Dog Day Afternoon

Every year, usually the Saturday before Easter, Olvera St. hosts the glorious Blessing of the Animals.
My friend Brian and I had the good sense to drop everything and head down there. What a treat!

Let me begin by giving a brief history lesson. Back in the day, the Catholic Church would set aside a day when they would allow people to take their animals inside the church for a fertility blessing. This was in response to folks recognizing "the tremendous services given to the human race by animals." Cut to 16 centuries later and the tradition is still going strong!

Okay. History lesson over.

We decided to pick up my favorite dog, Paco. His owners are the coolest, and it transcends into Paco's temperament. He's just chill, and cute as hell. I still love him despite the fact that his breath smells and he was passing gas the entire drive up. How can you not love a face like this?

Here's Brian and Paco on the way to Olvera St.

The best part of the day was checking out all the animals in attendance. We saw barn yard animals:

Birds, reptiles, bunnies...

I think this bunny rabbit gave me the finger, although I can't be sure.

I loved looking at all the dogs. Especially the ones who dressed up for the occasion. I like La Droopy Eyes in the upper right hand corner.

I think this one had one too many tequila shots...

One thing I noticed was all the wiener dogs... They could have started their own wiener dog army. Most owners were male and a lot of them loved wearing t-shirts expressing their love for...well, wieners:

What happens is a platform is set up at the Olvera St. Plaza with Cardinal Roger Mahony at the foot of it. In his hands he holds a wand type thingy filled with holy water. People wait in a huge line until it's their turn to walk with their animal, where the Cardinal blesses each one as it goes by. Here's a shot of me and Paco walking through the receiving line. I love the reaction of the lady in the foreground.
All in all, it was a great day. Even if you're not into the whole blessing part of it, it's a fun, quirky way to spend an afternoon. Especially if you're an animal lover.Or a margarita lover. Which was our blessing to ourselves after it was over.
Thanks, Brian for being the official photographer while I wrangled Paco!

Why I Love My Neighborhood

posted by: heath

Day at the Races

We went to Santa Anita the other day to watch the horses, and to celebrate our friend Ryan's 30th birthday.

Ryan's wife, Tara, got this really delicious cake - which was actually a bunch of cupcakes.

Gina's dad works at the track. He has an awesome moustache.

Gina's dad was able to sneak us into the VIP box seats, even though we only paid for General Admission.

In between races you can gamble on horses racing at other tracks around the country. Everyone hangs out in the VIP lobby and watches.

Of course, each VIP box has it's own private monitor...

I actually watched most of the Kings game while we were there. The Kings lost, but I didn't care, because me and Gina were winning big at the track. Gina's father gave us great tips, and we picked the winner in just about every race we watched. Here's Gina showing off our winning Daily Double...

This teller is mocking me by waving all the money I didn't win in my face.

We had a great time. Ryan and Tara are supercool, and put together a really fun afternoon, with a great group of people. If I was a betting man, I would bet that we'll be back at Santa Anita before the season ends April 22.

Photos of the Week - Wedding Edition

Here's a special treat for those of you who enjoy your photos too dark and blurry.

is it that good-berry?

By now, most of you are hip to the latest frozen yogurt craze that's sweeping the nation, specifically in Los Angeles.

Most Pinkberry enthusiasts describe it as a drug. They just can't get enough of it. I've heard of people driving around the block numerous times to find a parking space, then waiting in line 45 minutes to get their fix.

My friends talk about Pinkberry all time. "I would kill for an original with coconut and mango right now." "Oh my god, they're opening one near my house." Five, ten minutes pass and they're still talking about their beloved Pinkberry. I must confess, I feel a little left out of the Pinkberry loop when these conversations take place.

Now I've been known to indulge in the latest obsession more than once. I went through my Jamba Juice phase, my Ice Blended Mocha phase... Heck, I'm even currently in the middle of a life-long martini phase.

But to those of you that are addicted to Pinkberry, I ask you... Is it really that good?