#pizza melrose park

[leoharrison008]

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[dream-beyond-the-fantasy]

Saturday at GalaxyCon Raleigh

I was too exhausted to post on Saturday, so I will try to recount everything now.

My cousin Alexis and I left out at a little after 7 am, making a few stops (atm, gas, Starbucks).  We took back roads instead of taking the interstate.�� Still a roughly two hour drive, but it was scenic and low traffic.  We talked about favorite Tim Curry movies and horror movies (good vs. bad, remakes) and listened to some of her favorite podcasts during the long drive.  Parking wasn’t a problem and we ended up arriving like fifteen minutes before the doors were meant to open.  There was a huge line that we had to wait in because there were so many attending on Saturday and they weren’t opening doors for anyone unless you were con staff or a vendor.  The waiting in line wasn’t too bad; it was mostly the people with VIP or 4 Day badges who were whining that they couldn’t get in yet.  As our line got closer to the building, I spotted @boxofficequeen2416 and said hello.  Thankfully, it wasn’t too hard to find the pre-registration desk or a bathroom.

Our first stop was the Exhibition Room.  We decided to walk the outside first and work our way in before trying to find the celebrities and Tim Curry photo op line.  God, it was so fucking crowded and suffocating.  We saw how long Curry’s line was and decided to wait a few hours, checking out out other celebrities.

Our first stop was Chris Sarandon, as he was on the end and was a main draw for my cousin.  She had planned to do just an autograph, but decided to do the combo.  Alexis got her Jack Skellington Funko Pop figure signed.  When he asked her name,  Chris mentioned that he has a daughter named Alexis.  He also asked if he could put his arm around her in the table photo.

My first stop was Barry Bostwick, as he had hardly anyone in his line.  I did the autograph/table photo combo.  I brought something to be signed by him.  It was an oversized movie postcard that came with my Cult Films textbook from college.  Barry hadn’t seen anything like it and had to take a picture of it with his phone.  He signed it “Dammit Kristi, I llove you!”  He took two selfies with me.  He was super sweet.  He had asked me what I went to college for (Media Studies).  When I told him that I didn’t get a job in that field mostly because I didn’t know what I wanted to do, he was very kind and told me that it was okay and that I would find something that I was suited for.

My next stop was Daphne Zuniga.  Out of all the photos for her to sign, there was only one for Melrose Place.  Can you believe that?  One of the two roles she is most famous for and only one photo for it!  Naturally, I had to get that autographed.  I also told her that I was currently watching the show and had just watched an episode that morning.  She asked what season I was on.  I told her that it was the third season and I think it was maybe the nineteenth episode of the season.  Daphne couldn’t even remember what had happened in that season.  That struck me as a bit odd, since she was only in the first four seasons.  I told her that Jo was pregnant that season.

Next up was selfies with Kristy Swanson.  She was really sweet and patient while I tried to get my phone ready.  She took four pictures with me.  I told her that we shared the same name, but one letter different.

After the panel was over, I met boxofficequeen2416 again.  I really wanted to join her for the Anthony Michael Hall Q&A.  But I knew my cousin was waiting for me.  We were going to try and get into the Tim Curry line.  No go, the staffer said try again at 2:45.  So, I got in line to get an autograph from Jonathan Frakes.  It didn’t look so bad, compared to how it was earlier in the day.  OMG, I was in line for a fucking hour!  My cousin tried calling me three times and texted twice while I was in line and I was worried that con staff would freak out because I had a phone out.  It honestly wouldn’t have been so bad if it wasn’t for VIPs and their “fast lane”.  Damn line jumpers, ugh.  But Frakes is such a sweetie who loves to talk to everyone getting an autograph and/or selfie.  Sadly, that also makes things take longer.  I got my DVD cover of Star Trek: First Contact signed by Frakes.  He starred in and directed that film.  He told me that it was is favorite movie.

I went over to Anthony Michael Hall’s booth, as there was hardly anyone there.  I had my DVD cover for The Breakfast Club signed.  He was really nice.  He shook my hand and thanked me for coming. When he was about to sign, he asked how I spell my name, as there are about twenty different ways.  I got compliments on my shirt, which I told him I wore just because I found out he was coming and that it has been my favorite movie for years.

We walked around a little more.  Alexis bought some things for herself and a Bucky print for a friend.  I found the Bard’s Tower booth and immediately spotted Timothy Zahn.  They did free signings!  I had Heir to the Empire signed by him.  I also had a promotional Decipher card depicting him as Talon Karrde, Michael A. Stackpole as Corran Horn, and Shannon McRandle as Mara Jade signed.  I received that card eight years ago at StellarCon 36 after I told Mike Stackpole that Tim Zahn was my favorite author.  Stackpole signed it and hand it to me, telling me to hold onto it until I had the chance to get Tim to sign it.  About 11:45 or so, we headed over to buy food.  I got a pepperoni pizza from Papa John’s.  She got some macaroni and pork, as well as a bottle of tea.  The food was so good, but she felt hers wasn’t worth the $14 she paid.

Nearly four o’clock, we decided we were exhausted and ready to start our two hour journey home.  There were several people that I missed out on seeing, but we had a great time.  I hope to be back next year.

Then we decided to take a break from the Exhibition Room.  I unfortunately missed out on Catherine Tate’s Q&A.  But I knew Jason David Frank’s would start soon.  Alexis went out to the video gaming section and watched a few games being played.  JDF was nearly twenty minutes late to his own panel.  When he finally showed up, he apologized.  That man looked damn good in a suit.  I wish I could have gotten a clearer picture of him.  He is such a nice, down-to-earth guy.  He even stated that it is perfectly okay for fans to try and take a picture of him, despite the con rules.  He told us how he got into acting, how he received his role on Power Rangers, his cameo in the 2017 movie, and showed us the trailer for The Legend of the White Dragon, a Power Rangers fan film that he and Johnny Yong Bosch are trying to film with other ranger actors for the fans.  OMG!  We need this so badly!  I’ve never donated money online or done anything with Kickstarter, but I am so tempted to do it for this.

After that, I think I went to see Christopher Daniel Barnes.  I was originally just going to get an autograph, but his handler talked me into the combo since his prices were so cheap ($40 for both).  Poor guy barely had anyone at his table, compared to his costar (Barnes voiced Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid and the mermaid herself Jodi Benson was always swarmed by fans).  Of the potential photos to be signed were mostly Prince Eric, at least four different 1994 Spider-Man: The Animated Series prints, one which I didn’t recognize but also had Robert Hays (which I have since learned is Starman), and only one Greg Brady from The Brady Bunch Movie/A Very Brady Sequel.  Naturally, I chose Greg Brady.  Barnes is definitely a nice guy.

I believe our final venture was the Tim Curry photo op.  The line was considerably shorter, thankfully.  I knew that Curry had a stroke a while back and was in a wheelchair.  But as soon as we went behind the curtain, I wanted to cry when I laid eyes on him.  I am aware that he is in his 70s, but it appears that his stroke has definitely taken a toll.  And the hours of exhausting photo ops probably hadn’t helped (he started at 11 am and was supposed to go until 5 pm).

[la-rp]

New rooms added on Glip!

Hollywood Sign – The Hollywood Sign is an American landmark and cultural icon overlooking Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It is situated on Mount Lee, in the Hollywood Hills area of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Santa Monica State Beach – Santa Monica State Beach is a California State Park operated by the city of Santa Monica. Open 24 hours. 

LA Fitness – Gym. 

Downtown Santa Monica – Posh shopping center offers a range of retailers, dining & entertainment amid a stylish promenade.

Pho 22 – Cafe-style Vietnamese eatery offering a variety of pho soups, banh mi sandwiches & smoothies.

Melrose Avenue – Melrose Avenue is a shopping, dining and entertainment destination in Los Angeles that starts at Santa Monica Boulevard, at the border between Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. 

Providence – Great food for a great amount of money. Chef Michael Cimarusti's fine-dining destination delivers innovative seafood in a tranquil setting.

71Above – Luxe eatery, bar & lounge on the 71st floor for high-end modern American cuisine & panoramic views.

Firefly – Upmarket American cuisine with a library-like foyer, a hopping bar & a romantic patio dining area.

Faith & Flower – Vintage-inspired New American restaurant serving rustic dishes, raw-bar fare & craft cocktails.

Pace – Cozy, romantic Italian eatery whose pizzas & pastas feature locally sourced & organic ingredients.

Marvin Braude Bike Trail – Forgot your bike? There are numerous bike rental shops along the trail and helmets and bike locks are included in the price. Grab a trail map and enjoy! Restrooms are plentiful as are restaurants – the reason to bring a lock. You get a real sense of the California beach scene as you ride along. Pass by several municipal piers, an amusement park, volleyball games, a skate park, the LA airport where planes fly over your head, a large population of homeless near Venice Beach and lots families enjoying the beach.

