Temple of commuting

My new blog theme may be wacky stuff around my new workplace. Believe me, it's a rich field to be mined. They filmed the Cat in the Hat movie here, you know.

What do you think this is? A mosque? A Ba'hai Temple? An eccentric movie producer's castle?

It's the commuter train station.

Best not to know

I stepped out of my office door to find these two women carrying extremely large inflatable balls, matching the colors of their shirts. I don't know why. I didn't ask.

We gotta fill this hall, people

This amazing, restored Art Deco theater near my new university used to be a hot spot for Hollywood celebrities to hold opening night for new movies. Now, we use it for special events and concerts. The balcony's chairs are like no other theater's -- deep, plush, weathered green leather.

Hall pass

I want one of these. It's the magic sticker that Prii can get that allows them to use California's HOV lanes. This bad boy was parked next to my Prius at work, just flaunting its bling.

It's hard out there for a chili company

Wait ... WHO made this sauce?

Voom!

They filmed The Cat in the Hat across the street from where I work. They left the hat behind.

Stronger than gravity

Face painting at the day care's carnival. This is the only force in nature that can get Ellen to sit still and not talk.

Big Boy Desk!

I got my very own desk and chair now. No more folding table and chair combo. I feel so very grown up ... or maybe that's just the lack of back pain talking.

Mystery fruit

Our California home has so many trees growing fruit! Not just crabapples like we'd get up north but actual fruit that people would eat and pay money for in the supermarket. Up north, we had fruit that people would invent recipes for to be used only in the dead of winter when all the good supplies were gone. (Where do you think "sour cream-raisin pie" came from?) Here we have lemons, kumquats, and assorted fruit we can't identify. Several people told us these are Asian pears. Apparently, they're worth more than our poor, unsold Minnesota house is.

The 'E' is for Esther Prynne

Ellen visited us in bed this morning with a gift of stickers. Mommy wouldn't wake up to take her sticker, so Ellen left it in the most accessible place. How considerate! We're raising such a well-mannered and thoughtful girl.

Up, up, and away

A million degrees out on the 4th of July in California. We wanted to avoid crowds and succeeded. We went to a pretty lame little village celebration with a half-dozen carnival rides, and a few half-assed food booths. No shade from the sun. Ellen rode the Ferris wheel, we had lunch, and left.