First day at ALA

American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference. Anaheim, California. Palm Trees. Disneyland. Meetings. Palm trees. Programs. Delicious food. Palm trees. Did I mention the beautiful palm trees?

My day starts with the beautiful palm outside my motel window

Then there was a delicious breakfast along with reading for fun

And this day continued with a GODORT (Gov docs round table) meeting, a presentation about the good of the Internet (Arab Spring) and the bad (ease of governments gathering private information), awards for librarians that have done amazing things for their communities, and ending with a scrumptious meal (Ceasar salad and fried onion rings for me!) with two colleagues/friends outside in this wonderful California breeze.

The night before was really a special treat for me! First, I met up with Leo, a friend from K-State. We met over tea and soda pop and talked about our jobs and what we were doing new and different since we last saw each other. After that, an amazing young woman I have come to know as family picked me up and treated me to and an evening out near her apartment in Huntington Beach.

On the ride out that way I still found myself amazed by the trees

First she showed me her apartment – felt like I was in the middle of a 1950’s film. Wonderful small homes and apartments creating communities for the residents. Just lovely. Here are a few pictures from the pier:

Volleyball. Sorry fellows, no bikinis this time!

This woman arrived ready with her surfboard and wet suit, her hair coiffed perfectly from a day on her job! What a fantastic way to wind down from a day of work. You go girl!

People who live in this buidling have quite a view

After a walk on the pier there was a scrumptious Italian dinner accompanied by a glass of sweet Sangria. Had the camera, but forgot to take a picture of the meal, which began with hardy bread and tapenade and/or olive oil with herbs. I enjoyed eggplant parmesan while Laura ordered crepes surounded by shrimp and crabmeat with a rather spicy sauce.

So, I forgot to take a picture of Laura, or the meal, or her apartment. Really bummed about that. But still – what a glorious day!

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More with men’s fashion

I’d love to see a book about Anna Wintour and her business sense. Her methods of making decisions – those decisions that have taken Vogue magazine through the 1990s and also through this down-trodden economy. It would also be great to learn more about Grace Coddington and Mark Holgate and all the others that have worked so hard. They’ve been successful – there is a lot I could learn from each of them!

But in the meantime, I’m studying the streets and focusing on the visual. Also finding articles written about the business side of the fashion industry – as best I can!

Today I will post a few more pictures from last September’s NYC Fashion week – but mostly men’s style this time. I love the colors and I love the shoes. Go figure. Never before really paid attention to men’s shoes so much. Anyway! I won’t say that I really really like everything I see here, but I surely enjoyed seeing how these men each created their own “look” and obviously felt comfortable in it!

This first picture I actually posted once before, but two totally different looks with the man purse (or murse). The fellow on the left should probably tighten/shorten the strap a little – it looks rather heavy and will pull on his back more with it hanging so low. I should have told him so….OK, maybe not!

Combo of red and black

A little color with a striped French sailor-type shirt

Let’s finish the styles today with purple shoes and a short mini in the background!

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Different kinds of stuff

Today I plan to post pictures a little different than what I have posted lately. Yesterday morning when I walked and drank coffee in Annapolis, I took a few more pictures. First, as I turned the corner toward my Starbucks near the dock, I passed by a fenced-in grassy area where a cat lives. This cat has been in his/her chair several mornings as I passed by, but yesterday I took the picture. Often when I zoom for a photo the picture comes out blurry, but this one turned out pretty well I thought!

Mighty handsome kitty

Then later while sitting outside drinking my coffee, reading, and watching the tide rise up over the bricks, I saw another resident making his own way for his morning coffee

This is just too cool! Went to Starbucks, got his coffee, then left to go back home. Someday I’m gonna try the same

New paint job

These next two pictures I took a few weeks ago, but I’m going to share today

Remember the picture of the puppy I posted a few days ago? While sitting on the porch watching the pups, I took off my little blue bedroom slipper sock thingies. The Mommy dog came along and confiscated one for the pups’ bed. Then she came back for the other! You know it – I just let her take them. I couldn’t stop that mama dog from doing what she thought was best for her babies. Who could?

And following is a picture from a meal I enjoyed in DC a few weeks back. A veggie kabab with grilled mushrooms, red peppers, onions, and zucchini slices from Kababji Grill, an absolutely delicious Lebanese Restaurant on Connecticut Avenue. (the toasted pita wedges with a hot chili/garlic spread were amazing!) I will definitely go back again someday!

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Fashion apparel and more architecture

Today there will be a few more pictures from my walk this past Saturday and a few that are almost a year old. Last September I embarked on a one day train trip to NYC for Spring 2012 Fashion Week and took tons of pictures while there. There was NO getting into an actual runway show – there would have been a need to know someone, and I know no one. However, there were a few celebrities and wanna-be models and tons of fashion-styled people on the street to be just there. Simply there. To see and be seen. Especially at Lincoln Center.

