Borke Comes to Town: Part 2

I failed to mention the wonderful seafood joint Kristin and I stopped at to feed our hungry bellies after our long hike.

Malibu Seafood Market. A cute, quaint joint right of the Pacific Coast Highway where you can watch the waves roll in while eating your lunch. Kristin order something similar to fish and chips, and I ordered a tuna burger. Delicious, just what we needed after our hike. Gracie happily hung out in the car resting her paws and received my left over french fries.

As dead beat as we were after our hike, we didn't feel it was quite appropriate to crawl into bed and end the evening at 6:30pm. After finding some hidden energy, which came in the form of caffeinated drinks, we decided to venture out to the "famous" *Sprinkles* Cupcakes, in Beverly Hills. I had never heard of the place before, Kristin knew of it from The Food Channel. Apparently, so did everyone else. As we drove up, we saw a line formed down the block. This was less then thrilling for me, and I let it be known. Kristin quickly informed me that I had a poor attitude and that I needed to adjust it. Fine Fine Fine. After 45 minutes of standing in line we finally get to the door. For all the effort we put in, I decide to photograph Kristin in line. I walk away and start taking photos of the store front and when I turn back to Kristin, she is now talking to a well dressed handsome man. Whoooo!! I was only gone a minute max and Kristin, as usual is getting picked-up. That doesn't exactly happen to be the case however. I find out that this man is bribing us with free cupcakes as long as he can cut the line in front of us!! My ears quickly became attuned to *FREE* and we quickly scooted him into the line without anyone taking notice. I would have bought ONE cupcake, however, Kristin quickly decided on the spot, that since the man was paying, we each deserved a six pack. And so we did. I got 2 coconut, 1 dark chocolate, 1 strawberry, 1 Irish cream and 1 peanut butter chocolate. The only one I remember Kristin getting was the banana cupcake. I only remember that because of how delicious it was.


Sprinkles was defiantly fun to experience once in your life. And they were good. But I'm not sure you would catch me standing in that line again.
http://www.sprinkles.com


From Sprinkles we made our way to the Griffith Observatory where not only can you look at the stars, but the views of the city from the Observatory was exceptional!! We decided to take in one of their shows in the planetarium. With the lights dimmed and a soothing voice on the screen, Kristin and I managed to get a few minutes of much needed shut-eye in.



After the short film we briskly walked through the museum and noted that neither of us had any interest in the history of the universe. That, and the fact that we were now officially dog tired, we headed home and called it a day.

Kristin's last day here we decided we couldn't not go to Venice Beach and the Santa Monica Pier, so that's exactly what we did.


Kristin looking pretty in Santa Monica.

Kristin at the famous entrance to the Santa Monica Pier.

On the Pier in front of Bubba Gump Fish Company.

Two fisherman, on the pier, who caught a very ugly looking crab.

They threw it back in.

A trip to California isn't complete without a toe-dip.

This photo was taken just seconds before the wave hit and soaked the lower half of my body. Thanks to me, Kristin was saved.

I don't remember Kristin taking this photo of me, but I love it! Good job Kristin!

From Santa Monica we made our way to Venice Beach.

We walked the Venice board walk were the street vendors preform and artist sell their goods.

This particular guy claimed he would walk on the pile of broken glass.

However, after watching for a good 10 minutes and seeing no action, we got impatient and left.

This ocean front property was sporting the Crimson and the Blue and I had to take a photo.

One of the many murals throughout the Venice boardwalk. I've loved this one for 8 months now. I had to take my picture next to it. Kristin decided to be a copycat.

From the board walk I showed Kristin around the Venice Canals. An adorable, yet pricey!, neighborhood in Venice that I personally love spending time walking through and admiring.

From the canals we made our way to the Venice Pier. Much less exciting then the Santa Monica Pier. Just a pier with a few lights on it. But on the plus side, much more low key and peaceful.

Lastly, as Kristin's departing flight drew near, her trip to California would not have been complete without a trip to In & Out. A burger joint wildly popular for their burgers, fries and milk shakes. And those three items happen to be the only items on their menu board. Makes for an easy decision on what to order.

I was sad to see Kristin go. We hadn't seen each other in over a 1 1/2 years. It'd been way too long. She's one of my best friends and the only friend from college that I keep in touch with regularly. Thanks for coming to visit me Kristin!! Having you here was as much as a vacation for me as it was for you!!! Come back soon!! Love Ya!!

FIDM Here I Come!!

AHHHHH!!!!! I'M GOING BACK TO SCHOOL!!! AND I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT!!!

