that's what i'm talking about

Mike and Steve.  i think the first time the three of us played tennis was about 21 years ago.

temperature around 90F.  blue sky.  no clouds. 

Mike's last PHL-based trip.  Steve's first day of his New Year.

it was a summer's day for the last day of September.  and i am tired.  but, it was a very fun day spending most of the day with Mike after playing tennis with Steve and Mike.  but, i am tired.  it is almost 10pm and i need to find my small fan (senpuki).  the temperature is 82F/28C at almost 10pm.  

more tomorrow.

maybe Jonathan

a wonderful day, a wonderful place for reflection

                                                           

on the beach. (Mia and Chris Rea).

The Killers and . . . Gachapin?

another fun day of doing this and that in my big small world.  throw in a little exercise and some organizing, music, a podcast and Monday Night Football, and then a call from Mike and that was my monday.  this morning on the Tom Morton Show, i heard a catchy song called "all these things that i've done" but the main lyric was "i've got soul, but i am not a soldier."  perhaps i am a year or two behind the times but i had never heard this song.  the name of the band singing this song is The Killers. i did a quick google and youtube search and found out more about The Killers and this song. that was this morning.  after a nice workout out at the gym in the early afternoon, i checked my "work" email when i got home and found out my friend Mike from Florida will be here tomorrow on an "overnite".  he called during the Steelers/Ravens game and we made tentative plans for tomorrow.  last time he was here i downloaded some Debbie Gibson into my iPod for him.  i told him i would find something interesting for him this time.  and then i remember Gachapin. i bought something for his son the last time i was in Japan with the character of Gachapin on it.  i think it would be called a "pencil carrier" and i thought he could use it on his first day at school.  so,  thought i should find a video on youtube featuring Gachapin.  and to my surprise i found another cool song with an even cooler video by The Killers with a special appearance by  . . . Gachapin.  check this out: Read My Mind

2 more looks back at the sky above Abbot Kinney Boulevard yesterday

who is Abbot Kinney?

(not Abbot Kinney)

if you answered the founder of "The Venice of America",  you are correct.  today's street festival in Venice Beach was on Abbot Kinney Blvd., in between Venice Blvd. and Main Street.  i read somewhere that around 150,000 people will come to today's one-day street festival from 10am-630pm.  i arrived around 230pm and i would say 150,000 people was very accurate.  i did see some wonderful musicians. the two main musicians that i wanted to see were Jesca Hoop and Chris Pierce. excellent but so was Stephanie Quayle, Brian Wright and the Waco Tragedies, and Greg Laswell.  here's a few photos with a few more to come.  quite a difference from yesterday's adventure.

Abbot Kinney Street Festival

Stephanie Quayle

Brian Wright and The Waco Tragedies

Jesca Hoop

Greg Laswell

Chris Pierce

Music Connects Us/26,463 steps

10 years of listening to the Vinyl Cafe on the CBC on saturday and/or sunday mornings when i am home.  it was 10 years ago in September when i wanted to see and photograph the Big Sky of Montana.  i took the long way from Seattle to Bainbridge Island to Orcos Island to Vancouver to Banff and Lake Louise to Calgary to Montana. it was somewhere in British Columbia where i first heard The Vinyl Cafe on my rental car's radio.  i still remember the first "Dave Story" that hooked me.  it was about Galway the Cat. i have had the good fortune of going to two Vinyl Cafe Christmas Shows and getting to meet Stuart McLean, the show's host and storyteller. and as coincidence would have Stuart and i have the same birthday. more about that possibly but for sure i will add some photos from my long walk as i wander up and down a few hills, along the coast back to the beach and then home again.  i was listening to another program on the CBC as i was eating a little breakfast.  i am not sure of the program but it had something to do with music and spirituality.  i heard "music connects us". i liked that idea. perhaps a new blog title would be "musiconnects".

i was recently asked the meaning of my first blog's title, So Far.  i think the explanation is on my other webpage that i have failed to visit and update in a quite a long time. So Far means this my life so far.  and this is my life with so far to go. and now my backpacked is packed (Tony is inside, and a peach, apple and banana) my walking shoes are waiting by the door.

and i have so far to go today . . .

--------------

home again.  26,463 steps later.  about 12 and half miles later. here are some moments from today.  it was an amazing day for clouds, flowers, peacocks, cats, mailboxes, trees, rattlesnakes, pelicans, rocks, sunshine, shadows, and more and less. 

thinking of Jade Mountains

no change (except for everything)

walking back from the beach at sunset after playing in the water, after taking photos of the Japanese father and son also playing in the water, and the strange clouds again, after photographing and playing with Buddy Boy, i was listening once again to Jack Kornfield. "Zen Master Ryokan, one of Japan's favorite poets:

spring morning

my begging rounds are finished

i hang my bowl

by the side of the Buddhist temple

to play with the children

last year, a foolish monk

this year, no change "

Buddy Boy

this morning's sunrise from my front window while listening to the BBC Scotland  . . . 645 am here,  1045pm in Osaka and 345pm in the Shetland Islands

a little more sweat, a tad more knowledge, and a few more miles

after the gym, after the workshop at the Apple Store, after the library, the clouds rolled in and out while i was walking home.

looking south

looking south and west

looking southwest

looking up

looking north (well, i was looking north, she was looking west and her two brothers were looking down).

looking west

looking south

looking up and east

commandments, 11-14

i saw this sign on today's morning walk to the beach

really! no skateboarding (or skate boarding) here either.

Tom read my email this morning on his show.  i am not sure why one of the topics was "toast" (the kind you eat not the kind you make).  i was having one piece of toast with pumpkin butter (thank you Mike and Trader Joe's).  i also told him it was a gray, foggy morning here in the south bay . . .

foggy morning at the beach

foggy morning in downtown Redondo Beach

foggy walk from the beach

pumpkins outside of Trader Joe's.

on my walk back home i saw Ernie . . . Ernie Keebler.

home again with a nice new re-useable shopping bag from TJ's.