I was born at a very young age, so I don’t remember much, but I can tell you I have lived a lot longer than I thought I would. In what they now call my “tween” years, I thought 40 would be ancient; end of the world, hang it up, can’t go on. I could... Continue Reading →
My grandfather would have been 136 years old today. Of course, that’s a ridiculous statement. No one outside of the hinterlands of Russia or some village in China lives that long, if anyone ever has, other than in science fiction novels or comic books. He was a crusty old bugger at times, but even he... Continue Reading →
I don’t write a lot about comics on here, partly because it’s a business thing for me, however tangential, but also because … well, I just don’t write a lot anymore because I write a lot for work. But Darwyn Cooke died today and I felt the need to write something about him and what... Continue Reading →
My third and final set of San Francisco photos from my recent weekend visit focuses on Chinatown and the nearby TransAmerica Pyramid, which dominates the skyline of San Francisco from just about every angle. The Pyramid is just a hop, skip, and a jump from Chinatown, so it's almost always present at every street crossing.... Continue Reading →
This second set of photos from my recent weekend in San Francisco includes Haight-Ashbury, Pacific Heights, and near the Ferry Building. It was a rainy Saturday (and a cloudy Sunday) for walking, but I put in the miles and took some great photos, including this mural (above) on mural-filled Haight Street. Did you know there... Continue Reading →
I was able to cram in one small (4 days) quicky vacation to one of the cities I love: San Francisco, before my life becomes an endless ramp-up to one week in July. I love SF because it's still a city you can go to and walk around and visit actual, honest-to-god BOOKSTORES. (I also... Continue Reading →
Two weeks in a row in late March/early April found me on train rides to Los Angeles and beyond. This time it was to Glendale for a vintage paperback show (more about that later, maybe), a new passion of mine. Having gone to Los Angeles and back the week before, the only new part of... Continue Reading →
I was recently in Los Angeles for a work-related few days, and one of those days I managed to slip away and go for a walk through parts of downtown L.A. Let's be frank, shall we? There are parts of downtown L.A. you don't want to walk through, but for the most part what I... Continue Reading →
I recently traveled to and from Los Angeles on Amtrak California's Pacific Surfliner. It's been years since I've been on a west coast train ride and I forgot how scenic it was (for the most part). From just outside San Diego to right after San Clemente or so, you're traveling literally right next to the... Continue Reading →
Saturday, March 19th was a picture-perfect day here in San Diego, and the perfect day to take a walk around La Jolla and take some picture-perfect pictures (I'm so modest) with my trusty iPhone 6. La Jolla either means "The Jewel," if you go by the Spanish version of La Joya, or "hole in the... Continue Reading →
... have been greatly exaggerated. Despite it being about 6 weeks since my last post, I am still alive and kicking and not consciously trying to abandon this blog. I have just been way too tied up with work to devote any time to this, but I'm hoping that will change, despite the fact that... Continue Reading →
(Above: Professional model. Do not attempt at home.) Back in 2011, my longtime flirtation with diabetes blossomed into a full romance. But let me tell you, diabetes is a fickle bitch. If you don’t control it, it controls you. I have battled with it, and luckily I’m still at the point where I can control... Continue Reading →
On my recent trip to Los Angeles (see this post here for more photos), I found myself once again roaming around the Los Feliz Village neighborhood. Located on Vermont Ave., just north of Sunset Blvd., this area is a funky little restaurant and shopping destination. I go here for two reasons: a great little bookstore... Continue Reading →
Somewhere along the line it became a “Christmas Tradition” for me to go to Los Angeles and Santa Monica the first weekend of December. I stay at a nice hotel in Santa Monica and I shop. That’s basically it. Some of it is Christmas shopping, most of it is shopping for my favorite person, me.... Continue Reading →
Seventeen years ago today, I boarded a plane in Pittsburgh with just some clothes in a suitcase and my cat, Ollie (since deceased) in a giant cat carrier (even though he wasn't a giant cat by any means), and embarked on an adventure that has been (so far) never-ending. It’s hard for me to believe... Continue Reading →
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