For practice one day, I took a photo of this fast moving metro car at the Civic Center metro stop in downtown Los Angeles!
BTW, since when did "bowling" become this cool kind of thing to do...
I attended a Holiday Party at this new hip hang out called "Lucky Strike". They had a bar, a DJ, these cool neon lights, servers to bring you your food and drinks, these nice cushy chairs, large flat screen monitors and computerized scoring . . . Bowling, has sure changed from when I remembered it to be. And among the group of 20 contestants and with a whopping score of 88, I was the winner. We were all pretty bad! :)
I hope everyone is enjoying their Holidays so far. I have two events done, with two more to go. It's been intense, but I'm done with my shopping, I'm having a good time and I'm staying "in focus"...I'm also looking forward to spending the Holidays with my sister! Yay!
See more PhotoHunters HERE!
Another exhuasting school year finished, now trying to relax...
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your bowling win! You must have been practising!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a pretty funky bowling alley! There are a few in the city where I live that have a disco theme -- black light, fog across the lanes, disco music -- and that can be fun with a big group.
Hope you have a wonderful holiday season, Kathy.
s is a great saying Kathy. I too try to stay in focus, and I guess I do most of the time. A cool shot for the fast theme. I had to laugh and agree about bowling though. I don't think I've been to a bowling alley in a long time, right now, about the only bowling I do is Wii Bowling when we visit my in-laws. Congrats on winning!
ReplyDeleteThat is great that you are enjoying your holidays. I decided since the house is not finished yet, and my plates are full to not decorate for Christmas this year, I did not even put up a tree. We are going to Houston for Christmas, and my MIL has a tree so I figured that was enough. I told everyone that I normally get gifts for that I am not gifting this year, again, too much is going on, but yesterday I started feeling guilty about it, so I started baking cookies. I have a few more batched to go, more decorating and then I guess I'll be sending cookie packages. I still feel weird not buying my family and close friends gifts, but this will have to do this year.
Happy Friday!
Hi Everyone, thanks so much for your comments…
ReplyDeleteLeslie, wow congrats on finishing up another school year. And how great for you to get to relax now and enjoy the holidays! Wishing you and your family all the best!
Sandra, thanks on the congrats. :) It was neck and neck until the last frame. I outlasted the other person and pulled it out in the end. A disco club is exactly what this place reminded me of. I have never seen these new bowling alley’s before. It’s kind of cool….now if they would’ve done the fog thing with us, our scores would’ve been even worse! LOL It was fun and I wouldn’t mind doing it again. Sandra, thanks for your holiday wishes. I also want to wish you and your family the best of holidays too. And a healthy new year.
Candi, thanks on the congrats. :) Like you, I also try to stay in focus most of the times. Although there are brief moments when I may sway, remembering what is truly important in my life is what always brings me back in focus. I’ve heard about Wii . . .I’ve never tried it, but it sounds like fun too. I’m not decorating this year either, since I’m going out of town. That’s so cool that you are spending the holidays with your MIL in Houston. And you shouldn’t feel weird or guilty about the gifting things. I love the baking cookies ideas. Last weekend I was browsing that cookie thread on ST and I was thinking about doing some baking myself and giving out a couple of gift baskets. You may have just motivated me…Thanks for the idea Candi! Have a great Friday too. I’m not sure when you leave for Houston (I don’t leave until Christmas eve after work), but if I miss you, have a wonderful holidays.
Thanks again Leslie, Sandra and Candi. Anne tipped me off that my blog roll list may not be so updated these days so I’ll be checking in with you all. But if for some reason I miss your last posts before the holidays because of the blog roll thing, I want to wish you and your families a very wonderful holidays and a happy, safe and healthy new year!
Hi Kathy, I love that metro shot - very cool looking. And the bowling party sounds like a lot of fun - congratulations on your win! I do a lot of Wii bowling with my nephews but have never bowled in real life. I think a place like you went to would be a blast.
ReplyDeleteIt is snowing and sleeting here. I went to a family get together tonight and fortunately my brother came to pick me up in his four wheel drive. The roads are very bad and I couldn't have gotten there myself.
I have to work Monday and Tuesday and then I'm taking the rest of the year off (yay!). Even though I'll be getting ready for Xmas at the last minute, I will get it all done like you said and it will be end up being fun. I also plan to put in a few extra shifts at the cat sanctuary while I'm off fro work and that will be fun too.
