I'll choose these flavors...

Some people will tell you that a blog written in first-person/author blogging about himself isn't credible. Fuck them. With a baseball bat. And no lube. Juvenile, party of one...the teacher would like you to stay after class. Hope you brought rubbers.

OK, seriously...I've written some really heavy blogs, some might say downers. Lately we've discussed liars, sluts, mooches, idiots, gluttons, losers, and a few you'd have to tie a board to your ass to avoid falling in, if you get my drift. So now, I'm going to talk about things I like. You heard it right, I'm not going to bag on anyone. Ahem.

1. I love Old Pasadena. There's something about hopping off the Gold line and strolling up Raymond Avenue to plant yourself across the street, taking in the Castle Green in all its glory. I then stop in at King Taco, hauling my bean and cheese burrito, quesadilla and diet coke over to the central courtyard at City Hall. Lunch in front of the fountain makes for a serene meal. The quaint 2-story storefronts along Colorado Blvd always invite investigation, and the concert shell at Memorial Park persuades me to climb the stage and belt out my best Summertime.

2. Whenever I'm feeling poor, I plant myself in the lobby of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The dark, rich, Moorish theme, floral scent and ambient music dial my stress down to almost nothing. The paper towels in the men's room have more to them than the place mats at Norms. Celebrities are not uncommon. I always go alone. Once the Roosevelt has worked its magic, I leave.

3. Walking my dogs on Venice Beach at 3am. True, there are a few gentlemen on the lifeguard towers trying to shove their limp, tweaked-out manhood into the corresponding used-beyond-belief orifice of his fellow drug user, but off in the shadows they don't bother me. It was interesting the time I brought the night vision glasses, but...shall I digress. Shadow slopping around in the surf is worth it, even the bath she'll require later. I even get a little kick out of breaking the law.

4. St. Vincent de Paul thrift store is a gold mine, the size of two warehouses. I'm not keen on the clothes side, it's all about furniture, books and housewares. The "hunt" is the most awesome part. Finding that perfect Eames chair covered in contact paper or a 1930's book on etiquette, instructing me how to treat my servants, is priceless. The fact that the chair was $20 and the book $2 made my day.

5. Clifton's Cafeteria- Imagine scarfing down old style cafeteria food next to a waterfall in a 1930's dream of a man made forest. Small macaroni, small side of spinach, Texas toast, and small side of pineapple. That's my lunch. Nothing else like it, and makes me feel like a kid every time.

Now you have it, 5 things that make me feel...alive.