Back In Venice - The End Of The Rainbow!

Hi! Happy New Year, All! 20Greateen! I got back to Venice late last night after a long break in the absolute tundra of Minnesota, and I have to admit, I was pretty torn. I always have a great time back home for the beautiful holidays with my lifelong loved ones, and with all its Winter Wonderland vibes and total hoopla surrounding our upcoming hosting of the Superbowl (GO VIKINGS!!!), and all of my awesome friends and family ... it was hard to leave. When I turned on my phone after the long journey (don't ask), my entire social media accounts were all full of rainbows over Venice! Beautiful, perfect rainbow photos (like the below one from Jennifer Everhart) telling me that here is a lovely place to be ... and I took it as a great omen.

                                                                                                                           Photo: Jennifer Everhart

Home was the movie Frozen ... like there were several days that did not make it above zero. The entire Minnehaha Falls was frozen solid - a stunning spectacle of winter beauty.

The historic Grain Belt Beer sign was re-lit above the Mississippi River after being dark for decades, and the event took place on a night that was -15 outside. We went anyway. It's been a long time since I was that cold, but it was great, and invigorating, and makes you feel ultra-alive (unless you freeze to death - an actual concern).

It's always cool to be walking out on a lake or river that is usually water, and a trippy feeling every time. I ate it all up, and wanted more.

Then, as it goes in Minnesota, yesterday before I left yesterday, the temperature soared to +45, and I found myself wanting the cold. There wasn't that much snow to begin with, and it all melted yesterday. Now I hear there's going to be a ton of snow tomorrow and back below zero - always right when I leave. Only in Minnesota, indeed. THANK YOU to every single wonderful soul that made my time at home so very special, once again. I love you.

I got back to a bright, sunny Venice, having missed the rain entirely (kind of a bummer), but met with such warmth and beauty that you can't be missing rain that you missed. I took a walk to the beach to greet the beauty that I had also sorely missed, and bumped into seemingly everyone I knew along the way.

People I had been thinking about suddenly appeared, and things have been falling into place beautifully right from hello. There is a whole bunch of exciting work coming up, and this is where I need to be right now. I missed you, dear Venice. Thank you for always being such a fantastic spot to return to. I breathe it all in deeply, and exhale in gratitude. 2018 ... invigorated and ready to go!

See you soon.

Venice Pride - Rainbow Bright!

When The Roosterfish very sadly closed last month, it left a very large void. Not only for cool dive bars in Venice, but really for any other gay venue on the West side. That all changes tonight, when Venice Pride kicks off with a rainbow lighting of the Venice sign and a dance party in the street on Windward Avenue!

Danny's Deli owner, Daniel Samakow, long an social justice activist and champion of Venice, realized that something had to happen, or all of the gay West side would essentially be "forced on to the internet and back in the closet," without a venue designated as for the LGBTQ community. Grant Turck, another major champion of Venice, did a bunch of research about declaring The Roosterfish as a historical monument, but that didn't get very far, and he agreed with Samakow that something new had to be created.

With help from Councilman Mike Bonin and George Francisco, they began with the idea to close off Windward for a Venice Pride dance party (TONIGHT! 7-9:30!) in the street with D.J. Victor Rodriguez (a popular spinner at Akbar in Silver Lake), and a changing of the Venice sign lightbulbs to rainbow colors in honor of our diversity. "Venice has been a center for diversity - ALWAYS," Samakow explained. "Venice has always had the spirit of bringing people together, and that's what we're going to do." That's right. Oh, AND there's going to be RAINBOW GRILLED CHEESES served up in the street tonight, courtesy of Chomp Eatery. Cool. The entire night will also serve as a fundraiser for the Trevor Project, and will honor both transgender youth organizer, Shear Avory, and the late Venice Councilman (and openly gay), Bill Rosendahl.

But the fun doesn't stop there, or tonight. The new venue for the LGBTQ community (and friends! All are welcome!) will be Danny's Deli, who will be happily accepting the torch on behalf of The Roosterfish. Danny's will host tonight's official after-party (with D.J. Jason Strommer), but also will host former Roosterfish customers on Margarita Wednesdays (featuring the famous Roosterfish $4.00 Margarita!) and Surf's Up Fridays with both live music (Miss Jessica! Suzy Williams!), hot D.J.'s,  With live music, it might actually wind up being, dare I say, BETTER than the Roosterfish - and right at the beach!

Speaking of the beach, there's a gay beach in the works too, just like the old days when the gay (and nude) beach was open for fun in the 1970's. The new LGBTQ beach will kick off this Saturday and Sunday, between the Breakwater and Tower 21. Look for the rainbows out on the sand from 11 am - 8 pm/sunset. The hope is that it will catch on and once again be a destination for this community at the beach, and that the entire event "will inspire other people to come and help fill the void," said Turck, who has really spearheaded the whole thing. His enthusiasm is infectious, as he went on to say that, "Venice has always been known for acceptance, and this is a celebration of equality and inclusiveness for everyone." Amen! Awomen! Aeveryone!