I hope you have a wonderful time with your sister! Merry Christmas!
I like your post on "Fast".
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the bowling win! That is one cool bowling alley. Maybe I need to visit my local bowling place and see what is new over there. :)
Love the train photo - nice job! Did you change your shutterspeed or? I felt the same thing about the new hipness (I think they had to do something to update bowling) of bowling alleys - kudos to you for a win. PS: I took bowling 101 in college --- not that it helped my prowess any. Talk about a gut course.....ah, those were the days! M
ReplyDeleteOops had to delete a comment. I've been getting these money investment type comments which I'll reject but pressed the publish button automatically...not sure if you all are getting those too. strange...maybe its that spam thing.
ReplyDeleteAnnie, glad you liked the metro stop pic and thanks for the congrats on the win. It was by a narrow margin but it was a win. I haven't bowled in years (since college), but this place made it seem like fun again so if you've never bowled before this kind of place would be fun for you to try for your first time. Candi mentioned wii too! It sounds like fun to play it with your nephews. I bet they are really good at it too. How cool!
ReplyDeleteThe weather sounds harsh with the sleet and slick roads. I think it was a good idea for your brother to pick you up. Nothing more dangerous to drive on than icy and slick roads especially without chains or a good 4 wheel drive. I hope you all are careful over there during this bad weather.
Yay on the short week and the whole week off the following week. Enjoy the time off and your time at the Sanctuary. You know, I've visited their site a couple of times to read it and I'm so impressed with the work that you all are doing. The success stories are so heartwarming. There is this one really cute kitten that looks just like Lulu only he is a boy. So of course, now I'm thinking more and more about Ronda....
I was able to get all of my shopping done last week and just have a couple more things to do this week and then on Christmas Eve, I fly out to meet my sister, her friends and her family in of all places Vegas. A very non traditional Christmas gathering. My sis asked if I could go and I wasn't sure because I just had three weeks off but when I saw that Christmas lands on a long weekend for me, I booked my flight. It's a short visit. I get back on Monday because I have to return to work on Tuesday. Vegas is interesting. I don't gamble a lot just a little for the fun of it. But it's quite the spectacle and I think it is a fun place to visit especially for the frist time. So I'm still hoping you still make plans to get there too. And when you do, I hope you let me know. Remember, fake Prince is playing there.
Sorry for my long post....Enjoy your Holidays and your time off Annie. Talk to you in 2010!
Hi Eden, thanks on the congrats. I've not been to a bowling alley like that before so it really gave new meaning to the sport for me. :) If you have one in your town, you should try it. It's pretty fun. And their food was really good too. I really like all the neon lights and the fact that we don't have to keep our own scores. It's all computerized and automated. Technology! :) Thanks again and I hope you're enjoying your holidays so far.
Hi M, thanks for liking my metro shot. Yes, I was practicing for an assignment for a photography class that I took. It was to practice capturing motion by changing shutter speed. I think that was the assignment. Another one I did was with water...It's been a couple of years and I think I forgot a lot of stuff that I learned. I've been meaning to enroll in another refresher course. Maybe over the summer...
Bowling 101! How fun! So did you get an A? :) Yes, I think they created a nice little marketing thing here by creating this "hip" kind of atmosphere for bowling. In college my friends and I bowled a lot because we were in a college town and there really wasn't a lot else to do, plus we were too young to get into clubs so bowling was the thing to do and video games. I was outstanding at pin ball! :) I hope you're enjoying your holidays so far M!
Have a great weekend Annie, Eden and M! Only six more days before Christmas!
Christmas in Vegas sounds like so much fun! I bet there will be some wild decorations, lots of photo ops. I'm glad that the timing gave you a long weekend so you can fly up there (and I can't wait to hear about it).
ReplyDeleteI;ve been getting some weird spam on my blog lately too. Sometimes I have to read it carefully to figure out if it's a real comment or not.
I've definitely got Vegas on my wish list The thought of Fake Prince just cracks me up. It would be a blast if we could have a GTG there!
That is so cool that you've visited the Goathouse website and are thinking about cats/kittens!
There are around 300 great cats and kittens there right now, and adoptions have slowed down some now with the cold weather. We had a little orange kitten named Plato who had been adopted and another named Pinocchio who hasn't been adopted yet. I love orange cats and if Ronda ends up being an orange one, that will be great. I'm thinking about getting a third cat but it's so hard because there are so many cats at the Refuge that I really love.
