Years end...

It seems that the year came as fast as it went. I don't even remember how the year started and not that it was bad but I am glad it's over. There is a lot I want to get to so hopefully new year new beginnings.

Yesterday Shadi and I went to the Observatory. We both hadn't been there since we were younger. It's amazing how many great places there are in LA that we take for granted. The view from the top was amazing and I got to capture some awesome shots with my Polaroid Land Camera. After the Observatory we picked up Luis and headed to The Grove, our usual lunch spot The Cheesecake Factory kept us full!!! Then we watched "Up in the Air". I personally loved the movie it was everything that I expected. Such an insightful look at someone who has build their life being a hermit. I loved the ending, I hate when movies end "happily ever after" just for the sake of leaving you happy at the end.






I got my pictures back from NY these are some of my favorites.. all taken with Lomography 800 speed film.

New York...forever and always..

I spent a glorious week having my usual visit to New York during the holidays. Living in California we lose out on the novelty of Christmas. It is almost always 76 and sunny here (excluding last week of course.) Sometimes I just need to see everything decked out in lights, or just the need to feel the cold on my face. The cold I felt, EXTREMELY! I spent most of my time though with Diego in his apartment just watching youtube videos. (we know how to party)

I love Brooklyn and forget that the city isn't always the be all of everything. The culture and some of the sights that you see in Brooklyn could be easily as stunning as anything in the city.

I do go to New York a lot so when I arrive I like to hit up my favorite spots one of them being Grand Morelos , which I affectionately call "dirty mexican food". They are notorious for cheap mexican food at odd hours of the night and somehow they love to give you your check about two hours after you are done with your food. We hit it up on a Friday night and didn't end up leaving till 5:30 am.

It was awesome to see Diego and Rusha!!! It was sad though because there were soo many peopl I didn't get to see :( It's okay I should be back soon. It feels nice to have such good friends so far away and still be completely close to them. Speaking of great friends that are far away Jenn was in town from San Francisco! She was researching schools and it was GLORIOUS for us to reunite in New York. We hit up this awkward karaoke bar on her last night. The bar was filled with men in suits and after Eric went to have a smoke he informed us that a review outside said "an interesting mix of bankers and hipsters" they were on the dot about that one.

Highlight of the trip was getting to see the Who shot rock n roll exhibit at the brooklyn museum of art. I still get chills thinking about it. Next trip is at the end of January and trust me I cannot wait till Utah.

pictures by Michelle and Jenn

polaroids...

i lagged on scanning these so here is a few things i found and decided to scan.

{ new york}

there are a gazillion more of these but i love these pictures,
i miss coney island, catherine , and lexy a lot! (amongs other things, and people of course)
the time i spend in that city this summer and the memories i have of it are so near to my heart
i hope i can go back soon...
The coney island shot was taken after i decided that i had never been so i woke up one morning and took the train by myself there. It was a week day around 10 o'clock so it was basically deserted. I snapped the pic ate at nathans and then headed home, Me and Catherine took this polaroid at some random diner parking lot after the jesse lacey/kevin devine show in poughkeepsie, ny. We both had polaroids and because of this we were even further convinced we are the same person, the picture of lexy was taken at coney island when we headed there for the siren festival that i couldn't even stay for since i had work at 4 that day. We ate at nathan's where i bought Lexy a beer and she continued to get fucked up without me.







{vegas}
i love that me and shadi look drunk in that pic, i have never been good with self taken polaroid pics, the picture of kathy sleeping in the car on the way home is so gorgeous, and then that's shadi doing her makeup before we went out.






{last TRS show in LA august 2003}
I found this one and realized that i have known this kid longer than i thought.
So much has changed in the last four years and I'm just so happy for him and his
success. This was taken after the glasshouse show in pomona by my ex-bf (which is
why i was so uncomfortable) That show would be the last time i saw his band play.






{Luis' Birthday}

This night was full of ups and downs, but a lot of good food and good friends.
After poor Michelle was lying sick in a CVS pharmacy aisle , we bought her some
medicine and send her home to bed but before she left we snapped this shot.


{Victor and a thrift store}

This was taken a few weeks ago when Victor and I decided to take on every thrift store in my area. He tried on this sweater and i snapped this shot. He later ended up buying it but telling the clerk he found it in the kids section so he could get it at a cheaper price. What can i say this guy is classy.... sigh

rooftop access demanded

now there is nothing like the feeling
of being on top of a roof overlooking
manhattan , i really believe that i could
spend all day just watching the going ons
above the city .....
.........it's almost like being a bird without
the feathers and whatnot..
............
i've really been neglecting this thing
well that will stop starting this thursday
for sure!...
dont lose hope..this might be cool someday

meet my roomate:
jean lee

she doesn't like new jersey
she doesn't like williamsburg
she doesn't like long island
she doesn't like scene
she doesn't like mcdonalds
she does indeed like chicken and pasta
she likes PUNK RAWK
she likes betsey johnson
she likes me
..
yep

the best thing about new york is the food

and when i have money i go eat
so far i haven't had much ..but these 3 are defitnetly my favorites

sundaes and cones
95 E 10th St
New York, NY
10003
..
i've only been here twice..both times by accident but the ice cream at this place is soo good and the vibe and surroundings make me feel like im somewhere in savannah georgia eating ice cream..

