CONTINENTAL TRIPTYCH

Polaroid photo credit: © Lydia Marcus 2009 / www.lydiamarcus.com
Photographed May 9, 2009 in Culver City, CA at the Sixth Annual Cruisin' Back to Culver City Car Show

From Hemmings.com:

"Bizarre or beautiful? Lincoln's all-new Mark III, IV and V Continentals upped the ante in luxury motoring. To some, the 1958 through 1960 Lincoln Mark III, IV and V Continentals are under-appreciated middle children, straddling the line between the understated, classic 1956-'57 Continental Mark II and the Camelot-chic 1961 Continental; others consider them the redheaded stepchildren of the 1950s Lincoln line. Whatever your thoughts, there's no escaping these Continentals' advanced unit-body design, massive stretch-out room and distinctive styling. With prices on their forebears and followers rising by the day, now is the time to aim for middle ground and pick up a 1958-'60 Continental."

RAM VAN

Photo credit © Lydia Marcus 2008 / www.lydiamarcus.com
Photographed December 28, 2008 in Venice, CA

A VERY GAY GALA

Last week I photographed the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s 38th Anniversary Gala and Auction at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. I circulated around the silent auction and cocktail reception to take photos of the attendees and then took live shots of the famous presenters and award recipients during the show.

I shot the reception and silent auction with my Nikon D80, Nikon 17-55 f/2.8 lens, off camera SB-800 flash and a Gary Fong Lightsphere, and used my 85mm f/1.4 lens during the show set at f/1.7, ISO 1250, and spot metering.

Here are my favorite shots from the evening:


Chelsea Handler, host of the show





Jay Leno, presented the Rand Schrader Distinguished Achievement Award to Wanda Sykes. Leno said of his talk show, ”We do jokes about pop culture and about fashion, but we never joke about human rights.”

Wanda has some great expressions!






Miss Coco Peru (aka Clinton Leupp), recipient of the Board of Directors Award.


This shadow of Miss Coco Peru on the stage curtain is one of my favorite shots from the night. I love spotting photographic moments that other people probably wouldn't notice.

There was a great painting of Coco for sale at the silent auction and I waited awhile until I spotted some cute guys who I thought would look cute posing with the portrait.




Zachary Quinto from "Star Trek" and "Heroes" presented Coco with her award. He was difficult to photograph because he was really serious and I kept waiting for a moment where he was smiling. This is the closest I got.


Amber Riley from "Glee" performed.


She had a great voice and personality.


This is Lorri L. Jean, CEO of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. She's very approachable and nice and a TERRIFIC public speaker. She gave a very rousing speech where she described herself as a "patriot."


I thought she looked very pretty this evening as well.


Lori, Chelsea, and Miss Coco.

During the cocktail reception, they had two sketch artists doing funny portraits of guests.



I just loved this artist's jacket.





These chairs were auction items. Instead of just shooting static shots of them, I asked two gals who were standing nearby if they would pose with them and they were happy to oblige.


I asked this couple to pose with this auction painting because their clothing complimented the shot. Instead of taking a basic shot of the couple or a simple shot of the painting, putting these ingredients together made a more fun and visually appealing shot. The blue tie went with the tones in the painting and the red dress added a nice dollop of contrast.


These photos were up for auction. On the left a portrait of Andy Warhol by Michael Childers. On the right a portrait of Grace Jones (I think possibly shot by Childers too). I would have loved to have bid on the Grace Jones photo but was just too busy shooting to do it.


I asked to take a photo of these gentlemen because they were so darn good looking and dressed so elegantly in black tie.


During the show, there was entertainment from this senior troup from The Center. They danced and sang their asses off and were a lot of fun to watch. When I grow up I want to be just like them!

Photo Credits: © Lydia Marcus 2009 / www.lydiamarcus.com
Photographed October 24, 2009 in Century City, CA
At the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s
38th Anniversary Gala and Auction

HAUTE DOGGITY

This was my second year in a row attending the Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade in Long Beach. Last year's parade had more than 600 dogs in costume and this year's parade was even bigger. Last year the parade took place on the sidewalk with spectators squeezed on both sides of the cement. This year the parade expanded to two closed off streets with spectators seated in rented chairs lining the street, standing on either side of the street, or sitting directly on the curb.