King Kush Collective – Cannabis store in Los Angeles, California.

Overland Veterinary Clinic – Animal hospital in Los Angeles, California.

[positanospizzaandpasta]

Skip the line. Order online.

[sonyaesman]

Hey Sonya, I’m going to LA soon for a week. Is there anything you would recommend doing or visiting ( apart from the obvious touristy things) xxx

Hi! 

First of all, I’ll state the bad news: LA is nothing like they show it to be in movies. You’ll probably be disappointed if you arrive thinking Brad Pitt’s going to be at the grocery store & everything is beautiful and shiny. So come with an open mind. The actual city of Los Angeles is a weird one, has a lot of suburban vibes, lots of subcultures, scary social-economic contrasts in the different areas, a huge and devastating homeless population... BUT. The state of California is simply magical.

Anyway, 

- Malibu Creek State Park (hiking, nature, rolling hills, a creek, this place is stunning at sunset) 

- Laguna Beach

- Spend a day in Venice Beach, walk down Abbot Kinney Blvd and go into: Gjelina is a great restaurant, but super busy (their pizza is everything)Mystic Journey Bookshop (crystals, books, witchy stuff)Burro (one of my favorite stores ever, which might make me a nerd)Plant Food and Wine & Kreation if you’re into vegan/raw food

Also do walk along the Venice Beach canals, they’re really pretty. 

- Go to Erewhon in West Hollywood. You probably won’t see Brad Pitt but you’ll see fifty people that look like him. (the god of healthy grocery stores/makes whole foods look like walmart/cool kid hangout spot)

-Go to Silverlake, walk along Sunset Blvd (lots of cool vintage shops & cafes), go to Echo Park. If you want to go to the most hyped out and hipster cafe in Silverlake (i used to postmate it everyday when I lived in silverlake) go to Sqirl. Ricotta and jam toast, bowls, avocado, everything’s good. 

-If you have a car, drive through the Pacific Coast Highway up north to Malibu. Stunning views.

- Hike at Zion National Park. 

- If you want to get a feel for one of the subcultures in LA, go to Melrose Ave. Melrose is for cool kids. 

- Have dinner at Chateau Marmont. Iconic place in an iconic part of the city. Read about the history of Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood in the 90's. Super cool.

Just don’t go to the fucking Grove. Or Hollywood Blvd. Just don’t lol.

Hope this helped. x

[jersh]

April, 2018

Brooklyn, New York.

Early morning in the universe as Kerouac once narrated over friends in black and white New York City here I descend from my apartment on a breezy blue sky Bushwick morning.  I'm not just a little hungover and I can still smell spilled beer not mine but surely caused by me as i recall shouldering my way through a crowd of studded denim and one guy in a full blow up dinosaur costume on the sidewalk and the bars blur together in my neighborhood.  

I’m passing now under scaffolding built up against the side of a school for Alternative Learning as the plaque reads hidden behind vine, where four or five homeless men huddled together to build a community of cardboard huts and blankets who all share one or two cell phones.

They must have all been sharing a game of Scrabble, or Words with Friends as I was once asked to spell the word monopoly and then was abruptly told to shut up, shut up because one of men, the oldest that I’d ever noticed here, who always wore orange overalls and rubber galoshes wanted to figure it out for himself. I walked away toward my apartment before hearing how they managed.

Some are sleeping now but two men are up discussing in Spanish, pointing to the white flowers blooming from the trees. Good morning, hi.  They see me and smile, “tarde al trabajo”. A phrase I looked up long ago.

Turning left I cross the street towards the Melrose laundromat who's only letters that illuminate at night are the oh and the m. The lights are off and no one’s inside. Next to it, an open lot where now buried in fallen tree branches sits a rotting halfpipe that I never got to ride in its prime, never brave enough to stick my head through the gate and ask my neighbors for a run.

A tapping sound, I turn back towards the laundromat and the small black-haired head of a small boy rolls up along the inside of the glass, pressing his cheeks against the window. He’s bundled up in an oversized jacket and the whole thing reminds me of the Ikea monkey as the inside lights flicker on and the open sign flashes off and on until it steadies and a neon hum takes over from the settling trash from a gust of wind.

This is Bushwick, recapitalized by two teary-eyed teens’ impromptu photoshoot of a face down slice of pizza on the sidewalk. Note to self: check geo-tag Archie's for ironic emoji commentary, and a request for a prayer which I offer now silently, amen.

I’m calling it a sky route but whatever it’s true name is there are on average one to two airplanes that pass over this block every minute and I’ve never lied on my back and wondered who was in any of those planes, or where they’re coming from I just knew they were descending to JFK and that’s all I can say about it. There’s a Mystery Science joke about the pilots leg sticking out the bottom but I never get a chance to make that specific reference and this probably doesn’t count now either.

Since I started down this block I’ve half-watched the same van attempting to parallel park in two different spaces on two different sides of the road, though just from memory two of them had fire hydrants, right, I see them both now, and then the last one was in front of a giant pile of yes, more trash.

The trash pile, taller every day, wavering and rumbling, piled against the scaffolding of a newly renovated apartment building once use for the local fire department as a training ground for new recruits on how to use three story high ladders I saw this last summer as I sat in front of my laundromat eating a turkey sandwich from the local Bodega.

Now trapping in that four- attempt parallel parker are two city garbage trucks behind one another. Why are there two. I’ll ask them. I don’t. Both have men weaving in and outside of the parked cars collecting trash maybe they had forgotten last week? It sure seems like that’s the case every week in this neighborhood. Ironing board fake flowers cardboard boxes empty bottles beer cans properly dispose pizza crust milk cartons sandwich wrappers hair brushes tooth-brushes, my bicycle check, my lock key check my wallet check, tarde al trabajo.

Dictated, Transcribed, Lightly Edited.

[kathydsalters31]

WE MADE COSTCO FOOD COURT TOYS. HERE’S HOW TO GET THEM

No journey to Costco is full without stopping in the food court. After a long day of shopping, there’s something regarding their timeless$1.50 hotdog soft drink combo or the cheesy odor of pizza that’s too excellent to pass up. The food court stop was the selling point whenever my mama asked me ahead along with her. It’s that great. Naturally, we located a method to take this sweet pleasant benefit as well as share it with our pet dogs. BARK is partnering with Costco to make these food court standards right into a deluxe package your canine can drool about best alongside you !!

Your canine can currently chew down on this squeaky hotdog, coupled with a flawlessly fluffed packed piece of pupperoni pizza and then wash it down with the crinkly cup of soda.

The irresistible combo we’ve all grown to love. OH! Do not allow your puppy forget their good pet subscription card. Can’t do anything without it.

Now East as well as West coast, we assure we enjoy you yet the Midwest does have a track record for being Costco’s top fans. This bundle comes from their shops.

Here’s the list of shops that will certainly be offering your plush food court faves:

