My Soul Remembers ...

The Last Bookstore

"However tough the peasant in his heart, every writer needs people who believe in him, give him a shoulder to cry on, and value what he values." ~John Gardner

[ Much later that morning ... ]

I think i walked through some kind of portal last night on 5th Street in Downtown. The new moon in Aries was also feisty with some left over winter melancholia. The mood bookended what was a sensational night of music at the Exchange: Alice Russell with Quantic, DJ Rich Medina, and the Robert Glasper Experiment--joined by special guests vocalists Bilal, King, and Lalah Hathaway. If that show was a groove and beat heavy powered trip into the new directions, and ever present dimensions, of "jazz", then The Last Bookstore on 5th Street and Spring, with its retro-futurism deco and fixtures - a little romantic, a little industrial - was a welcomed, albeit melancholy, rest stop for a broken hearted time traveling bard ... (22.03.12)

A Trip To ...

SOUTH PASADENA: my favorite small town in the big city. i couldn't let such a gorgeous 80-degree Thursday in January go by without making the trip, my first of the year:

• Board 780 (Rapid) East at Broadway Blvd/Brand Blvd
• Disboard at Colorado Blvd/Fair Oaks Ave
• Board 260 South at Fair Oaks Ave/Colorado Blvd
• Disboard at Fair Oaks Ave/Mission St

First stop was to The Curio Emporium, a creepy cool shop catering to your goth/steampunk/dieselpunk imaginary [Note To Self: must go back for their awesome selection of chained pocket watches!]. I then walked to the South Pasadena Farmers Market, where i was pleasantly surprised to catch a performance by son jarocho group Las Cafeteras (not to mention by the yummy honey dates i tried for the first time!). Along the way i just had to stop by my favorite shop on Mission Street, Zinnia,  for some crafty doo-dads.

Later ...

• Take Gold Line North to Pasadena at Mission Station
• Board 780 West at Colorado/Fair Oaks ... arrive in Glendale just in time for another spectacular winter sunset 

!!ATTENTION STEAMPUNKS!!
Saturday, January 28, 2012 The Curio Emporium presents "A Trip to The Curio". Artists and vendors with their gears and retro-futuristic wares (see the work of one talented artist here), baked goods, and a food truck! Bring the entire family (and your best pair of brass goggles!) and enjoy a trip to the ever present future-past!


This is the first of i'm sure many offerings from South Pasadena (as well as on Steampunk). My trips to "South Pas" have always felt as if i were going home ... to a past (future?) life. 

(A few more pics of my day in South Pasadena can be seen here)