When we first drove past the festival, both Cali and Abbey (my neighbor Amy's dog) started whimpering a little and just sniffing the air like crazy. They saw and sensed a lot of dogs in the area and they were beginning to get wound up. I wasn't sure how Cali was going to do with all the doggie stimulation. She LOVES to play and I thought she'd be pulling me in all directions. The past month I've been taking her out with me to lots of festivals and she's been getting better and better at remaining calm when she sees other dogs. The first time I took her out with me to the Taste of Encino, I thought she was going to pull my arm out of it's socket lunging and pulling to get at other dogs. But at the Haute Dog Howl'oween she turned out to be surprisingly calm and just wanted to say hi or give a quick kiss to all the doggies she met. There were a couple playful pups closer to her age that actually engaged in play with her so that was great. The only problem I had with her was her attention span - she started to get kind of antsy during the parade because we were planted in one place for a very long time. When you're dealing with a puppy it's really no different than dealing with a kid. You wouldn't expect a kid to stay put in one place for a very long time without wanting to get out an roam around and a dog is exactly like that. Instead of getting up, I just decided to forgo watching the parade for a little while and got down on the ground with her to give her attention and belly rubs.

I didn't get to take as many photos as last year because holding onto Cali and taking photos at the same time is a challenge. But here are my faves from the day. Everything was shot with my Nikon D80 and a 50mm lens at f/1.8.


Pomeranian cutie.


The cutest boxer puppy! I just wanted to eat it up!!!


This "lobster" dog took for cover under the chair because it was wary of Cali.


Tiny & Precious!


I had originally bought a ladybug costume for Cali but she wasn't having any part of it. Maybe when she's older and calmer I can ease her into a costume. But I did manage to pick up this cute scarf for her at the Haute Dog festival. It's red with white hearts and looks great against her black coat. I also bought a yellow one that has a hibiscus flower pattern on it. They attach with velcro and were only $4 dollars.


This is my neighbor Amy with her chihuahua mix Abbey. Abbey is Cali's first playmate, they met right when I got Cali at 4 months old. Abbey is a little bundle of energy and spunk and who always lets Cali know who's the boss! This was the first time Cali and Abbey traveled in the car together and they got along great.


I wanted to get a better portrait after the parade but we were all so pooped out. Posing two dogs together is not so easy.


I think this is a boston terrier dressed as a Laker. It just wanted to play. So sweet.


SUPER LAB!


Definitely the weirdest (and possibly most creative) entry in the parade.


The "Lion" dog and Abbie. The lion mane was homemade by it's owner. Soooo cute.


Chickies!


Playful pup.


This year the parade began with a kid costume category. I thought this little girl dressed as bacon was the best!


This little boy was awesome as Edward Scissorhands. I loved his scowling expression!


A portrait of me & Cali taken by my friend Matthew.


Another shot of me & Cali. Cali will be 8 months old in a few days.

Photo credits © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed October 31, 2009 in Long Beach, CA at the Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade

Update November 6, 2009: Received new photos from my friend Matthew Dillon so thought I'd share them.

Here's Amy M., Me & Cali, and my neighbor Amy S. with Abbey.


Me & Cali and Amy S. & Abbey.

LANDSCAPED

Polaroid Photo credit © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed April 4, 2009 in Encino, CA

PLAYTIME WITH CALI

Open W-I-D-E!


"Just try and take this persimmon away from me!"


Bend It Like Cali!


I wish her face was in better focus, but I like her expression.


Recent Videos:

Cali Has A Ball


We had a couple days of rain in L.A. so I had to find creative ways to keep Cali busy indoors. And find ways to poop her out! So I invented the Cali-lympics.

Playtime isn't just for fun, it's a daily way to keep training Cali through repetition, praise and sometimes reward.

Cali-lympics Day 1 - Stay, come, single jump, sit, and left paw.


Cali-lympics Day 2 - Cali nails the double jump!


There was a Cali-lympics Day 3 where I had Cali doing a triple jump but I didn't record it because the room was too dark. Right now I'm improvising her jumps with TV bed trays, but I hope to get some agility equipment eventually.

Cali 7.5 months
Photo credits © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed October 21, 2009 in Encino, CA

GOLDEN BIRD

Pontiac Trans Am Firebird
Polaroid Photo credit © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed June 28, 2009 in Van Nuys, CA
At the All GM Car Show

POLAROID COMEBACK

Just received this email from Polapremium. I just hope the new films aren't going to cost and arm and a leg.