So, tonight the Venice Sign will be rainbow bright (and will be all month long!) and the whole world will see what the Venice community is all about. Turck told me that he's been quoting Kinky Boots as a way of explaining what both Venice Pride, and Venice itself, are all about, and I think it's a great summation:

One: Pursue the truth
Two: Learn something new
Three: Accept yourself and you'll accept others too!
Four: Let love shine
Five: Let pride be your guide
Six: Change the world when you change your mind!
Just be. Who you wanna be.
Never let them tell you who you ought to be.
Just be. With dignity.
Celebrate your life triumphantly.
You'll see.
Its beautiful.
You'll see

Its beautiful.

Cheers to Venice Pride! It's beautiful.

After The Rain ...

Los Angeles is finally FINALLY getting some so badly needed rain, and it's great. People don't really know how to handle it that well, but I think we can all agree it's great. It's even kind of great when you're sick, because it makes you feel like you're really not missing anything out there. Except you are. Look at the beauty captured by my brilliant friend, Mike Ozier!

Pouring rainy day ... but with light at the end of it. Like I was feeling extra sick ... but now am starting to feel better. And just when I was feeling like a corner has been turned with my health, my brother Paul texted me a photo of a massive double rainbow. A sign!

It's all going to be fine. Sometimes we just need reminders to slow down. To look at the bigger picture. To value what we have when we have it ... our health, and our sunshine. And that we can all be rainbows.

Love, your hippie friend CJ


*Pier photo by Michael Ozier
*Rainbow photo by Paul Gronner Photography

The Little Things

March came in like a dang Lion, outside and internally. Sometimes the weather matches your mood ... sometimes the weather helps to cause your mood. Whatever the case may be ... this past weekend was gloomy and so was I. That doesn't happen to me much, but after a bunch of disappointment in people and events that should be better than they are, I was kind of over it. Then it started to rain, and it was actually perfect. We need the rain, I had a couple books from the library, plus my own projects to work on, so I was going to be a hermit and wallow in my misery.

But that's no fun! After a little while of that - and enjoying it, but getting antsy - I decided it was time to go on a search for things that made me happy, for no reason other than just because.

Fresh orange blossoms wooed me with their heady perfume, and filled me with almost a sort of relief with each inhale. Possibly the world's best smell.

Pann's Restaurant made me happy with their $6.95 bottomless mimosas, great waitresses, chicken and waffles, and Pulp Fiction vibes.

Randy's Donuts made me happy, because it's a giant donut serving great donuts.

This fresh yellow car made me happy because it was such a bright spot on an extra grey day.

This toy soldier paratrooping down to Cabrillo Avenue made me happy because it was a mystery, and it looked like someone had had fun.

It made me happy to see this brother taking pictures with his great talent, that somehow makes nature look even better than it already does.

Waving to friends, sharing umbrellas, and stomping in puddles made me happy, especially when the reward for the walk to the beach was one of the most dramatic and stunning sunsets since ... well, last week, but still.

There was an orange glow over everything, that with the ominous looming of a gigantic storm cloud hovering, made it all seem that much more intense. Like something big was about to happen.

And maybe it is. You just never know what's next. When you're staring so hard at something that you think is SO great, and SO beautiful, sometimes you miss what's going on behind you. Like this giant, vertical rainbow that was climbing the skies right behind me, but that I didn't see until someone pointed it out to me. Hmmm ....

The more the sun set, the more spectacular it got out there. There weren't many people out there, because it had been so stormy, and we ran down there between squalls, just to see what would happen with the light. Because you never know if you don't go.

Standing there, bathed in the colorful spectrum of everything being reflected off everything at once, I got that old feeling that it's all going to be alright. Just look! How can anything be that bad when there is this much beauty in the world, right there for you, for no other reason than to be beautiful?

It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes ...

"The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen


It really is the little things that are huge.

Block Friday - A Yosemite Getaway

I thought I was going to go insane with all the Black Friday ads and all the consumerism off to the races the second Halloween was over (not to mention the very important general need to get away from it all), so after a lovely Thanksgiving with dear friends (Thank you, Jenny and Shane!), I needed a massive dose of nature and real beauty vs. the accumulation of more stuff. So we jumped in the car and headed for Yosemite, with not a single plan made.

I'd never been to Yosemite and it's always been on my list, and I can't believe it took me this long to get there. Now that I've been, I think I may be a regular. Wow. Even just the drive up was spectacular, with fluffy clouds putting on a show in the bright blue sky. My phone had no signal from about an hour outside the park, so the whole time was spent with my phone as just a camera. Totally unplugged, no option. It was Heaven.

We arrived pretty much just in time for sunset in the Yosemite Valley, which we sped to see, but really just caught a little glow on El Capitan as we drove in. It was so majestic and beautiful that I immediately teared up, and all the thanks from the day before felt even more tangible - and REAL, not material.

It was pretty cold and as we just jumped in the car last minute, with no equipment (or even coats), we had to forgo the option of a canvas tent in the valley, but it was tempting.

