day 55: I work indoors and the windows don’t open. I can look outside but I can never breathe the fresh air. I am sometimes amazed at how nice it is outside when I leave. Today was a beautiful day for lunch in the park.

day 54: I am going to be honest here. I don’t know where “the valley” is. I’m not an “angeleno” (and I hate that term by the way). Not being from LA I can’t really see the big difference between its sprawling mass and what everyone disdainfully calls “the valley”. It’s all the same to me. Nevertheless I went up over the hills this evening into something that looked like a valley…. I’m not sure if it was the valley or not. And I found it to be pretty scenic. Maybe I should move and give all you angelenos a little more space.

day 53: Yesterday I continued to be terribly uncomfortably sick. My only movement all day was from the bed to the couch in front of the tv where I alternated between watching HGTV and napping. After not eating for 36 hours, I decided that I should probably try to nibble on something for dinner. Ben gathered up some of my favorites (mmm mashed potatoes) and even though I only ate a little, they made me feel much better. I feel quite lucky to have someone to take care of me.

day 52: Last night Ben and I went to a panel discussion on “great streets” urban planning and landscape strategies for LA. Unfortunately I got unexpectedly ill and we had to leave early. I have been in bed ever since. Hopefully I will be better soon… because being sick really stinks.

day 51: It is hot today in Palm Springs. Very very hot. So hot that a half hour in the yard can take all of the energy out of people and dogs alike. At least there is an air conditioned house to flop down in to recover.

day 50: Today we drove out to meet the family in Palm Springs. It is unseasonably hot out here. Currently at 11:30 at night it’s 95 degrees. We are going to melt tomorrow.

Day 49: After work today we went roaming the neighborhood looking for things to photograph. This car seemed like it was waiting for someone to come along and take its picture.

day 48: I have class on Thursday nights which means I run out of the office as soon as the clock hits 6, jump in my car, battle the Santa Monica traffic, and pull into the school parking lot just in time to grab a falafel and make it to class. The funny thing is, I’ve come to really like falafel night. The place has weird hand painted signs and a funky mural on the inside…. but it’s quite tasty and quick. I think I’ll still go there even after I finish my class.

day 47: Despite my best efforts, I have yet to have a lunch hour with enough spare time to take a decent photo. Instead I rushed outside after work to catch the last remaining scrap of daylight.

day 46: Meredith came over tonight for dinner and some wii. I like this action shot… furiously fanning a sail boat by waving the remote up and down. Wii makes everyone look super cool.