THE IMPOSSIBLE PROJECT
INSPIRES POLAROID® TO
RELAUNCH INSTANT CAMERAS

"..After all the difficulties and changes of ownership during the last years, the new management of Polaroid now understands the source of the brand's attraction - which is surprisingly not based in digital cameras but in Dr. Edwin Land's groundbreaking 1948 invention of Instant Photography, which he ingeniously devised and passionately developed with a lot of care and devotion."

"...We grabbed the chance to take over the last factory producing Instant films from the old Polaroid management and to start The Impossible Project in 2008. Re-inventing a new analog integral film, we are now preparing, supporting and managing the comeback of Instant Photography."

Accomplishing this mission and proudly owning the former Polaroid plant in Enschede (NL), as well as already holding the first working hand-coated samples in our trembling hands, we are pleased to herewith announce a history-making cooperation between The Impossible Project and Polaroid:

Polaroid will re-launch the legendary Polaroid One Step Camera and is therefore commissioning The Impossible Project to develop and produce a limited edition of Polaroid® branded Instant Films in the middle of 2010.

Large-scale production and worldwide sale of The Impossible Project's new integral film materials under its own brand will already start in the beginning of 2010 - with a brand new and astonishing black and white Instant Film and the first colour films to follow in the course of the year."

Read the full announcement.

FERRARI VERTABRAE

355 F1 Spyder
Photo Credit © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed October 11, 2009 in Glendale, CA
Caruso Concours d'Elegance at The Americana at Brand

SHE'S GOT LEGS, SHE KNOWS HOW TO USE THEM

I always spot amazing webs and spiders at night but have never been able to get a good photograph. These two beauties were out in stark sunlight and I had my macro lens with me so I was able to capture all the eerie details.

The spiders were quite large - around two inches in length - so it's a good thing I'm not arachnophobic because my head was >veryclose< to the second spider pictured. The beautiful green background in the first shot is actually reclaimed water at The Japanese Garden in Van Nuys. I love how the markings on the first spider's body make it look like a creepy skull or weird alien being.

Photo credits: © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed September 27, 2009 in Van Nuys, CA
The Japanese Garden / Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant

TRANQUIL QUADTYCH

Photo credits © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed September 27, 2009 in Van Nuys, CA
The Japanese Garden / Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant

I KNOW YOU ARE BUT WHAT AM I

My friends and I were OBSESSED with Pee Wee Herman when we were in high school. The mix of queer sensibility and kitsch just enthralled me. We quoted lines from "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" ALL THE TIME.

Some of my favorite Pee Wee isms:

"I don't make monkeys, I just train them."

"Why don't you take a picture, it lasts longer."

"Where's the basement?"

"Large Marge sent me."

"I know you are but what am I."

Whatever Paul Reubens did or didn't do to himself in the dark of a porno theater really should not have brought Pee Wee and Reubens pariah status. In today's world, the incident probably wouldn't make a lasting blip. After a nearly 20 year absence, it's great to have Pee Wee back!

Here's a very funny clip of him on the new Jay Leno Show.

LABS GONE WILD

Dodger Blue & Cali


Cali had her first puppy play date with Dodger Blue, a chocolate lab belonging to my Flickr friend Matthew aka RuggyBearLA). Dodger is almost a year old and weighs 90 pounds. Cali is six months old and 33 pounds. The two played for a couple hours and never wore each other out. When it comes to young labs, there is no "off" button.

Cali & Dodger Blue


Despite the almost 60 pound weight difference between them, Cali goes after Dodger with gusto!

Tastes Like Chicken!!!


Tug is Cali's favorite game. At first I was reticent to start playing tug with her because I didn't want to create a dog with dominance issues, but after studying up on it a bit, I realized that that tug would be an appropriate game for us. Instead of creating dominance, tug actually is a very even and balanced game for us. As soon as I let go of the rope, Cali immediately brings it back for more play. She wants to keep the tug going, not run off with the rope.

When it came to wrestling around, Dodger had a clear advantage because of his size. With tug, Cali took the lead. Except for a couple of times, Dodger couldn't seem to grab the rope away from her. Here she is basically trying to get him to engage in the game. She's egging him on saying, "You want a piece of this!"



Tug O' War!!!! Two labs having a very fun time.


Photo credits: © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed September 20, 2009 in Encino, CA

THE RACING STRIPES MAKE IT GO FASTER

1970's era Chevy Vega Wagon
Photo credit: © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed September 17, 2009 in Sherman Oaks, CA

FUN! FAIR! FOTOS!

