An oversize Tic-Tac-Toe game at a local playground. Let's hope this wasn't a real game, or the player with the X would have thoroughly kicked the "O" player's behind.
Day 56 - Gin and Tonic
Say hello to my favorite long drink. Tara bought me key limes, so I had to try them out, right? They are actually quite delicious. The last time I had a key lime-infused G&T was in Key West, where they were actually yellow (thus: riper), and more mellow. But their greener counterparts are just as yummy.
Day 55 - Laundry Day
3 Minutes left until clean socks! Also, did I mention the washer plays a silly little song when it's done?
Day 54 - Barber Shop
Today I went and got a much-needed haircut. For a few months now, P's Barber Shop on El Camino in Mountain View has been my barber of choice. It's in a quaint little hut that's really easy to miss, and I probably would have, but I first found it on Yelp and liked the good reviews, so I went to find it.
Ever since I first came to the US I always chose old-fashioned barber shops for my haircuts. Unlike chains like Supercuts, I always had the impression there that the barber actually cared that I looked good when I walked out. Plus, barber shops are quite affordable, so that's an added incentive. And the people who run them tend to be fun too: Curiously most barbers I went to ended up being first- or second-generation Italian immigrants (coincidentally, just like my hairdresser of choice back in Germany), but I've had people from all over the globe cut my hair before. They all had a lot of history and interesting stories to tell.
Day 53 - Self Portrait
Today I took a self portrait at the office. Just so my dear readers know what I look like when I do Project 365. The attentive ones among you might recognize the sketch in the background from day 35.
The "mirror", by the way, is a regular window, whose sun protection coating becomes really reflective when it's light dark outside.
Day 52 - Fire Training Facility
This is the Milpitas Fire Department's Training Facility: A big concrete building that they can set on fire, then extinguish as a training exercise. Which is pretty awesome. Let's all just hope this knowledge is applicable to the actual buildings in the city which are, well, all not made of concrete. :)
Day 51 - BevMo
This is the German beer section at my local beverage store of trust, BevMo. If there's one reason to pick California out of the 50 US states to live in, it'd be the immense supply of good drinks at this local chain.
Admitted, they are missing one key product from their lineup, but it is not their fault.
Day 50 - Prop 65 Warning
This is a California Prop 65 warning (not to be confused with project 365!). They are all over the place here (in public venues, on rental cars, ...) and are pretty much completely useless. Let's review what it does: It informs me that somewhere in the general vicinity are materials that might or might not be harmful for me in some way. There are approximately two cases of such materials.
One, things that I am likely to ingest or are otherwise sufficiently likely to cause such harm to me. I would argue that materials of considerable and imminent danger to the public should be banned altogether (example: Asbestos). Or, if they can't be avoided because they really are everywhere, then a vague warning in distinct spots doesn't help because the individual has no way to protect themselves against it, other than locking themselves into a cleanroom.
Two, things that I am unlikely to suffer harm from, unless I abuse items for uses different than their intended purpose. For example, I chew the glue off my car's dashboard, or snort paint chips off the wall at my local train station. One could argue, in such a case possible birth defects are the least of my problems.
That being said, Wikipedia mentions that the 1986 proposition itself was quite successful so far in publishing and subsequently reducing or eliminating exposure of specific harmful chemicals. I appreciate that.
The ubiquitous warning labels, however, are, at best, a Californian curiosity (and to the locals, a mere addition to the background noise), and at worst a 1-dollar "band aid" that has been applied for 25 years now instead of removing truly harmful materials from the public space.
Day 49 - Indian-Style Tomato Sauce
Since the weather in the Bay Area has been craptastic lately, there's an urgent need to counteract the grayness with some deliciousness. Exhibit A: Indian-Style Tomato Sauce (from Bittman's How to Cook Everything), which with a little bit of luck is going to turn into Chicken Tikka Masala for dinner. Om nom nom.
Day 48 - Red Panda Cuteness
Today, I uploaded a highlights video to the Firefox Live website (also known as the home of the cute red panda cubs!). If you would like to see it, hop over to firefoxlive.mozilla.org and click on Highlight Reel. Awesome!