Missing Glendale woman found

Posted on 13. May, 2010 by kchristieh in local news

I found this flyer taped to a street sign in front of my house today. I haven’t blogged in awhile, since I owe so many things to clients and potential clients, but I thought this was worth posting.

It turns out that Nancy Salas entered at a store in Merced this morning and said she wanted to call 911. According to the KTLA.com,

A 22-year-old woman reported missing by her parents now says she was abducted at knife point and taken to Central California.

……

She told her parents she was going for her usual morning run up Chevy Chase Canyon.

When she didn’t return, her parents contacted police.

Salas had initially been been described as third-year UCLA student.

But as it turns out, Salas hadn’t been attending school in years.

“Our records show that she was a fourth-year sociology student last enrolled in 2008,” said UCLA spokesman Phil Hampton.

According to Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz, Salas had been deceiving her parents and her friends.

“There’s obviously a deception,” Lorenz said. “I don’t want to go so far as to call it a double life.”

Her mother and father had been planning a graduation party for her when she disappeared.

Lorenz also says Salas’ brother is being questioned.

How sad. But, thankfully, not worse. I was going to put the sign back after I blogged about it, but I guess I don’t need to now. That’s good.

San Gabriel Valley Bloggers Potluck 3/20

Posted on 24. Feb, 2010 by kchristieh in local news

All San Gabriel Valley* bloggers, families, fans and groupies are welcome to the 2nd Annual SGV Blogger’s Potluck at noon at Farnsworth Park in Altadena. We’ll meet rain or shine at the covered picnic area on the north end of the park. BBQ’s are available. To rsvp, call or email or . Hosted by Altadenablog, Altadenahiker, Altadena Above it All, Altadena Daily Photo and Open Mouth Insert Fork.

I love meeting great new people and catching up with the wonderful people I follow online in person, so I wouldn’t miss this! I hope to see you there!! Now to decide what yummy food to make…

* Hopefully we’ll see bloggers from Eagle Rock, La Canada, La Crescenta, Glendale, etc. there, too!

Let the merriment begin!

Kogi Truck mixes Korean & Mexican food perfectly

Posted on 02. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in food

I finally found the time to visit LA’s latest culinary sensation: the Kogi truck. It was amazing, and I can’t wait to eat there again.

We knew that the truck would be parked at the corner of Brand and Chevy Chase in Glendale because we saw it on the Kogi blog. It’s a great blog, not only because it tells us where to find the excellent Korean-Mexican food they serve but because it has tips about other Los Angeles resources and clearly reflects that Kogi is about FUN!

You can find out about more food trucks on the Mobile Cravings blog.

The Kogi truck is pictured behind this awesome Scion. The Shave Ice truck was a few vehicles behind the Kogi truck. We were too excited for dinner to have shave ice, but I bet that was wonderful, too.

Soon after we showed up, this Scion arrived. All of a sudden, the car transformed into a total tailgating machine. The driver said it’s the next generation of Kogi cooking on wheels. Note the sink on the right, and the grill and speakers in the back. We all took pictures.

Here’s the Kogi menu. I got the Korean Chicken tacos and the Kogi Kimchi Quesadilla. It was amazing, and too much food for me. My husband ate the rest of the quesadillas when he got back from the airport, and agreed that they were wonderful. I was sad that he took me up on my offer to share them, but maybe this will convince him to visit the Kogi truck with us sometime.

The line moved quickly. Then again, our party was second in line, so we were biased.

My food. Just seeing it again makes my mouth water.

I must find more excuses to eat Kogi!!!

There was a young driver who drove a red shoe

Posted on 11. May, 2009 by kchristieh in advertising

Given the choice between wearing bright red pumps and driving one up and down Brand Blvd. in Glendale on a Saturday afternoon, which would you choose?

I’d definitely go for the car.

What would you perform here?

Posted on 02. Apr, 2009 by kchristieh in local news, my life, theater, tv

Just south of the pathetic Cesar Chavez Memorial Garden at Farnsworth Park, there’s an 800-seat amphitheater. It’s so well-hidden that I didn’t realize it was just 100′ away from me while I partied down at the blogger picnic on Saturday afternoon.

I wonder how often there are performances here? I can envision a summer Shakespeare or concert series. If I were a kid living near here, I’d put on my own show. Think of the possibilities!

I wish we had something like this in my town. I hope Altadena’s appreciating it!

When I lived in Pasadena, I served on the Recreation & Parks Commission. Farnsworth Park wasn’t under our jurisdiction, since it’s maintained by the County of Los Angeles. But Pasadena has many other fine parks, so we had lots to do.

