to start on, which is the Interview with a Vampire series from Anne Rice might result in an OCD reading binge, so I'm holding out as long as I can before I buy them. I've also been yelping a lot. Some of the negative reviews I've written have resulted in the owners of the restaurants contacting me and offering me a free meal. I've considered the possibilities of eating for free for the rest of my stay in West Covina, but I don't think this would be very honest. Plus, I don't think I'd want to go back to any of those places...even if they would pay me.
In the mean time, I'm hoping to add to the nine chapters I've written of Alexandra and Pygmius as well as meet some people in L.A. I've contacted regarding finding a mentor. And I think I'll start going to the gym more often. Make L.A. Fitness work for the $30.00 I give them every month, and I'd like to be more active, because this is about as active as I get these days.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Hello, 2008!
Please excuse the blogging hiatus. My mother-in-law Mariana has been staying with Boyan and I for the past month, and we have been spending every waking hour with her--playing cards, visiting various locations in Southern California, and overall having a swell time. The good news is I have tons to write about.
"Is Jodi with you?"
So after Old Town was Christmas and New Years. We had tons of fun with friends and family. We had a few people over for New Years Eve and enjoyed drinks, Karaoke Revolution and Banista.
Most of the group stayed until around 4 a.m. I was completely zonked and passed out. The next day we had planned to head to Newport Beach to visit the parents when walking out to my car, I noticed this.
Sometime very early in the morning someone broke my window and stole my ancient pink iPod. They also took my FM transmitter/charger. It wasn't the greatest way to start the new year, but there wasn't much I could do besides calling the police and filing a report.
So sorry for the long awaited update and to all friends and family I haven't seen in the past month. We've been busy! I hope you all had a Happy Happy Christmas and a fun New Y ears Eve!
I'm excited for 2008, so many things are going to happen this year I just know its going to be loads better than 2007. Look for more updates to come!
Mariana flew in from Bulgaria through London on Virgin Air. We picked her up at LAX December 14th.
We spent our first weekend in Pasadena at the Huntington Botanical Gardens, one of our favorite places to visit in Los Angeles. I'll spare you pictures from the trip seeing as we have to many as it is.
The weekend after that we went to San Diego to the San Diego Zoo. We got to see all kinds of animals. I particularly enjoyed the Puma's and the MeerKats.
"Is Jodi with you?"
After the Zoo we met up with Britta and Peter in Old Town, San Diego
for what was supposed to be scrumptious Mexican food. That was hardly
the case. You can read my review of the restaurant on Yelp.
So after Old Town was Christmas and New Years. We had tons of fun with friends and family. We had a few people over for New Years Eve and enjoyed drinks, Karaoke Revolution and Banista.
Most of the group stayed until around 4 a.m. I was completely zonked and passed out. The next day we had planned to head to Newport Beach to visit the parents when walking out to my car, I noticed this.
Sometime very early in the morning someone broke my window and stole my ancient pink iPod. They also took my FM transmitter/charger. It wasn't the greatest way to start the new year, but there wasn't much I could do besides calling the police and filing a report.
It was quite a shock. I was more pissed that they had broken into my car and ONLY stole my old broken iPod that doesn't even work unless it's connected to a power source. I hope they enjoyed listening to the 1:00 min of Broadway it would be able to play. Fuckers.
It was Boyan's first time at Disneyland and he really, really loved it!
Mariana had a great time as well. She went on every ride with us and had a blast.
Mariana left on January 14th, Boyan and I were very sad to see her go. Although the last month was hectic and crazy we had so much fun. We'd stay up playing cards, watching Michael Palin and made several trips to Friscos for $2 beers and fries with feta. I can't wait for her to come back again.So sorry for the long awaited update and to all friends and family I haven't seen in the past month. We've been busy! I hope you all had a Happy Happy Christmas and a fun New Y ears Eve!
I'm excited for 2008, so many things are going to happen this year I just know its going to be loads better than 2007. Look for more updates to come!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Sunday Nofunday.
Mreh mreh mreh. It's Sunday, which means tomorrow is Monday, which means I have to go to work and start the countdown to Friday once again.
Friday.