Bill Cunningham was there taking his usual wonderful pictures, and when I saw him I stood there like the goober I try so hard not to be. Grinning. Giggling inside. Thinking to my not-so-mature self, “There he is!! It’s Bill Cunningham! Oh my goodness. It is really him!” Not surprisingly, he didn’t take my picture. 😦 I dressed a little in my own style – or something like style. But among all the confidence and grandeur I was pretty dull. Anyway, I stood there with my camera in hand, and did not think to take Cunningham’s picture until about 60 seconds after he had ridden away on his bicycle. dang.

However, here are a few pictures I did take that day. For spring of 2012.

Here the tote matches the shoes. The draping garment is a soft shade of golden brown similar to the shorts. And somehow the hat pulls it all together. How’d she do that?

I’m thinking bold move here

Taking a break …….

All types of shoes!

And now – more from the wonderful houses on my recent Annapolis walk

How about an older house with new stacked stone steps and metal with cable railings?

Seafoam green accents

Got color?

And more color?

Creative folks come up with some fascinating ideas!

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Walking and eating … and that’s it right now!

I have been walking more lately – something I used to do on a regular basis before moving to Annapolis. Thus, the reason for looking for a new apartment. Walking is not only good for physical health but also very strong and productive mental health.

I’m getting to the library super early most mornings, parking the car, then starting my walk in lovely downtown Annapolis. I often stop for a short break at the dock and drink something scrumptious from Starbucks. That something scrumptious is usually a tall coffee – I don’t totally enjoy a specialty drink early in the day – they usually come later! I sip my coffee for a few minutes, then finish it later at work since my personal thermos cup keeps coffee warm for several hours. Good for the environment and my personal economy!

One of my favorite little streets

And here is a better view of the yellow structure

There was the day earlier this spring when I went in early for a class and then worked late at the Reference Desk. I treated myself to an extended lunch break consisting of a nice walk and then a little reading over a delightful vegan pizza. Some day I’ll go back for another!

Oh yes! How ’bout one more picture from my Saturday walk around Annapolis? This green front inclosure needs a little TLC, but I knew as soon as I saw it that this green structure had been a wonderful idea at some point in its history!

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Architecture on the street

Yesterday was an amazing day! I left home and parked the car in downtown Annapolis before 9:30am. Walked constantly for over 5 hours with my only break being 15 minutes at a counter eating a very tasty veggie dog from Pips Dock Street Dogs. Added a Diet Coke and I was truly a-smilin’!

The other special treat during this walk was a phone call from a friend of mine – a business librarian at the University of Michigan. Talked a long time as I walked these streets and we shared information about our work. I did stop another 5 minutes to take notes regarding a few business resources that could be useful for my work with the Economics Department. I will see what other info I can find about them when I return to work on Monday. In the meantime, I am very happy to have friends/colleagues that so willing share their expertise!

Well, back to the walking ….. I’m hoping to find an apartment closer to the library so that it would be easier to walk to work – as well as living within walking distance to restaurants and just about any other type of store I would need. I began in the area of Eastport, going up and down and back and forth over all the little streets, looking for “for rent” signs. None. I actually viewed one apartment I think I may really like (listed on craigslist), but I’m not sure. I’m still thinking.

While I’m thinking, I want to share with you a few pictures I took of lovely dwellings I found on my walk. So much uniqueness that I found myself, no joke here, actually squealing with delight! I think I may start to call myself the “Bill Cunningham of architecture”! OK, not really. But I truly do love architecture and all the different aspects I see as I walk on the streets of our earth. How do people like to decorate or design their living spaces?

This particular arched doorway, with the forged iron, and with all the trees and what I would call a little “over growth”, reminded me of the story of Hansel and Gretel. Totally captivated with it! (note the arched window above)

Then there was this clean, sleek veranda with four non-tapered columns with square capitals and bases. The floor to ceiling windows really caught my attention, and the wooden door with three lights provided the perfect accent.

There was also what I would call a “hippie” house. I liked it and thought the owners were very bold! Well, I’ll let you decide….

I also spent some of that walk on the southern/western (??) side of Duke of Gloucester Street, where the even older homes offered something different from the first few hours of my walk. Here are a few lovely row houses painted in different colors. Makes for a fantastic online jigsaw puzzle!

I hope to write again soon with more pictures from my walk and maybe one or two pictures of delicious meals I have enjoyed. Food Food. Right, people?

As I leave, let me share this picture of a new puppy at our home in Virginia. Who doesn’t love a cute puppy??!?

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