Today marked the end of another fun-filled spring break in California. Once again, I decided to pass on the Lake Havasu or Cancun “Naked Fests”, and instead, spend some time relaxing in “So Cal” with family and friends. By the way, the chances of me ever saying “So Cal” again are about zero, so cherish this moment if you so desire.
Mom and I had a wonderful time together in LA this week. We started off by meeting with her sister (my aunt) Carol for breakfast on Thursday morning, and then broke off for an afternoon of mother-son reflection time in Santa Monica. The weather was how do you say, PERFECT, and with the usual variety of street performers doing their thing, it was a nice mix of relaxation and entertainment. To cap off the night, we saw “The Quiet American”, the movie that landed Michael Cain a Best Actor nomination. Funny how he was neither quiet nor an American in the film, and thus by simple laws of deduction, he was not a “quiet American” either.
Anecdote #1: Our one big goal was to see the protesters who spend their weekends on the corner of Wilshire and Veteran parading in front of the Los Angles Federal Building. On the way to the airport, there was a huge rally going on, and I thought it would be a great idea to get a picture to post on the journal/website. Of course, anyone who knows my mom knows that when you combine moving vehicles and split second decision making involving new technology–in this case, my digital camera–the chances of success decrease dramatically. I’m sorry to say I won’t have any protest pictures to show today because MG mistakenly had the camera facing the wrong direction as she took the shot. Instead, we are left with this lovely picture of me maneuvering brilliantly in my Accord.
Anecdote #2: I’ve been to LAX five times in the past week (for Brandon, Pejman twice, Erling, and Marygrace), and every single time I enter I can’t help but laugh hysterically at this bizarre billboard. I can’t figure it out. Is the bear applying for an account? Or is the bear taking the man’s money to buy things? Either way, anyone familiar with grizzly bear attacks knows that this man will definitely need his money to pay for the medical bills he’ll incur after the bear smashes his skull in with one swift blow. I guess I couldn’t blame the guy if he falls into the bear’s trap… just look at that innocent little smile the bear has. Ahhhh
With Spring Break over, I should have a more regular schedule of journal and webpage updates. In case you’re keeping track, we are scheduled to take a second quarter of neural systems, and weekly journal club, and our usual rotation lab work.
* Movie Quote of the Day: “We’d have more luck playing pick-up sticks with our butt-cheeks than we will getting a flight out of here before daybreak.”
March 30, 2003
animals, friends and family, ridiculous, signs, technology