Instead we warmed up by the giant fireplace in the beautiful (and very Harry Potter like) Ahwahnee Hotel, and I finally got the hot toddy I've been after at the Yosemite Lodge. A good one.

I found a room at the Inn right at the park entrance, and was up early to pack as much Yosemite in as possible the next morning.

After a hearty breakfast (and Peet's Coffee available in the middle of a valley!), it was on. Armed only with some water and our cameras, we were off. Everywhere you turned, one vista was prettier than the next.

A lot of people shared my need to get away, it seemed, as the trails were full of happy and rosy-cheeked nature lovers from all over the world. What a joy to know that people from everywhere still flock to these natural wonders in our techno world, as they always have. I loved every minute of it, even as I was half-dying as we hoofed it up the mountain trails.

The various falls were pretty timid, as we've been in the worst drought ever, but the sheer height and fact that they still exist was wondrous enough for me.


I was hoping for a bear encounter, but was delighted to be a bit of a deer charmer instead. These fearless babies walked right up to me, but maybe they were so cool because their big Dad was kicking it close by in a bush, his giant antlers camouflaged among the branches. It was great.



The John Muir Trail goes forever, but we had a lot to squeeze in, so decided to climb up to Vernal Fall, the first stop on the Mist Trail. It was pretty heavy metal, super steep, and as the air got thinner the higher you went, we had to stop and gasp and shoot the breeze with fellow hikers a few times along the way.

Awesomely, I ran into a skater couple all the way up there - with their boards! They had just come from skating in Venice, if you can believe that. Instant friends. But seriously, I have no idea what they were planning, as you would surely die going down this trail (way steeper than it looks), but good for them!

The higher up you go, the trail narrows into stone steps that someone long ago built to get everyone up the side of this giant mountain, and I was thinking of those guys with every step. The sheer effort in making it so everyone can see these natural wonders through time is breathtaking - as is just walking up them.

The reward is mighty once you reach the falls. We climbed down a dirt path and up and over stones to get to where you could actually feel the splash of the water on the rocks, and it was thrilling.

You can keep going all the way up to Half Dome, but we had other sights to see, so raced back down the mountainside after a few Griswold-worthy nods and photos.

Then it was zip back to the car and check out Bridal Veil Falls and then the long and winding drive up to Glacier Point - only to discover that the remaining road was closed due to snow! We had no chains (or even mittens!), so we stopped at the very top at the Tunnel View vista to take it all in before getting out of the snow zone before we were stuck there all winter.

Missing Glacier Point meant that we were (just) able to catch the giant sequoias of the Mariposa Grove on our way back out of the park. I mean GIANT. You could see where there had been forest fires and knocked some of these miracle trees over, like the Fallen Monarch one you come upon first. Insane.

More deer came out to greet us as we raced to see as much as we could before darkness fell, and it was coming quick - as was the snow.

Hard, little flakes started hitting our faces as we clambered over roots and stones to behold the Bachelor and Three Graces before getting out of dodge back to Venice.

I saw this cool little covered bridge as we left Mariposa Grove, and loved it. That's all.

The snow was beginning to swirl and the skies darkened as we winded our way back down the mountainside ... back into T-Mobile airspace and reality. It was a brief, but incredibly welcome and necessary respite from it all. ALL of it - Mass consumerism, racist nightmares and the protests that they demand, jerks, flakes, a real disappointment and dismay with humanity in general, and regular life responsibilities. Gone in one spectacular view.

Nature did as it always does, left us in awe and feeling super thankful that these wide open spaces still exist in our crazy world. Then, when I returned to Venice, I was greeted by our badly needed rain and this spectacular rainbow over us all.

And once again, it's all good. Remember to breathe deeply and get out into nature this holiday season to remember what is truly important - natural beauty and your own sanity. Merry, Merry!

Rainbow/Sunset Double Feature!

I stepped out my front door this evening to see this going down to my right:


And this blowing my mind to the left:


I took turns staring at each, and watched the rainbow get more vivid as it got a little darker:


And the Sunset start to give extra sparkle to the sky for you to remember it by:


I came inside after both directions had fully faded away, and went back to the email stuff I was doing, feeling blessed that I can be moved so deeply by just looking up.

Facebook was blowing up with people all over Los Angeles typing DOUBLE RAINBOW!!!! in their status boxes, and I felt blessed anew that EVERYONE can still get excited over such pure and natural beauty as rainbows and sunsets. No politics involved, no family drama, no selfishness involved whatsoever, as it's free and we all share in it.

Just this morning, I sang quoted Bob Marley from "Sun Is Shining" to illustrate how I want to try and be in life, "I'm a rainbow too!" Well, now it's just straight fitting to quote him again, in light of the dazzling we were all just subjected to over here, at the end of the rainbow, at the end of the country ...

When the morning gathers the rainbow
Want you to know I'm a rainbow too
So, to the rescue here I am
Want you to know just if you can
Where I stand, know, know, know, know, know

We'll lift our heads and give Jah praises!


Oh, yes we will. Praise Jah!!

*I promise you that if I was a photographer, these dang photos would make you cry. As ever, real life is better.