childhood revisited: Heritage Park

I don't have a hearty list of resolutions this year, but one of the things that I have on my To Do list is to revisit some of the fun places of my past. Starting with playgrounds! (I know, what lofty goals I have!)

When I was young, I went to a babysitter who took care of something like 20 kids my same age and every summer we would go "places" 4 days a week (with the 5th day, Friday, being a movie rental day) and a lot of those places would be parks and playgrounds. There are some interesting playgrounds out there, if you know where to look for them!

In Cerritos, there is Heritage Park, which has your standard playground favorites and a giant grass area adjoining a sports complex, but it also has an island (!) that doubles as a play-adventure area. So Kate agreed to pack a lunch and meet me for a picnic and memory walk through the park.

You cross of one of two bridges to get to the island and enter the play world of Boston in the 1770s. When I was young, the buildings and 'shops' on the island had dirt floors and some had props nailed into the walls and stuff. But in the rebuilding of the island portion in recent years, the storefronts have been revisioned, so that they look like individual shops outside, but are a connected play area that is tied together by a really big play structure. There are all kinds of entry points (ladders, stairs, etc.) that lead to various slides and such and the doorways have signs that denote them as individual merchants, like the shoemaker.


Paul Revere is given a bit of reverence with a giant statue of him at the entrance of the park.


On the island, there is a "shipyard" area that leads to a ship, that may be dinky by 30-something standards, but when you're 8? Whoa nelly - you're on a bonafide ship, baby! Prepare for sail and ready the cannons!




There are also oodles of ducks who live in the moat surrounding the island who are more than happy to relieve you of your breadcrumbs and extra chips.


This poor goose was born with a pretty extreme beak deformity (looks like a cleft pallette) but fortunately, this park has lots of kids with lots of sandwiches and he eats like a king. In fact, he was pretty non-plussed about us walking up to him and taking pictures. Even without a sandwich exchange.


The island also has a 'church' that has a big slide inside. When I was a duckling, the slide inside the church was a cement slide (read: not very fast, boo!) that went from the second level of the church interior down underground and came out on a level about 100 feet away. It was awesome. Whether it was meant to be an interpretation of sinners sliding to hell or a garbage chute for witchburnings, I have no idea. It was just awesome to slide into the darkness of the underground tunnel. (a tip for cement slides: both a handful of sand and plastic wrap from your sandwich under your bum will help you slide faster!) Nowadays, the slide is a generic kind of tunnel slide that comes out of the second story of the church into an adjoining landing area. Not as much of a thrill, in my opinion, but the kids were enjoying it, so... I'm probably just out of touch.

It was fun to go back to a place I hadn't been in to in, literally, decades and see that some of the fun stuff was still the same. Sure, the slides and safety regulations may have changed, but it's still a fun place where kids can play and be creative and enjoy all kinds of revolutionary adventures.

A few more pics

Ryan's Birthday Week - part 1

Somehow I managed not to update this space for a week and left it on a depressing note. Sorry everybody! Really, my life isn't so tragic. I try and stay positive -- even in light of Monkey's passing, I have to give thanks for having known him at all. To have loved and lost and all that...

ANYWAY.

Last weekend marked the start of Ryan's Birthday Week! Yay! And it also happened to coincide with Brian visiting from New York, Pete visiting from New Jersey, and Trevor & Jordie visiting from Berkeley so it was a weekend chock-full of friends too.

On Friday, I met up with Pete and the gang for an avalanche of sushi, which was great but sent me directly into a coma. Luckily, I was able to recover by lazing around the house that night and finishing up some commission pieces and sent Ryan out to Art Dork Club with the boys. Since I hadn't seen Joe or Dave on their birthdays, I whipped up some custom peg people just for them [details coming soon to my Giddy Crafts blog http://giddycrafts.blogspot.com/] and had Ryan deliver them at Art Dork Club, where they were well-received.

On Saturday, Ryan and I met Kate and Brian at the Skirball Cultural Center & Museum in LA to see their Golden Age of Comic Books exhibit (now closed, so the link has disappeared from their site), which was really neat. Photography was only allowed in select areas, so I don't have much to show from that part of the day except...

Super Kate

Super Punch-Out Ryan

Super Cheesy Valentine

"I'm not a bit like Superman. Can't hear through walls made of brick, so if you like me Valentine, come out and say so quick!"

The exhibit had original artwork from all the Golden Age masters, which made Ryan and Brian drool with excitement. The two of them were like kids in a candy shop and Kate and I did our best to keep up. "Ooh, yes, I do see that linework. Uh huh, how nice!"