For the first time, I submitted my photography to the L.A. County Fair Photography Competition
(aka Millard Sheets Center for the Arts at Fairplex Photography Competition)

I sent in the maximum photos allowed and to my amazement all three images placed and two even got special "Best" mention.

The theme and categories change every year and this year's theme is “Recycled: Fashion, Food, and Lifestyle in Advertising Photography."

In the past, photographers had to print and frame their own work for exhibition, but this year the Fair had all winning photographs professionally printed and mounted, and when the Fair ends in October, the prints will be mailed to the winners.

Here are my shots:

“Rochelle” Fashion Category (Polaroid 195 / Expired Polaroid ID-UV Film)


“Time Traveler” Lifestyle Category "Best Alternative Method in Category" (Polaroid 110B / Expired Film)


“50's Livin'” Lifestyle Category "Best Depiction of Lifestyle in Category" (Nikon S2 Coolpix)


Photo Credits: Lydia Marcus

2009 L.A. County Fair
1101 W. McKinley Ave.,
Pomona, CA 91768

The exhibit is in the Tapestry Building under the Grandstand from September 5 - October 4, 2009.

CALI GIRL

My fluffy puppy is almost six months old!

Photo credit: © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed September 2, 2009 in Encino, CA

THE NEXT SIGN OF ARMAGEDDON

A fiery moon courtesy of all the fires raging in SoCal.

Photo credit: © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed September 1, 2009 in Encino, CA

FROM THE VALLEY TO VESUVIUS

Tuesday afternoon I headed over the hill to LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) with Jonathan to check out Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples. As a member of LACMA, I was able to get a free pair of tickets to the exhibition.

After seeing the exhibit I gotta say those Romans were a very sexy bunch. There's a lot of flesh on exhibit, albeit in marble and bronze. One very intriguing sculpture even includes a representation of a hermaphrodite! Very little is locked away behind glass, so you get a very up close look at most of the exquisite artifacts.

Jon and I have a LONG history of going to LACMA together since high school!!! So it's always really nice to return there together to check out art and stroll familiar grounds. But this time I was able to actually introduce Jon to the new BCAM side, including Urban Light which he's never seen.

Here are some shots from the day:

Me & Jon in front of a LACMA building decorated in conjunction with the exhibit "Your Bright Future: 12 Contemporary Artists from Korea" at BCAM.

I thought the colorful ribbons looked like Thera-Bands gone wild and it really spruced up an otherwise drab building. Too bad it's just a temporary installation.

Me pole hugging Chris Burden's Urban Light sculptural installation featuring 202 restored cast iron antique street lamps dating from Los Angeles in the 1920's and 1930's.


Jon's always been a great model!


Jon enjoying HappyHappy

HappyHappy is Korean artist Choi Jeong-Hwa’s installation created for Your Bright Future: 12 Contemporary Artists from Korea (June 28–September 20, 2009) at LACMA. It's made up of floor-to-ceiling strands of thousands of household containers bought from local 99¢ stores. Walking through this installation, I felt like a big kid romping in one of those inflatable bounce houses. It's a lot of fun, very tactile, very colorful, and the way the outside natural light plays against and through the plastic is visually dynamic.

Jon having fun in the sculpture garden


More of the "Thera-Bands"




Info about Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples from LACMA's website:

"Pompeii and the Roman Villa focuses on the breadth and richness of cultural and artistic life in this region. The exhibition, organized by the National Gallery, Washington, D.C., includes works of art from the imperial villa at Oplontis and from aristocratic villas such as the Villa San Marco at Stabiae and the Villa dei Papiri at Herculaneum, as well as works from the opulent houses of the urban elite in Pompeii, whose very name conjures up ancient Rome and other towns along the bay of Naples. The objects proposed for this exhibition are a carefully selected group of approximately one hundred-twenty works of sculpture, painting, mosaic, and luxury arts, some of them long-familiar works, others generally unknown to the public. Recent discoveries from around the Bay of Naples that have never before been exhibited in the United States will complement more familiar finds from earlier excavations. In particular, the exhibition focuses on the influence of Classical Greek culture around the Bay of Naples, where wealthy Romans displayed impressive art collections in sumptuous homes."

Incidentally, LACMA has a very nice blog called UNFRAMED.