Boyan and I were on our way to meet some of my co-workers at our neighborhood Chili's. I don't know why there was so much traffic on the road at 6pm on Friday night but it seemed as if it took us forever. We were turning onto Fullerton from Valley and making our way to Gale when we sped through the intersection crossing the railroad tracks and heard a very loud train whistle. At first we were confused. 'Why does that train sound so close? The lights haven't gone up, the crossing arms haven't gone down.' As we crossed over the train tracks we realized why. Looking to the right we were blinded by a very bright light and a train that looked to be less than 100 yards away from our car. I put my foot on the gas and raced across the tracks onto the other side. Boyan and I both reeling. How could the train crossing arms malfunction like that? Cars on the other side of the road realizing their danger also raced across the tracks and out of the way. Finally the train went by as the arms went down, but it was definitely a close call for all.
When we finally made it to Chili's we noticed that the parking lot was full. The entire parking lot at 6pm and people were crowding the doorways to get inside the restaurant. Evidence to my previous points that, there is in fact, nothing to do in West Covina...besides go to Chili's of course! We had a nice dinner and drinks with our co-workers and made it back home in time to prepare ourselves for a trip downtown for the Jezebel happy hour.
We made it to the bar the Prince by 10:30, just in time to meet up with our friend Catherine, who had braved the Los Angeles metro system to join us. Besides the fact that Boyan SWORE we were on 7th street gang turf (well, the bar IS on 7th street, but the gang hangs out a block away so I don't think we were in any real danger) the surrounding neighborhood seemed quiet, poster boards with korean writing littered the skyline amongst old hollywood hotels.
The Prince was like a bar I'd only dreamt about but never fully experienced. We entered a small red door and were greeted by a deep red glow in the old world, british/beef eater inspired bar. This is definitely a local hangout, despite being used in Thank you for Smoking, the bar hasn't caught on with the hipster crowd and remains to be a spot for koreans to get a nice meal and a beer. Most probably a Hite in fact which is what I had. A light korean beer that had "fresh beer taste" and was made with "natural water" was quite pleasant and refreshing.
It was only after I sat down the strange B.O. smell reached by nose, but by then I was too excited about being there and around new people to notice. The event was organized by Gawker's media girl Molly who in fact works for another gawker media branch fleshbot (nsfw). There were rumors that those who showed up would get free porn, and Molly delivered way more than expected. Although Boyan and I didn't take her up on the offer of "Trannie Sistas Pt. II" it was still very interesting to see what kinds of crazy stuff people actually get off on in this world. She did end up interviewing me on video about the evening, and asked me what types of porn I was looking at to which I responded "Oh well there is so much here to choose from, Trannie Sisters PT. II and Pantyhose hoes, what more can you ask for?"
I panicked, I freaked out (I'm not good on camera) and hopefully that won't follow me around for the rest of my life. Anyways, after that all kinds of political and religious debate ensued till we left at around midnight to head home back to the SG Valley.
That will have to be it for now. I will write about Saturday tomorrow, my internet connection at home keeps going out. Stayed tuned for tails of french dipped sandwiches, the man without a nose, the fake oldest house in California and the fire drill at the observatory.
Friday.
Boyan and I were on our way to meet some of my co-workers at our neighborhood Chili's. I don't know why there was so much traffic on the road at 6pm on Friday night but it seemed as if it took us forever. We were turning onto Fullerton from Valley and making our way to Gale when we sped through the intersection crossing the railroad tracks and heard a very loud train whistle. At first we were confused. 'Why does that train sound so close? The lights haven't gone up, the crossing arms haven't gone down.' As we crossed over the train tracks we realized why. Looking to the right we were blinded by a very bright light and a train that looked to be less than 100 yards away from our car. I put my foot on the gas and raced across the tracks onto the other side. Boyan and I both reeling. How could the train crossing arms malfunction like that? Cars on the other side of the road realizing their danger also raced across the tracks and out of the way. Finally the train went by as the arms went down, but it was definitely a close call for all.
When we finally made it to Chili's we noticed that the parking lot was full. The entire parking lot at 6pm and people were crowding the doorways to get inside the restaurant. Evidence to my previous points that, there is in fact, nothing to do in West Covina...besides go to Chili's of course! We had a nice dinner and drinks with our co-workers and made it back home in time to prepare ourselves for a trip downtown for the Jezebel happy hour.
We made it to the bar the Prince by 10:30, just in time to meet up with our friend Catherine, who had braved the Los Angeles metro system to join us. Besides the fact that Boyan SWORE we were on 7th street gang turf (well, the bar IS on 7th street, but the gang hangs out a block away so I don't think we were in any real danger) the surrounding neighborhood seemed quiet, poster boards with korean writing littered the skyline amongst old hollywood hotels.
