2011: Food & Weather

We’re almost to the end of our year-end review of the recent passing of 2011.

 

Talking food/restaurants has always been a major theme here at the Cafe Pasadena. 2011 was no different. And this dog will follow tasty smells even if it means leaving the rosy royalty of Pasadena.  A case in point: MO-CHICA Peruvian restaurant in Los Angeles near USC.

 

Pasadena is known for it’s wonderful weather. In yesteryears it was a prime factor for seducing outsiders from Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York, ANYWHERE, etc, to move and/or vacation here, and then become an official, formal city in 1886.  Weather and its health benefits have been a part of our history.  Even now Pasadena is known for it’s unbelievable,  history-making weather as 2011 proved: WINDSTORM 2011!

 

Wonder how many readers have eaten Peruvian food, or even remember where they were when the winds hit??

 

 

Gotta Hit The Road!  Stay Thirsty My Friends

 

Traffic Holiday

As I said in a recent blog article, we have at least one major holiday every month. Not counting local holidays like, ahem, this one. 

Unless you don’t drive or watch TV, or listen to the radio, or…anyway, you probably heard about the tanker fire accident last Wednesday on the 60 (Pomona) Freeway.  It forced closure of a section which cuts along the southern border of the San Gabriel Valley. It’s about a 15-20 minute drive from Pasadena to my photos below.

Cal Trans reopened the freeway to traffic on Saturday.  However, I hear the other half of the bridge now needs to be demolished which will again require closure.  So we can’t exactly move on to the next holiday this month – Christmas, a national holiday. And then, as with the 405, the bridge will need to be rebuilt sometime next year and the freeway shut once again! Good luck to those who drive on this portion of the freeway.

Pasadena Star News wonderful editor in charge, Frank Girardot, asked if we thought the 60 closure was worse than the closure of the 405 “carmageddon” hype earlier this year. Both are similar in that repair/replacement of bridge overpasses are the reason for the shutdowns.

 

I took a 5 minute detour to grab a peek at the mirage.  Looked like a good time to get your kicks on Route 60. Nuttin like you, your jalopy, and a wide open road!

 

I say, “YES”, this 60 mess is the Carmageddon to the 405’s Sunday scenic drive.  Just watch the news coverage and I don’t have to say another word.  Luckily, I don’t have to drive either of these freeways, thank God!

Other reasons I believe added fuel to the fire are:

Drivers had no preparation/planning time.  Unlike the 405 where the media/CalTrans were spooking the public to be prepared for months prior.

That section of the Pomona FW is more centrally located than the San Diego FW. The San Diego is way out on the western boundary of L.A. City – just minutes from Santa Monica and PCH!  The 60FW is in the middle: Downtown LA to it’s west, San Gabriel Valley to it’s north and east, Long Beach to its south. The 60 FW continuing west feeds into the 710 Long Beach FW, Santa Monica, Hollywood, and Golden State FW’s. And just to its east was the 605.

You also have a big mall, Montebello Towne Center, overlooking that part of the closure. It has to be suffering right now in the middle of the Christmas selling season! Not so easy to just take the freeway to it’s doorsteps now.

 

So, imho, lack of planning time, being surrounded by a greater amount of traffic, and the Christmas rush are the major reasons for the Pomona catastrophe turning into the real Carmageddon.

 

 

Maybe you have other reasons as well.  Do you have to drive this part of the Pomona FW? Did you get caught up in this mess??

 

 

Gotta Feel Free! Stay Thirsty My Friends

An Altadena Holiday

 

Every month of the year in the USA we have some major holiday. A time to party, to take off work, or spend and get in more debt and just be unproductive. Hmmm, maybe that’s one reason why our economy is suffering.

In October I was visiting friends who own an elegant old craftsman home in north Altadena around Halloween time. They told me to check out another special house nearby, around the corner. So I did…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was beginning to feel kinda uncomfortable in this part of Altadena. But they had a welcoming committee to assure visitors everything was gonna be alright. Right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One part of the economy apparently doing good business in these parts.

 

 

 

 

The county is always wrestling with Altadena, like with a wild child, on what they are and aren’t permitted to do.  They have to enter at their own risk.

 

 

 

 

Nobody would believe the horrific things I saw if I didn’t bring back these photos for y’all to see!!

 

 

 

So that’s what I found. I’m glad I was able to return safely with this report to y’all. But you, you be careful when you drive in this unincorporated part of the county, north of the Altadena golf course. You never know what lies just around the corner.

 

 

Gotta Get Out of Here! Stay Thirsty My Friends

Characters, aka, Pasadena

Pasadena has more than it’s share of characters, Cafe Pasadena’s Believe It of Not!

A dictionary definition of character: an interesting, eccentric person. This is a mild, respectable, theoretical book definition. We know in practical life the definition is more dynamic.

In the real world they can be found in every group of society. The rich, the poor, the employed, the unemployed. Those who read books and those who don’t. From the homeless characters walking the lonely, seedy, broke streets of Old Town down to  the nerdy/smarty’s youth at CalTech; from those driving the newest jalopy to those having to take bus, bike, or pony.  From Doc Dan Berry coming out from Indiana in the 19th century hoping to find some decent land to buy for some of his Hoosiers back home, to those who will still can’t find their way back home after January 1st.  And those who wear white T-shirts down to those who wear white suits.   Within those plugged in, and those clueless. From those who will acknowledge your greeting to those stuck in their own tiny nano self-centered world.  They’re among those who occupy, and those who live & let live. Those who follow the law, and those who make their own.  From among those dead in the past, to those who live for their future.  Those blessed with K9’s, & the less fortunate with feline. 

Whatever group, class, color, dress, etc, it’s apropos that they all belong to the group of “characters.” The funny thing about these ladies & gentlemen is they usually think everyone who doesn’t think or act like them are the weirdo’s! 

I’m in contact and/or see these characters in the Rose City everyday.  Sometimes breaking cheese with them. How crazy is that?!?  And I’m sure some of you think I’m some kinda character too, or at least think you know me!  Ok, maybe I’m not exactly normal.  If your town is in short supply of such characters you can find a good source right here on the blogosphere.

 

Here’s the newest member of this eccentric, unselected, eclectic group.  One I don’t recall seeing before until the other day. 

 

Have you seen this fellow & what I call his “fishmobile” before?  Do you have “characters” in your town?

 

Last I saw of this character was his making a turn toward the Arroyo. Presumably to park his 3-Wheeler in a cave.  He’s apart of one ancient class of humans who made & make what Pasadena was & is.

 

Gotta Look Normal.  Stay Thirsty My Friends