[ispoke]

Holy coincidence il sogno! I swear I did not know about your post when I did my grocery run this morning. At the risk of being repetitive, yet offering unique perspective, here goes...

Only 8 and it's already blinding bright outside.

I start off with the usual bowl of grains and it looks like we're running low on supplies.

Get together a shopping list.

Same blue polo shirt as yesterday, same red knicks as last time. Same restless cat begging for attention.

Always gotta fill the point & shoot with fresh batteries 'cause it's hungrier than I am...

 

[ispoke]

Have you seen the new Performance Bike LED headlights and taillights? Blindingly bright - they put others to shame - and were on sale a few weeks ago for about $12.

Anyway, we'll cruise out past Frys, the Burbank airport, the new Yahoo campus (opened just before their layoffs last year).

 

[ispoke]

Yeah, the comments are a tad out of order but we're just bridging across town until we reach our destination.

Did I mention I got new white handlebar tape? Apparently the cheapest is also the brightest.

Speaking of bright (a theme this morning), I kinda like it when a point & shoot camera is fooled by quickly changing light like when pedaling through a residential street and going in and out of the tree shadows.

 

[ispoke]

Doughn-t Hut etc.

Honestly, I've never really liked the Doughn-t Hut sign. But this is SoCal and folks looooove their doughnuts. This place always has customers. Always.

So the focus of our tour, some of the studios here in beautiful Burbank, CA. Let's start with Disney and its cousins.

I kinda had to zig zag through some neighborhoods from one Disney lot to another, so here's a shot from a moving sale too.

 

[ispoke]

From Disney, we'll move on to NBC.

We've lived in these parts for a number of years but can't recall if Chadney's was open for business. Anyway, it's finally being renovated by someone. Looking forward to having a meal there soon. It's got that old school vibe.

 

[ispoke]

from Skunkworks to Pepe Le Pew

Burbank used to be a big aerospace town. In fact the Lockheed Skunkworks was located at the airport and this is where they manufactured stealth fighters (see recent news story about the last stealth fighter being retired in seclusion in Nevada).

Anyway, a long time Burbanker told us that when the aerospace industry took a dive some years back, the studios moved in to occupy all the cavernous buildings and use them for sound stages and such.

I find that Telemundo sign (and its call letters) amusing on a number of levels...

 

[ispoke]

Kontinuous Karaoke

I know, I know. Il Sogno just showed us this photo yesterday. All I can add is that Dimples used to have a big screen TV on their roof (outdoors) where passersby could watch people karaoke while driving by.

From here we'll cut over to Toluca Lake, past Warner Brothers.

 

[ispoke]

Toons, Delorean and a Starlet

The WB is always good for the big posters.

Spotted a Delorean while searching in vain for a starlet.

 

[ispoke]

wrapping up at TJ's

You know how it ends - a basket full of groceries and a loaded pannier run back home to care for the bambina.

This time I really stocked up on heavies. In fact I switched from a hand basket to a cart at the checkout. The Carradice Super-C's were loaded to the brim but took it in stride.

The tail wagged the dog on the ride home.

Hope you had a sunny weekend too!

 

[ispoke]

Load 'em up!

5 characters

 

[Mapei]

Great shots. You successfully lensed the Seven Dwarfs. And a DeLorean, to boot. Before Warner Bros threw me and my workmates out of our offices in an economy move (I now work happily from home), I used to walk or bicycle past the Starlet apartments nearly everyday, on my way to the lunch places on Riverside Drive. Yeah. What a dump. I never saw any starlets, either.

 

[dingster1]

Are you reuired to have tags on your bikes in Cali or is that just a fad plate?
Nice shots BTW

 

[DrRoebuck]

Copy cat.

I haven't seen a DeLorean in a long time.

Are those Rapha gloves? You like?

 

[ispoke]

Copy cat.

I haven't seen a DeLorean in a long time.

Are those Rapha gloves? You like?

I love my $15 Rivendell gloves. They've held up a lot better after 3 years than the typical PI lycra glove and are a whole lot more comfortable. And the knit top helps with my vitamin D production on sunny days...

 

[Squidward]

Hey! Lucky money! Being Chinese, I looked forward to Chinese New Year every year until I got married (the married people are supposed to give those to the unmarried).

As for the Performance light and blinkie, if you are talking about the Viewpoint Flare 5 headlight, good luck with yours. Mine died along with its original set of batteries. I rode to work one morning and noticed that the light was dimmer than normal. I went to turn it off and it would not turn off so I pulled it apart. It has never emitted light since

Your pictures are great! I love visiting SoCal but I could never live there. I'm just too much of a NorCal kind of guy.

 

[il sogno]

Hey, I coulda run into you! Nice to see Dimples is still standing... one day later.

 

[fmbp]

that bike is fantastic. I love the color scheme. Cool pictures too.

 

[MTT]

Your shots make LA look mellow. I always have fun down there, but then I don't have to commute to work when I am there. I like the space ship in the building- was that a restaurant? MTT

 

[treebound]

Hey, I coulda run into you! Nice to see Dimples is still standing... one day later.

Have you folks ever accidently came across each other while out riding and pic taking, would be funny to see one of you post a pic of the other one taking a pic to post in a ride report without them knowing about it until it got posted.

(I think that sentence makes sense.)
((it's a long day, I'm tired, I should probably just go home.))
(((did I just start a stalker competition?????)))

 

[ispoke]

Dancing brooms?

Your shots make LA look mellow. I always have fun down there, but then I don't have to commute to work when I am there. I like the space ship in the building- was that a restaurant? MTT

LA is mellow, except for the freeways.

Do you mean the hat from the Scorcerer's Apprentice? It's a prominent office in the Animation building FWIBT.