Senses working overtime #520

1 Experiencing: The second week in California

Jade, Chris and Asher joined us for the second week and we have had lashings of ripper adventures at places like Universal Studios and Disneyland. We have certainly seen some sights - including Jesus and Spiderman teaming up to (I think) entertain tourists on Hollywood Boulevard.

2 Universal Studios and Disneyland

Farewell to Universal Studios

Y'all come back now ya hear!

Hello from the happiest place on Earth!

3 Browsing: Record shops

I've been cruising into record stores along the way. Amoeba Music (on Hollywood Boulevard) is the star turn but the ambience in this store in San Luis Obispo was superb.

4 Dining: Saddle Ranch Chop House on Sunset Boulevard

A great experience, even if we couldn't persuade Chris to ride the mechanical bull. We did indulge in toasted marshmallow and chocolate sandwiches though.

5 Dining: Mel's Drive-in diner in Santa Monica

Framed poster in Mel's.

If it's good enough for Lana Del Rey, it's good enough for me!

Overtime: Watching and listening: Whales and seals at Big Sur

I looooove the Big Sur coastline so much. This shot includes two whales frolicking around with some noisy seals providing the soundtrack on the shoreline. The slaps by the whales echoed all around us.

Senses working overtime #519

1 Experiencing: The first week in California

Fisherman's Wharf SF. Jacky loves fish, right?

I thought I'd provide 5 images, plus an overtime, from our first week in California. We went north then south (San Francisco > Santa Rosa > Mill Valley > Capitola).

2 Driverless taxi

Embarcadero, San Francisco

We had no idea what this was until we looked inside and there wasn't anyone sitting in the front seats! Freaky, but normal in places like San Francisco, I guess.

3 Nibblin' on sponge cake/Watchin' the sun bake/All of those tourists covered with oil

It's in Capitola

Jimmy Buffett was right. Margaritaville is anywhere you want it to be!

4 Viewing: American supermarkets

No Weetbix, but I did find a wide variety of
Snapples - Kiwi Strawberry is a fav!

I love looking around food markets and especially the cereal aisles.

5 Walking: Armstrong Woods

We always do a lot of walking on vacations. The redwood forests in California are beautiful. This one had obviously lived through some wildfires - the charring went a long way up the trunks.

Overtime:

Garcia by Grace.

Visiting the San Francisco branch of the Hard Rock Cafe (for food and pictures of the displays) is another labour of love.

Senses working overtime #518

1 Study break has arrived! 

Looking forward to some well deserved indulgences in California. Donuts - here I come!

2 Listening: California Road Trip playlist

Getting in the mood via this nicely curated playlist.

3 Gobsmacked viewing: Declan Rice

I could watch those free kicks over and over - things of beauty!

4 Listening: Return To Ommadawn - Mike Oldfield

5 Listening: WTWMC - Aussie Battlers

And, we're done!

Overtime: Danny Kaye

Life is a great big canvas and you should throw all the paint on it you can.

Senses working overtime #149

1 Annihilation

Looks and sounds gooooooood!!! And it's coming to Netflix in March. The link has a promo which is actually worth your time and doesn't tell you the whole story, shock horror.

2 Liam Gallagher and the cute kids
Hilarious! Having been interviewed by our Year 3 students this week, I know how Liam feels. 




3 Neutral Milk Hotel

An in-praise-of from Pitchfork. I love this album so I'm especially happy to pass this on to my select clutch of JFTT followers. Possibly this has appeared on JFTT before. Possibly. What the heckfire! It's worth it.

4 Then and now

I love these kinds of photo essays. Enjoy it with me here.

5 Get over it

Fascinating!

Overtime - Grim!

California dreaming - the downside of Disneyland and the tourist industry is explored by The New York Times - the reality is often overlooked. Best thing I read this week (apart from Ian MacDonald's essay, The People's Music, in his anthology of the same name, that is).

Senses working overtime #94

1 Do the Bartman

Nifty list of predictions made on The Simpsons that...gasp...have come true!

2 The Donald vs California
Yikes - fascinating article from the Washington Post on how California and the Trumpet are at war with each other.

3 Histography
WOW!! This site is AMAZING. If you like history, cool infographics, stories (who doesn't huh?) you will LOVE this! Hours of fun!

4 London!

I love London and these photographs are fantastic!

5 Reflect, medicate, take some time

I include this photo to remind myself that these moments are important. I haven't had too many of them lately...

Overtime 
This popped up in my YouTube alert from Abbey Road. Great song, song video and a message for the ages!