mamouns falafels
22 St. Marks Place
New York, NY 10003-8022

jean showed us this place and really i've been hooked ever since.
i mean 2.50 for anything this good should be a crime..
and don't even get me started on their dollar iced tea ..it's almost perfect
so for less than 5 dollars you get a delicious (healthy) lunch ..

east meets west
752 Metropolitan Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211

so basically i would always see this right when i got off on graham st. to go visit lexy, didn't think much of it since well there are about a gazillion little chinese places like this on metropolitan av..but a few days ago i got hungry and it was right there and seriously best sweet and sour chicken i have EVER had..cheap
and good all i need in a chinese food place. Once i move to brooklyn in two weeks
this will be my number one place for delivery..

there are certain treasures people can only find in the city
.............

Yesterday i came across a small film store in brooklyn who refused to sell me expired film..this angered me more than anything because really there was nothing this woman could do with the film ..she said it herself she was probably going to hold on to it..even after i offered her twice the amount maybe even triple the cost of the film but yet she didn't want me to complain about the way the pictures turned out ...eventhough as i stated before i ASKED HER TO SELL IT TO ME.

this prompted me on this whole search for a camera store in nyc
little did i know that under my nose was the biggest and best as others are calling it
B & H
i went in there today and seriously it was intimidating ..all i wanted was film and they had soo much to choose from.
i really didnt know where to start but i ended up with two rolls of film ..one 120 .fuji and the other fuji superia x-tra 400
both color film for less than 5 dollars.. AMAZING
i spend 6 dollars on a bw roll of film at some place down 33rd the other day and was so tempted to go back and return it because it wasnt used...
besides the size of the store the people are really nice.
a sweet jewish boy attended me and kept asking me weird questions not pertaining to film
he also let me know that it would be nice if i came back for something other than film
yeah..dont think his mother would approve.



i then went on my search for a target
now even though it was 40 min out of my way it was well worth the trip,
and get this right above target was a chuck e cheese ...two of my favorite places in one location
i was walking towards the chuck e cheese door and this man who works for information comes up to me
and asks me if im lost..i tell him no and that i just want to go in and he opens the door for me
then the worker in the front when i walk in asks me "one? by yourself...are you sure?"
ha
i took some pictures in there and then i left
i pretty much scared everyone in there


anyways i found this funny

day four ..month four? you decide

it's so easy to get lost in this city
figuratively and literally...
it's almost as if i never know when im coming and going
this place must of invented the phrase
i feel all alone in a crowded room
but it's an alone i guess we all know internally we are this place just
surfaces it and makes you face it and be okay with it.
.............

i find myself wanting to not do anything in a city so big it just seems that im surrendering to the idea of it mostly because there is too much to do...growing out of your shell..having life experiences..etc..etc.. all seem like things i need to take advantage of
no one looks up when they are walking here..so much as if they have too much to do ..or they look past you
i've never less special or uglier in my life now i know both these things sound horrible but really it's almost a relief
you know when people tell you there will always be someone prettier and smarter out there than you it's just life
those people who say that must of grown up in new york
everyone seems amazing
who knows if they are
maybe one day i'll get to come home with that same je ne sais quoi about me
who knows if i can master that or believe it
brooklyn is defitnetly my favorite as bad and pretentious people make this place out to be
its the only place i can see people being at their absolute core ...even if their core are a bunch of indie hipsters

i dont know it just seems like they can appreciate a good thrift store dress and nothing in my closet
is anything less..

i am wearing no makeup today i look like shit
yay

my feet are going to kill me

i walked miles and miles it seemed
through little italy and china town all the way around
i thought that getting off at any stop on the subway
would be a good idea now im becoming more familiar
with things which is great ...
but you know what is definetly not great
my feet and the state they are in right now..
so i am publicly offering up this apology letter..


dear feet,

I'm sorry i took you for granted today ..i understand
that you often do all the work and i take the credit for it
but really it's not how it seems..Yes i know that i should
of listened to you about an hour and a half into the walk
and just gone home but i really was having too much fun..
next time i promise i'll take your feelings into consideration.
love you
more than you know,
mel
p.s. im sorry i made you run after we saw that guy who i "thought"
was ryan adams but really wasn't ..i know you werent feeling that

new york trip

i realized all these pictures are just portraits of people set in random places in long island, new jersey and new york..

sometimes i dont really know how i see people till i see them through my camera