"Nostalgia"...A Round Robin Promotion

"We could never have loved the earth so well, if we had no childhood in it."

-George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss, 1860

What do you think of when you think of nostalgia? Car hops at restaurants? Drive-in movies? Antique cars? Soda Pop in real glass bottles? Or even Milk in real glass bottles for that matter. :) Sometimes I get nostalgic for things of comfort from my childhood. There were these frozen juice bars that I would buy from the ice-cream truck called, "Missles." They were strawberry, lemon, and orange. YUM. I haven't seen them in years. As I recall, they were delicious, especially on a hot August day.

Can you be nostalgic for something you have never tried or experienced? My whole life I have heard about a tasty little snack cake that is apparently sold only east of the Rockies. Drake's "Ring Dings." I have heard about them in movies, and in magazine articles, even an episode of Seinfeld. You can order them from Amazon.com. A 10 pk for $3.39. I have NO idea why I don't make the big leap and order a box. LOL. I just haven't. But how silly is that? What if I am missing one of the great American cultural experiences? Maybe I will put them on my Amazon.com wish list. LOL.

One thing I do miss however, is the great old greasy hamburgers from my youth. Back before strangers tried to save my life, by insisting that only polyunsaturated oils should be used on the fries I loved. I like it when my burgers are drippy with greasy yumminess. I like my burgers messsssssssy. Half a jar or mayonnaise, red onions, REAL cheese, and sometimes a nice bit of Lea & Perrins steak sauce. I always order my burgers without lettuce, because I am not fond of hot lettuce. Nope, why ruin a perfectly good burger, by adding something healthy to it? I do understand my approach to a good burger isn't the healthiest, so I don't eat them too often this way, but boy when I do...I enjoy every bite.

I think the thing I am most nostalgic for, are Drive-in movies. So many have closed here in Northern California in the last 20 years, the last one being the one located in Union City, California, which made way for the newest uber mall, which contains an uber theater. Sigh. It was fun going to the drive-in. I miss that a lot, but I have been reading here and there, that they are making a comeback. Crossing my fingers, eyes and toes on that one. :)

So tell me, what are nostalgic for? Or better yet, get out your camera and join the Round Robins for our next challenge, "Nostalgia." Our friend Dorn, author of the journal, "Through the Eyes of the Beholder," has chosen this topic for us to take on, and what a great choice it is. :) We can all relate to feelings of nostalgia...right. The date of this challenge will be, Wednesday, September 6th. Please pay a visit to the official Round Robin blog, and read Steven's announcement entry for this challenge. And if you haven't already done so, please welcome him aboard as the newest Round Robin team member! I hope to see you on September 3rd.

-OndineMonet
"Bob's Big Boy"
Berkeley, California
August 25th, 2006

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #126: Where You Live

"Where we love is home. Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts."

-Oliver Wendell Holmes, "Homesick In Heaven"

Your Weekend Assignment #126: What is the most interesting thing about where you live? "Thing" in this case would be a famous landmark, a famous current celebrity or historical personage from your home town or county, a notable celebration or sports event... basically, anything that makes where you're from interesting and unique.

Extra Credit: Are there any books that feature your home town (or someplace nearby) in any way?

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Where do I begin? LOL. I have shared quite a bit about Berkeley. Showed you the art about town, the awesome Berkeley Marina, the views of San Francisco, and I have shared a little about the quirkiness, that makes Berkeley never boring. From the minute you reach the city limits, you know you have arrived in a unique town, that can be super chic one moment, and completely retro the next. Berkeley has an energy to it, probably because of the university. This time of year is my favorite. School is back in session, and everyone is rested and ready to take on college life.
It is a special place, and I could go on and on, so how about I show you in pictures. :)

Autumn in Berkeley

The Berkeley Couches

The Frat House Shoes

The pizza from my favorite pizza place, The Cheeseboard Collective. Amazing pizza and a cheese shop that sells about 500 varieties of cheese. YUM! :)

The Berkeley Repertoire Theatre

The Addison street Art Walk " Poetry Plates"

The Sather Gate entrance to the University of California Berkeley campus.

The Sunrises over the East Bay Hills

The Sunsets at the Berkeley Pier

The music and poetry readings, "How Berkeley Can You Be?" day, the wonderful assortment if restautrants along Shattuck avenue, the Peoples Garden, the Poetry Garden, the public art, the street vendors along Telegraph avenue, the Peace Wall, and the beautiful Claremont Hotel, are more of the sites that make Berkeley a beautiful and unique place to live. I love it here. :)

Extra Credit: There have been many books set here in Berkeley and the Bay Area in general. One such book is, "Tales of the Fish Patrol" by Bay Area resident, Jack London. The book is a collection of short stories, set on the San Francisco bay, during the years of the author's youth.

-OndineMonet
"Sather Tower"
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, California
November, 2005
7:00 AM

Note: Nzforme, you are absolutely correct. My goodness, if anyone finds out about my error...I will be kicked lock, stock and cat right out of Berkeley! YIKES! Don't tell anyone, ok? Thanks for the head's up. If I had actually gone there, I would probably have gotten it right. We tend to get a bit lax around here. LOL.

Steven's Feline Friday...Woo Hoo

"If you hold a cat by the tail, you learn things you cannot learn any other way."

