Eddie Arana, Rick Thibodeau, & Chris Bakunas San Diego, Ca. March 2012

Eddie Arana, Rick Thibodeau, & Chris Bakunas San Diego, Ca. March 2012
Eddie Arana, Rick Thibodeau, & Chris Bakunas at Luche Libre Taco Shop in San Diego, March 2012

Thursday, March 7, 2024

The Butterflies Of National City

    National City, California has undergone a serious transformation since I was a kid. Walking around the city a few weeks ago I was amazed at the changes. For starters, the city is much cleaner, physically and, for lack of a better term, morally.

   Makes me sound quite prudish, I know, but when I was a kid National City was known for the hundreds of businesses that catered were designed to separate young Naval personnel from their hard earned cash.

   Those businesses, the bars, massage parlors, adult theaters, etc., took advantage of the large population of young, predominantly male, Sailors whose decision making abilities were hampered by the curse of testosterone, and as most people know I abhor the scum who open and run such businesses as those.

   But I digress. Today's little portfolio is of the many different butterfly paintings that have surfaced in National City over the past few decades. Amateur creations, one and all, but still an improvement over what was.

   An appropriate symbol of the city's metamorphosis, eh?










   


Tuesday, March 5, 2024

True Love & A Selfie Stick

He likes to take pictures of himself
From just the right angle he thinks he looks great
In the right light with a neutral background
No one could deny he is at least an eight
To who though was always open to debate

She considers her phone a camera first
Even when she's texting she's framing the scene
Plans her daily wardrobe around the color of the sky
Knows her fashion sense turns others green
Imagines herself on the cover of a gossip magazine

They met on a dreary day when the sun was hiding
Both of them taken in by the other's practiced smiles
He proffered his name and she responded with hers
Mutually instantly smitten by looks and styles 
They exchanged numbers in order to swap picture files 

Their first date was akin to a screen test
Both dressed to kill or at least maim
Even the jaded maitre d' was impressed
By the end of the night the spark was aflame
Not they share a home and the same last name






Monday, March 4, 2024

(That Sunny Winter Morning) In Daytona Beach

   Had a full day layover in Orlando and as I had no desire to visit Walt's World or any of the other amusement parks in the area, I decided to head up to Daytona Beach. 

   I'd always wanted to see what a beach that cars could be raced on looked like.

   As I'm a cheap bastich, I opted to take public transit as opposed to ride share - Daytona Beach is about 57 miles from Orlando, and paying nearly $150 to $200 for a round trip was not in my pocketbooks best interest.

   Instead I caught the SunRail light rail from the Orlando Sand Lake Road station to the Debary Station, and from there I took the VoTran (Volusia County Transit System) number 31 bus to the Amelia Super Stop in Deland where I transferred to the 60 bus which took me all the way to Daytona Beach.

   Total outlay: $7.50 for the all-day SunRail pass, $3.75 for the all-day VoTran pass, so $11.25 for the round trip.

   I should point out that the 31 bus from the Debary station has limited use - you can only catch it Monday through Friday, and the last morning departure from the Debary station is at 7:48am. If you don't get that bus (or the 7:18am one), the next 31 to Deland is at 2:43 in the afternoon.

   Oh, and I also should point out that public transit in that area of Florida shuts down pretty early. The last 31 from the Amelia Super Stop in Deland to Debary leaves at 6:48pm, which will get you to Debary at 7:41pm. Then you will have to wait almost 30 minutes to catch the 8:10pm SunRail train from the Debary station back to the Sand Lake Station - which is the last southbound train of the day.

   In short, plan your visit carefully and keep track of the time.

   I enjoyed the ride(s) up to Daytona, which surprised me. I hate taking the bus, but it wasn't at all unpleasant.

   Daytona Beach was pleasant - it was 77 degrees and the beach wasn't packed with people sunning their buns off. It appeared to me to be mostly locals enjoying a day on the beach or fishing off the pier.



















Monday, February 26, 2024

Friday, February 23, 2024

Statues & Sculptures Of The New South

   Charlotte is filled with statues & sculptures, some old, some new.

   Space was made for a lot of what's new by the removal of those statues & sculptures that hailed from the Civil War Era - arguments abound regarding that, but there's not one of 'em I'll get dragged into.

   What's cool about a lot of new statues & sculptures though is that the majority of the pieces are created by local sculptors/artists, at least local to the Carolinas if not Charlotte itself.

   Of course a lot of the new three dimensional art will look familiar to those who know public art, as it comes from the minds & hands of some of the more familiar artists whose specialty is government sponsored art.

   A small portfolio then, of what can be seen in Charlotte.