Soap Box Fun

Red Bull came to town yesterday to hold soap box races. The financial district streets were never more fun.

Comedian Paul Rodriguez warmed up the crowd at the starting line.

People were creative with their soap box themes.

These racers weren't really concerned with protective gear.

Two parachutists dropped into the crowd. Awesome.

Scaling the side of a building, the young kids clamored to get a better view. It was kind of a risky move, which made me realize that I'm old because young me would have been right on that ledge with a

Red Bull in each hand.

- H.

Piece of History

I'll admit, I'm not a big history guy, but a block down the street from work is a building that always captures my attention like a costume drama filled with pretty people.

The building is called the Villa Riviera and it's been around for over 80 years. It's impressive and  I thought it was worth a few words...

The day I walked-by, a shiny new Porsche sat in front, making the building even cooler . 

Most people probably don't notice these scary/weird ornamental things on the door.

Here's a pic I found of the Villa back in the day. I wonder if people would stop to take pictures of it during their lunch break, too. Probably not. 

H.

Strawberry Awesomeness

I used to be allergic to strawberries. I would breakout in hives when forced to eat one. Recently, I found out that I no longer have that allergy.  So now, I'm making up for lost time.

On the drive to work, I noticed a cute strawberry calling out to me.

I was taunted by this quaint shack with the large, red type screaming, "Sweet & Juicy." They've been stopping commuters every strawberry season for the last 8 years.

The farm is 85 miles away in Oxnard. They pick them in the evening, then drive them to the shack at the crack of dawn.

This is Cecelia. She sells the strawberries and attends Long Beach State. As soon as they sellout, (she says they always sellout) she gets to go hit the books.

This absolutely perfect strawberry was devoured 

shortly after this photo was taken.   Awesome.

H.