After having more fun than was technically legal (surprisingly strict!), we headed over to see the Noah's Ark exhibit. Ok, so I was totally unprepared for this and had NO idea what it was. So it was completely mind-blowing when I got in there. Firstly, you start in a small room with a 'guide' who gives an extremely brief overview of the Flood Story and how it exists in nearly every culture around the world in some form or another and how the Noah story centers on the saving of the animals, via a giant boat. After this explanation, you're lead into a giant exhibit with all of these animals that were made from recycled materials and nearly all of them were kinetic sculptures. They were simply amazing. I was totally agog.

Further into the exhibit were interactive stations where kids (or adults!) could pump water into a display to show the rising waters of the flood

Or crank up an electric charge to create lightning or pull a rope that activated piano wires to create the sound of thunder. There was also a giant giraffe that could be manipulated by a mechanism on the ground, so that he was looking back and forth.

And then there was the Ark. In every available space were more re-purposed structure animals and also lots of ones that were made for playing and touching (like puppets and dolls) and giant crates, showing the necessary provisions for the journey, like vegetables and beans. (that sounds really dull, but they were cool, because you could crawl inside them and each had interactive portions) To get the full effect, check out the Noah's Ark page on the museum's website.

Inside the Ark, in addition to the toys and interactive bits, were display cabinets with crafted versions of the Ark Story from countries and cultures around the world. My favorite was the "American" version, featuring "Old McNoah" on a tractor, towing his animals to safety - talk about cheesy! I love it!!

At the end of the exhibit is the Dove of Peace, which is made from a harpsichord (?) and guitar picks.

Outside is the Rainbow Arc, where there is a constant fine mist (which is perfect on a hot day!) that creates a rainbow effect. We all thought the mist would be very light and subtle and so the boys walked through it - and came out soaked to the bone. Still, very refreshing, even if it was surprising!

After all the excitement of comic books and animals lined up two-by-two, we headed off to get some lunch/dinner/linner, during which Kate gave Ryan his present: a Pistol Pedro belt buckle!! Ryan and I are in love with Michele Valigura's art (plug for my Peter Pan statue!) and this belt buckle is awesome in SO many ways. Firstly, it's a Valigura piece. 'Nuff said. THEN it's a belt buckle, which he just happens to need. And THEN it's got a spinning moustache!!!! Which is perfect for Ryan, who happens to be enamoured with spinning belt buckles, ever since Christy & The S Squad brought him back a skull & crossbones spinning buckle from Thailand.

I happened to have a necklace chain in my purse (why not?) so Ryan was able to wear the buckle during dinner and repeatedly spin his 'stache.

Although we SWORE that we wouldn't, we ate too much. So after we sat and digested a bit, we headed out to Griffith Observatory. It was surprisingly busy! I hadn't expected that big of a crowd... but I guess we're not the only science nerds (yes we were, but that's ok). We watched the new Planetarium show which was AMAZING. I'd go see it again in a heartbeat (anyone? anyone?). Although there was one minor hiccup, which was that there was a young girl behind us who cried and moaned through the entire show because she wanted to leave (the poor thing was in the middle of a panic attack) but her parents -- to say they were 'icky' doesn't nearly do it justice -- didn't want to take her out, so she wailed through the entire show. Which was distracting and rude and... did I mention how icky those people were? Buh.

ANYWAY. We came out of the theater feeling the majesty of the universe and the insignificance of us all and then we saw this, sitting right outside...

It was entrancing, to say the least. It reminded me of Kevin Kidney's recent post about the giant moon model at the Observatory and we set out to find it. Eventually, we did, although it was nearing closing time (15 minutes left!) and the guard wouldn't let us go over see it. I asked nicely and even pleaded our case, that we'd driven all the way up here and just wanted to see it and he was kind of jerky and said "Well, we have to close sometime! Come back another day!" That kind of put me into a pout and I apologize to my friends, because I was really irked. We were the ONLY people over there and we're respectful people and not some crazy gang bangers looking for an opportunity to tag up the museum. It wouldn't have hurt for him to let a couple little ladies peek at the giant moon. But no. Stupid stinkypants.

But the night did end on a high note. Ryan used the uni-sex bathrooms and came out laughing because the lady (an obviously foreign visitor) had used the urinal as a toilet. I guess she was expecting a public bidet? So she used the one that she thought was meant for #1. Which was funny and it kept us giggling the whole way home.

Fun List: Orange County Fair

Sunday we headed over to the OC [don't call it that] Fair for some good, ol' fashioned fair fun, including Twittering live our various food finds (aka: tw-eating).

We saw Weird Al's Brain, which looks exactly like you'd expect: Hawaiian shirt, curly hair, and crazy eyes! Actually, it's a 3D movie that explains how the brain works (with cameos by Tom Lennon, Patton Oswalt, and more) and one of the best brain songs that I've ever heard. Look for this movie coming to a town near you (tour schedule is available on their website).

After Al's Brain, we got down to business: eating. Kate tw-eat'ed (tw-ate?) everything as we went along and her rating system is hilarious.