-Mark Twain

For this week's edition of Feline Friday, Steven has asked us to do something a little different, so, we are creating a WooHoo of our favorite companions. Kinda cool! So, above you see, "The Many Moods Of Elvis." Enjoy!

-OndineMonet

Star Jones Reynolds...Love Coach (Ellipsis Poll Results)

"I have no use for people who throw their weight around as celebrities, or for those who fawn over you just because you are famous."

-Walt Disney

Poor George Bush, once again he has lost in the polls! LOL. Most recently, an Ellipsis (non-scientific) poll, for your choice of "Favorite Celebrity Behaving Badly." Nope, George only came in second, but in the #1 spot as the biggest baddy, as chosen by you, is none other than Star Jones Reynolds, for the awesome "Hissy Fit" she threw on her last day as co-host of ABC's The View. Let's give her a round of applause!

I was surprised that she actually took first place. Still, I guess it's not everyday someone actively works to infuriate Barbara Walters. So, what's Star been doing since her untimely exit from The View? Well, my research yielded an unexpected answer to that very question. According to "StarJones.com," her official website, it turns out Star landed a pretty good back-up job for herself, sometime back, as a "Love Coach" for AOL Coaches! LOL. Yeah, I can feel the love! Strange, I hadn't heard anything about that gig, but then again, AOL rarely consults me on such matters, or any matter for that matter. LOL. I wonder if the "Love Coach" offer came before or after that bizarre blogging incident last year. Hmmm... Also, do you think she will remain on staff as an official AOL "Love Coach" now that she has exited The View, which is a part of the AOL/Time Warner companies? Stay tuned, I predict another interesting turn of events in the saga that is Star Jones Reynolds!

-OndineMonet

Click here to see the complete results of the "Celebrities Behaving Badly" poll.

Round Robin Challenge: Transportation

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."

-Robert Frost

We all have to get from here to there...don't we? Every since I found out that our current challenge would be, "Transportation," I have had Supertramp's song, "Take The Long Way Home," stuck in my head...again! A couple years ago, I was going through a rough time and I heard that song about six times in the space of about a week. It was playing in the background of a Lifetime movie, it was on one of the digital radio stations on my cable box, it was playing at the supermarket one day, and even the Ethereal Musician joined in the haunting, as he played a particularly soulful version one day when I was napping in the back yard. I had that song stuck in my head for 26 weeks. LOL. And along with it, the headache from HELL, and the interesting events of sleepwalking. LOL. I don't think it will be stuck that long this time around, lol, but it is a catchy little tune. :) So, I thought it would be fun to demonstrate how someone might "take the long way home." :)

I could ride a Merry-Go-Round, but I would just go in circles. That would never work!

I could fly away in a big balloon. Trouble is, the wind has to blowing the right direction...or I could get very lost. :(

I could hop onto a giant sky chair...but have you ever tried to gracefully exit one of those things? :)

I could sail away on a small passenger boat. I am only 4ft 10, that qualifies as a small passenger...right? Nah, where would I put Elvis? :)

I could catch an old-fashioned cable car like this one, and "climb half way to the stars." Half way? I don't like to do anything "half way." LOL.

This young lady had wheels installed on her bathtub. LOL. Is there anything better then a long bubble bath? I just bought some Jasmine bubble bath. :) Oh wait...she didn't have any controls installed on that thing! That would never work!

I know...a train! Remember that great old movie, "Strangers on a Train?" Ut oh! Never mind. LOL.

I know...I could ride a bike! I could even take a ride like Etta Place and Butch Cassidy did in the movie, "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid." Wasn't that one of the most sexy scenes in cinema history? :) Ahhh... no but see...sooner or later there would be a big shoot-out. There's always a Gloomy Gus somewhere!

I think I will just take a walk. I love walking in autumn, the crisp air, the smell of the first fireplaces of the season, and the blanket of beautiful colored leaves to play in. Yes, I will use my own two feet, to find my adventures and "take the long way home."

And now a poem...

"Feet" By Edwin Carp

You need feet to stand up straight with
You need feet to kick your friends
You need feet to keep your socks up
And to keep your legs from fraying at the ends

You need feet to stand on tippy-toe
You need feet to dance the Hoochy-coo
You need feet to walk away with
And I need feet to run away from you!

Tee Hee! Be sure to visit all the Round Robins, and see their interpretation of the challenge. Thanks goes to Robin, author of the journal, "These Are The Days Of Our Lives," for bringing us this awesome challenge! Be sure to visit the Round Robin blog on Thursday, to find out the subject of our next challenge, and welcome Steven, the newest member of team Round Robin!

Linking List

1. Robin "These are the Days of our Lives" POSTED!
2. Karen "Outpost Mavarin" POSTED!
3. John "Personal effects" POSTED!
4. Carly "Ellipsis...Suddenly Carly" POSTED!
5. Suzanne R "New Suzanne R's Life" POSTED!
6. Julie "Julie's Web Journal" POSTED!
7. Janet "Fond of Photography" POSTED!
8. Asender "Asender Rises Above Studio Updates"
9. boliyou "Percolation" POSTED!
10. Celeste "My Day My Interests"
11. Robin "Search The Sea" POSTED!
12. Kerrin "A New day A New Photo" **Welcome New Member** POSTED!
13. DesLily "Here There And Everywhere 2nd Edition" POSTED!
14. Steven "(sometimes) photoblog" POSTED!
15. Phinney "Paragon" POSTED!
16. Dorn "Through The Eyes Of The Beholder"
17. Betty "My Day My Interests" POSTED!
18. Marie "Photographs and Memories Too" POSTED!
19. Gina "Ginas Space" POSTED!