The Prince was like a bar I'd only dreamt about but never fully experienced. We entered a small red door and were greeted by a deep red glow in the old world, british/beef eater inspired bar. This is definitely a local hangout, despite being used in Thank you for Smoking, the bar hasn't caught on with the hipster crowd and remains to be a spot for koreans to get a nice meal and a beer. Most probably a Hite in fact which is what I had. A light korean beer that had "fresh beer taste" and was made with "natural water" was quite pleasant and refreshing.
It was only after I sat down the strange B.O. smell reached by nose, but by then I was too excited about being there and around new people to notice. The event was organized by Gawker's media girl Molly who in fact works for another gawker media branch fleshbot (nsfw). There were rumors that those who showed up would get free porn, and Molly delivered way more than expected. Although Boyan and I didn't take her up on the offer of "Trannie Sistas Pt. II" it was still very interesting to see what kinds of crazy stuff people actually get off on in this world. She did end up interviewing me on video about the evening, and asked me what types of porn I was looking at to which I responded "Oh well there is so much here to choose from, Trannie Sisters PT. II and Pantyhose hoes, what more can you ask for?"
I panicked, I freaked out (I'm not good on camera) and hopefully that won't follow me around for the rest of my life. Anyways, after that all kinds of political and religious debate ensued till we left at around midnight to head home back to the SG Valley.
That will have to be it for now. I will write about Saturday tomorrow, my internet connection at home keeps going out. Stayed tuned for tails of french dipped sandwiches, the man without a nose, the fake oldest house in California and the fire drill at the observatory.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
God I Miss Westwood
I miss L.A.
Really, I never thought I would find myself saying this but I do.
The feeling of walking down the street with the throngs of other people, adding to the pulse of the city. Having a place to go, a thing to do and people to see.
It's different in West Covina. It's suburban. You drive everywhere. It's less diverse.
Then little things like sitting at a cafe and having a latte, no knowing where to go to get a nice manicure, or being able to meet up with friends because you live 30 miles away.
It's a lot quieter here, If I didn't know who I was, I would probably get lost.
Alright enough of that. Things I miss from Los Angeles:
1. People: People on the streets, people speaking english, spanish, farsi (yes, farsi) people asking for money, directions, recommendations. Just people.
2. Food: I'd really like to find a place where I could have a nice sandwich and fresh salad. I'm sick of boba and ramen.
3. Shopping: I'm not trying to be materialistic, but I miss shopping. Not that I shopped a lot when I was in L.A. but I miss the opportunity of shopping. I miss Flax, in Westwood. I miss third street promenade, the Century city mall. I miss NICE stores (the mall here has a mervyns, yes I know I'm a snob). I miss Zara and Mango and H&M. I miss Borders! The closest borders is 12 miles away! I miss Traders Joes and Whole Foods (closest are 15 miles away).
4. I miss walking.
5. Friends, or running into friends, or being that friend that people visit when they come to L.A. or meeting up friends for happy hour.
6. My old apartment, its bright green walls.
But I am determined to like my new home. Now, if I just had time to get out and find something to like. Something besides being 5 miles away from an IKEA.
Really, I never thought I would find myself saying this but I do.
The feeling of walking down the street with the throngs of other people, adding to the pulse of the city. Having a place to go, a thing to do and people to see.
It's different in West Covina. It's suburban. You drive everywhere. It's less diverse.
Then little things like sitting at a cafe and having a latte, no knowing where to go to get a nice manicure, or being able to meet up with friends because you live 30 miles away.
It's a lot quieter here, If I didn't know who I was, I would probably get lost.
Alright enough of that. Things I miss from Los Angeles:
1. People: People on the streets, people speaking english, spanish, farsi (yes, farsi) people asking for money, directions, recommendations. Just people.
2. Food: I'd really like to find a place where I could have a nice sandwich and fresh salad. I'm sick of boba and ramen.
3. Shopping: I'm not trying to be materialistic, but I miss shopping. Not that I shopped a lot when I was in L.A. but I miss the opportunity of shopping. I miss Flax, in Westwood. I miss third street promenade, the Century city mall. I miss NICE stores (the mall here has a mervyns, yes I know I'm a snob). I miss Zara and Mango and H&M. I miss Borders! The closest borders is 12 miles away! I miss Traders Joes and Whole Foods (closest are 15 miles away).
4. I miss walking.
5. Friends, or running into friends, or being that friend that people visit when they come to L.A. or meeting up friends for happy hour.