I can’t wait until the new series “Parks and Recreation” debuts on April 9th. I love “The Office” and I think Amy Poehler is terrific, so my expectations are high.

A pathetic tribute to Cesar Chavez

Posted on 31. Mar, 2009 by kchristieh in environment, inspirational people

After the blogger picnic at Farnsworth Park in Altadena on Saturday, I took the long way back to the car. Behind the main park building, I found the Cesar Chavez Memorial Garden. Isn’t it pathetic?

People shouldn’t plant memorial gardens unless they plan to maintain them.

Is there anyone out there who would take this over and give it the love it deserves? I can’t, since I can’t keep a plant alive for more than a week, but hopefully this blog post will reach someone who cares.

Don’t plant a garden for me when I die someday. Just make sure this blog isn’t deleted.

Local Blogger Picnic in Altadena this Saturday

Posted on 24. Mar, 2009 by kchristieh in food, local news

Come one, come all, to the San Gabriel Valley Blogger’s Potluck in Altadena this Saturday.

Bloggers and their beloved families and groupies are welcome.

Many thanks to Altadenablog, Altadenahiker, Altadena Above It All and Open Mouth, Insert Fork for hosting this fabulous event!!

Can people smoke on the same Glendale, California restaurant patio where you’re eating?

Posted on 03. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in food, health, things that bug me

When we arrived at the BJ’s in Glendale, CA this evening, they offered our party of nine an immediate table on the patio or the option of waiting for an indoor table. We opted for the patio, since we were all hungry and there were little kids in our group that wouldn’t want to wait.

As soon as we were seated, a group of men from another table finished and stood up to smoke. One stood about 8′ from our table. I asked the server if she could kindly ask them to stand further away, and she said she’d get the manager. The manager wouldn’t ask them to move, but he did offer to put us at the first inside table big enough for us that opened up. We accepted, but a table didn’t open up until we were done with our main course. No one had mentioned that this was a smoking section before we were seated.

After these men left, another group came and started smoking. Thankfully, they stood further away, but it was still annoying. Here’s a picture:

Many thanks to Matt, who passed along this link to the Glendale municipal code concerning outdoor smoking patios at restaurants. Here are the sections which I think that BJ’s is violating:

• B.1: Must represent a separate and discrete area of the outdoor dining area;
• B.2. Must have a clearly marked boundary by using one (1) or more of the following means, including, but not limited to (long list, none of which were present);
• B.3. Must be identified by one (1) or more conspicuously posted signs;
• B.5.a.iii: At least twenty (20) feet away from an adjacent area or location— listed in Sections 8.52.040(A), 8.52.050, 8.52.060, 8.52.070, or 8.52.080 of this chapter— where smoking is prohibited;
• C. An employee, owner, manager, or person in charge or control of an outdoor dining area shall ask a patron, before seating that person, whether the patron prefers seating in a smoking or non-smoking part of the outdoor dining area.

Looks like I need to write a letter to the City of Glendale and/or BJ’s.

I’m getting over a cough, and smelling secondhand smoke doesn’t help.  :(

At any rate, we enjoyed watching the Glendale and Burbank Rose Parade floats drive by, and we all helped devour the pizookie (= pizza + cookie) that my kids ordered. I’ve been hearing about this dish for months.

My POW bracelet: Honoring John George Graf of Glendale, CA

Posted on 11. Nov, 2008 by kchristieh in politics

On November 15, 1969, John George Graf was a crewmember aboard an Army aircraft that was shot down in South Vietnam. He and the pilot, Robert T. White, ejected safely, but were captured by the enemy when they hit the ground.

White was released in 1973, but Graf never made it home. It’s possible that he drowned during an escape attempt in February, 1970, but that hasn’t been confirmed.

I purchased the POW bracelet for John G. Graf when I visited the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. several years ago. His hometown is listed as Glendale, CA, which is the next town over from us. I can’t imagine the pain that comes from the uncertainty of not knowing a loved one’s fate. If you’re reading this blog and you’re related to LCdr. Graf, I’d be honored to give you this bracelet. Click here to see postings by people who wore the same POW bracelet and who knew John (Jack) Graf.

War is lousy. Whether the motives are good or not, it’s a sad commentary on humans that we wage wars.

I respect the people that fight for our country, and pray that they get home safely.

Hate is here

Posted on 28. May, 2008 by kchristieh in my life, politics, religion, startling statistics, things that bug me

Here’s the Los Angeles section of the Hate Groups Map from the Southern Poverty Law Center. I’ve overlaid it on top of a more detailed Google Map so you can see city names:

If you go to the official map, you’ll be able to click on each symbol and see what it stands for. It’s scary that there’s a Neo-Nazi group only one town away from me, in Glendale. Hopefully they’re losing members, not gaining them.