WEST DES MOINES7205 MILLS CIVIC PARKWAYIACORALVILLE2900 HEARTLAND DRIVEIADAVENPORT2790 EAST 53RD STREETIANAPERVILLE1320 SOUTH ROUTE # 59ILGLENVIEW2900 PATRIOT BLVDILBLOOMINGDALE505 W ARMY TRAIL ROADILLAKE ZURICH680 S RAND RDILLINCOLN PARK2746 N. CLYBOURN AVENUEILNILES7311 N MELVINA AVEILSCHAUMBURG1375 N MEACHAM RDILOAK BROOK1901 W 22ND STILORLAND PARK9915 W 159TH STILLAKE IN THE HILLS250 N RANDALL RDILMT PROSPECT999 N ELMHURST RDILST CHARLES221 S RANDALL RDILMETTAWA25901 RIVERWOODS RDILMELROSE PARK8400 W NORTH AVEILBOLINGBROOK830 EAST BOUGHTON ROADILCHICAGO SOUTH LOOP1430 S. ASHLAND AVE.IL EASTPEORIA 301 W WASHINGTON IL NORTH RIVERSIDE2500 SOUTH HARLEM AVENUEILLOVES PARK 5000 STADIUM DRIVE IL CASTLETON 6110 EAST 86TH STREET IN LOT OF MONEY PARK9010 MICHIGAN ROAD IN MERRILLVILLE 1310 E. 79TH AVE.IN FT WAYNE 5110VALUE DRIVE IN MISHAWAKA 625 E UNIVERSITY DR IN S INDIANAPOLIS4628 E COUNTY LIVE RD IN EVANSVILLE 1201 CROSS POINTE INLENEXA 9350 MARSHALL DRIVE KS OVERLAND PARK12221 BLUE VALLEY PARKWAY KS LOUISVILLE5020 NORTON HEALTHCAREBLKY LEXINGTON 1500 FITZGERALD CT KY FLORENCE800 HEIGHTS BLVD KYLOUISVILLE 3408BARDSTOWN RDKYCOMMERCE TOWNSHIP 3000 COMMERCE CROSSINGRDMI LAKESIDE 45460 MARKET ST MI AUBURN HILLS 400BROWN RDMI MIDDLEBELT 13700 MIDDLEBELT RD MI HAGGERTY 20000 HAGGERTY ROADMI MADISON HEIGHTS 30550 STEPHENSON HWY MI ROSEVILLE MI 27118 GRATIOT AVE MI WYOMING 4901 WILSON AVE SW MI GRAND RAPIDS 5100 28TH ST. SE MIGREEN OAK TOWNSHIP6700 WHITMORE LAKE RD MI BLOOMFIELD 2343 S TELEGRAPH RD MIPITTSFIELDTOWNSHIP 771 AIRPORT BLVDMIKALAMAZOO 5100 CENTURY AVE MI EAST LANSING 2540 E SAGINAW HIGHWAYMIGO ACROSSCITY 125 E SOUTH AIRPORT RD MI COONRAPIDS 12547RIVERDALE BLVD NW MN ST LOUIS PARK 5801W 16TH ST MN MAPLE GROVE 11330 FOUNTAINS DR. NMNEDEN PRAIRIE 12011 TECHNOLOGY DRIVE MN MAPLEWOOD 1431BEAM AVE MN BURNSVILLE14050 BURNHAVEN DRIVEMNBAXTER 13650 ELDER DRIVE MN ROCHESTER MN 2020 COMMERCE DRNW MN WOODBURY7070 TAMARACK ROAD MN ST. CLOUD 3636 2NDSTREET South MN EAGAN 995 BLUE GENTIAN ROADMNS ST LOUIS 4200 RUSTY ROAD MO FREEDOM 19040 E. VALLEY VIEW PKWY MOKANSAS CITY241 EAST LINWOOD BLVD MO ST PETERS 200 COSTCO WAYMO MANCHESTER MO 301 HIGHLANDS BLVDDRMO N KANSASCITY 8801 NORTH PLATTE PURCHASE DR MOWEST FARGO 750 23RDAVE EAST ND OMAHA 12300 WEST DODGE RD NELA VISTA 12515 PORTSIDE PARKWAY NE LINCOLN 1620 PINE LAKE ROAD NE AVONOH 35804 DETROIT ROAD OH MAYFIELD HEIGHTS 1409 GOLDEN GATE BLVD OH SPRINGDALE 1100 EAST KEMPER ROADOH DEERFIELD 9691 WATERSTONE BLVDOH STRONGSVILLE 16690 ROYALTON RD OH COLUMBUS 1500 GEMINI PLACE OHTOLEDO 3405 WEST CENTRAL AVE OH EASTON 3888 STELZER ROAD OH CENTERVILLE 5300 CORNERSTONE NORTH BL OHPERRYSBURG 26400 DIXIE HWY OH BOSTON HEIGHTS6720 BASS PRO DRIVE OH NW COLUMBUS 7300 STATE ROUTE 161E OH OKLAHOMA CITY 13200 N WESTERN OK SIOUX FALLS 3700 S GRANGE AVE.SD GRAFTON 950PORT WASHINGTON RD WI MIDDLETON 2150 DEMING WAY WI PEWAUKEE443 PEWAUKEE RDWI SUNLIGHT PRAIRIE 2850 HOEPKERRDWI BELLEVUE 2355COSTCO WAY WI ENJOYABLE PRAIRIE7707 94TH AVE WI MENOMONEE FALLS W162 N9235 PERSHING AVE WI NEW BERLIN 15300 WEST GRANGE AVEWI GRAND CHUTE(APPLETON)5401 W. INTEGRITY WAY WI @barkbox< a title ="greenscreen"target="_ space”href=”https://www.tiktok.com/tag/greenscreen”rel=”noopener noreferrer”>## greenscreen it’s not a store, it’s a way of life##costco## dogsoftiktok♬ originalaudio– extremeexotics.com source http://www.luckydogsolutions.com/%f0%9f%8c%bdwe-made-costco-food-court-toys-heres-how-to-get-them%f0%9f%8c%bd/

from Lucky Dog Solutions https://luckydogsolutions.blogspot.com/2020/08/we-made-costco-food-court-toys-heres.html

[barryswamsleyaz]

WE MADE COSTCO FOOD COURT TOYS. HERE’S HOW TO GET THEM

No journey to Costco is full without stopping in the food court. After a long day of shopping, there’s something regarding their timeless$1.50 hotdog soft drink combo or the cheesy odor of pizza that’s too excellent to pass up. The food court stop was the selling point whenever my mama asked me ahead along with her. It’s that great. Naturally, we located a method to take this sweet pleasant benefit as well as share it with our pet dogs. BARK is partnering with Costco to make these food court standards right into a deluxe package your canine can drool about best alongside you !!

Your canine can currently chew down on this squeaky hotdog, coupled with a flawlessly fluffed packed piece of pupperoni pizza and then wash it down with the crinkly cup of soda.

The irresistible combo we’ve all grown to love. OH! Do not allow your puppy forget their good pet subscription card. Can’t do anything without it.

Now East as well as West coast, we assure we enjoy you yet the Midwest does have a track record for being Costco’s top fans. This bundle comes from their shops.

Here’s the list of shops that will certainly be offering your plush food court faves:

WEST DES MOINES 7205 MILLS CIVIC PARKWAY IA CORALVILLE 2900 HEARTLAND DRIVE IA DAVENPORT 2790 EAST 53RD STREET IA NAPERVILLE 1320 SOUTH ROUTE # 59 IL GLENVIEW 2900 PATRIOT BLVD IL BLOOMINGDALE 505 W ARMY TRAIL ROAD IL LAKE ZURICH 680 S RAND RD IL LINCOLN PARK 2746 N. CLYBOURN AVENUE IL NILES 7311 N MELVINA AVE IL SCHAUMBURG 1375 N MEACHAM RD IL OAK BROOK 1901 W 22ND ST IL ORLAND PARK 9915 W 159TH ST IL LAKE IN THE HILLS 250 N RANDALL RD IL MT PROSPECT 999 N ELMHURST RD IL ST CHARLES 221 S RANDALL RD IL METTAWA 25901 RIVERWOODS RD IL MELROSE PARK 8400 W NORTH AVE IL BOLINGBROOK 830 EAST BOUGHTON ROAD IL CHICAGO SOUTH LOOP 1430 S. ASHLAND AVE.IL EAST PEORIA 301 W WASHINGTON IL NORTH RIVERSIDE 2500 SOUTH HARLEM AVENUE IL LOVES PARK 5000 STADIUM DRIVE IL CASTLETON 6110 EAST 86TH STREET IN LOT OF MONEY PARK 9010 MICHIGAN ROAD IN MERRILLVILLE 1310 E. 79TH AVE.IN FT WAYNE 5110VALUE DRIVE IN MISHAWAKA 625 E UNIVERSITY DR IN S INDIANAPOLIS 4628 E COUNTY LIVE RD IN EVANSVILLE 1201 CROSS POINTE IN LENEXA 9350 MARSHALL DRIVE KS OVERLAND PARK 12221 BLUE VALLEY PARKWAY KS LOUISVILLE 5020 NORTON HEALTHCARE BL KY LEXINGTON 1500 FITZGERALD CT KY FLORENCE 800 HEIGHTS BLVD KY LOUISVILLE 3408 BARDSTOWN RD KY COMMERCE TOWNSHIP 3000 COMMERCE CROSSING RD MI LAKESIDE 45460 MARKET ST MI AUBURN HILLS 400 BROWN RDMI MIDDLEBELT 13700 MIDDLEBELT RD MI HAGGERTY 20000 HAGGERTY ROAD MI MADISON HEIGHTS 30550 STEPHENSON HWY MI ROSEVILLE MI 27118 GRATIOT AVE MI WYOMING 4901 WILSON AVE SW MI GRAND RAPIDS 5100 28TH ST. SE MI GREEN OAK TOWNSHIP 6700 WHITMORE LAKE RD MI BLOOMFIELD 2343 S TELEGRAPH RD MIPITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP 771 AIRPORT BLVD MI KALAMAZOO 5100 CENTURY AVE MI EAST LANSING 2540 E SAGINAW HIGHWAY MI GO ACROSS CITY 125 E SOUTH AIRPORT RD MI COONRAPIDS 12547 RIVERDALE BLVD NW MN ST LOUIS PARK 5801 W 16TH ST MN MAPLE GROVE 11330 FOUNTAINS DR. N MN EDEN PRAIRIE 12011 TECHNOLOGY DRIVE MN MAPLEWOOD 1431 BEAM AVE MN BURNSVILLE 14050 BURNHAVEN DRIVE MN BAXTER 13650 ELDER DRIVE MN ROCHESTER MN 2020 COMMERCE DR NW MN WOODBURY 7070 TAMARACK ROAD MN ST. CLOUD 3636 2NDSTREET South MN EAGAN 995 BLUE GENTIAN ROAD MN S ST LOUIS 4200 RUSTY ROAD MO FREEDOM 19040 E. VALLEY VIEW PKWY MO KANSAS CITY 241 EAST LINWOOD BLVD MO ST PETERS 200 COSTCO WAY MO MANCHESTER MO 301 HIGHLANDS BLVD DR MO N KANSAS CITY 8801 NORTH PLATTE PURCHASE DR MOWEST FARGO 750 23RD AVE EAST ND OMAHA 12300 WEST DODGE RD NE LA VISTA 12515 PORTSIDE PARKWAY NE LINCOLN 1620 PINE LAKE ROAD NE AVONOH 35804 DETROIT ROAD OH MAYFIELD HEIGHTS 1409 GOLDEN GATE BLVD OH SPRINGDALE 1100 EAST KEMPER ROAD OH DEERFIELD 9691 WATERSTONE BLVDOH STRONGSVILLE 16690 ROYALTON RD OH COLUMBUS 1500 GEMINI PLACE OHTOLEDO 3405 WEST CENTRAL AVE OH EASTON 3888 STELZER ROAD OH CENTERVILLE 5300 CORNERSTONE NORTH BL OH PERRYSBURG 26400 DIXIE HWY OH BOSTON HEIGHTS 6720 BASS PRO DRIVE OH NW COLUMBUS 7300 STATE ROUTE 161 E OH OKLAHOMA CITY 13200 N WESTERN OK SIOUX FALLS 3700 S GRANGE AVE.SD GRAFTON 950 PORT WASHINGTON RD WI MIDDLETON 2150 DEMING WAY WI PEWAUKEE 443 PEWAUKEE RD WI SUNLIGHT PRAIRIE 2850 HOEPKER RD WI BELLEVUE 2355 COSTCO WAY WI ENJOYABLE PRAIRIE 7707 94TH AVE WI MENOMONEE FALLS W162 N9235 PERSHING AVE WI NEW BERLIN 15300 WEST GRANGE AVE WI GRAND CHUTE(APPLETON)5401 W. INTEGRITY WAY WI @barkbox< a title =“greenscreen"target=” _ space”href=”https://www.tiktok.com/tag/greenscreen”rel=” noopener noreferrer” >## greenscreen it’s not a store, it’s a way of life ## costco ## dogsoftiktok♬ original audio– extremeexotics.com from Lucky Dog Solutions http://www.luckydogsolutions.com/%f0%9f%8c%bdwe-made-costco-food-court-toys-heres-how-to-get-them%f0%9f%8c%bd/