6. My old apartment, its bright green walls.
But I am determined to like my new home. Now, if I just had time to get out and find something to like. Something besides being 5 miles away from an IKEA.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
OMG OMG OMG
I've failed NaBloPoMo. I already missed one day 3 days into the month. GOSH what a dorkus I am.
I was extremely busy yesterday, which I know isn't an excuse but what can I do. I'll continue to sojourn on and finish what I started, blogging everyday for the entire month of November. So, here we go.
Yesterday I woke up at the ripe hour of 6:30 a.m. to take Boyan to West Covina High School for his SAT II subject exam. We got there at 7:45 just in time to wade through the 16-year-olds also there to take the SAT, and find the room where Boyan would be taking his test. The subject tests are only an hour long, so I sat in my car waiting for him while reading the fourth Harry Potter.
After he took the test we raced back to the apt. to get a quick nap in before I drove to L.A. At about 12pm I hopped into my car and sped off to Santa Monica to pick up Jurgen and Carolina to pick them up for the House warming party we were having at 2 p.m. We had to stop off at the grocery story to pick up supplies, and I returned home, food and liquor in hand at 3 p.m. to my friends who were already all there and waiting for me.
Everyone trickled out around 7 p.m. leaving Jurgen and Britta who were staying the night. We grabbed a pizza, walked the dog and headed back to watch some movies.
First we watched The Year of the Dog. It seemed so promising but it was the biggest mistake of my life. I love Molly Shannon, John C. Reilly and Peter Sarsgaard but honestly it was the most dry and mind numbing experience of my life. There were a few scenes in the movie that were funny, most involving Peter Sarsgaard and Laura Dern playing an overly obsessed and protective mom, but other than that just plan ridiculous.
After that we watched Studio Ghibli's The Cat Returns (First dogs then cats, I don't know what we were thinking) which was also strange (read: take hallucinogens before watching film) but had a surprisingly good cast doing the voice overs (anne hathaway, cary elwes and tim curry!).
Woke up this morning, drove Jurgen back to Santa Monica, then drove to Long Beach to meet my parents at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Gardens at CSULB. Part of the reason to meet there was to see the gardens, the other part was so my Mom could try to push it on me for a wedding venue for next year. But all in all it was nice. Nothing compared to Kew or Huntington but beautiful none-the-less.
After that we made it to The Auld Dubliner pub in Long Beach and had some yummy food and beers. At the end of the dinner a live Irish band started playing, bag pipes, flute and all. It was wonderful.
So, you see I have been busy! Now that Boyan is done with his first SAT and Halloween is over, life should get back to semi-normal. I'm hoping to make it to the gym a few times this week and even drive around our new neighborhood a bit.
Alright, I hope this long post semi made up for my not posting yesterday. Until tomorrow...
I was extremely busy yesterday, which I know isn't an excuse but what can I do. I'll continue to sojourn on and finish what I started, blogging everyday for the entire month of November. So, here we go.
Yesterday I woke up at the ripe hour of 6:30 a.m. to take Boyan to West Covina High School for his SAT II subject exam. We got there at 7:45 just in time to wade through the 16-year-olds also there to take the SAT, and find the room where Boyan would be taking his test. The subject tests are only an hour long, so I sat in my car waiting for him while reading the fourth Harry Potter.
After he took the test we raced back to the apt. to get a quick nap in before I drove to L.A. At about 12pm I hopped into my car and sped off to Santa Monica to pick up Jurgen and Carolina to pick them up for the House warming party we were having at 2 p.m. We had to stop off at the grocery story to pick up supplies, and I returned home, food and liquor in hand at 3 p.m. to my friends who were already all there and waiting for me.
Everyone trickled out around 7 p.m. leaving Jurgen and Britta who were staying the night. We grabbed a pizza, walked the dog and headed back to watch some movies.
First we watched The Year of the Dog. It seemed so promising but it was the biggest mistake of my life. I love Molly Shannon, John C. Reilly and Peter Sarsgaard but honestly it was the most dry and mind numbing experience of my life. There were a few scenes in the movie that were funny, most involving Peter Sarsgaard and Laura Dern playing an overly obsessed and protective mom, but other than that just plan ridiculous.
After that we watched Studio Ghibli's The Cat Returns (First dogs then cats, I don't know what we were thinking) which was also strange (read: take hallucinogens before watching film) but had a surprisingly good cast doing the voice overs (anne hathaway, cary elwes and tim curry!).
