The temple of coffee

I finally went to the famous Temple coffeehouse, which used to be the equally legendary Levenson's Books. You can enjoy it for the superlative coffee or the 50s hipster atmosphere.

My new favorite tea

It's dark yet not bitter. And it has 250g of tea in each bag. It comes from Wales, and you can get it at Corti Brothers. (Interestingly, my friend Michael Gundy in Wales says he has never knowingly had a cup of Glengettie.)

Dead tuners society

Here's a sticker left by a tuner I used to know who is now dead. Someday, after I am gone, other tuners will find my stickers.

And here's the new Wallace and Gromit film.

Wallace And Gromit - A Matter Of Loaf And Death

DANMAN | MySpace Video
Who would you give the award to... Wallace and Gromit or LOGORAMA? It's a very tough call.

Amazing short, LOGORAMA

We saw a collection of the Oscar-nominated shorts. The new Wallace & Gromit was amazing but then we saw LOGORAMA. It imagines a Los Angeles where everything, the city and the people, are commercial logos. It then follows a violently funny 2012-meets-Tarantino scenario.

We receive another proclamation for Peace Corps Week

Heroes on velvet

Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson. Out of sight to the right: Elvis.

Long lasting

My customer received this huge bottle of Galliano as a gift forty years ago. (Note the tap attached to the bottom.) He gave me a sip of it... still tastes fine!

She does look like Emily Blunt

This was stuck on the outside of the orchestra pit for a production of The Mikado by Light Opera Theatre of Sacramento. They finally got an angel who financed a professional orchestra—great music.

Did you know that you could get stamps with your picture on them?

True story! I ordered 20 with my (cartoon) face (see above left) and 20 with St. Chicken Head. Minds will be blown. The site is photostamps.com

Click on the photo to see the sticker...

...advertising Knife City Outlet, for all your stabbing, slicing, and hacking needs.

Torn-up hot tub

Drums clock

Giant cow in Rio Linda

Some delicious-looking plastic food at a truckstop

Did you know you could get bobbleheads made of yourself?

This commemorated a wedding.

The Metro espresso machine

Toy accordion

Party on stage

The Sacramento Ballet had a concert last night and then immediately had a dance-and-cocktails party on stage. The John Skinner Band played. Really fun!

Dancer from the Valentine's Day show

I was waiting in the green room... the John Skinner Band was set to play at an after-concert party on stage.

Piano bench with no bottom

Roy Orbison tribute

A Maxfield Parrish knock-off

I saw this print in a bathroom recently. It's like a Parrish, except with less skill and a lot more clothes on the woman.

Rachel and Pat call this cat The Mayor

Slideshow of our LA trip

Canter's Deli

A booth at Canter's Deli. Notice near Rachel's right index finger there is a phone jack. Every table at the deli has one, perhaps from the days when movie people used to hang out there and needed to be able to make phone calls. Next time we're bringing a rotary phone with us!

I visited my two favorite places in Los Angeles today...

...the Soap Plant and Canter's Deli. Yum!

I tuned Pat's piano today...

note: "Enjoy Your Piano"!

Rachel calls this the "Make it legal" button

Bonsai tumbleweed

We grew it on some old rice.

Great advice

Vintage Tower Records fan

Private viewing

We went to see The Young Victoria at the Crest Theatre. They were showing it in the 800-seat main hall — and we were the only people there!