from Lucky Dog Solutions https://luckydogsolutions.tumblr.com/post/626624457251979264

[hellolittlefoxie]

With You - Part 1

Sometime in the early morning hours of December 31st, our first year together officially began. It was nothing extravagant, no flowers, no romantic dinner. It was just in the intimacy of sitting alone while the the city slept that it began.

Our first full day together was surprisingly casual, not to be surprised given the circumstances of the time but it was a day I cherish very much. Running errands, such as picking and dropping of your momma, a workout session along the Embarcadero, a meet up with a friend for dinner, and watching the city glisten from a new viewpoint as we brought the new year together in the calm and quiet of your living room, giving each other a smile as we looked out the window to your neighborhood. 

January

The first day of the new year was a bittersweet one. You took me to Chinatown, where you got me some hong kong milk tea, and some deliciously flaky egg tarts. And then drove me across the the bridge to show me Sausalito for the first time. Here I fell in love with the small town vibes, and serenity that came from viewing SF from the distance as the windows turned to gold while the sun set. But that night would be a lonely one as I had to say good bye to you a and drove down the darkness of the 5.

The 2nd adventure of the year took us to the legendary Bill Graham to see none other than your favorite trance DJ, with BJ and the rest of Norcal Anaho. A blurry night where we broke our necks you broke your neck as you complained about it for the rest of the weekend. Had some wonderful family time with Anaho as we did a photoshoot at an abandoned bunker, had dinner at my fave place in SF, San Tung, chilled at Amanda’s house, explored new areas of the city, and had one of the more memorable nights at Travelodge with our first wine and snack night. 

February

“Are we celebrating Valentine’s?” “No not really.” 

Was basically the gist of one of our conversations. But that weekend after Valentine’s  had us back together, me dressed up a little nicer than usual, and you glowing in your pretty gray dress, and coat, as we spent our first “non valentine’s day celebration” in the middle of downtown. A night where we explored LA’s downtown night life together for the first time, where I pointed to to you the Denny’s I went to after prom, a geography lesson on LA’s layout on top of a rotating bar. Then home to celebrate with some sparkly you had given me as part of my gift. Our cravings the next day took us to Koreatown for KBBQ, with Evelyn and Steven, the nicer side of Melrose for some disappointing milk tea from Alfred’s Teahouse, and a spontaneous double date with Jazz and Danny to some pizza diner in Hollywood. A little detour to Little Tokyo, and to find the instagram hotspot with the red and blue lights and our weekend came to an end as we waved good bye to each other as your bus pulled away taking a sleepy you back home.

March

After a commitment that was made at Snowglobe more than a year before, this was the month we traveled across the country to finally walk the fabled grounds of Ultra. The whole month was full of kandi making and anxious anticipation of what would it be like to finally be at the festival both of us had only been able to experience from livestreams, and youtube videos. Finally on the third weekend of March we saw each other at the airport with Ben and Amanda cockblocking my hug to you. Waking up at 5 in the morning that day felt like a distant memory as I had gone from LA to Austin to holding your hand in Miami after a 12+ hour trip. That night as it is the usual for Anaho to do after a long time apart had everyone talking loud, challenging each other to drink more shots, and of course the night wasn’t complete without a few people throwing up. The next three days had us jumping up and down to Tiesto, vibing to Kaskade, getting wild for kayzo and being had us in awe at the reunion of SHM, and every night had us wandering through downtown Miami as we raced everyone else back to the airbnb to see who would be able to shower first. Dressing up as Jasmine and Aladdin, having matching outfits with your silver top and my gray camo for day two, munching on some expensive festival food, getting lost in the crowd of internationals while you held my hand, downed at least three red bulls a day, and I couldn’t have asked for a better rave bae or better way to experience Ultra. 

April

A few weeks back you had asked me if I wanted to go with you to the the AKPsi formal, not wanting to miss out on this I excitedly said yes, that weekend in April I flew in late in the afternoon where you drove us down to the outdoor shopping mall in San Jose, after not being able to go to the rooftop bar you initially wanted to take me to, we ended up at a different bar, you seemed flustered at that but it’s okay because we still had a great time, especially after a seafood dinner, and some ice cream. A boba pitstop later and our second road trip began we made our way to our hotel in the good ol’ Central Valley. Two hours of your Merced playlist, and singing our hearts out to some throwback songs, and before we knew it we were checking in and drinking wine at our surprisingly nice hotel, too bad for the squeaky bed though. The next day we found ourselves in Merced, a coffee shop and a creepy antique store later and we found ourselves at the banquet hall where I started to meet some of your Merced fam. We helped out for a while and realized how much it felt like college, helping out and setting up for a banquet, and it brought back good memories. After saying bye to my new friends we headed out to explore the bustling metropolis that Merced is, you were the boss and tour guide here as you showed me around telling me stories of where you would go hang out, where you used to run, your old apartments and every now and then I would interject telling you “HEY I’VE BEEN HERE TOO!” It was great hearing your stories from college and made it easier to imagine 2011-2015 Tiff and all the wonderful memories you made there. After a Tacobell snack at the park we went on to your little’s house to prepare for the banquet. The rest of night consisted of me admiring you in your little black dress, and hearing other people rave about how good you looked as well, seeing you with your line, and your fraternity and people saying, “I’ve heard so much about you!” Was heartwarming as we ate and danced for a bit at the banquet. However the real party would be afterwards and it felt like I was transported back to my college days as we stripped down to comfier and more fitting house party clothes. The pregame began, and the warmth from the alcohol went hand in hand with the warm night in Merced. It was amusing to see how our night unraveled as we snuck in the back of the house to avoid bouncers into a dark and humid room with a bunch of dabs grinding and dudes being bros. Then as soon as the alcohol ran out, we jumped over to the next party, until the college drama started and we ended walking out and back through the neighborhood to our pregame spot. A few shots later, and a few lines as well and everyone was having a great time with both new and old friends. After a the cops showing up, and people knocking out or being too drunk the party started to dwindle down and we found ourselves on the couch you and your hot pocket, and me in tears about how much I love you. After waking up and getting ready a quick photoshoot with my film camera and we found ourselves on campus for your little’s grad shoot. Some quick thai food after and a couple of good byes to both your littles we were back on the road to the bay. Our April weekend coming to an end up on the hills of Berkeley, with the sunset and some “vegan pizza.”