Fried White Castle Burger: 1 out of 5 greased pigs
Tasty Chips: 4 out of 5 greased pigs
Funnel Cake: 4 out of 5 clogged arteries
Key Lime & Red Velvet mini cupcakes: 3.5 out of 5 aching teeth
Meatball slider: 3 out of 5 pepperonis
Lemonade from cupcake stand: 4.5 out of 5 curdled tongues
Largest other fruit: 5 out of 5


We saw baby chickens and goats and pigs and even a calf that was trying to suckle on a girl's shoe and walked through the crafts building and looked at all the collections. We didn't see all the art, so I guess we'll have to go back (aw, shucks!) another day. We saw some interesting people and also some very interesting people. We got some free nail polish (from this kinda cool nail art stamp-thingamajig. I got a strawberry.) and saw a Paul Bunyan quilt and got henna tattoos. I even got a chance to put on a How To Eat Funnel Cake clinic, while wearing my funnel cake earrings! We were all so sad that the day had to end, so Ryan and Kate decided to go down the Big Slide. I stayed at base camp to photograph it all, but my camera started 'thinking' in the middle, so I only ended up with a couple of pictures. Oh well - I guess we'll just HAVE TO GO BACK!
















More Fun List photos over on Flickr!

Fun List: Marc Davis Exhibit & Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour

A few weeks ago, Kate, Ryan, & I started The Fun List of all the things that we want to see/do in appreciation of all of the lovely places that we have access to: museums, libraries, gardens, amusement parks, etc. and this weekend we checked a couple of things off our list!

Marc Davis Exhibit at Forest Lawn Museum
Marc Davis is, hands-down, my all time favorite Disney animator. When I first started my love affair with Tinker Bell, I learned that he had been the designer for the playful pixie and numerous others of my favorite Disney characters (Alice [from Alice in Wonderland], Aurora [Sleeping Beauty], Cruella DeVille [101 Dalmations], etc.) including the hitchhiking ghosts inside the Haunted Mansion. Aside from his Disney work, he is a fabulous artist and we got to see a few of his pieces (including his personal collection of tikis) at a Tiki exhibit at Forest Lawn a couple of months ago which were astounding. So when we heard the museum was hosting a gallery of his original paintings, we HAD to go. And man... there isn't much to say except that my brain melted out of my ears. He played with a lot of familiar artistic styles, but in my opinion, his were better than some of the better known artists of the genre (Picasso, etc.). The whole museum was an overload of wonderfulness and something that I am truly appreciative that we got to see!

After this, we headed off to Santa Clarita to the last Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour...

Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour
Did you have a Farrell's near you when you were growing up? There were 130 parlours in the US at one time and today only 2 remain: one in California* and another in Hawaii. When I was young, we would go to the Farrell's in Cerritos (in my mind it's attached to the Cerritos Mall, but it might have just been nearby?) and it was a sensory overload. There is ragtime music playing and Americana memorabilia everywhere. The servers dress like turn-of-the-century soda jerks and when someone has a birthday, they all march around the restaurant with a giant bass drum, creating a parade to the lucky boy/girl. If someone orders a big ice cream dish, alarms go off and sirens wail and a team of Farrell's employees serve it to you like royalty (watch this old commercial for Farrell's to see what I mean).

Not much has changed over the years, I am happy to say, although I did have to laugh (often and loudly) at the player piano versions of modern songs (including Beyonce and Pink Floyd). We had a very good lunch and then an overload of ice cream. We met up with Miss Bliss and Tianana & her husband and had more fun than should be legal.

After eating a metric ton of hot fudge, we went to the arcade next door and had a blast. Kate and Ryan played Dance Dance Revolution and then we all crammed into a photo booth (which, as per regulations, turned into complete pandamonium, bringing to mind Buster Bluth being terrorized by a sheep on Catalina Island). Then we used up the remainder of our game tokens playing skee ball and earning over 500 tickets! We each chose some goofy stuff from the prize counter (miniature shoes, parachuting soldiers, etc.) so we all had souvenirs from a lovely day.

After that was done, we just couldn't stand to go home, so Ryan suggested a movie. Ryan, Kate, and I went to see The Hangover which is so funny that when we left the theater, we all were massaging our tired faces and were exhausted. Ed Helms and Zach Galafinakis are two of my fave comedians and they did a roaringly great job. THIS is an example of comedy done right: was there a redemption-cheesy ending? Yes. BUT they pulled it off without it being stupid. I won't spoil anything, but if you go, please pay attention to the wedding band. Oh. Mah. Gaw.

After the movie, it was really late (1am?) and we were punchy as all get-loose, and that was when I remembered that I had bought these little pencil toppers in a 25 cent machine and everyone needed one! They came in these tiny bubbles and Ryan thought he should stick it in his nose. We were tired, for sure, but this was hilarious at the time because it would just fall off his face again and again.

*a second California shop is planned to open this year