revisited #4

one of my favorite buildings in pasadena is this old brick building next to the memorial park metro station.  i originally took a photo of this building back in january of 2008.  in the photo from today, the bike is gone, the man is gone, but the old building remains.

cd sunday: the beatles' white album

after a short hiatus, i'm back with my top 20 favorite album countdown (in no particular order).  you can see the full list thus far, at the bottom of this blog post.

today's album is from a classic band, and it is one of their classic albums.  rather than explain why i think this deserves to be on my list of favorite albums, i'm going to post a letter i just sent out to some friends.  i think it does a good job of explaining a bit of the feeling and emotion i have about this record...

Hey all,

I recently popped in a Beatles CD and the song "Day Tripper" came on and I was immediately transported back to the 8th grade talent show, playing that song with you all (I still can't believe we didn't win).

Of course that made me think back to practice sessions in the basement, listening to that one song on the White Album on the record player (over and over again), and shooting pool when we didn't feel like playing anymore. Those band practices gave me a chance to belong, to be a part of something meaningful, and to get to know my guitar.

Those are really happy memories in a time of life that I don't necessarily look back on with a whole lot of excitement - still trying to define who I was, still trying to fit in or be cool, and going through growing up and all that stuff.

Not surprisingly, music has continued to be a huge part of my life, and has shaped and transformed me in ways I probably can't even see.

This note is way more sentimental and sappy than I expected it to be, but I just wanted to say thanks for those memories.

I hope you all are doing well, wherever you are, and whatever you are up to these days.

Ben


1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july
5. the beach boys - pet sounds
6. coldplay - viva la vida
7. weezer - pinkerton
8. mates of state - re-arrange us
9. radiohead - ok computer 
10. nickel creek - this side
11. u2 - how to dismantle an atomic bomb

which way is up?

these squirrels seemed to be using this tree as their own playground, but i had to chuckle at the image they created when one went up, and the other down.

anticipation!

we are anxiously awaiting the birth of our first child. so many unknowns -

when will it arrive?
what is the gender?
who will it look like?
what are we going to name it?

so much to think about.

squawk squawk!

it was only a little while ago that i posted a blog wondering where the green parrots had gone. well that has dramatically changed, and we hear them and see them almost daily. and for whatever reason their numbers seem especially high this year.

from the city of pasadena website:

Naturalized parrots are frequently seen and heard around Pasadena. According to local legend, many were released during a 1959 fire which destroyed Simpson's Gardenland and Bird Farm in Pasadena. Some of the parrots were probably pets that escaped or were set free. Some may have been released by smugglers attempting to avoid arrest. One common breed is the Red-crowned parrot.

my, that's a nice birdhouse

spotted this lovely creation on our tour of arlington garden. i wonder if anyone lives inside?

reintroducing the pasadena sky

shanna's blog has inspired me to get my camera pointed up. over the next few days i'll showcase a few of my favorites from the past few days where clouds have been spotted in the pasadena sky.

abstract of a tree

just a little randomness for this wednesday.

a taste of fall in january

i grabbed this fall-like image down in south pasadena (sneaking into laurie's turf!). the leaves were so bright in the sunlight - orange is a color we see all winter long in southern california as trees try to decide whether or not they can stretch their green color through the cooler months.

parrots and a crow

more from my parrot experience the other day. this tree looked beautiful in the daylight. i thought it was interesting to see this big black crow hanging out with all of the parrots. a few are almost visible if you click on this image.

ha ha ha haaaaaaaa ha

caught this woodpecker hammering away on a branch the other day at griffith park. can you see him?

sorry this is posted so late today. i had the am/pm mixed up on the post date and time.

unlit neon

there is a lot going on in this picture and i'm not really sure that i can explain it. enough said.

pasadena city college

our local community college is one thing that is lacking from this photoblog. i never seem to catch it from the correct angle or something. i'm not sure what to make of this image either, the tree and sign post are out of place or something. i'm going to keep trying until i get it right!