Yesterday I had my admissions interview at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles. They accepted me, and I have orientation on April 6th. At which point all receive all my classes, and then school starts April 8th. I'm going back for my Interior Design Degree. Something I know I'll love and be able to excel at. Part of my admissions consisted of writing an essay on why I wanted to go through FIDM's Interior Design program. Here is what I wrote:

"Upon graduating from The University of Kansas in 2005 with a Bachelors degree in Communication Studies, I have been eagerly searching for what many would call “their calling.” I’ve always known that sitting behind a desk, starring at a computer screen full of words or numbers, for 8 hours a day, was NOT for me. I have always loved using my hands to build and create. A favorite past time of mine is finding old furniture left out on the curb, dragging it home, sanding it down and either painting or staining it, recovering it in a beautiful new fabric and finding a place for it in my home. If I could make a substantial income doing this, I would! And that right there is why I am drawn to the major of interior design. I’ve contemplated this career for many years. However, having a father who is very traditional, I went the route of a general studies degree. Having put a few more years on me, and coming to understand that only I can pave my way in life, I know that whatever career I choose, I want to love it!! I want to be able to go to bed at night excited to wake up the next morning for work. I’ve been skipping around jobs, unsatisfied in what I was doing. All the while my brain was laying dormant asking when it would have its next chance to be creative. I know interior design is something I can excel at and enjoy doing. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to go back to school to continue educating myself in an area I have no formal education in. I certainly have my own thrifty, bohemian way of decorating, but to be able to learn the sketching and drafting techniques, and to understand why certain lights work best in certain places, I’ll then be able to use that knowledge to professionally help others achieve their own design goals. Which leads me into what my goals and aspirations upon graduating from FIDM are. Certainly my first goal is to obtain a job within the interior design field. Not just any job though, but one that I truly love and want to wake up for everyday, within a company I can be proud to say I work for. And just like in every line of work, I know I’ll be starting at the bottom and working my way up. However, I want to do it with style and grace and a professionalism that others take notice of and say, “Hey, she’s gonna be somebody someday.” I want to be at the top. I want people to know my name. In the long run, I’d love to own my own business, my own store front, where I could let my personal style shine through and have clients come to me because they like my designs. Once I’ve accomplished that, I might consider the possibility of designing my own furniture line. Basically, what it comes down to, is I want to be the best of the best so that the opportunities of trying new things come endlessly. I know I have big dreams, but I believe with hard work and a positive attitude I can achieve anything."

Yep.....In all honesty, that pretty much sums it all up. Below is the design board I created for my admissions interview.

Wish Me Luck!!

Borke Comes to Town!! Part One.

Nothing like having your friend call you from the airport at midnight, ready to be picked up, only to go out to your car and find that it won't start. Yea. Great way to start a vacation. Luckily for me, I have a doll of a roommate who helped me out and chauffeured me to pick Kristin up. That didn't solve the problem of the dead car though. What was really unfortunate was the fact that my car was parked on the side of the street that was going to get street cleaned the next morning. Street cleaning = big fat ticket. That was all the motivation I needed to get my car started. But start it would not. Last week when my my car did the same thing and wouldn't start, AAA came out and pounded on my starter and it started right up. He told me sometimes te starter just gets a bit stuck. Nothing like a little wack to get you going. So he showed me what to do and I thought, "humm....well, that's a bit ghetto, but okay." I mean really, anything to save me from having to take my car to the mechanic. As papa knows best, he told me, "Kara, sounds like you better get your car in before it decides to not start somewhere you don't want to get stuck at." Yea yea yea. I thought as long as I could just give it a wack, that would be a few less bucks I'd have to spend. Only once last week did I actually get in my car to not have it start. So I had to jump out of the car, pop the hood, wack the starter a few good times, jump in the car, start the car, then hop back out of the car, run to hood, close the hood, jump back in the car, close the door, then drive off quickly hoping nobody saw what I just did. From there I drove immediately home, not wanting to risk that again. So yea. Next morning, first day of Kristin being in town, we get up bright an early to take care of my car. I again call AAA and this time have them tow my car to the shop. Now, being semi-new and all to LA, I didn't have a handy mechanic I trusted on speed-dial. Here we come across my next dilemma. Who the hell do I have my car towed to!! Well, after a bit of research on Yelp. com, I decided on Ed Little Auto Service. After getting my car towed, Kristin and I had to get ourselves to the mechanic. Here starts the adventure. Thankfully, Kristin is a truly patient friend and put up with all of my shenanigans. Thank you, Kristin.

Which brings us to our first photo. Kristin at the Culver City bus stop. Yes folks, it's true. Kristin and I spent the whole day exploring the great city of LA by bus. It wasn't so bad really. It was kinda fun. I think Kristin might even agree. By no means was it a horrible experience and it saved me the headache of having to drive. Anyways, this photo is the first leg in our great journey. Here we are heading towards the mechanic.

Well, we made it to the mechanic and after he dropped the bomb on how much it was going to cost me, I went on a mission to find the part myself, to help reduce the cost. Here I am in Pep Boys, where I found what I needed for less then half the price. This face came after the sales boy told me they didn't have any in stock at their particular store and that their store in Westchester, 20 minutes away, had one. I wanted to ask the guy how long that would take walking, but I bit my tongue. To say the least, I put the mechanic Bob, and Kristin, through quite the ordeal. In the end, and 2 hours later, I got the shop to lower the price $50 bucks and I just had them do it.

After leaving the car at the shop to get worked on, Kristin and I were back off on our adventure. Here is Kristin waiting at the bus stop that will take us on the next part of our journey.

Opps, we had to transfer buses. Kristin, again, being a real adventuress at yet another bus stop. By this point we were getting real hungry and couldn't wait to arrive at our first destination of the day.

