JIA-CHI

Surprise!  At El Compadre in Echo Park.

Congo Star!

They even had a mariachi band!

Leap Day. The extra magical day for you to take chances. “Real life is for March.  Nothing on leap day counts”.  So I threw a Supper Social in honor of Leap Day 2012, hosted by John Isaac Watters in Echo Park.  Lots of new friends!

The Echo Park Time Bank Social at the Silver Lake Meadow.  Kristy sporting her newly bought matching suit from CVS.

Ms. Autumn Rooney, one of the founders of the Echo Park Time Bank.

Winter party at Silver Lake Farms with the smoker.  We actually used the smoker.  

“Rethinking Glendale Boulevard” Workshop w/ James Rojas @ Echo Country Outpost on Glendale Blvd.  When I moved to LA (the second time), I lived right up Glendale Blvd. @ Fargo St., and had to bike the dangerous stretch north of Sunset Blvd. all the time.  Disaster.  Glendale Blvd. really is an unpleasant street to be a pedestrian, cyclist, or business owner.  The workshop really inspired me to start some investigating….  we’ll see what happens.  Lots of neighborhood friends were there : Rachel Klein, Autumn Rooney, Ashley Atkinson, Erik Yesayan, Greg Wittmann Craig Collins (President of the Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy), Eric Garcetti (City Council Member).  

Stopped by Materials & Applications’ test run of Disappearing Environments in frogtown.  The team had decided on a final form and configuration.  They built two of the structures and lit some flares to test them out.

Ready for Pacific Standard Time!

as part of echo park patch’s 1-year anniversary, editor and time bank member Anthea Raymond bought a round of drinks and Alberto Tamales for everyone at local Echo Park favorite Bar 1642.

A band of bikers then headed over to Echo Park Ave. & Sunset to visit the Salinas Churros Truck in honor of Hanukkah.  Yes, a truck, that sells fresh, hot, sweet churros.  Apparently, you’re suppose to eat deep fried things to celebrate.  And in a timely manner, we also ran into Tannaz and her band of jewish friends.  

After buying out the remaining inventory of the truck’s churros supply, we headed to the Laveta Terrace Steps where more merriment (and cribbage) ensued.  Happy Hanukkah!

my first white elephant gift exchange party.  Patrick’s awesome gift.  Other gifts: whiskey stones, knife, colander, grater, plates, vintage playboy, and a portrait of me.

Echo Park Time Bank annual talent show at Barlow Respiratory Hospital in Echo Park.  Story telling by Katrina.

Doug Tiano had an amazing idea for an Echo Park Time Bank & Bicycle Kitchen float for the annual Echo Park Holiday Community Parade.

Recycled cardboard, painted on one side with cars, smog, traffic, general unpleasantry.

The other side, painted with rivers, flowers, corn, flowers, clouds, happiness, love.

We took over Sunset Blvd.  So great to have the roads to ourselves.

Took some production stills for LaMuff’s new music video for “Gold Lamé”.  As you can imagine, everything was gold.  Even the bagels.

LaMuff’s Monica Howe is a fellow Echo Park Time Bank member, who contacted me to help her out, in exchange for time dollars.  Cha-ching!  The shoot took place at Bar 1642, which is owned by fellow time bank member, Liz!

Right before Monica poured gold paint on herself.  Glorious.

Then biked over to West Hollywood to visit the Schindler/Kings Road House by Rudolph Schindler.  One of the architectural gems of LA.

Then Red Lined it back to Downtown LA for a birthday celebration in honor of Justice Laub at the Bona Vista Lounge on top of the Westin Bonaventure hotel.  You can’t tell from this photo, but trust me when i say that the lounge rotates.  Really.  Slowly.

John Isaac Watters hosted the latest Supper Social: Brunch Edition at his house in Echo Park.  There were lots of donuts. 

Travis Tarr had a birthday party in Echo Park, where you gave guests jars of his home-made preserves and home-made bread.  I got some Kumquat Rhubarb preserve from his self-designed Edendale Preservation Society labels and jars.

Margaret, his girlfriend, surprised him by hiring a taco stand to come to the party.  Best.  Girlfriend.  Ever.

The Jerk at Cinespia, Hollywood Forever Cemetery