SIMPLY DIVINE 2009

Saturday I photographed the 4th annual Simply diVine: A Summer Soirée for the Senses, a fundraiser for the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center at tony Two Rodeo in Beverly Hills. It was a challenging event to shoot - I was photographing everything from product details, people mingling, VIP's, rooftop shots of the entire scene below, a sponsor car (Mercedes-Benz of Beverly Hills), signage, celebs, musicians, and food galore. I mainly used off camera flash (carried by my trust assistant Sharp), but took a few shots using available light (like from the rooftop) when I could. I used my Nikon D80 with the Nikon 17-55 f/2.8 and an SB-800 flash mounted on a Bogen Manfrotto monopod with a Gary Fong lightsphere attachment.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the evening:





















LuAnn Boylan, Celebrity Chef Susan Feniger, Lorri L. Jean (CEO of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center)


Actor Wilson Cruz (right)


Susan Feniger (second from right)


Simply diVine photo credits: © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed August 22, 2009 in Beverly Hills, CA at Two Rodeo

PUPPY PLAY DATE

Went to the Coral Tree Cafe with my friend Sheryl and her two Doxie pups Tilda and Lulah for a doggie play date. It's the first time our pups have met each other. The doxies were a little overwhelmed by Cali since she's so much larger than them (and pretty rambunctious). Cali is 5 months old and the doxies are a few weeks younger. Cali is about 30 pounds now, not sure how much longer I'll be able to pick her up.

In the last week I've taught her "Leave It" and how to shake her paw. She picks up commands pretty quickly so I'm hoping to be able to teach her lots of stuff.

Right now this is what she can do:

Sit
Lie Down
Sit Stay (as long as I'm in view and not too far away)
Lie Stay (ditto)
Shake
Find It
Leave It
Give It (this only works with tennis balls for fetch)
Sit at the door when we're ready to go outside. Sit Stay once the door is open until I release her to go out.
Sit in front of her food bowl until I let her eat
Sit at corners when we go for walks. Responds to Heel command to continue walking.

What I REALLY need to work on - PULLING when walking on leash - getting worse. I need to get her in a harness every time, her normal flat collar is useless. Also, she's really good at responding to COME in the house but when she's outside in the front or back yard, she pretty much ignores me. Gotta up the ante with food rewards for this one.

I took her out to Montrose to visit with friends today and their seven year old daughter was able to get Cali to respond to Sit, Lie Down, Shake and Leave It. She's the first "trainer" besides me to give Cali commands so I was really impressed that Cali listened to her even in a very distracting outside environment with LOTS of doggie stimulation. Go Cali!

Photo credit: © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed August 19, 2009 in Encino, CA

POLAROID FUN FACTOR!

Hey, meet the swinger
Polaroid Swinger
meet the swinger
Polaroid Swinger

It's more than a camera
it's almost alive
it's only nineteen dollars
and ninety-five

Swing it up {yeah yeah}
it says yes {yeah yeah}
take the shot {yeah yeah}
count it down {yeah yeah}
zip it off



Stumbled across this vintage Polaroid commercial from the 60's. Ali MacGraw is the model, Polaroid Model 20 "Swinger" is the camera. Despite the commercial being over 40 years old, I think the sentiment it captures remains the same - Polaroid photography is always fun!!! The only thing that unsettles me a bit is the use of instant peel apart pack film at the beach. I have enough problems keeping my Polaroid prints clean shooting in a controlled indoor environment because the fresh, wet prints attract dust and other particles like CRAZY, so the idea of shooting in a sandy, windy environment just blows my mind.

You can no longer get film for the Swinger, but I sure would love to have one for display. It's black and white design looks sort of cutely Art Deco to me. A later camera, the Model 3000 "Big Swinger" does work with current 3.25" x 4.25" pack film like Fuji FP-100C but it's body is an ugly dull grey and lacks the charm of the Swinger.

- Lydia Marcus

From Wikipedia:
"The Polaroid Model 20 "Swinger" was a popular Land Camera produced by the Polaroid Corporation between 1965 and 1970. At $19.95 USD it was the first truly inexpensive instant camera, a fact that helped fuel its enormous popularity and made it one of the top-selling cameras of all time. The Swinger was especially successful in the youth market due to its low price, stylish appearance, and catchy "Meet the Swinger" jingle in a television advertisement featuring a young Ali MacGraw."

Polaroid Swinger photo credit Wikipedia

CALI POOLSIDE

I found out today that Cali makes a very willing and very still model when American cheese slices are involved.