-OndineMonet

Your Monday Photo Shoot: My Camera And Me

"There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are."

-Ernst Haas

This edition of "Your Monday Photo Shoot," is being hosted by Journals Editor Joe of, "Magic Smoke."

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Take a photo that shows you with your camera. A mirror or other reflective surface would probably help here. Also, tell us a little about your camera and how you use it. (This isn't a sneaky marketing survey, incidentally.)

Editor Joe (Magic Smoke)

Well, here I am again! LOL. Just a couple months ago, I got brave and decided to show my full face in an entry...for the first time mind you, and now, here I am showing it again, at a slightly different angle! LOL The last photo was in black and white, so here is what I look like in color. LOL. That's it...mystery solved! I guess this will be my official self portrait for autumn. LOL. So tell me, am I what you expected? Go ahead...give it to me straight...I can take it! :) Do I look taller? Tee Hee. Ok, now about my camera...




I have a Konica/Minolta Dimage Z1, with a 3.2 Mega pixel x10 zoom lens. It is a pretty nifty little camera, and it also has a video feature with does pretty well even in low lighting. :) I LOVE my camera, it has some weight to it, so it is a lot easier to hold steady, and it does pretty well for the amount of pixel power. I don't think a day has gone by, where I didn't take a picture of some kind with it, I guess you could say, this camera is my best friend. :)





-OndineMonet
"Just Me"
Berkeley, California
August 21, 2006
Evening

A Surreal Moment, And The Winner Of The "Caption This Or That" Contest

"We have to pursue this subject of fun very seriously, if we want to stay competitive in the twenty-first century."

-Unknown

This was definitely a very surreal moment! There I was, enjoying a gourmet spaghetti dinner from my favorite little North Beach restaurant, Fisherman's pizzeria, when swoooooooop...down came this hungry fella intent on stealing a noodle from my stylish carry out diningware. LOL. It was fun. I love having my camera by my side, for moments such as this one. He was a goofy bird, and it was initially a bit unnerving to have him peck at the windshield, so I gave him a few noodles and some garlic bread to enjoy. Hey, moments like this don't come along every day! LOL. Now on with this week's "Caption This Or That," winner.

It's beginning to look like the fix is in, but the prize again goes to Wil, talented author of the blog, "Daily Snooze." The winner was chosen by a completely impartial entity, so it was fair, I promise. I will be doing another round soon, so consider playing along next time...give this brilliant man as much competition as you can...HE MUST BE DEFEATED! LOL. A special thanks goes to John Darrow, David Darrow and Brock Meeks for also playing along. You guys are the best! Now on with the winning caption...

"Puff's failure to heed the Dragon Crossing sign yields tragic, yet predictable results."

LOL. Give our friend a round of applause! :) Thanks for playing Wil!

NOTE: I am also posting at my AOL journal Ellipsis all this week, stop by and say "hi" if you get the chance! :) And don't forget, we will be playing our current Round Robin Challenge this coming Wednesday. Click here for details! :)

-OndineMonet
"A Surreal Moment In San Francisco"
Fort Point
San Francisco, California
October, 2005
Afternoon

The Wife Of The Richest Man In The Fictional World

"Next to a circus, there ain't nothing that packs up and tears out faster then the Christmas spirit."

-Kin Hubbard

I can't believe we are very almost in September. Then again, it seems like every year goes faster and faster...without my consent. LOL. It's one of those secrets no one tells you when you are a young one of 21. They never tell you that as each year passes, it will all suddenly pick up speed somewhere around thirty, and as things start to sag, and your body turns on you, those sagging parts of yours will cause you to pick up speed, as you crest the age hill, and send you flying into oldness. Complete with "old people noises," forgetting where you parked your car, looking forward to going to bed before 10:00 PM... TO SLEEP, and the inability to tolerate spicy food. LOL. What was once wolf calls, is now replaced with, "can I help you to your car ma'am?"

I used to be a girl. Then I was a WOMAN. Ok, that is pretty cool, now I am a ma'am. That last characterization was the one I could have lived without. LOL. I was speaking to someone the other day about my future, "golden years," and I had to sigh. If it's all sagging this bad now...what will it be like in 20 years? Heck, will I be able to pick my knees up off the floor? And what about my boobs, which are now resting as shin guards? Will they difficult to roll up? My ear lobes now sit where my boobs should be, don't think that isn't an interesting sight, so I wonder, "is wearing shoulder duster earrings vulgar?"

Oh well. If the above picture is any indication of what my future could be like, then I do indeed have something to look forward to. After all, Santa did make Forbes Magazine's richest " Fictional Fifteen," list for 2002. In fact, Santa took first place on a list that included such wealthy characters as, Thurston Howell III, Bruce Wayne, Cruella Di Vil, and J.R. Ewing. With all that money I can have stuff, nipped, tucked, sucked, blown, removed, put on, tossed, pinched, prodded, and smoothed by the best plastic surgeons at the North Pole. See, Alan was once a mall Santa, so that makes me Mrs. Claus. Tee Hee. Say it with me now..."I believe, I believe!" LOL.