May

The first half of May, you found yourself halfway across the world, exploring the old continent. Your two week cruise vacation across Europe would bring you to Denmark, Norway, Germany, Estonia, Russia, Finland, and Sweden. You explored new and old cities, and we would be in touch sparingly as you were in and out of wifi connection, we would webcam at odd hours, but either way it made me happy you were back in Europe because you speak so fondly of it. And despite not having a good connection you still managed to send me constant videos, pics, and updates while I was sleeping or in class, and it made me excited to be able to webcam you even if it was for like 5 minutes. Once you were back in the States, it was a struggle for a couple days for you to make it past 8 without knocking out whenever we would webcam.

The second half of the month was filled with many adventures as we saw each other not once but twice! In a weekend full of firsts I can’t help but highlight how amazing it was to experience camping with you in such a picturesque part of California, the visuals in your car and just melting in your seat as the music took us to a different dimension, and then the journey through middle earth that we undertook while on shrooms, even though we probably only walked like 100 yards in real life, dying at Jared’s exaggeration of “Car… Car… Car…” and Steven’s “IT’S A MILLION MILES AWAY.” And then our intimate bath experience under a sky full of stars and the waves crashing beneath us was truly a magical moment. Showering naked in public and smelling the earthy body wash and looking over the darkness is something I will hold onto because it was such a unique experience. And coming back to cuddle in the tent until it was time for us to leave and do another mini road trip. A drive that took us to the little underwhelming McWay Falls, Sharkfin Cove, Carmel, Santa Cruz there’s nothing better than driving back to SF jamming out to Christian music. This time our good bye didn’t feel too sad because we would be seeing each other the weekend after.

The last weekend of May was wild as all of Norcal came down to “surprise” Ben for his birthday. Even though the surprise failed it was still a great way to show our best friend how much we appreciate him as we got lit to wine, met and fed a few friendly floofs, and rented out an Airbnb to continue the party for the rest of the weekend. Four full days of you and I was feeling quite spoiled. My favorite memories from that weekend were exploring the south side of OC, and playing spikeball as the sunset, all the cuddle sessions of sleeping for four nights together, letting you drive Aria down to our airbnb as I DJ’ed, and feeling like our time together was never going to end, playing table tennis, and basketball with you , and having the opportunity to share so many different plates of food with you everywhere we went.

June started off great as well as I saw you for the third consecutive week, this time you decided to pull of an Illenium like I had done last year and had decided to surprise me to go see my favorite dubstep DJ, MaRLo, at the almost legendary Exchange. We decided to surprise the trance fam squad after getting some dranks up somewhere in the LA skyline and then going back to the car so you could change and we could pregame a little more, and I remember that while Char spazzed out over you, some people weren’t that happy to see you *cough.* And even though our time this weekend was short lived I am grateful that you were so down to do something like that for me.

Our first official summer get together was coming up to see you! My first time at Temple, and to top it off having a table with bottle service, seeing Jazz get litty like we hadn’t seen, and then singing Cinema with Steven as lit you got the better of me and we ended up having an argument outside El Faro. A little funny now that I think about it, but like every other argument before this it always ends on a positive note with one of us seeing the mistake in their reasoning, apologizing or compromising and learning from our mistakes, a walk through the hood, and we found ourselves back at Evelyn’s where you accidentally stayed the night by knocking out on the couch after stuffing our faces on El Faro burritos. I remember the day after was a really warm one as we wandered the Castro to Dolores park a little high on brownies. Thinking how great it was to experience one of SF’s unique festivals with you and some matcha ice cream from your favorite spot. The day after was probably one of favorites too as we walked around the main parade but had to end the day early because Bryan had to leave early. But this didn’t stop us from coming back to the celebrations, except this time we had some fizzy Rosé to accompany us as we walked back to Civic Center where the main event was taking place. Taking in the atmosphere of such an event and having you there to talk about which one us would make it to 90K first made my flight down a happy one, as I reminisced about you, the cherry cooler we bought later on, our time in the backseat next to the park, and the delicious lasagna.

[joelbryant]

Hey. You. Yeah, you. See me Monday 1/20 In the U.S. COMEDY CONTEST! $20 tix - https://ift.tt/2RAOsE5 Use Password: FUNNY for 1/2 off on line or at the door. No min. 18&up. $2 pizza slices. Free street and metered parking. 8-10pm. In Sals in @thesecretcomedy 7356 Melrose LA CA 90046. @goldenartistsla @uscomedycontest #standup #comedy #losangeles #onstage #igorjokes #thejoelwideworld #comedian (📸 @nataliefayephoto ) https://ift.tt/2TIl2H8

[aestheticvoyage2019]

Day 335: Sunday December 1, 2019 - “Southern Aussie Sunday Roll”

This post contributed by Audrie after planning and executing a great ramble day for us today across Victoria.

We awoke to cape winds still howling by— grumbling remnants of the storm last night, and some blue sky trying to push through the gray cotton candy puffs that were still lingering.  It was Sunday on a Thanksgiving weekend here in late springtime southern Australia.  There is something about waking in an unfamiliar new place… The air feels crisper, the energy buzzes higher, and the tiredness from the adventure day before shakes more easily, knowing you have new places to see and soak up ahead of you.  We didn’t move fast, but also not slow.  One of the great things about this Keeper’s Cottage here at Cape Nelson was the laundry room.  Last night between pizza slices and lamb masala bites we shuffled a few loads through, allowing us to reset our bags and regroup a bit.  One of a traveler’s often unmentioned anxieties is how and where to get organized.  And I have to say that the accommodations here in Aussie-Land have all been remarkably perfect to keep us on track.  From the Apartment styled 3 stays in Melbourne & Geelong (Melrose, Avani, and Vue) all of which had full kitchens and space to spread out, balconies, and a functionality that you just don’t seem to get in a standard boxed-hotel room.  Then we had the Eco-Cabin, which felt like a castle in the pines—the parrots, the Koala, the jacuzzi tub. And now this place.  Built in the 1800’s, an important piece of Aussie Nautical History, and yet the interiors fully renovated and updated to modern accommodations.  Indeed all our stays have been more like BnB’s than they were hotels.  Total blessing.  After breaky, again with eggies, new bacon provided by the lighthouse, and the rest of the Sauvignon Blanc, we set out, west by north west—the plan to cross the state line and tag another state for Jake, as well as check another Aussie NP.  I had visited Adelaide back in 2005 with my dad on business, putting the state of South Australia on my board.  But I’d never been to Mt Gambier, or any of the road between it and where we were.  As we zipped along the countryside and reflected on all the great free range beef and lamb they were rising out here, I realized, shit, we haven’t seen ONE S I N G L E Kangaroo out here, except for a few road killed ones and the poor bloated sea washed bloke over the cliff edge at 12 Apostles.  And then it donned on me: we cursed ourselves.  Day 1. At the Market. Impulse purchase. The damn Kangaroo salami.  “We gotta get rid of that stuff” and just about that time, Jake started seeing signs for the state line and a quarantine bin.  And I knew just what we needed to do… Ditch the Roo.  So we dumped the week old salami, in hopes it would tip our luck in a different direction and we might see some of these Australian staples.  

When we rolled into the town, I told him “We’re here!” and he had a befuddled reply “We are?! Where’s the mountain?!”(Insert laugh emoji).  The town actually had “underground mountains” aka caves.  And unknown to us as we pulled into the CBD of the town we ended up parking by one of these limestone caverns.  The settlers of the town built grandiose gardens around these holes in the ground and helped water the town by storing the rain in these natural cisterns. And, had I not had to use the toilet, we would have probably never even known that gem of a tid-bit.  We walked a bit along the main strip checking out all the small town stores decked out in Christmas sale signs and all sorts of “AfterPay” stickers.  1/2 looking for food or an interesting pub to duck into and take a road trip respite, and 1/2 just stretching legs.  Most of the stores were closed, Sunday in a small town.  We pit stopped at the historic hotel for a toniced gin and a Mercury local cider.  From there it was back to the winding roads again and full steam ahead to the next big green space on the map.  Grampians NP. 

