Black and white makes everything better

Who doesn't love a photo booth? People who are dead inside. That's who.






Don't the three of us look a comedy troupe? Justin said that the punch in the face bit is always relevant and hilarious.... You be the judge.


It kind of reminds me of that part in "Knocked Up" when Seth Rogen's friends are watching him dance with Katherine Heigl and one says to the other "Dude I think he's doing the dice thing too much" and the other replies "Its really all he's got".

DOORMAN!

Its just nice to have you back again

SO despite my lack of funds (I NEED A JOB if you know of anything. But then again, who doesn't need one these days) I made it to San Francisco for Treasure Island Festival. Its always fun to hang out with peeps. Good times were had by all. AND they had a Ferris Wheel!

This is Belinda. She is another hostess with the mostest. Top this - she saw that there was a parking spot in front of her building so parked there until I arrived so that I wouldn't have to look for a place in the always hectic Mission! SO RAD!



Got to hang out with these monkeys too! I have known them both since birth and am astounded by how tall and grown up they are getting. This is a pretty typical shot of them.



There is an ongoing joke that this little one is actually my child since we look a bit alike. Her parents both have dark hair and brown eyes!



Julie took us on a dusky go cart ride. It was fun even though L made me sit in the back.



She is getting super good at making dramatic faces for photos



The Ferris Wheel was magical



I think this guy's name was Aaron. He hitched a ride in our car on the ferris wheel.

I asked him what happened to his finger and he said he cut it on some razor wire trying to scale a fence to board an unmarked Naval Ship in Hunter's Point. He is either totally full of shit, or my hero. I couldn't decide.

He also told me he was a bit accident prone in general (der!). I told him he probably shouldn't be going on such dangerous missions if this were the case, but he disagreed.

Joanie! She rules and is mother to aforementioned monkeys.



You may want to cool it on the free beer, killer.


Justin had the hiccups on the way home and was slurry and hilarious. He asked if a song that came on the radio was Rick Astley. It was Rick James.

Brian. He is a tall-ey



See what I mean about the free beer? Its ok really because Matt is only 24 so he is still within socially acceptable binge drinking age range.



Marc!



So this was the "light show" during MGMT's set. Looks semi-pro right?



It turns out it was two girls with gels, stencils and an overhead projector! Hilarious!



It seemed like a whole lot of work for unfortunately not very cool effects. Belinda speculated on how much one gets paid for such a service. Hard to tell.

The Flaming Lips closed the festival. And I have to say that despite all of the regular elements of their set (confetti, bright lights and people in animal costumes) it was pretty tame and kind of boring. But I will say that Flaming Lips boring is still akin to the most exciting set ever for some bands. So there you go.



The next day I drove down the coast and stopped in Big Sur for lunch with Lucas and Lexi! It ended up being an all afternoon thing but it was super fun to catch up with them.


Lucas grows a good beard.

If you ever find yourself in that area, you would be hard pressed to find a better way to spend your afternoon than at the restaurant Nepenthe. Even if its terribly foggy.



Highway 1 is an excellent adventure even though it kind of gets to be a bummer that you travel a mere 30 miles in an hour due to the twisty narrow roads. My goal is to take more time to explore all of the little beach towns along the way!

Drop it low

Check out Donahl's sweet ride

We walked by it and I didn't believe him at first when he said it was his car. I made him drive me a block to my car so I could catch a ride in it.



Any car that can fit 3 full grown adults in the front seat is A OK with me.

Endless Summer

Eagle Rock Music Festival last weekend.

Adorable karate


And break dancing


Mainly you could find me here


Met up with Patrick and his friend Adria


And went to the most crowded bar in America.

They has Pabst so it was OK. Good times.

Then to San Diego for a couple of days to see my dad for his birthday and hang out with our favorite, Uncle Steve. We went to the San Diego Zoo where I reaffirmed my fear of heights by going on a Sky ride. Something about a swinging car that zips high above the zoo secured only by a cable made me feel uneasy. Want to get all freaked out by amusement rides? Check this.

Anyway, the zoo was cool but I didnt take many photos since the animals always just look depressed. See?

LJ liked it of course. She got right up in that petting zoo.


I think her favorite were the "tootles"


PS, She makes this "I am going to kick your ass if you don't get away from me with that camera" face in almost every photo I take of her.


I love the kid but she gave me her mild case of the pukes when I got home. San Diego is always fun. I need to schedule some time with the Parkes' next time I am there!

Herb Luttrell

Warning! This one is sappy!

So my grandpa passed away last Wednesday. He was 88 and went in his sleep. He was lucent and for the most part comfortable before he died. I think he was just ready. His way to death was telling of his personality. He was kind and unendingly polite and although he spent his life taking care of others, as he aged and his body became more uncooperative and broken down, he never wanted to be a bother to anyone. By slipping away quietly while he slept, perhaps sub-consciously he thought this would be the easiest way for those left behind.

When your grandpa is 88, you know that death is certainly a very real possibility. And honestly I think you remember this as you kiss them goodbye at the end of afternoon visits. That that may be the last time you see them. In a way its ok. And really, in his case it wasn't a tragedy. He had a good run. But his presence in our lives will be missed, as it goes.

Off and on throughout his decline I have struggled with the fact that I am not the best at keeping in touch. In fact I suck at it. Its nothing to lament, I know. What's done is done and we are who we are. But the guilt remains. I could have seen him more than the few times that I did. I could have relished his stories and extensive knowledge of the world. Learned from his grace and courage. And just seen a little bit more of this quiet man that was easy to smile and laugh and would readily give a hug or handshake with his lovely calloused, world worn hands.

True to his nature, he didn't want a funeral or any sort of to do. So my family remains scattered, left to say goodbye to him each of us on our own. Its weird because to me, grieving is something done together. Weird but still ok.

So I guess the point is that all of those cliches are true. You miss people when they are gone and you always wish you had more time. I will try to remember this and hope that it helps me to make more of an effort to see the people I love.

Grandpa Luttrell was an actual Okie from Muskogee. He was in the Navy and fought in World War II. When he first enlisted, he said that when they would line up, all of the young men looked the same. So he got a giant tattoo that ran the length of his forearm to distinguish him from the other recruits. I am sure in its heyday it was a beautiful sea creature. But with time it became an almost unrecognizable mass of blue ink. And I loved it. When I was a kid I thought my grandpa was so tough because he was the only person I knew who had a tattoo.

My grandpa was the only member of my extended family that I saw on a regular basis when I was growing up. He and my Granny lived in a house that as a child I considered to be a giant monstrous castle. In reality it was a medium sized old tudor house, but it seemed bigger than any other house I had ever seen. We spent Sundays there and you could count on him to be watching football and drinking a Milwaukee's Best. He always obliged when my sister or brother or I asked him for a sip of his beer, which was a simple but cherished gesture since it meant we got a smile and a wink from him. He was the one who took care of my grandmother as she struggled through cancer, and was there for us after she passed away.

He worked hard all of his life and after something like 30 years with the same company, he retired to a small town in Mexico. Although he and I had never corresponded much through letters, I still have a series he wrote me when he was there detailing his little paradise. These were the types of letters you want to get, full of little stories and anecdotes from a person who was truly happy and content. Beautiful words from a quiet man. He spent 10 years in Mexico having the time of his life and only returned to the United States when his health began to decline. He wasn't sick long, but I know it was frustrating to have a body that was giving out.

He was a classy guy and always a gentlemen and I will miss him mostly because they just don't make them like that anymore. So big ups to grandpa. I hope he is in a place more beautiful than his little village in Mexico. XO