Note: I am also posting, for one week only, on my AOL Journal Ellipsis. Drop by and say hi. :) Should be a fun week, as I celebrate 3 years of blogging!

-OndineMonet
"Fun In The Sun"
Santa Cruz, California
August 11th, 2006
Evening

Bush Sings The Blues

"From Watergate we learned what generations before us have known...our Constitution works. And during the Watergate years, it was interpreted so as to reaffirm that no one...absolutely no one...is above the law."

-Leon Jaworski

Thursday, U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor, ruled that the NSA surveillance program unconstitutional. In the 43 page ruling, Judge Diggs went on to say that the government, in defending the program, "appeared to be saying the president had the inherent power to violate laws of Congress. It was never the intent of the framers to give the president such unfettered control... There are no hereditary Kings in America and no powers not created by the Constitution. So all 'inherent powers' must derive from that Constitution.

On Friday, Bush fired back with his displeasure. In speaking of the opponents of the surveillance program, Bush declared that they, "do not understand the nature of the world in which we live. I strongly disagree with that decision, strongly disagree. That's why I instructed the Justice Department to appeal immediately, and I believe our appeals will be upheld."

Sigh. I suspect they will. Bush will keep trying to get this, infraction of our Constitutional rights, turned back into his favor because he believes that he is indeed above the law. The thing is, we all know that America is no safer then pre 9/11, and that we will get no help from his administration in the event of another disaster natural or not. If he does manage to get things reversed back into his favor, it will set a precedent that will change the Constitution of the United States. He promised to protect and defend the Constitution, not rewrite it to suit his administration's agenda. Sigh. It will mean one more thing, it will mean that Osama Bin Laden will have been victorious, 5 years after he struck America, in bringing about a change to our Constitution, and our civil rights as Americans and the personal freedoms we have been fighting for. Ironic, isn't it? By the way, nearly 5 years has gone by, why haven't we captured Osama Bin Laden yet? Still waiting for an answer to that question.

"Don't interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties."

-Abraham Lincoln

-OndineMonet

You Can Go Home Again

"If I need a cause for celebration, or a comfort I can use to ease my mind. I rely on my imagination and dream of an imaginary time."

-Billy Joel

AOL Journal Land is a happy place to be at the moment. This week they are celebrating 3 years of journaling excellence, concluding with a live chat on Sunday night. Like in past years, many talented and generous members of the land are pitching in to make it a great time for everyone. The First Lady of AOL Journals, Vivian, has all the details and links to the various members and journal/blogs which will be participating. See the official "3rd Anniversary Journal," for details. Steven has created a special AOL journal, "It's Raining Photos," and is currently making an online photo album from submitted member's photos. He has done some really amazing things for the land in the past, and this time around he has come through again. There is still time to participate, the cut-off date is Sunday, so be sure and drop by and have a look at all the work he has done.

I have an anniversary coming up this week as well. Next Wednesday, August 23rd will mark my three year anniversary as a blogger. In that time I have learned so much, about myself and others. I have made some wonderful friends, and some amazing memories. When I moved over here to Blogger, I wasn't sure what to do with the old Ellipsis. I thought about making a clean break by deleting it, but I never had the heart. I considered archiving it over here, but that had it's obstacles as well. Sigh. So, Ellipsis has sat in AOL mothballs since last November, without any visitors, except for myself when I want to feel close to the old neighborhood again. I had friends that had to leave us all too soon, but who will forever remain a part of the rich history of the land, such as Pam and Frank. Then there are the friends who simply slipped away, due to life, like Slomo and Gregg. Sometimes I still go by Slomo's to sit and read old entries, and most of all to wish her well. Sigh. If you are out there darlin...I still miss you so much, but most of all, I hope in my heart that you are safe and happy.

A lot happened when things exploded last November, but one thing never changed, at least for me, was the fact that I still care about the people in that land. I may have changed addresses, but I didn't change inside. AOL didn't define who I was or what I was about. I hope that makes sense. I still DO NOT support the higher ups at AOL who tried to decide for me what content would be displayed on my journal. I DO NOT support the way they treated us during the fall-out, and it still makes me a little sad to think that they put those ads on our journals, like a vandals in the middle of the night. But as awful as that was, that was merely the final straw as to why I left. Problems had been coming up for months, anyone else remember the porn spam that infected our blogs? By the time "Black Tuesday" came around, I knew in my heart it was time to move on.

Suddenly I landed over here at Blogger, which is why I named my blog here, " Ellipsis...Suddenly Carly." I have learned a lot over here. I have had great pals like Shelly and Karen to help me out, and I feel I have experienced a growth as a blogger here, I never would have back in the old neighborhood of AOL. But like with any old neighborhood, you don't forget your neighbors, or care about them any less. So, after thinking it over carefully, I decided to go ahead and submit my photo to Steven for his album project, and after talking to some good friends, like Vivian and Patrick, I can sit here with a smile, and think to myself that, that old saying isn't always true, "YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN." :)

To celebrate my personal three years of Ellipsis, I have decided to dust the old girl off and reopen her for a week, beginning this coming Sunday, complete with typos and all. LOL. Remember when AOL didn't have spell checks? LOL. I am surprised anyone ever read me at all. Sheesh. LOL. So, if you began reading me here and never saw my old place, this is your chance to drop by and have a look around. If you used to enjoy reading me over at AOL...well...like I said...I'm still just me, I like hearing from you no matter where I am. :) The AOL Ellipsis, will be opened up early Sunday morning, if you want to come by. I expect that the content will be different then my entries here. I plan to do some looking back, but like I always do, I will probably just let the journal flow where it wants. Hope to see you there. :)

Love, Carly

Lady Of Spain I Adore You...