I’d had my eye on this green patch for weeks.  Still not sure what exactly we would cover on the road through it and to Ballarat. As we were about an hour out I did a little instagram and google search and found the couple places that would make the drive up and through worth it.  MacKenzie Falls, and Boroka Overlook.  And it didn’t disappoint.  It was only about a 1/4 mile but steep step walk down to the falls from the parking lot.  Big white cascade over a cliff face.  I did some Audrie scramble up some boulders to snap a few cool shots.  Even gave a moon view to Jake a few times today.  Then it was back up the stair stepper to the car and a drive out to Boroka.  The signs said unstable cliff face, but I trusted the instagrammers before me, and took a chance to capture a shot out on the cliff edge.  The wind was whipping and the thermometer in the car read 8 degrees C, so we didn’t stay too long.  But a little smugly satisfied was I, thinking I nailed the planning and execution, as we blasted the heat and drove the switch back zig zag down the mountain.  And at the bottom, our quarantine stop paid off, as we saw an entire heard of Kangaroos in a field to our left.  Pulled over and soaked it in and got a few far off photos.  These were the first Jake had seen. Ever.   A little further up the country winding two lane farm road, between the cheese and crackers and left over Bangkok Seafood Thai from Lorne,  Jake exclaimed “there is something in the road up there…” and sure enough a juvenile joey, about 3 feet tall, gave us a nice run along side and in front of the car for about 60 seconds.  Wow.  We should have dumped that Roo Salami after we tried it on the first night! (insert double laugh emoji). 

We pulled into Ballarat and found Craig’s Royal Hotel a welcome beacon as Michale rolled out the hospitality pulled us aboard this historic-haunt-castle-style-accommodation for the next three nights. We rested our heads satisfied with our Souther Aussie Sunday. 

Song: Men At Work - Down Under

Quote: “When you think about a Kangaroo, it’s just a T-Rex Deer.”  -Anonymous 

[ionized4091]

My 10th local Chicago 🍕 spot was 👌, thanks @mr.m.johnson82 @jeataun for telling me about this place!! @homeruninn Told ya I’d make it in! . . . #homeruninn #melrosepark #chicago #illinois #pizza #pizzaforever #🍕 #slice #food #foodie #foodporn #foodography #foodphotography #thagoodshit #pizzaholic #pizzalovers🍕 #pizzalover #pizzatime #fuckyeah #latepost #hungry #bluemoon #beer #ale #yee!! (at Home Run Inn Pizza - Melrose Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2_UjJChHkv/?igshid=w2gymr65sy3f

[viewfromthedrumstool]

USA Tour, day 20

The Glasshouse in Pomona is a nice spot on the outskirts of L.A. and the venue contains within it a stylish cocktail lounge. I love the sparse modernist design and sometimes when I close my eyes I see myself sat at the bar...

Support for the show comes again from friend-of-the-family Shawn Lee who tonight is joined by Mike (aka P-Boo) from the band Eels.

The fans are eager including an odd couple who take it in turns to invade the stage before being thrown out. A strange thing to do after paying $30 apiece for tickets. Likewise I’m oft struck by the number of people watching the gig through their phones - it happens every night and I’ve counted as many as thirty held high at a single time, the eyes of the beholder glued to the screen, us lost to them and frustratingly them to us.

We stay in the Comfort Inn not far away and despite the lure of wine in the lobby I decide to relax back in the room and flick between more Forensic Files and something called ‘Pro Pulling League’.  

The only Pulling League I’d encountered previously was the one my friend at University kept pinned to his fridge with a magnet from Magaluf. The pulling is a little more literal in this league and involves a souped-up tractor hauling an ever-increasing load along a mud dragway, the winner being the vehicle that pulls the farthest. The teams are mostly made up of family members, the daughters more often than not piloting the machines, and most speak in cartoon hillbilly accents with names like Mae-Paisley, Savannah-Daisy and Jessie-Mary-Gretchen-Jancie.

America always thinks of something new!

The following morning and I arise somewhat grey’d in the knowledge that today we play the final gig of the tour. (As alluring as the thought of 6X pint at the Beehive is I could happily go around again). In a bid to warm my mood I hop into the shower - alas Comfort Inn clearly don’t consider hot water part of the comfort deal so I dance around under the lukewarm dribble to try and get wet and then decide to have a shave. But the cheap blade dug in, and I watched the blood fall to the sink, a lazy shade of pink. Unable to stem the flow I resigned myself to the little piece of toilet tissue stuck to my face, a glamorous look for the drive across L.A. to our final lodgings of the tour at the foot of the Hollywood Hills.

But first we dive into the 101 Coffee Shop, a stylish L.A. diner complete with Columbo stone walls, stylish veneer tables and upholstered 70’s diner booths in tan leather. Not surprisingly it’s featured in a few films including 90’s classic Swingers and their huevos rancheros is among the best yet.

Tonight we’re at the Henry Fonda Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. When I was young and I first came to L.A. some seven years back I frequented an Irish bar a block to the west so it’s a reassuring symbol of sorts to be ending the tour at a venue of some personal significance.

After soundcheck Gerard and myself take a walk up the boulevard while the sun sets for the final time on our trip; a glorious luminescent pastel fade to the west while we ponder the stars above us and those named on the sidewalk below. For a dollar each we have our fortunes told by Zoltar (from ‘Big’!). “Many a fine man can be found beneath a shabby hat” he tells me (though I suspect the reverse is more often true). Meanwhile Gerard receives advice about remaining youthful in spirit which is slightly wasted on a man who despite being twenty years my senior is more youthful in spirit than I.

The crowds have been loud and enthusiastic every single night of the tour and as we step up to the stage for the last show of the run the Los Angeles crowd are no different.

Of particular note - indeed my standout character of the tour - was the chap at the front left who I genuinely believe was in the region of 9-10 feet tall. For the first half of the gig I thought that he was stood on a chair and it was all the weirder that he barely moved amidst an otherwise spirited crowd!

Alas another tour over. But a fine send off and it was nice to see so many familiar faces afterwards too.

Back to Palais de Peppiat aka Room 412 for the Hollywood after-after-party. There have been many calls to see the suit from day 10, both among the band and the Internet at large and I finally unveiled it to overwhelming approval - and much relief. (Despite being exceptional value, I did unfortunately discover that the suit is made of 100% polyester and did get very hot very quickly).

A welcome lie-in the following morning ahead of our late-afternoon flight home. The evocative hotel is decor’d furiously with movie memorabilia, photographs and autographs and the bathroom alone is about the size of the entire suite in San Francisco. There’s a walk-in shower with a window that looks down on the courtyard below, framing a California cross-section of white-washed walls and clear-blue pool and a brush of leaves that sways slowly in the Santa Ana winds. It’s all very Hockney.

Hit the 101 downstairs for a final eggs-over-easy (they’re never the same back home) and the waitress tells us that her husband is in The Sweet - how very L.A...

Professional Drum Shop is 10 blocks south on Vine and with an hour until our final call time I manage to drag Debs, Gerard, Joe and Pete along with me. The walls are lined with bass drum heads, vintage drummer promo pics and paraphernalia from the greats ... Watts, Hamilton, Shaughnessy, Jones ... they even have one of Buddy Rich’s latter Slingerlands and I invest in an agogo to memorialise the visit.

Despite Parking In Rear, Pete Wiggs and I nip out front so he can take my portrait for the cover of Drum Legends Magazine.

“Hey Mr!” comes a ladys voice and we turn in unison to see a broken-down red Chevy holding up the traffic. “I just gotta get this piece o’ shit going...”.

Picture Pete and I puffing and heaving in the 30 degree heat, a backdrop of Hollywood sign and Hollywood Hills. There are echoes of Bukowski (maybe she was Linda) and doesn’t dither when the car fires into life, leaving us coughing in a plume of fumes in the middle of Vine. It’s beautiful, funny and somehow quite poignant; a final scene of sorts and in my mind the credits roll.

A Guinness in the 101 and then we load up the van one final time; cross cross Hollywood; steal a final glimpse down Sunset, Fountain and Santa Monica; head south on Gower; pass Paramount Pictures and cut across Melrose while Peaceful Easy Feeling by The Eagles plays. Down beyond Beverly Boulevard and through central L.A., a flash of a domestic scene through a mock Spanish colonial archway, another final glimpse into Hockney’s Hollywood.

We depart LAX early evening UTC-08:00, traverse time and space in a whirlwind of memories, characters and concerts, landing back in reality some time tomorrow.

Thanks Bob, Pete, Sarah, Debsey, Gerard, Pep, Robin, Joe, James, Sylvia, and JMac. Thanks to the great USofA and all those endlessly amusing and inspiring people who reside in her and who provided so much to write about - Donny, MarkO Pizza, Brian of Bar Harbor and even John Wood. Unfailingly odd but unstoppably brilliant.

And finally my gratitude to you cherished reader and all of those who sent positive messages about the blog over the past few weeks!

My suitcase still smells like Lovleys Motel up in Newport, Maine and I’m already missing the blue skies and weak coffee. But as they say all good things must come to an end and I suppose I’ll end where I began - I’m off to the Beehive for a 6X.

Until we meet next,

MM

[planwithhan-blog]

Amalfi Coast.