Hope you have a great weekend! The snow has stopped here but it's very cold out outside. I'm going to spend the day with LuLu and Maria and maybe write a few Christmas cards. Have a good one.
Hi Annie, I love those names, Pluto and Pinnochio. I'm glad they got adopted. The one I saw on the website was named Smuckers and he is a cutie. They all are. That is so cool that you are thinking of getting a third cat/kitty. I think I would have a really hard time choosing too. The sanctuary is such a wonderful place to care for so many cats/kitties. I was in the book store the other day and read up on the different kinds of cats since I've read some of everyone's comments about tuxedo cats, tabby ... it was really interesting. I have the card to the Hermosa Beach Shelter and the guy just told me to call them anytime whenever I was ready. I'm actually considering not traveling to Euorpe next year so I can fix up a few things around the house...and if I do get her this next year, I worry about leaving her for so long....
ReplyDeleteAnd about fake prince! :) After introducing a friend of mine to him a few years ago, she really loved his show. In fact, one year when a group of us were there for the Marathon, I got up around 2:30 am to get ready for the race and he was still playing in the lounge and my friend was still sitting there! She had been up all night. So I sat with her to watch him sing Purple Rain and then I took off for the race! :) So I "know" you would like his show for sure! He sounds just like Prince. Plays the guitar and everything.
I'm glad the weather has improved. I can just imagine Lulu and Maria looking out the window at the snow and rain...Sounds like a wonderful Saturday to spend indoors out of the cold and get some christmas cards done. Enjoy your weekend Annie!
The train shot is great. Bowling is pretty popular up here in Seattle especially with people in Software. It was kinda part of the grunge culture to go out to places that were popular in the past and kinda 'grungy'. Old bars were also popular.
ReplyDeleteWe had several team events at bowling alleys. It was always surprising to find out who the good bowlers were on your team. There is also a Software company here is Seattle that has built a couple of alleys in their building for employees to do on their off time for relaxing. I've enjoyed it.
Kathy, I love the start of your entry--words to live by. I've yet to visit a bowling alley here in Australia. I'll have to go and see if they are as modern as the one you visited.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you'll be able to spend some time with your Sister for the Holidays. I celebrated early with my family when I was at home. Our holidays here Down Under will be quiet, and we are heading out to camp in the bush of Victoria.
Take care and stay safe.
That's a great metro shot. Love how everything is still except the train. Of course the train was the only thing moving, but still...
ReplyDeleteI had to think for a minute if 88 was a high or low score :) Always get mixed up with golf and bowling. Congratulations on your win!
I love your new photo of the month :)
Have a great Christmas with your sister.
Bowling is 'cool' . . . who knew? Presumably everything becomes cool again if one just waits long enough.
ReplyDeleteYour festive seasons sounds a wee bit like mine - lots of fun packed into a short period of time. Hmmm - perhaps that would have been a good idea fo the 'fast' photo hunt! LOL
Have a wonderful time in Vegas!
Hi Everyone, Happy Holidays and thanks so much for your comments...
ReplyDeleteMarta, I'm glad you liked my shot. That is really cool how one software company has built in alleys in their building for their employees. That is really amazing. I forgot that Seattle invented the grunge culture. How interesting. I can see how the team concept would be good for a company. I'm really not a competitive person by nature but for some reason when I was neck and neck with two other players, the "competitor" in me suddenly came out and I started to concentrate on my aim more. The 3 of us were trying our best up until the 9th frame when the holiday spirit and festivities caused nothing but gutter balls for all of us. :) It was totally fun. Since you were on teams, you know how really bad we were... if I won with a score of 88. LOL.I think the top score is 300? thanks again, and I Hope you're having a wonderful holidays so far!
Maya, glad you like my saying. It's something I try to stay true to so I can stay grounded and not to get caught up in the little things that life sometimes throws at us. I'm curious to see how the alleys are in Australia and that would be great if there are a few like this one. Thanks for your comments, I'm very happy I will be spending Christmas with my sis and her family. We don't live close so I do like to take every opportunity to see her when she's remotely closeby. I'm glad that you were able to celebrate the holidays with your family already when you went home. Family connections are so much a part of the Holidays! That's wonderful that you will be enjoying a quiet holidays, camping in the bush in Victoria. I am really looking forward to reading about your experiences and seeing your photos when you return. I always enjoy reading about the different trails and the interesting background stories of the places you're discovering there. I like reading about your animal encounters too. I hope you and your husband have a wonderful Holidays. Take care and be safe too.