Woke up this morning, drove Jurgen back to Santa Monica, then drove to Long Beach to meet my parents at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Gardens at CSULB. Part of the reason to meet there was to see the gardens, the other part was so my Mom could try to push it on me for a wedding venue for next year. But all in all it was nice. Nothing compared to Kew or Huntington but beautiful none-the-less.
After that we made it to The Auld Dubliner pub in Long Beach and had some yummy food and beers. At the end of the dinner a live Irish band started playing, bag pipes, flute and all. It was wonderful.
So, you see I have been busy! Now that Boyan is done with his first SAT and Halloween is over, life should get back to semi-normal. I'm hoping to make it to the gym a few times this week and even drive around our new neighborhood a bit.
Alright, I hope this long post semi made up for my not posting yesterday. Until tomorrow...
Monday, October 22, 2007
With or without cable
What a pickle I am in.
Boyan and I spent our first full weekend in our new apartment and it is SUCH a relief to be done moving. We got internet yesterday (finally) and a refrigerator on Saturday, so it seems we have returned to civilized society from the depths of the dark ages (no internet, no food, no T.V.). There is, however, one last thing that needs to be resolved, which is our T.V.
Our new apartment faces west, which makes it difficult for my beloved Direct TV satellite to find a signal in the southeast sky. Our new landlady, Dottie (who I'm sure I will be writing PLENTY about in the future) informed us that it was impossible to find a signal from our apartment unless the dish was on the roof, which of course is not allowed. But she was more than happy to refer us to her Charter Cable sales rep (she gave me his name and direct line) who I am positive she is in league with (commission anyone?) .
Boyan and I looked up the reviews, they got a 1.87 out of 127 reviews ( you can read them here, some key quotes, "A nest of Vampires. A Den of liars" and "I also will give them one star as zero is not an option.") and prices (WTF! SO EXPENSIVE $80/month?!?!) and decided that we definitely were in a pickle. Either we could forfeit our DirectTV and TiVo (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH) or we could give Charter Cable a try.
We're pissed that our landlord tries to choose our cable provider for us (Last time I checked this was AMERICA! I'm a consumer dammit I get a choice!) and that they are so unaccommodating.
So Boyan and I decided that if it's not DirectTV it's nothing. We'll download the shows we want to watch (ABC already lets you stream their episodes free online) and rent movies to bide our time. Now, those of you who know me know that I am more than a little obsessed with television. Do you think I can do without it? What will become of me? Will I go through withdrawals, shaking convulsing, foaming at the mouth like an addict? Standing outside neighbors windows trying to catch someone watching the Office or Grey's Anatomy? Or will I become more productive? Write more, exercise more? What do you think, can I do it?
Boyan and I spent our first full weekend in our new apartment and it is SUCH a relief to be done moving. We got internet yesterday (finally) and a refrigerator on Saturday, so it seems we have returned to civilized society from the depths of the dark ages (no internet, no food, no T.V.). There is, however, one last thing that needs to be resolved, which is our T.V.
Our new apartment faces west, which makes it difficult for my beloved Direct TV satellite to find a signal in the southeast sky. Our new landlady, Dottie (who I'm sure I will be writing PLENTY about in the future) informed us that it was impossible to find a signal from our apartment unless the dish was on the roof, which of course is not allowed. But she was more than happy to refer us to her Charter Cable sales rep (she gave me his name and direct line) who I am positive she is in league with (commission anyone?) .
Boyan and I looked up the reviews, they got a 1.87 out of 127 reviews ( you can read them here, some key quotes, "A nest of Vampires. A Den of liars" and "I also will give them one star as zero is not an option.") and prices (WTF! SO EXPENSIVE $80/month?!?!) and decided that we definitely were in a pickle. Either we could forfeit our DirectTV and TiVo (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH) or we could give Charter Cable a try.
We're pissed that our landlord tries to choose our cable provider for us (Last time I checked this was AMERICA! I'm a consumer dammit I get a choice!) and that they are so unaccommodating.
So Boyan and I decided that if it's not DirectTV it's nothing. We'll download the shows we want to watch (ABC already lets you stream their episodes free online) and rent movies to bide our time. Now, those of you who know me know that I am more than a little obsessed with television. Do you think I can do without it? What will become of me? Will I go through withdrawals, shaking convulsing, foaming at the mouth like an addict? Standing outside neighbors windows trying to catch someone watching the Office or Grey's Anatomy? Or will I become more productive? Write more, exercise more? What do you think, can I do it?
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