"O great creator of being, grant us one more hour to perform our art and perfect our lives."

-Jim Morrison


There are all kinds of art forms in the world, and I enjoy all of them. Granted some more then others, but one my favorite things about living in the Bay Area, is the fun of watching the performance art of the street performers. We have them here in Berkeley, but they are perhaps more often associated with San Francisco. There was a time when you couldn't visit Golden Gate Park, without seeing one form of street performer or another. Mimes, musicians, magicians. It was always great fun. Robin Williams in his early days, and mimes, Shields and Yarnell, just to name a few of the most famous. For a while, street performing had been discouraged, but slowly former San Francisco mayor, Willie Brown reintroduced them back to the city. Now you can see them along Pier 39, Golden Gate Park, and the Embarcadero.

When I was in Santa Cruz last week, I happened upon this fellow," The Great Morgani," who was performing at the Pacific Garden Mall, in downtown Santa Cruz. The Pacific Garden Mall, has to be one of the nicer open air malls I have seen in the area. It consists of three lovely tree lined streets and has a good bit of public art on display throughout. There are some lovely outdoor cafes, and several street performers to make things a little more interesting. As I was driving down Pacific avenue the other day, looking for a parking place, I heard someone playing, "Lady of Spain," on the accordion. LOL. Yep, that song was definitely meant for the accordion. LOL. I was lucky enough to find a spot just up the street from where the music was coming from, so I decided to check it out. I was ready for an average guy, maybe wearing a Burgundy suede tuxedo, circa 1952, but what I found was much more imaginative then that. I found "The Great Morgani Accordionist Extraordinaire," aka Frank Lima.

While his web site states clearly that he plays, "everything except Lady of Spain or Metallica," I distinctly remember hearing that particular song that day. Hmmm, but in that "The Great Morgani" is an affable guy, who takes requests, perhaps he made an exception for a grateful fan. Could be. LOL. He is a great family entertainer, who enjoys interacting with his audience, including the children. When asked by a parent of child of about 3 years old, to "play something for the kids," he happily played, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." You should have seen the smile on that child's face. Now that's art! :)

The Great Morgani's Web Site

-OndineMonet
"The Great Morgani"
Santa Cruz, California
August 11, 2006
Early Evening

Hey, That Guy Has On A Gold Bathing Suit...

"I think on-stage nudity is disgusting, shameful, and damaging to all things American. But if I were 22, with a great body, it would be artistic, tasteful, and a progressive religious experience."

-Shelly Winters

My goodness I do find adventure wherever I go. LOL. Last Friday, Alan and I drove down to Santa Cruz to attend the John Waite concert on the beach. I love those free summer concerts, and Santa Cruz is a really fun place to just relax, let your hair down and to enjoy watching people and the awesome seaside scenery. Last Friday however, I saw a little more scenery then I had intended! LOL. We left the house really early that day, so we could see both lighthouses in Santa Cruz, Walton, and the Surfer's Lighthouse and museum. We also decided to take a short ride north on HWY1 to the Natural Bridges beach, because come this autumn, it will be a great place to see the migration of the Monarch butterflies. Also, there is a lot of public art throughout the city and beach areas, and you know me, I can't pass up the chance to photograph public art. :) It's my passion.

When we first arrived in town, we drove down to the boardwalk area, to see the beach, and the crowd. Doing so, would help us determine how much time we had before we had to find a parking place for the concert. It was a cool day, and so the beach wasn't too crowded, so we continued on up the coast highway to Natural Bridges. About three miles or so up the road, I noticed an obelisk, sitting next to two benches that overlooked the ocean and a small cove. We stopped, and as I photographed the art, I noticed that there was a lovely little waterfall situated above the cove, so I moved a little closer to the cliff and looked over the side. Down below were two guys, playing Frisbee. I thought to myself, "Hey...they both have on the same kind of bathing suit. They are both wearing gold. Maybe it is some kind of club. How fun." So, I began to snap photos. The sun was bright, so I set the camera on zoom, and decided to check the photos when I got back to the car. Ut oh!

That wasn't gold bathing suits they were wearing...it was gold birthday suits! YIKES!! I couldn't help it...I started to laugh. It had been a mistake on my part, I had NO idea there was a nude beach that close to the town. LOL. Of course I didn't research it before I went because I wasn't looking for that...it found me! LOL. When I got home, I looked on the Internet, and to my amazement, there are several nude beaches between Santa Cruz and Davenport, along HWY 1. In fact, there are many nude beaches in the Bay Area, and northern California. I also discovered that here is also some etiquette involved, and most of the places have clear postings about how to conduct oneself on a nude beach, but there was no postings where I had been earlier in the day. Hmmm...

I have never actually been to a nude beach, but I have had many, many spontaneous clothing malfunctions. LOL. Never planned mind you. :) I don't know, they just kinda happend. Speaking for myself, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to visit a nude beach, and I might do so one day, or maybe I won't. I think it is good when folks can enjoy themselves, and feel good about just being who they are...clothed or not. I wasn't able to find out any information about the obelisk, so maybe it is just the marker for the beach. Of course just because it is a marker, doesn't mean it isn't it art I suppose. Those people were having fun that day, and that is a very good thing in this harsh world. There is a great beauty in seeing anyone simply enjoying a day. The act of living can be an art form unto itself. That's what I like about art, it provokes us to think about how we view life, and encourages us to look beyond the immediate. Sometimes life is art!

