Almost - it starts tomorrow. I got to the airport just in time. I have TSA pre-check and wasn't checking anything, so I figured I don't need to get to the airport too early. I breezed right through security which is good since I really only had 5 minutes to spare before they started boarding! A little tighter than I like but I tried an experiment and took an express bus to the airport - convenient but the stop is by the baggage claim at the other end and the wrong floor so it actually adds quite a bit of walking vs having someone drop you off on the correct floor in the correct spot.
The flight had a nice view of the fog rolling in as we took off, and a view of the smoke from some wildfires as we came into LA. We got in about 15 minutes early, but someone was in our parking spot so we had to sit on the tarmac until they left. Otherwise uneventful.
I had the cab drop me at the convention center so I could get my badge before check-in closed. I discovered it's a longer walk to my hotel then I thought since there's construction in the way and some hotels that I haven't figured out how to cut diagonally through. It's not bad but it was about 90 and humid when I got here - blah. There also seems to be some kind of concert going on at a venue right by the convention center - so there was this odd combination of computer graphics geeks and folks in micro skirts, heels, and tattoos. Pretty easy to tell us apart.
My hotel room is nice, and I have a good view of the sunset if you ignore the power lines - there are some serious power lines feeding into Disney. It's a little odd that the soaps are in French and smell like root beer, but that's better than something completely weird that makes me sneeze. I also think I'm right behind Subway - I can smell chocolate chip cookies being baked! It's nice, but distracting. Oh, and I can see the Disney fireworks from my room!
Hopper, that is. Stanford's Cantor museum got their hands on one and I paid it a visit.
Don't mind the strange man, he's there for scale. And the mushiness is the result of low light. But the painting is a beauty. It's one of his earlier works but still has that Hopper magic. He can take blobs of brushstrokes and turn them into the feel of a street scene.
His protege Diebenkorn was there, in the form of multiple paintings and 29 sketchbooks! Stanford has 29 of his sketchbooks in their collection, and they've scanned them all and made them available online.
My main man Miro has a few pieces on the wall, along with an O'Keefe, and there is a giant Tiebald - that man had texture in his paintings!
I didn't realize that Leland Stanford sponsored the original horse photos that Muybridge took, creating the first motion picture. They've got a number of those in the collection as well.
There's actually a pretty good collection there - a variety of paintings, a number of Rodin sculptures, and a whole collection of other goodies that I didn't get to. I was mainly there for Hopper, and as the museum is nearby and free, it's easy enough to go back.
Well so this weekend was the long Fourth of July weekend, and I had me and odd little collection of experiences. Saturday I was basically lazy, but did get in one bike ride. Sunday after the crossword puzzle and the Farmer's Market I headed into the City for a bit to play tourist, see the water, see some fog, and eat ice cream.
On the Fourth, I went to the parade in Redwood City. Didn't realize how long it was so I was kind of frying in the sun. It started with a motorcycle gang with their bikes decorated, then came the color guard and the Boy Scouts. Followed by something weird with a large Kermit the Frog puppet - didn't catch what that one was all about because here comes Miss California followed by the City Council and a Senator. Then come some veterans and an old-time fire truck. This is followed by a modern-day fire truck that is practically doing donuts in the street. Of course next comes an western-style movie set followed by tanks. (??!) Then it's a dance club in sequins followed by the Mason's guild with the last guy in line wearing a Fez and sporting a GoPro on a stick. This is followed by the Shriners in miniature cars.
Or maybe I've been in the sun too long. They're followed by traditional Mexican folk dancers and then the high school marching band rocks the house Bay-to-Breakers style lead by Captain America and followed by gravel trucks. I have definitely been in the sun. Next comes the local college in surf gear with a donkey? horse? Colt mascot. Then it's the mounted patrol with stars painted on their asses (of the horses) They are followed by the garbage trucks and street sweepers, which actually makes sense.
Here comes a giant butterfly - from Parks and Rec. - and and old school bus that moos and blows bubbles. I've been in the sun for almost an hour. The Girl Scouts march by, thankful that their troop leader has a squirt bottle and possibly perplexed by the square dancers dressed like pirates. Miss Chinatown rocks the princess wave and something tells me there's scholarship money in this gig because even in those few moments she did not grab me as the princess type. The library marches by and a hush falls over the crowd.
Bob rolls through in a golf cart and by this point it's not clear if he's part of the parade or the staff. More traditional Mexican dancers followed by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Miss Teen Junior Miss is clearly not Miss Chinatown material and looks like she's over it. A large group of some form of Chinese art akin to Tai Chi works their way past, and a little hint folks: If you're going to have that traditional music please make sure you also have good speakers; otherwise it's painful. But here comes the swim team looking like they'd like some water and the Roller Girls whooping it up. Then there's the half-dozen Scottish highlanders complete with bagpipes and the retirement center's own marching band, which gives the high school a run for it's money with pure spirit. The tow trucks bring up the rear.
Then it's find a porta-potty followed by find some food and drink before you pass out. The cafe with evil treats is open and I treat myself to something evil. Back outside there's the usual array of vendors and the more interesting part of chalk art and the high school and junior college marching bands having their version of dueling pianos. They rock but I'm ready for a nap and a shower, so I head home for a break.
By the time the fireworks rolled around I'd pretty much had my dose of crowds, so instead of working my way back over to the crowds, I decide to hang out at the train station. The station in my town is a raised platform, so you can see over to where the fireworks are. A few other folks had this idea as well. Not exactly front row, but I got to watch several shows at once and walked home in 10 minutes.
Then this morning it was off to Trader Joe's followed by Team Lab. The former being a grocery store and the latter being... um.. an interactive media experience. Check out the website. I drew and octopus and a jellyfish, then scanned them and watched them swim on the giant wall. Then I colored an alien spaceship for a different wall. Then you can move parts around and they interact with video - it's a little hard to explain. There's also galleries of videos, some of which react to how close you are to the screen, some are just mesmerizing. It was very cool. Actually, it was kind of hot because those projectors put out a ton of heat.
