No More Blurry Photos!

This is an overstatement, but M* found this great how-to video for a "$1 Image Stabilizer" that fits in your pocket—much handier than lugging around a tripod.


$1 Image Stabilizer For Any Camera - Lose The Tripod - For more amazing video clips, click here

First Post-Fire Hike in Griffith Park

Charred trees on the hillside by the newly restored Griffith Park Observatory.

Last weekend, M* and I joined Tyler and Nico for a short hike through parts of the newly reopened Griffith Park in Los Angeles. We'd hiked in GP many times when we lived in the area, and the hike that we undertook most regularly, which started a walkable distance from Nico's place, is still closed since the May 2007 fires which reduced over 800 acres of the park to ashes.

The hydromulching has brought green back to some hillsides.

We were surprised by how verdant parts of the hillsides were during the hike up the Mount Hollywood Trail. The new plant growth was bright green—a dramatic contrast to the charred tree remains. We were singularly impressed with nature's ability to regenerate. While some plants do need occasional fire for germination, I just learned from the Griffith Park blog that the level of growth we observed was due to carefully planned hydromulching efforts of 479 park acres.

Checking their blog today, I read that heavy rains bombarding the LA Basin this past week have caused some of the recently reopened areas to be shut again. The "mild to moderate debris flows and flooding" the park is experiencing are surely exacerbated by the destabilizing effects of the fires.

Griffith Park
(click photos for larger image)

Tyler looks tough, but the polarized, sport sunglasses and the straw hat keep M* from being badass.	I love the dramatic twists of this chard tree.
Somehow the palms at the top of the hill survived.	The area around the Hollywood Sign was unscathed.
Without reseeding work, the burnt areas would still look as brown as the hill in the background.	Without the new growth, all these burnt trees would be a bit sad.

He May Not Be Tool Belt Handy But...

M* certainly can improve the quality of a wireless connection. While visiting his parents my connection to the router was weak, so my techie-sweatheart went online to find the instructions for this signal booster called the Windsurfer. He strengthened the power of the wireless router by constructing a parabolic reflector from cardboard (recycled from a cereal box) and aluminum foil. Jewels shmools, ensuring that I have a fast internet connection is a definite way to keep me happy.

By rotating the Windsurfer, I've even been able to get a strong signal outside.

Things in Tyler's Apartment

A creation by Tyler's friend Vanessa. We call it Fishnu.

This gnome, standing on a table Tyler made, keeps Tyler company at night.

Tyler made this table from layers of pressed plywood. The legs are special ordered from a fellow in Ohio. Chairs are IKEA. Look close and you can spot the games on the table.

A chandelier that Tyler bought from me at my pre-Cambridge yard sale. He brought back the chrome's luster with aluminum foil.

The Buddha box, which Tyler got in Beijing, plays music and puts on quite a light show.

Tyler (far left), Shawn, me, Nico and Abe (front)

A Surprise Welcome in Phoenix

The red petals on the white bedspread were lovely.

When M* and I arrived in Phoenix a few days before New Year's Eve, we expected his sister and her fiance, Lindsey and Jason, to take us back to their place after getting us at the airport. However, when they pulled up to the Ritz, I should have suspected something. Instead, I thought that Lindsey wanted to show us where she worked. When they parked the car and popped open the trunk, I finally realized that our Christmas present from them was to stay at the Ritz.

Delicious, decadent and gluten-free.

Now, our two night stay would have been gift enough, but Lindsey went a few steps further. When we opened the door to our room, we were greeted by the version of "Baby It's Cold Outside" that I had written about on this blog, gluten-free chocolate cake and a bottle of wine, rose petals leading to and covering the bed, framed photos of M* and me and our cats, and a personalized note from the hotel management. We were also given access to the club level (breakfast, tea, cordials, etc) during our stay. The bar was certainly upped for M* in terms of planning a surprise getaway.














M* and I arrive at the Ritz, and a framed photo of us on our four year anniversary.