Four Mile Beach

Natural Bridges Beach

Concert On The Beach

Sea Lions

Sunset on the Wharf

I saw a lot of fun things that day, including some awesome public art downtown at the Pacific Garden Mall. We never actually made it to the concert on the beach, we had been too busy that day, just letting the day happen. We ended the day with a nice dinner at Gilda's on the wharf, where we also listened to the concert. It was just across the bay, and you could hear the music quite well. I got to hear my favorite John Waite song, "Missing You," which brought back a lot of memories. :)

So tell me, if you happened along a nude beach, would you join in the fun, or simply walk away?

"Every time I think of you, I always catch my breath
And I'm still standing here and you're miles away
And I wonder why you left
And there's a storm that raging, through my frozen heart tonight
I hear your name in certain circles, and it always makes me smile
I spend my time thinking about you, and it's almost driving me wild
And there's a heart that's breaking, down this long distance line tonight
I ain't missing you at all, since you've been gone away
I ain't missing you...no matter what I might say."

- from Missing You

-OndineMonet
"Scenes from Santa Cruz"
Santa Cruz, California
August 11, 2006

John Waite Web Site

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Back Into Space

"There wouldn't be a sky full of stars, if we were all meant to wish on the same one."

-Francis Clark

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Show off a favorite space photo from NASA. Challenge for the folks who participated in the Photo Shoot last year: Pick a new photo you love. Given all the amazing photos from NASA over the years of space explorations, this shouldn't be difficult.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

For this assignment I chose the Cat's Eye Nebula (NGC 6543), which is in the constellation of Draco. According to the NASA web site, it is considered "one of the most complex nebulae known," and when viewed with the Hubble Telescope, you can see structures such as, "knots, jets, and sinewy arc-like features." It was discovered by William Herschel, on February 15th, 1786, and was the first planetary nebula whose spectrum was investigated by English amateur astronomer, William Huggins, in 1864. The brightness of this nebula has been set at 8.1. It is easily seen from most of the northern hemisphere. "The nebula is made up of mostly hydrogen and helium. The features of the Cat's Eye nebula are so complex, that astronomers suspect that the bright central object might actually be a binary star system."

I really like this particular heavenly a lot, but there are other photos of space I enjoyed as well...

Helix Nebula

"The stars are the jewels of the night, and perchance surpass anything which day has to show."

-Henry David Thoreau

Keplar's Supernova Remnant

"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."

-William Shakespeare

Infared View of Saturn

"You must carry chaos inside you, to give birth to a dancing star."

-Nietzsche

The Moon (I took that photo) :)

"Every fool knows you can't touch the stars, but it doesn't stop a wise man from trying."

-Harry Anderson

The Inside Of My Left Retina.

Ok, I know, I know, the inside of my left retina wasn't photographed by the Hubble Telescope, but it does help me see all that neat stuff in outer space, and here on earth as well. I thought my left eye deserved a mention. LOL. And it does kind of look like something you might see in outer space.

"Watch the stars, and learn from them

To the Master's honor all must turn,

each in it's track, without a sound

forever tracing Newton's ground."

-Albert Einstein

-OndineMonet
Information for this entry is based on an article published on the NASA web site, and Answers.com

The 2,996 Project

"Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory, as the wish to forget it."

Michel de Montaigne

In less then a month, America will observe the 5th anniversary of one of the darkest days in our history. The anniversary of the September 11th, terrorist strike against the United States. 2,996 people lost their lives that day. Some worked in the World Trade Center, some at the Pentagon, others aboard American Airlines Flights, 11, and 175, and United Airlines, Flights 77, and 93. Also killed that day, were members of the New York City Police department, and the New York City Fire department.

There is a project going on right now, which will honor those lost to us that day, it is called, "2,996 A Tribute To The Victims Of 9/11." And you can help. If you visit that web site, you can sign up to write a special tribute to one of people who were lost to the world that day, on your personal blog. The organizers of the project will email you the name of a person, who is still available from the list. It's not about politics, it's not an opportunity to express your opinion of the world, post 9/11, it's a chance to share about the life of someone who was among the 2996 murdered that day. It's an opportunity to share a little bit about who, and what we all lost that day. I already have the name of who I will be paying tribute to, and in a strange kind of way, it is helping me to heal a little to know I can share with you about someone who touched so many lives.

If you would like to help make a difference, and help us all heal a little more, simply click on the graphic below, or the one on my sidebar, and you will be redirected to the 2,996 Project site. I want to thank my friend Patrick, for telling me about this important project. He has also been assigned a name, and will be writing a tribute to one of the lost. I hope you will consider joining us. The project still needs volunteers, the last time I checked there was still over 1,000 names which had not been assigned to someone for tribute. As my friend Patrick said, "we can do better then that." We should always remember those we lost that day, and what they meant to the world.





-OndineMonet
"Never Forget"
Santa Cruz, California
August 11, 2006
Afternoon

Caption This! Or That!

Please click on the above photo to see the larger version.

"Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man."

