Morning Newspaper Break

People sometimes call the National Mall "America's Park," which is a good description. For this couple, however, they consider the National Mall as their backyard with a river view.

Here they are on a Sunday morning  on the Potomac River-side of the National Mall with two camp chairs, thermoses of coffee and their newspapers. They are totally set.

It's not a bad way to spend your Sunday morning, reading the day's news with the national monuments to your back and the Potomac River in front of you. From this vantage point, they have a great view of Arlington House at the Arlington National Cemetery across the river as well.

Bluegreen Pool

Change is in the air this week, but it is so challenging to make change actually happen. Just ask President Obama, right? It is like swimming in a bottomless pool; you can't sense the depth and the current seems to strong to swim against.

My sister forwarded an email to me a few days ago that discussed how to make life changes. The email's author shared great wisdom about this topic and I wanted to pass it along:

You cannot hope to solve any problem using the same energy that created the problem. Whether it's the endless wars in the world or the unending quarrels and fighting in your own home, the problem is the same: conflicting energy. If you want to change the outcome, change the energy. The extraordinary aspect of this solution is that you do not have to wait for the other party in order to do it.

Some Beach

Somehow September has arrived and summer is officially over. How sad. Thank goodness I was able to get some beach time earlier this year during my March trip to Kauai. So now, I don't feel as badly about not getting any beach time this summer.

Wouldn't it be nice, if regardless of the time of year or weather, beach time was always possible? Island and beach dwellers are lucky in that respect; they can access the beach at any time.

One day, I hope I will be able to live near the ocean. To be able to walk along the ocean shore, sit on the sand admiring the surf and wake to the sound of the seashore would be an extraordinary way to live. While I don't like quoting country singer Kenny Chesney (long story), his "no shoes, no shirt, no problems" life philosophy is a good mantra. But, perhaps I would reword it to say "no shoes, no sleeves, no problems" for my life mantra, just to avoid any indecency problems at the beach.

Monkey on His Back

As Hurricane Irene wrecked havoc on the East Coast, she also disrupted my travel itinerary. A canceled flight provided an extra day in California, but resulted in a ticket on a packed, anxious return flight to DC on Monday night.

When we finally arrived at the airport in Washington, DC, my fellow passengers were already standing in the aisle, ready to disembark before we had even reached the gate. Standing in front of me, anxious to leave, was this guy with a monkey on his back. Now, it was actually a backpack shaped like a monkey, but looked as if it was a real monkey on his back.

Thank goodness for my inconspicuous iPhone camera, which allowed me to take his photo without this guy's knowledge. To onlookers, it appeared as if I was simply checking my messages on my phone. It did make me wonder though how many people are taking photos with camera phones without our notice.

Seagull and the Fountain

Over the weekend, I spent time in San Pedro, California. Located near Long Beach, much of San Pedro overlooks the Port of Los Angeles. While sitting in a restaurant patio near the marina, this seagull joined our party. It perched on the top of a patio fountain and lingered as if listening to our conversation.

Hollywood Postcard

Wouldn't this image make the perfect Hollywood postcard? Blue skies, green palm trees and mission style architecture are the epitome of California style. Throw in a little Hollywood glamor and you are looking at an iconic image. These are the kind of beautiful California days that make it hard to live elsewhere.

Bronson Gate

I'm pretty lucky that I have a job that takes me to such unusual, interesting places. This week, work took me back to California to the famous Paramount Studios lot on Hollywood Boulevard to help produce the Voice Awards.

One of the landmarks at Paramount Studios is the Bronson Gate. It was the original entrance to the studio lot and the inspiration for actor Charles Bronson's last name. It was originally Buchinsky before his agent recommended that he drop the Eastern European-sounding surname during the Sen. Joseph McCarthy and House Un-American Activities Committee-era.

Behind this gate is the Paramount back lot, filled with sound stages that film productions, such as "Glee," "Community" and "Star Trek." Although the iPhone camera didn't pick it up, behind the sound stage 4 is the Hollywood hills. From this vantage point, visitors can see the famous Hollywood sign in the distance.