it's 5 AM...

... and I'm up looking at the first glow of the day begin to warm the sky. The pollen count was so high yesterday that I carried a numb headache for most of it... though it was evident at rehearsal last night that I was not alone. Hopefully today will bring some relief... but that may be too much to ask.

There has been a constant no-show at Suicide Lounge rehearsal... sad as it may be is not really surprising. We move on.

Supplies have been stocked up again. The big find were yellow mangos... the kind I grew up eating in Malaysia. (Third row down... second from the right.) This was the local variety that was commonly found. The flavors were not as intense as others but no less delicious. I also spotted the sour green mangos but demurred from buying any this time. It's my favorite. I can just eat one of those with a little dab of salt. An uncle of mine had a tree of those in his front yard that seemed always laden with fruit. Great for pickling and brining.

There was a time growing up when a dwarf mango tree of an exotic variety (anything but local) growing in one's front yard was quite the status symbol back home. If one was invited over for dinner it was a guarantee that one would be lead to the plant by the proud owner. He would then tell of his great adventure acquiring and growing it. Of course, it was quite the insult if one didn't admire it and say something like, "Wow, you are very lucky. That variety is tough to find/grow here." This would fill the owner with beaming pride and you would be promised a fruit as soon as they were ripe. I wonder if this trend still survives.

I've always thought of the mango as a very sexy fruit. The shape. the taste, the aroma... something very earthy about it all. Today, I plan on skinning and slicing the ones I found and chilling them in the fridge for a bit. Then, after lunch I will quietly indulge myself... savoring the sweet tartness of paradise.

EDIT: Images of my walk to the store and back this morning. OK, they may not be as interesting as Zonthar's recent travelogue to the British Isles or as fascinating as Cosima's Hong Kong adventures... but hey, they are pictures! Something to look at, right? Anyway, I usually bike to the store... today I walked. Feel free to click on them for larger sizes.

This is the path that began the journey. ::swell of music - theme from Lawrence of Arabia::

I ran into my friend and neighbor Chef Tony. We chatted a bit then we both went our separate ways. BTW it was his day off.

Ah... it's being sold. Jeffery Dahmer's mother used to live here... really! She was here when news of him being offed in prison came. The neighbors were very protective and parked their cars on the street so that the News vans couldn't camp out in front.

One of the oldest gas stations in the big No. It's actually designated as a historical landmark. Was once the "last chance gas" places before you hit the wilderness heading north. I love that the old ice room and pumps are still here.

This used to be on the edge of the wilderness... now it leads to one of the upscale old neighborhoods in mid town.

One of my favorite signs.

Mural with tagging on the side of the store.

Lion guarding a 4-plex.

One of my favorite adobe styled houses on my block.

There you have it. Oh yeah... I got cookies and milk. Oh, and I can't wait till tomorrow... just saying. ::swell of music again as screen goes to dark and credits roll::