Hello! It’s been a little while, apologies – but y’know, life happened, less travel, real work etc. but I thought it was time to share our Italy itinerary. Italy is one of my favourite countries it’s so incredibly beautiful and of course, they’ve got the best food! As a kid, we travelled to Italy a few times (Lake Garda, Venice, Verona) and I have so many wonderful memories from each trip. I’ve been desperate to take my boyfriend, so in September (mid) after a lot of planning, we headed to the Amalfi coast for a week, I mean judging by our New York and Paris itineraries, you may have figured we like to cram it all in!

I’ve put together a 7-day itinerary discovering a stretch of the Amalfi Coast and the island of Ischia - all of which we absolutely loved, so here goes, enjoy!

–

We flew direct from Gatwick to Naples. The cheapest option for onward travel to Sorrento from here is to take the airport bus from Naples airport (bus starts from a small bus station in front of the passenger terminal) – it was super easy to get tickets and not a relatively long wait, though the queue was pretty long and having just got off the flight, we definitely weren’t best dressed for the 30 degree heat!

It took around 30 mins to reach the Port, where the bus terminates. One thing to mention here is that a few of us got off the bus and ran into what looked like a Ferry Terminal (a grand one at that!) to get our tickets, after running up hundreds of stairs to no avail and several confused tourists, we realised we had to head across the car park on foot and after about 10mins, reached the Port. The driver wasn’t incredibly helpful, so something to bear in mind if you’re in need of catching a specific ferry, like we were! Luckily after a very hot sprint with our bags, we boarded the Alilauro High Speed Ferry to Sorrento, which was a rather lovely way to travel across.

We stayed at a great aparthotel called MelRose Sorrento, perfect for one night’s stay, affordably priced and in a great location – though be warned (we are in Italy!), there was a pretty steep climb to get there - lucky we travel light! I mean, of course you can hop in a cab, but the walk is only around 20 minutes and cabs there are a little on the pricey side! One thing to note if you do stay at MelRose is that it’s rather well hidden, it’s actually within a residential block, with little to no signage, but don’t let that put you off, it’s super handy to explore Sorrento; less than ten minutes to Piazza Tasso.  

DAY ONE.

Sorrento is a beautiful stopover before the Amalfi Coast, with its bustling narrow streets, boutiques and gelato to die for! After checking in, we headed to the secluded cove of Bagni della Regina Giovanna thanks to an Instagram recommendation, certainly worth the visit if you have a couple of hours. Thanks to the help of our lovely host at the hotel, we took a public bus from just outside, to Sorrento Capo then it’s a short walk (10-15mins to the cove).

Bagni della Regina Giovanna is an emerald pool of seawater enclosed by limestone cliffs so there’s not really anywhere to sunbathe/ put bags other than the surrounding rocks, so don’t bother bringing a lot – we managed to precariously place our stuff on a rock above our heads whilst we swam.

After an hour or so, we headed back towards our hotel before heading for a drink at Marina Grande – a picturesque fishing harbour with pastel coloured houses and waterfront restaurants. We opted for Nonna da Emilia – a perfect spot to watch the sun set. We then headed back into town for something to eat, passing Fauno Bar on the bustling Piazza Tasso. We decided it would be rude to start the holiday without pizza, so headed to Pizzeria Da Franco – definitely nothing fancy, but great pizza and atmosphere, with its long wooden tables rarely short of customers. Of course, we ended the evening with the best gelato, found on Corso Italia (the main street in Sorrento).

DAY TWO.

It was an early start, though an exciting one at that, as we made our way towards Positano! We tried to buy SITA* bus tickets from a local shop, though we were told in very broken English that wasn’t possible where we were, so my boyfriend pushed me forward onto the bus to beg the driver to take our cash, thankfully we had the most incredible driver who was hilarious and let us sit in the walkway, without paying as it was already packed. All great, until he started driving! I mean, people told me driving on the Amalfi Coast was crazy, but my golly, up close and personal standing behind the driver, we were grabbing hold of anything we could. He prayed, several times as we reached dazzling heights and hairpin bends, oncoming vehicles careering towards us on the wrong side of the road, all part of the fun right! I definitely recommend taking a bus and not driving, that’s for sure. The views are incredible, the crazy Italian drivers, less so!

We stayed in Praiano which is just a little further on from the picturesque Positano. I’d recommend a visit to One Fire Beach, which is located at the Gavitella Beach, don’t be put off by the 400 steps to reach it, (from Piazza San Gennaro), as the views across the coast are beautiful and it’s such a relaxing place to spend the day and watch the sun go down. You can get a boat from here to Positano, though we decided to take the local buses to save cost (note, they can be a little temperamental re. timings).

Da Adolfo comes highly recommended too, though unfortunately incredibly hard to book -I even had my Italian friend try several times to no avail, months before our visit!  The restaurant is only reachable by boat and reservations are required! If you do manage to get a highly sought-after reservation, look out for the boat with the little red fish sign in Positano port, which will take you across to the private beach (I believe the boat comes every half an hour).

If you’re planning on spending the day in Positano, skip the touristy main beach and take a 5-minute walk around the corner from the Hotel Covo dei Saraceni, to the more hidden Spiaggia Fornillo.

Positano is picture perfect, with its cluster of houses tumbling down to sea level, steep streets and colourful boutiques, not to mention the dramatic panoramas. We headed to Spiaggia Grande for a night cap, once the crowds had died down.

Back in Praiano we had a dinner reservation for il Pirata, located along a tiny path near the sea. Unfortunately, we had to wait way longer than we expected for a bus to arrive in Positano, so we missed our reservation and decided to opt for something quick and local, but I’d definitely check it out, it looks beautiful.

*Sita Blue Line Buses are cheap and run regularly between Sorrento and Amalfi. Buy tickets from any bar, travel agency or newsagent displaying a Sita sticker.

DAY THREE.

It was Friday, so we opted for a day trip to Capri, leaving from Marina di Praia in Praiano. I had pre booked the trip and found Viator to be the cheapest option (£63 each), it was definitely worth it and our Captain was wonderful, as was the beautiful boat he picked us up in. We were the second pick up, so it was rather incredible driving into Positano with just one other couple, the views from sea are breath-taking, especially in the morning light.

It really is a wonderful journey to Capri along the coastline, passing the famous Faraglioni rocks and many beautiful grotto’s (we collectively decided to avoid the insane queues of boats waiting for the Blue Grotto).

Once we docked in Capri, we had four hours to enjoy some free time strolling the picturesque streets. The climb up from the port to the bustling square of La Piazzetta was slightly arduous, due to the afternoon heat but a wonderful place to have lunch, despite the cost (even if you’re opting for soft drinks and a light lunch!)

We were certainly ready to escape the heat and hoards of people after four hours and  enjoyed the trip back towards Praiano on the boat, stopping for a much needed cool down swim. The water felt like silk and it was incredible to swim into one of the grotto’s. We then enjoyed a bottle of champagne and home cooked canapes courtesy of our host (and his Mamma!) which was the perfect end to a wonderful day.

DAY FOUR – DAY SIX.

On Saturday we left for Ischia, opting for the 9am ferry from Positano (Sponda). Ischia is a charming island, loved by locals and tourists alike. We were staying for three nights in the smallest of Ischia’s main towns, Lacco Ameno – located towards the North West corner of the island.

We decided to spend the day at Negombo Thermal Gardens - a thermal water park set among beautiful gardens and featuring a number of seawater and thermal pools, waterfalls and saunas, as well as a private beach and restaurant.  From 15.30, the price reduces from €33 to €22, so would highly recommend a late afternoon visit – considering it was the weekend, it was relatively quiet during this time.

Lacco Ameno is a quaint little town with a good selection of bars and restaurants, though we quickly found there wasn’t a huge amount to do there (we like to be busy!) so over the next few days, we decided to travel around the island by bus.

We particularly enjoyed the picturesque Sant’Angelo – we went here for dinner one evening, but could quite easily have spent the day here. Walking down towards the village from the bus stop, we enjoyed incredible views and watching the sun set from the Marina, soon stumbling across La Tavernetta del Pirata (located in the main piazza) for a drink and game of cards. The best aperitivo so far, thanks to the incredible, complimentary snacks you receive with each drink! We ate at Da Pasquale Pizzeria which was a great little spot, full of locals.

Ischia Porto was also a lovely place to explore, particularly the beach where Bagno Ricciulillo is  - unfortunately however, the kitchen had just closed by the time we arrived. Through the eyes of Instagram, the pasta looks heavenly so I would say it’s definitely worth a visit if you can. The walk along the beach towards the magnificent Castello Aragonese is also highly recommended – we ate nearby along Lungomare Aragonese which is great to take in the views.

Just a short boat ride from Ischia is Procida, the colourful, quaint village looks beautiful, though sadly we couldn’t fit it in this time around but if you’re thinking of a similar trip, I would definitely recommend taking a look.

DAY SEVEN.

