This week's written snapshots.
Vegas Ordinary, July 2024
In early May, this daily practice sprung up at a delicate moment. I so busy at work that I had no mental space to practice anything creative, especially with a looming job switch.
But I made time to post a simple photo every day.
This practice kept me afloat amidst the during a season of change. It’s now time to sunset this three month project to make time for other pursuits. Thanks to everyone who supported this little creative life raft on Substack Notes. Your likes and comments helped me persevere, turning a stray notion into a project of seeing (and framing) the mundane.
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Carpet.
,
Ceiling.
,
Wrap.
,
Checkout.
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Cereal
,
Flowers
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Angles
,
Dinner.
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Cabinets.
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Reflect.
,
Can.
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Cloud.
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Legs.
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Up.
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Plate.
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Wall.
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Twenty-five.
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Telephone.
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Games.
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Mail.
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Cookie.
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Science.
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Snowman.
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Diamonds.
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Phonics.
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Blue.
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Aggregate.
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Smoke.
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Elbow.
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Retail.
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Feet.
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Gap.
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So what’s next? A couple of months ago, I came up with the idea of 1P+1P (one project, one practice) .
Unfortunately, life is complicated. So I’ve changed it to 2(P+P) —two practices and projects (a creative and practical endeavour for each).
For my Projects, I’m returning to my 2024 theme of “Settling up” . For creative, it’s time to tackle the Grizzlypear backlog (200+ drafts!). And for home, we need to fully settle into our “new” house (six months after moving in!).
As for Practices, I need to start exercising and I’d like to work on my calligraphy. I’ve hit that inevitable point in this new hobby where it’s time to grind down to reach the next plateau. Maybe I’ll eventually give up, but I want to put in a solid effort before deciding that the next level of proficiency isn’t worth the time.
Hopefully this dual track approach provides a better balance of fun and responsibility. We’ll see!
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08 Aug 2024
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Anaheim and Big Bear, Summer 2024
Notes from our Disneyland + Big Bear run (trying to escape the Las Vegas heat before school starts).
0) The day before we left, we battled a pantry bug infestation. After decades of bulk purchases it was finally our turn. Better that they showed up before we left, but it made for a hectic run up to the vacation. From now on, everything bulk goes into the freezer for a week. And no more stocking up.
1) Our boy is not good with mountains nor traffic and certainly not both—he’s thrown up a couple of times on the Cajon Pass between Victorville and San Bernardino. If your kiddo has a similar issue, Coyote Canyon Park is a lifesaver. It sits right after the pass with restrooms and a shaded playground. As a city park, the restrooms might be closed after dark, but they were open both times we’ve visited. Our future Vegas to SoCal runs will plan on hitting the Clyde V. Kane Rest Stop and then this park as we glide into the megacity.
2) The kids felt they liked Legoland almost as much as Disney. If so, there’s more stuff to do a short drive away, the weather more pleasant, Legoland a bit cheaper, and the park is well suited for younger kids. San Diego FTW. That said, this is Disneyland !
3) We refused to pay the extra $35 per head per day for Lightning Passes but still got plenty of rides by skipping the popular roller coasters (Matterhorn, Space Mountain, Star Wars, Cars). That said, keep an eye out for the virtual queue program. It was being used to control crowds at the Haunted Mansion Ride (and I suspect offered as a free taste for their Lightning Pass system).
4) We stayed at the Anaheim Islander Inn and Suites (which we used for our last visit five years ago). A totally no frills motel with bananas and costco danishes for “breakfast”. The place was clean, walking distance to the park, and the price was right.
5) The design manager at my office with a bit more Disneyland experience recommends the Candy Cane Inn . It’s a little pricier but looks a lot nicer (it was on our route to the park). We would have considered this place if we were visiting with our parents since they have a shuttle to the park.
6) Bring a stroller. This is the last time our boy can ride it and it was nice to throw wheels under him for the half mile march home. Even so, we’ll bring it next time since it was a great provisions cart to supply these day long marathons.
7) The three weekday tickets were the best deal we could find. Ideally, we’d live in Southern California and visit once a month for a season, but that’s not an option for Nevadans. Three days in a row was plenty; we were getting frayed by the last day. Even our girl acknowledged that she would have had her fill after four days (two at each park).
8) I strongly prefer Disneyland over California Adventure. Disneyland feels more authentic in its simulacrum, partly because much of it was built before disability standards. California Adventure is the outdoor mall version of Disneyland—the girl commented that it felt a bit like a casino. But they preferred the thrill rides at California Adventure.
9) We planned on exploring other parts of LA, but it was too friggin hot. Coming from Vegas, I thought we could handle the heat, but outdoor all day under a humid 83 is a lot. So we went up to Big Bear instead. Along the way, we got gas in San Bernardino. It was 105. I have no idea why anyone would live there instead of Vegas.
10) Yes, the boy threw up twice on the way up the mountain.