Finally, we made it to PINK'S!! Pink's hot dogs, featured on the Food Network and famous for their HOT DOGS! Yep, hot dogs. It's totally ridiculous, besides being known for their dogs, they must also be known for the line you stand in to get the dog. I've been here three times now and the line is always the same.

After standing in line for 35 minutes, we finally got to enjoy our hot dogs. Kristin got the hot dog with mushrooms, swiss cheese and mayo. Mayo??? Ugh. I got the Jim Morrison veggie dog with guacamole, tomatoes and onion. Yummy!!

After filling our tummies, we headed into Hollywood to do the ever popular Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Here stands Kristin at a statue like thing. Sort of a "Welcome to Hollywood" type object. However, I think it gets overlooked most the time. Besides, the homeless guy with a James Earl Jones type voice saying, "Welcome to Hollywood" was more entertaining.

Me, as usual, posing next to inanimate objects. One of my most favorite things to do.

Kristin being adorable.

Me trying to be adorable, only to have my crack hanging out the back of my pants. That's what you get for wearing low-riders.

The revised version of the above photo. I made Kristin re-take the picture after I saw the above results. I originally would have deleted the first picture. But in an attempt to get some laughs, I chose to post it. Kristin did a lovely job covering my bum this time.

From Hollywood, we hopped the metro link to Union Station, in downtown LA. This was my first recollection of ever riding Los Angeles version of a subway. It was......interesting. Wouldn't you agree, Kristin?

We made it! Theme for this picture: hands on your hips.

Kristin outside of Union Station.

From Union station we made our way over to Olvera Street. A street the tourist books describe as, "a pedestrian marketplace bursting like a pinata with Mexican knicknacks." I think that's a spot-on explanation of the place.

From Olvera Street we walked two blocks to China Town. With it being a weekday, and nearly sundown, the activity level was low and the shops were starting to close up. I think we saw everything we needed to see within the few minutes we chose to stick around.

From China Town we hopped on the bus to 5th and Broadway where the Downtown LA Art Walk was going on. Having never been to the art walk before, I had no idea what to expect. However, I know that downtown LA isn't the greatest place for two young women to be walking around, especially after dark. When we got off the bus, I think we were both surprised to see so much activity. It was a blast. There were people everywhere, music blaring out of the different galleries, and security outside every gallery.

Kristin inside one of the galleries. This particular gallery had some neat art. Other galleries had some not-so-neat art, and others had some controversial art that made you tilt your head and say "hummm.......", but the architecture of the old buildings were great and gave me something to look at!!! In one particular gallery I had this guy come up to me and ask where I got my jeans, with fancy jeweled, back pockets. He said he thought his sister might like them. (WHAT A PICK UP LINE!!) Me, being ever so proud of my bargain finds, replied, "on the street corner of a farmers market for $2! Quite a bargain, huh!?!" I give the guy credit for originality, but really??After this guy made some poor attempts at striking up a conversation, and me, not having it, I politely replied, "Okay, nice talking to you, Bye." And headed straight out the door, with Kristin in tow. Shortly thereafter, Kristin and I were leaving a book store and this same guy was near the door. He turns toward me and says, "fancy running into you again!" Yea right, like it was coincidence or something. BLAH!!

Just a building that I fancied for the different graffiti on the fire escape.

That was the end of our Friday. After a very full day of exploring LA, by bus, we were even too tired to stop and get dinner. Lounging at home in our sweats won us over, so we opted for Mac and Cheese in a box from the grocery store and called it an evening.

Gracie took quite a liking to Kristin while she was here. Here she is helping Kristin check her e-mail. At one point she laid her whole down across the key pad and wouldn't let Kristin type. She's NEVER done that to me before!! Sniff Sniff.

Saturday: Kristin and I got up early and headed to my favorite little breakfast joint called The OP Cafe. It's a quaint little restaurant that doesn't hold many, but they've got great food and a breakfast menu for only $2.99. Fun and delicious way to start your morning!! After breakfast, Kristin, Gracie and I headed up to Malibu for a day of hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains. We stopped along the way to watch the surfers and enjoy the view.

Gracie smiling big for the camera.

Walking along the shore. The black dots in the ocean are the surfers.

Kristin and Me.

From the parking lot to the trail head we had to walk a short portion of the road, the above house, or more appropriately called estate, is just one of many we pasted by. This thing was HUGE!!!

At the start of our hike.

One of the many, many stream crossings we had.

Kristin on a power hike.

A "senior-photo" type moment gone bad. A possessed Gracie in the background.

Me showing-off my Jackie Chan like moves.

There were some pretty steep hills to climb to get to the top.

Some portions we kinda just scooted on our butts.

Tiny fall in the background.

Hanging off a tree.

At one point I thought I was going to roll off the side of this steep hill.

Thankfully, I didn't.

It would have hurt.

And I probably would have peed myself laughing.

The waterfall at the top was totally worth the hike.

Gracie had quite a spurt of energy and managed to fall into the water. Unfortunatly, I missed getting that on film. Here she is getting back across the water.

Check back soon for:

Borke Comes to Town!! Part Two.