Despite the mixed reviews, we decided to end our trip with an evening stay in Naples, due to travel being a bit complicated from Ischia if you have an afternoon flight to catch. Once again, we used Alilauro and took the boat from Ischia to Naples. We walked from the Port to Micalo hotel, taking in the early evening rush of Naples.

If you’re planning a stay in Naples, I highly recommend Micalò, it was the coolest room we’ve stayed in, by far. Proving to be the standard on this trip, the entrance was easily missed. Don’t be put off by the derelict looking exterior, it’s a hidden gem. If you’re a fan of minimalist design this one is for you! Much like Naples itself, “As fascinating as it is contradictory, ravishingly beautiful yet dilapidated and chaotic”.

That evening, thanks to the recommendation of our lovely host, we walked along the seafront promenade to the impressive Castel dell’Ovo. We enjoyed watching the boats and fishermen with a pre-dinner tipple at another hidden gem, Caffè al Barcadero (descend the steps)with tables by the water.

We then ate the most insanely delicious pizza that I have dreamt about on several occasions since! Apparently a locals favourite, you simply must try the margherita with salami, it’s a star-shaped feast, with a crust folded around soft ricotta. Need I say more.

And one final, food related thought - the next day, before heading back to the airport we ate the most delicious, super simple pasta from Caffetteria 90 Bistrot (a sweet family run Italian). Honestly, £4 for a pasta dish and it was the best we’d had all week!

As you can tell by this lengthy itinerary, we packed a lot in and honestly, can’t recommend the Amalfi Coast enough.

[canada-gus]

Jeudi 21 Septembre 2017 – Journée au musée, Quand Lala Land devient Bobo Land.

Partie 03/03 : Un peu de culture populaire hollywoodienne.

Non sans avoir pris quelques dernières photos du gros caillou, nous retournons à mon véhicule pour nous retrouver, 5mn de conduite plus loin, sur Melrose Avenue, aux portes de Tatsu Ramen, un petit restaurant branché dans le quartier d’Hollywood.

Les 3 paravents de la paroi blanche m’éblouissent en cette journée sans l’ombre d’un nuage et, une fois passée la discrète entrée, nous faisons la queue avec une dizaine de personnes pour accéder au paradis des bols de nouilles à la japonaise.

Dans le couloir d’attente, des Ipads avec une application dédiée permettent de composer ludiquement notre bol de Ramen, et affichent des prix étonnamment abordable compte tenu du quartier où nous nous trouvons. Hormis la discussion à propos du choix de notre menu, les silences sont nombreux et je sens ma camarade comme lassée d’être en ma compagnie, comme s’il elle m’avait accompagné par acquis de conscience.

La pénible mais courte attente terminée, nous prenons place à notre table dans la salle principale du restaurant. Les murs sombres, la cuisine ouverte et ses vapeurs de cuissons, le plafond bas et les baies vitrées un peu teintée participent à créer cette ambiance un peu encombrée et bruyante caractéristique des cafés branchés. Au milieu du brouhaha des clients, tous plus stylés les uns que les autres, je déguste mon bol de soupe/nouille/porc rôti, sans vraiment en profiter toutefois, peut-être parce que le plat est un peu trop épicé, ou peut-être parce que je peine à entretenir vivante la discussion avec Eleshwa. Finalement, j’amène notre échange sur le terrain de la consommation de drogues, curieux de connaître le rapport des locaux aux opiacés dans une ville mondialement reconnue pour sa permissivité, et la miss se fait un peu plus loquace et retrouve son sourire coquin. Estomaquée d’apprendre que je n’ai jamais touché à aucune drogue douce ou dure, elle me raconte son rapport aux substances récréatives. Moi qui pensais initialement avoir beaucoup d’atomes crochus avec la demoiselle (au point d’en devenir entiché), je l’écoute me relater une histoire de retraite de groupe dans les bois sous hallucinogène dont elle taira les détails, me faisant réaliser la profondeur du fossé culturel qui nous sépare, avec une certaine frustration je dois l’avouer.

 Le ventre plein, et l’humeur un peu chamboulée par les nouveaux traits que je venais de peindre sur le portrait de ma californienne, elle me demande si je peux l’accompagner au magasin de disque Amoebia, à 5mn de là. Je l’y emmène, ravi de pouvoir plonger dans un lieu culturel non-touristique où il sera plus facile de trouver des prétextes à converation. En chemin, elle  me parle de son amour pour la musique, dont elle aurait rêvé faire son métier, se rappelant son stage chez un célèbre label musical dont j’ai oublié le nom. Garés dans le parking souterrain du magasin, l’ambiance est donnée dès lors qu’on accède au hall de l’escalier, tapissé de pochettes de vinyles. A l’étage c’est un gigantesque espace qui s’ouvre devant moi, qui me fais réaliser que la boutique n’a pas usurpé son titre de plus grand magasin de disque (indépendant) au monde. Devant moi s’étalent des dizaines de rangées d’étagères et de bacs, tous remplis à craquer de disques de tous les genres possibles et imaginables. Pas vraiment zicos dans l’âme, je flâne dans les allées sans trop savoir sur quoi porter mon intérêt, toutefois impressionné par le gigantisme du lieu et de sa collection de disques.  Chaque mètre carré du magasin, chaque mur, chaque pilier est couvert de posters ou de pochettes, et tout ici respire la passion pour la culture musicale. Ma camarade finit sa chasse aux 45 tours en jetant son dévolu (après une méticuleuse recherche en ligne) sur une version alternative collector de l’album Everything Now de son groupe préféré, Arcade Fire. Le guichetier, dont le marcel noir très échancré laisse deviner un corps bardé de tatouages, nous accueille en mode super relax, familier et charmeur quand il s’adresse à la miss.

Nous ne nous attarderons pas beaucoup plus dans le quartier, juste le temps d’un détour routier pour apercevoir au loin les lettres « Hollywood » sur les collines. Aussi bref soit le coup d’œil, je ressens une certaine émotion, impressionné de voir pour de vrai ce monument iconique, et j’ai hâte d’en faire une de mes destinations de visite.

 La route du retour se fera sans encombre, au son de « Money Tree » de Kendrick Lamar qu’Eleshwa diffuse a tue-tête sur l’autoradio. Elle s’épanche sur son admiration pour l’artiste et son génie musical. De mon côté, j’essaie de lui faire découvrir des artistes que je pense qu’elle pourrait aimer, mais je fais choux-blancà chaque fois, malgré une sélection ultra-bobo de Christine & The Queens. J’ai décidément de plus en plus de mal à cerner la demoiselle, autant que sa zone de confort musical.

 Mon paquetage récupéré, je dis au-revoir à mon hôte sans trop de regret, soulagé d’enfin me débarrasser de cette impression de lui forcer la main. Ma chambre AirBnb ne se trouve pas très loin, dans un petit quartier résidentiel tranquille de Pasadena. Je gare mon Jeep dans la rue voisine, tranquille et industrielle, mais qui ne m’inspire que peu confiance, et je prie pour retrouver mon véhicule le lendemain matin. Mes hôtes absents, je suis guidé par le biais d’une petite vidéo enregistrée à mon attention. Je peine à ouvrir le cadenas de la basse clôture du jardin (que je dois fermer avec précaution pour ne pas laisser s’échapper leur cabot ; absent pour l’instant), et aussi celui de la porte d’entrée. Une fois l’épreuve des clés passée, je découvre l’intérieur d’une petite maison tranquille, très fournie en objets de décoration, à l’atmosphère zen, modeste mais propre. Sur les étagères des meubles en bois sombre je remarque de nombreux guides et fascicules de voyage, dont un certain nombre sont dédiés a la Provence, et plus particulièrement au Vaucluse et a Avignon. Une drôle de coïncidence qui me fait me sentir un peu plus a l’aise. Ma chambre dispose d’un lit 2 places confortable, sur lequel je m’affale avec plaisir, et duquel je ne parviendrai a m’extirper que pour aller deux bricoles a bouloter dans la station-service voisine. Je culpabilise un peu d’envisager de rester enfermé alors que je suis libre, véhiculé, et que la vie nocturne de Los Angeles m’ouvre ses bras nom de dieu… mais je ne me sens pas du tout d’humeur aventurière et, en bon introverti, j’ai besoin de recharger un peu mes batteries dans le cocon de mon isolement.

Du chocolat et de la pizza dans mon sac de courses, je m’en reviens dans ma chambre qui, sans être gigantesque, m’offrira le confort nécessaire pour me la couler douce dans ma position préférée, héritée de mon quotidien australien : assis sur le tapis, pose contre le cote de mon lit que j’utilise comme support.

Une douche plus tard, je m’endormirai ainsi au son de mon ordinateur sans avoir fait la connaissance des propriétaires des lieux, toujours absents, mais que j’entendrai rentrer tard, dans un demi-sommeil.