Girasoli, glad you liked my metro shot. I was practicing taking a motion shot by adjusting the camera's shutter. I think I ended up using a photo of a water fountain instead. :) In bowling, I think the high score is 300. So 88 is pretty bad and since I was the winner with the score, well you can imagine how bad we all were. It sort of made it more fun because we were all in the same boat! ha, ha! Thanks for the congrats. Glad you liked my photo too and thanks for your Christmas wishes. I hope you have a wonderful Holidays with your family too! Mele Kalikimaka!
Jerry, yes who knew! You are right, things do seem to become cool again after a while....Yes the fast and furious holidays schedule would've been a perfect fast photo hunt idea too. Wishing you, Paul and your families a very wonderful Holidays!
Thanks again everyone for your comments. Wishing all of you and your families a wonderful Holidays and a Happy and safe New Years. 2010 here we come!
Hope that you have a great Holiday,Kathy. We have one of those Lucky Strike Bowling places in Philly too - very popular place!
ReplyDeleteSheri
Hi Sheri, that's really cool that you have a Lucky Strike in Philly too. It is also popular here as well, although this was the first time I have been to one. But I can see why they are so popular. It is a fun place to hang out and the added bowling and billards features makes it even more fun.
ReplyDeleteWishing you and your family a very wonderful holidays and a Happy, safe and healthy New Year.
Hi Kathy, the fake Prince story cracks me up. Esp. that you watched him in the middle of the night and then took off for a Marathon!
ReplyDeleteSmuckers is adorable! I don't think he's been adopted yet. I love orange cats (some people call them ginger cats), tabbies, tuxedo cats (of course!) and really, all of them.
It will be tough the first time you leave your cat but trust me, they truly are fine. Animals live in the NOW and have a different sense of time than we do. My girls are glad to see me when I get home from a trip but they really are okay while I was gone.
The ideal scenario would be to find a friend or pay a reputable pet sitter to stay at your house or come by once or twice a day while you are gone. That's my preference but it doesn't always work out, so I have a very nice boarding kennel too. And it's always so much fun to come home from a trip and see them!
Another thing to ponder...if you end up getting two kittens instead of one, it will give you some peace of mind to know that they have each other while you are gone. :) I felt worse leaving LuLu when she was an only child than I do now that we have Maria too.
Most of the snow has melted here. I had to come into work late because the roads were slick this morning, but the sun is out and should melt it away. It was fun while it lasted!
Safe travels to Las Vegas and Happy Holidays to you!
Hi Annie, I'm glad the sun is coming out and helping to clear up the roads for you. Makes driving much safer.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found the fake prince story funny. I think it's funny too. :)
Smuckers is very cute! I hope he and the others get a good home soon. That is very interesting what you said about how they live in the now and have a different sense of time than we do. I didn't think about that. Like you said, I think it would be okay then to leave them and just ask a friend or maybe my neighbor to look in on them. As you said, the books I read and the adoption people say the same thing, that having two kittens would be better so they have each other to keep them company. Gosh, I just know that they'll be fine and I'll end up being the needy one ....
Thanks so much for the information and great ideas to ponder Annie.
And thanks so much for the Holiday wishes. I hope you are able finish all of your shopping before Thursday. I'm sure that you will. Have a wonderful holidays with your family and enjoy your time off. This is a really short week for you. Yay!
Thanks so much for all of your encouragements...
Wow, that is my kind of bowling, I hate keeping score, it baffles me. 88 sounds pretty good to me (my score would probably be in the 60s!) I don't think we have any alleys like that around here, but I will have to investigate now :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you are enjoying the season so far. Yay that you get to spend time with your sister!!!
Happy Ho-Ho-Holidays :)
Hi Anne, I have a feeling you can easily beat my score of 88! I wouldn't be surprised if you do have a place like Lucky Strikes where you live. It seems like something that might be gaining popularity...who would've thought. It's great fun...I actually forgot how fun bowling can be especially with a fun group.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the Holidays wishes. I wish you and your family and good friends a very wonderful holidays and a Happy, Safe and Healthy New Year in 2010!