Hitchhiker

Went for a hike today and about half way up the road to the hike, there was a mountain biker waving us down from the side of the road. We slowed down to see what he needed and he asked if he could hitch a ride.

My first thought was, "Not sure yer bike will fit, dude." But I said, "Sure..."

Just as I was about to mention the space issue, he grabbed on to the passenger's window and said, "Just don't go over about 30mph."

So he held on and we dragged him up the rest of the hill, chatting the whole way.

Pretty great.

Los Angeleno Seeks Other Los Angelenos

Moving is an opportunity to get rid of clutter and organize a new life.  But it also opens up shelves and corners and space for new furniture and must-haves on Craigslist. I've been obsessed lately - making my treasure hunt online part of my morning ritual.

I've come across items I could never afford, hilarious postings under "free" and an unbelievable amount of spam. However, I've also discovered it's an amazing way to see who really lives in Los Angeles. In pursuit of new treasure, I've visited a handful of people's homes and each visit opens my eyes a little more.

I met Jack, a polite man in his 60's who sold me 15 old Spanish tiles that I plan to use for a Guerrilla Garden. He was slightly hesitant to hand over the box and asked me what I planned to do with them. After my explanation, he requested I send him photos of the finished product.

I also met Laura who mentioned on the phone there was no pressure to buy anything. She knew it was all fate and if her items spoke to me, I would buy them and I would be very happy. As I stepped into her apartment, she explained she had three kids and a past life and husband she despised. The items she wanted to sell were from that life and she loved them dearly, but wanted a fresh start. She also explained since I was interested in the potted plants, that there would be no bad juju because plants are full of life and can adapt to new love. After helping me load the pots into my car, she offered me a high five and good luck in life and in love.

And finally, Terry, who sold me an antique jewelry box I had my eye on for about a week.  I met him at a tiny studio apartment in West Hollywood and when I walked in, there were literally antiques and knick knacks from floor to ceiling. I almost needed to turn sideways to walk into the space. He was buff and blonde, a gold chain peaking out of his three-quarter, un-buttoned shirt and a matching gold hoop earring in his left ear. He had round, rosy cheeks that reminded me of Santa Claus and asked if I had extra time to take a look at the rest of his loot. He explained he used to live in a big home and collected antiques for years and that he used to have a lot of money but was changing his lifestyle and didn't have space anymore.

I did have time.

And I did find a couple more things I probably didn't entirely need. But when I got home tonight, I received an email from him with the subject line, THANK YOU and this image in the body of the email:

Kindness

I spent some time volunteering today at MEND in Pacoima -- a non-profit we've visited quite a bit with the Do Good Bus.

We actually had a holiday visit this past December where we took family photos for some of their clients. One of the couples we photographed was getting married the following weekend and wanted some pre-wedding photos. When we arrived, we found out the couple didn't have a ride to MEND and luckily, we had brought an extra car with the bus.

I ended up giving them a ride to and from MEND and loved the opportunity to get to know them a little bit along the way.

Today, as I was chatting with Luke, one of the managers at MEND, I found out one of the photographers who joined us last trip offered to shoot the couple's wedding for them at no cost. I had no idea he had done this and was blown away by his kindness.  The couple had even sent the final pictures to Luke so I was able to see photos of the happy couple from their wedding day.

As Luke and I scrolled through the images we both couldn't help but think of the dozens of weddings we've attended that, naturally, had photographers. In fact, I would dare say EVERY wedding I've attended had a photographer.  And then we both realized this couple wouldn't have had beautiful photos of starting their life together if a young man hadn't thought to offer his time.

Inspired.

Welcome To The Neighborhood

After an intimate evening with IKEA, building and cursing all night, I made my first trip to our new local grocery store.  I pulled up to an almost empty parking lot and headed in with my head down shuffling through my purse.  I suddenly heard someone yelling, "Security guard, security guard! It's THAT woman, right there, it's her."

It didn't alarm me.  In fact, I barely looked up to see what was happening...just assumed someone had done something wrong.  A fleeting thought entered my mind that our new neighborhood was a little shady.  But I rolled my eyes, sort of half grinned and thought, "Oh well."

The lady who seemed to be accused of something had now stopped in her tracks and was looking back at the door.  The security guard was swiftly heading toward her with an outstretched arm and a mile-long receipt.

"Mam, mam. You forgot your $5 coupon."

My half grin turned into a full smile and I immediately knew I liked my new neighborhood.