-Jacques-Henri Lartique

It has been quite a week. LOL. Funny thing, it has seemed to have a "vehicle" theme. A near miss accident I had on Wednesday, the announcement of our next Round Robin challenge of "Transportation," which was written by Karen on Thursday, John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment, "Learning To Drive, on Friday, and yesterday I wrote a promo entry for the Round Robins. LOL. So, it seemed like a natural to choose a photo that would finish out the weekend, while keeping to the current theme. LOL. Hey, I am thinking it must be fate! So, how about we have some fun, shall we? Instead of only having one choice to submit captions for, how about two choices? You may have seen both of these photos before, either on my journal on AOL, or on Alan's former journal, "F-Stop." Although they have been previously published, I still though it might be fun to see what you would have named them, if you had photographed them. :) The Photo above will be "Car A."

This one will be "Car B."



As always, you can submit as many guesses as you want, but you must enter each guess as a separate comment, and you MUST indicate which car you are submitting the caption for. Simply put "Car A," or "Car B." The winner will receive an original photograph by me, as their prize. You have until next Saturday, August 19th, at midnight, to submit your captions. The winner will be announced on Monday, August 21st. Good luck!

-OndineMonet
"Untitled A"
"Untitled B"
Berkeley, California
2005

"Transportation"... A Round Robin Promotion

"He who loves, flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free and nothing holds him back."

-Henri Matisse

This is going to be fun. :) Robin, author of the journal, "These Are The Days Of Our Lives," can up with a cool new challenge for us. She has chosen, "Transportation," for our next Round Robin outing. :) Pretty awesome, because there is so much one can do with that topic. We all have to get from here to there...don't we? LOL. The little butterfly in the above photo, decided to hitch a ride on my arm. I was very pleased to let her. :) She was incredibly soft, and quite properly respectable. LOL. She had been on the floor of the conservatory, she looked a little wee, so I gently scooped her up and she and I spent most of the afternoon together as I snapped photos of her friends. When it was time to leave, I placed her on a large yellow flower, and said goodbye, but I have to say, if I could have brought her home with me, I would have. I would have made her a tiny hat, and she and I would spend whatever time she had left, discussing life, and the silliness of it all. :)

"Transportation," is a pretty cool topic for everyone. I hope you will join us for the fun on Wednesday, August 23rd. As always, you can post your entry any time between the midnights of that day. Or, if for some reason you have to be late, you can post any day for up to one week past the challenge date. Your best bet, to have as many folks see you as possible, is to post the day of the challenge. :) You can find out all the information you need at the official Round Robin blog. Also, in case you haven't already heard, Steven, is now a full team member of the Round Robin Challenges. It's going to be a lot of fun to have him on board. Yay! Thanks again Steven, for helping us to make the challenges a lot more fun!

Hitchin' A Ride
By Vanity Fair

A thumb goes up, a car goes by
It's nearly 1 am and here am I
Hitchin' a ride, hitchin' a ride
Gotta get me home by the morning light

I got no fare to ride a train
I'm nearly drowning in the pouring rain
Hitchin' a ride, hitchin' a ride
Gotta get me home, to my baby's side

Ride, ride ride, hitchin' a ride
Ride, ride,ride, hitchin' a ride

Long distance call I got today
She sounded lonely, so I'm on my way
Hitchin' a ride, hitchin' a ride
Gotta get me home, keep her satisfied

Ride, ride, ride, hitchin' a ride
Ride, ride, ride, hitchin' a ride

A thumb goes up, a car goes by
Oh, won't somebody stop and help a guy?
Hitchin' a ride, hitchin' a ride
Been way too long from my baby's side

Ride, ride, ride, hitchin' a ride
Ride, ride, ride, hitchin' a ride

-OndineMonet
"Hitchin' A Ride"
Conservatory of Flowers
San Francisco, California
August, 9th, 2006
Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #124: Learning To Drive

"I feel like I am diagonally parked in a parallel universe."

-Unknown

Your Weekend Assignment #124: How did you learn how to drive? How many tries did it take? What was the first car that you bought?

Extra Credit: Got a picture of that first car?

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

LOL. I looks like the theme for Ellipsis this week is transportation ! :) Yesterday, I shared with you my, "whattheHELLwasthat," passenger in a near tale of woe experience, and now I find that John Scalzi has chosen a driving them for our weekend assignment. LOL. On Saturday I am doing a promo for our next Round Robin challenge, which coincidently is "Transportation" and I will be finishing up the weekend with another round of, "Caption This!" Which, again by coincidence, has an transportation feel to it." LOL. Will wonders ever cease? Oh well, on with the assignment...

Q1. How did you learn to drive?

A. Alan taught me to drive. I was 23, and he thought it was about time I learned. He was right. It only took me six weeks. He was very good about teaching me to drive in different cities around the Bay Area, in which each seems to have their own rules, lol, and different lighting conditions. :)

Q2. How many tries did it take?

A2.I got my license on the very first try, the day before Thanksgiving, 1985. I scored a 96. Thank you very much! ;)

Q3. What was the first car you bought?