11) We stayed up there for two full days to decompress from Disney before heading home. We hit up the Big Bear Valley Historical Museum with a few old buildings and plenty of exhibits, well worth the entry fee of $5 per adult. The Big Bear Alpine Zoo was a bit more expensive ($54 for the family) and the animals were hiding from the heat. The San Diego or Los Angeles Zoos would be better deals…but we weren’t in SD nor LA, and LV don’t got no zoos. Both places were good for 90 minutes each if you savor the strolls.
12) I suspect there are plenty of nature things to do as well, but we used up all our walking energy in Anaheim. Our AirBNB had Disney+ so we caught up on Bluey . YouTube noticed and fed us the single Bluey episode that the Mouse refuses to stream on their service. Fortunately the Australian Broadcasting Company has now uploaded Dad Baby for everyone to watch. It’s hilarious. Go check it out.
13) We also watched Finding Nemo , Finding Dory , and Dumbo . They’re all great, but Dumbo was amazing. 5 minutes of story as an excuse to produce 85 minutes of badass animation. If you haven’t watched Dumbo lately, do yourself a favor and check it out after you watch Dad Baby.
14) The ride home was uneventful. Unlike the route up from LA, the road down to Vegas was gentle, on par with a Mount Charleston run. Along the way, we hit up the EddieWorld gas station north of Barstow. It was meh—what you’d expect from any wannabe tourist trap (like the Terrible’s at Jean).
15) We skipped the claw machine at Prizm Mall at Primm this time, but it’s a way better stop with all the massive murals inside and outside of the dead mall. I wonder how long that building will stay open since it only has one shop operating in that place. Five years ago we hit up the old Barstow Outlet Mall (the old one set back from the freeway). At the time it was almost empty but still well maintained with green lawns. That place is now fenced off and totally brown inside.
16) I brought a bunch of books but I didn’t get much reading in. But I did get some good progress on The Conference of the Birds (Darbandi & Davis translation). I dig it. I don’t grok the Sufi obsession with “love” in a Islamic context but I’m only halfway through. At least I’m now in sync with the masnavi meter. Last year, I tried to read Rumi’s Masnavi but I couldn’t get past the rhyming structure. Now I think I can flow with it.
07 Aug 2024
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Hilda, Bluey, Waffles+Mochi
Hilda, Seasons 1 and 2, Luke Pearson
In 2020, we discovered Hilda on Netflix and devoured the series. Our girl was so charmed, she read all the graphic novels and books, even though the stories had already been retold in the TV show.
Hilda works because the world is constrained and limitless. The geography is tight, but anything can happen. And even if we’re missing a bunch of Scandinavian mythology, there’s a lots to enjoy.
A young spunky protagonist.
Strange creatures.
The supernatural.
Thrills.
Lots of trolls.
Hilda’s friends.
And my favorite, the woodman. He’s a total ass, but he likes jazz and lives in a stylish modern home from the 70’s. I wish I could be as imperturbable as him.
Suitable for children but interesting for adults. Thrilling but not scary.
Here’s to the next season!
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I wrote this in 2021 and Season 3 came out last year…but we are no longer on Netflix. At some point we’ll resubscribe. Maybe after the kids grow out of their Pokemon obsession.
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Bluey, Seasons 1 to 3, Joe Brumm
The dog family y’all wish you had—
playing parents,
giggling kids,
house atop of the hill,
and a verdant lawn.
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This is how you know it’s great — Disney Plus was compelled to license this Australian Broadcasting Company show. Hard recommend.
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Waffles + Mochi, Season 1, Thormahlen and Konner.
We loved it—the girl, the boy, and me— but mama found it a too saccharine.
I normally avoid food shows because it’s an exercise of remote envy. This show certainly brings a lot of envy, but it moved briskly and covered fun topics. And how can you deny a power anthem to the lowly egg?
But was it prudent to feature Mrs. Obama in the show? The Obama fit my type, so I enjoyed her presence. Maybe they would have had a wider reach with a non-political figure. Then again, in this rabidly interconnected age, the mere involvement of the production company might have turned off Republican viewers anyways. Their loss.
I wonder what GOP tinged productions am I missing out on?
That aside, I enjoyed all ten episodes. It might be too saccharine for you, but at least check out their fine with the first episode.
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Another show to add to the Netflix cue, along with Arcane Season 2 and Pui Pui Molcar Season 2.
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Speaking of Arcane , I just realized that I never wrote about Season 1, by Linke and Yee .
It’s a visual treat, but I can’t get excited by teenagers dealing with their issues, even if they are trying to save/ruin the world. I noted in an aside last year “Arcane—a fun show that doesn’t reach the stratosphere of top-line classics.”
Check out this scene. Stylish and visceral. Damn.
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cartoons
all
deluged
pokemon
gotta
watch
them
all!
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07 Aug 2024
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Thanks for reading!
Justus