Some of the groups have surprisingly benign names. For example, there’s the OMNI Christian Book Club in Palmdale. Sounds ok to me. But here’s part of the description from the Southern Poverty Law Center site:

That’s mild compared to the offerings that grace Omni’s book catalogue, including Richard Harwood’s Did Six Million Really Die? (published by neo-Nazi Ernst Zundel); Henry Ford’s The International Jew, available abridged or in a deluxe, four-volume set; Arthur Butz’s Holocaust-denying The Hoax of the Twentieth Century (“a must read into the biggest hoax in world history, who’s behind it, how they’ve profited from it, and what can be done to put an end to it”); several issues of the late Father Leonard Feeney’s Jew-bashing monthly The Point; The Judaic Connection, describing a Judeo-Masonic conspiracy against the Catholic Church; and even defenses of Hitler.

I don’t understand why someone would hate a group of people, let alone dedicate so much energy to that effort. Don’t they have better ways of spending their time, even if they do hate so much?

When I was young, my Mom always told me it was ok to say I hated what someone did, but I should never hate the person. It was her way of interpreting Matthew 5:43-48 for me.

You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

I try to teach my kids the same thing, and find myself saying, “You can hate things, but you shouldn’t hate people.” It’s hard sometimes. I’m lucky I don’t come across many people I’m tempted to hate in my personal life. In fact, I’ve told people that if I say I don’t like someone, it probably means they’re pretty evil.

If I were a parent of one of the girls mentioned in my previous post, I’d definitely find it hard to love Gregory Serrano.

Pictures of Glendale’s new Americana mall

Posted on 04. May, 2008 by kchristieh in local news

If last night’s crowds are any indicator, the Americana mall is the new heart of Glendale. The two-acre park in the center of the 15.5-acre complex is a natural gathering place where mall patrons can enjoy world-class fountains, a trolley, a playground, a large, grassy area and live music. The mall itself is pretty upscale. Just like its smaller, older sister, The Grove, it’s anchored by a huge Barnes & Noble and a movie theater. Restaurants include a Cheesecake Factory, a fancy Japanese restaurant, a Pinkberry (why can’t they ever open on time?) and a creperie. Stores I remember seeing include Free People, Anthropologie, Chico’s (coming soon), Juicy Couture, some ultra-high end baby stores and a few foreign stores I didn’t recognize. I think we’ll still give the Glendale Galleria our business for the bulk of our clothing purchases.

We rushed through the mall on our way to see the movie Ironman in the mall’s big new theaters, but along the way I took a few pictures. Here’s the northeast corner of the mall, on Brand Blvd. Note all the other people taking pictures. Here’s the south end of the fountain in the mall’s central park. It reminds me of Rockefeller Center in New York City. The fountain’s jets were coordinated with music, and people were ooh’ing and aah’ing over how extraordinary the other part of the fountain looked. (That picture didn’t turn out as well.) It’s hard to tell from my pictures, but the crowds were quite diverse. I like that.

Here’s a picture from the LA Times story about the mall. It’s weird to see it so empty.

If I had a little kid, I’d be incredibly tempted to buy this sock monkey shirt:

Instead, teenagers want these cool red glasses. Funny, but not as cute as a monkey shirt. We didn’t get them.

Here’s the view as we left. I couldn’t stick around longer to get the exposure right, but this gives you an idea of how cool it looked.

Pasadena-area blogger’s picnic tomorrow

Posted on 18. Apr, 2008 by kchristieh in local news, my life

Mwahaha!!! I had a great time at the picnic last summer, and can’t wait for the one tomorrow. I’ll probably arrive around lunch time. Cool people, great food, fun times. See you there?

Saturday, April 19, 2008
10am to 3pm

Sunnyslope Park
700 N Sunnyslope Ave (at Orange Grove)
Pasadena, CA 91107

Blogger’s Picnic & Softball Snark
Potluck, Tea Party, Anonny Convention

Bring chair/blanket & something to share.

Be square and be there.

Pasadena Bloggers Picnic: The Official Picture

Posted on 25. Aug, 2007 by kchristieh in my life

Many thanks to Debbi at Altadena Above It All for taking this fabuloso picture of the attendees at this afternoon’s Pasadena Blogger’s Picnic.

What’s with all those silly signs???

Pasadena Bloggers Picnic

Posted on 25. Aug, 2007 by kchristieh in my life

Just returned from the Pasadena Bloggers Picnic at Singer Park. I met some really neat people, and will include a list of their blogs when it’s emailed to me. Can’t wait for the next picnic!