A3. Hmmm. The first car I ever owned in my name was after we got married. It was a Pontiac Firebird, but that was Alan's car before we got married. The first car we picked out as a couple was a Dodge Shadow, after that came a really dumb purchase of a KIA Sephia. Sigh. So I guess the first car I ever bought with my own money...sort of...was a 1999 Saturn SL1. She is pictured above and her name is Angelica. I said sort of, because I used my own money for the down payment, and while I was working I made the car payments. At one point I had to quit my job, to care for an ailing relative, and Alan took over the payments at that point. But Angelica was always mine all mine. :) She is beautiful. I love my car. :)

Extra Credit: See Above :)

-OndineMonet
"Angelica"
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
Spring, 2005
Afternoon

Hey Buddy! I Have A Cell Phone, And I Am Not Afraid To Use It!

"Reckless automobile driving arouses the suspicion that much of the horse sense of the good old days was possessed by the horse."

-Unknown

Sigh. Something happened yesterday (Wednesday) that both frightened, and angered me. I think it would have inspired those emotions in anyone. Here's what happened. Alan and I drove from Berkeley, down to Castro Valley to check our PO Box. It is about 19 miles south of Berkeley. After we picked up the mail, we continued on with our plans to go across the bay to San Francisco. We got onto Hwy 580 heading westbound, it was about 10:00 am, and there was hardly any traffic, so good for us, it was going to be a pleasant ride.

We were driving along, talking about a recent episode of ABC's, Extreme Home Makeover, when all of a sudden a black Ford "F" series pickup truck crossed came up behind us at a high rate of speed, passed us on the left, clearing us by about 4 feet, and exited off the freeway at 150th avenue. There was nowhere to go. There was a white SUV in the left lane, and we were in the far right lane, if we would have swerved, we would have hit the retaining wall. If we would have hit the brakes and locked them up, we would have more then likely spun, and hit the white SUV. Alan, thought quick on his feet. He applied light pressure to the brakes, and gripped the wheel...really tight. It was too damn close. You know? I think there is a good possibility that if I had left the house as little as 3 seconds earlier, or did one thing a little differently then I did, I would more then likely be dead. Sigh.

As I saw the truck coming across the lanes in front of us, I tensed my whole body up, raised my legs up on the seat in front of me, and prepared myself for what I thought just might be the end. I remember thinking about Elvis being home alone, with no one to take care of him, and then I thought to myself, "Please don't let Alan be in any pain." Then, nothing happened. The truck cleared us and exited the freeway doing about 50 miles per hour. Alan was still gripping the wheel, and holding the lane, and the SUV pulled over...quickly. I don't think either Alan or myself was breathing...not really. I know one thing...I WAS PISSED!

Here's the part that I like the best, and I think I deserved a pat on the back. Instead of demanding that Alan follow Mr. Truck off the freeway, so I could personally beat the guy to death with his own arm, I picked up my cell phone, and reported him to the Highway Patrol. I didn't get a license plate number, but I did remember some details of the truck that could be helpful in tracking him down. Another plus in this situation, Mr. Truck, exited the closest off-ramp to the Alameda County Sheriff's Department. I have no idea if he was caught, I don't really want to know, what concerned me the most was that after he exited the freeway, he may have harmed someone. I could not have lived with myself if I had come home, and found out that he had killed someone later in the day. Sigh. It happens that way all the time.

I don't call 911 lightly. I don't take traffic slights with anger and acid. If you get on a California freeway, a freeway anywhere for that matter, you will more then likely encounter someone who really doesn't belong behind the wheel of a vehicle. After we both stopped shaking, we continued on with our day at the Conservatory of Flowers, in San Francisco, but I have to tell you, all I really wanted was to retreat into myself. The whole episode brought back memories of a car accident I was in with my brother, when I was 16. Ironically, we had been on I880, heading to San Francisco, to see the King Tut exhibit. Sigh. I said nothing to Alan, and we went ahead to the Butterfly Exhibit, at the conservatory. And then from there we did some other, usually fun things, around the city, and down the coast. I will share some of that next week.

I am sore tonight. With Fibromyalgia it doesn't take much to make your muscles hurt. Sometimes your body will hurt with no provocation at all, let alone after you have tensed up to the extent I did. I laid down after we got home for a little while, and woke up to Alan asking me if I was ok, because I was talking and crying in my sleep. I don't remember what I was dreaming about, but I have a suspicion that it was probably all the things my mind didn't have a chance to process. Sigh. I know for sure that literally seconds, made the difference in my life yesterday. There are a couple things that I think I can hold onto in this. Alan didn't loose control, I did call the police and give all the information that my mind was clear enough to catch and retain, and when we passed the white SUV, that had pulled over after the incident, we both saw that the driver was on his cell-phone. It is my hope that whoever that was, they were able to get the license number, and that the call they were making was to the Highway Patrol.

On a personal note...

If you are reading this blog, and you are the one who cut us off in traffic today, at approximately 10:10 am, heading westbound on Hwy 580, near the 150th avenue exit, LISTEN UP BUDDY! You don't want to piss me off! I might be 4 ft 10, but I have a cell phone, and I am NOT AFRAID TO USE IT! And I will be more then happy to show up for your court date!

On a lighter note...

I went on to the conservatory, and I photographed the butterflies. I lived my life. I may have been shaking most of the afternoon, and I may be in some pain right now, but if what happened did anything to me, it empowered me! I didn't occur to me to take the easy way out, by engaging in road rage...I did something far better in the long run...I stood up for myself the RIGHT way! Go me! LOL.

-OndineMonet
"Seeing Eye To Eye"
Conservatory of Flowers
San Francisco, California
August 9, 2006
Afternoon