Cali, 4 months old.
Photo by © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed July 31, 2009 in Encino, CA

A LOVELY SUMMER DAY AT THE GETTY WITH FRIENDS

I spent the afternoon yesterday at the Getty Center with Tiffany, an old college friend I only get to see every few years since she moved to the East Coast. Me, Tiffany, her foster son James, and her Mom all enjoyed the food, the views, the architecture, the gardens, and the art (especially the sexy Paul Outerbridge photography exhibit). The Getty supplies free umbrellas while you roam around - perfect for sun shade any time of year and even rain protection for the few drops we get annually. I have to say that walking around with the umbrella definitely made me feel cooler. And it brought out my hidden diva side I tend to forget about too. :-) Something about walking around with a parasol that just makes you walk a bit more regal and put a little bit more swoosh in your step.



Photo credit: © Lydia Marcus 2009 / www.lydiamarcus.com
Photographed July 28, 2009 in Los Angeles, CA

CALI AFTER HER BATH

Who can resist the cuteness of a wet, scruffy puppy!!!

Cali video by Lydia Marcus
Shot with an iPhone.

CALI DAY 2

Cali & Me - our official first portrait. My Dad is a horrible photographer but someone he managed this one!


Cali and I spent our first full day together keeping on a puppy schedule so she has consistency in her young doggie life. Cali is crate trained but since I don't have a crate for her yet (it was ordered from dog.com today), she slept on in a doggie bed on the floor next to my bed and didn't go to the bathroom until I let her out at 7am. Good Dog!!!

Here's a run down of the day:

Breakfast at 7am. A walk with my Dad after the meal.

Pee breaks every 2 hours.

Playing with her soft squeaky toys, chasing tennis balls and playing fetch, wrestling around, cuddling, and napping in between the pee breaks.

Lunch at noon. Another walk with Dad.

More play and nap time.

Dinner at 6pm.

Her first dog park visit around 6:30. Voracious play with ALL the dogs. She never looked back at me once - she was off and running and playing rough for about an hour. No shyness, no fear, she was like a bat outta hell at the dog park. If she's like this at only 25 pounds, I have no idea what terror she'll be full grown! Those big dogs better watch out!!! I attribute her outward behavior at the dog park to early socialization with other dogs at her wonderful foster home.

Here's video of her at play.



Cali with a guy at the dog park. If only she stayed this fun size forever!


Since the dog park, she's been pretty pooped out, but I don't know who's more tired - the puppy or this new doggie mommy!

Photos by © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed July 21, 2009 in Encino, CA

MEET CALI MY LAB RESCUE PUPPY!

My new puppy Cali - named for my home state. She's a four month old black lab (probably a mix), adopted from Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue (SCLRR / www.sclrr.org) on 7-20-09. She was found a month ago roaming a parking lot. Her owners couldn't be found and she was taken in by SCLRR where she was fostered until I adopted her.

Some stats:
Approx Weight: 25 pounds. Vet figures she'll be double that when she's fully grown.
She's spayed, has all her vaccinations, and is microchipped.
Sits and lies down on command.
Crate trained and working on being totally housebroken.

My new doggie adventure begins...

Cali Al Fresco


Cali's First Snooze


Photos by © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed July 20, 2009 in Encino, CA

FRANKENSTEIN DODGE

Spotted this Dodge conversion parked in front of the defunct Wiener Factory in Sherman Oaks. It had a note taped inside one of the windows that said it was for sale for $6,995 and that it had $20,000 in customization. Is it a van, a truck, a semi, a camper? What the hell is it?

Adding to the customization, it has two doors on the passenger side and one door on the driver's side.

Frankenstein Dodge
Photo © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed July 12, 2009 in Sherman Oaks, CA

GREETINGS FROM MALIBU, CA

Photo credit: © Lydia Marcus 2009 / www.lydiamarcus.com
Sent From My iPhone

GET YOUR QUEER FILM ON!

Outfest_Orpheum, originally uploaded by fotonomous.

Opening Night of Outfest
Photo by © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed July 9, 2009 in Los Angeles, CA

BACKYARD BASH

Saturday I had my 2nd Annual 4th of July BBQ and Pool Party. Preparing for the party and having friends and family over kept me busy so I didn't have as much time to focus on missing Lucy. I bbq'd traditional burgers and hot dogs, and everyone snacked on fresh fruit, cheese, guacamole, homemade potato salad (thanks Ros!) and we had tons of desserts like homemade brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and lemon bars (thanks Jeff!), and Canter's cookies (yummy - thanks Paul and Zelde). The weather was perfect for hanging out all day in the pool and jacuzzi.

Here are some photos from the day. Most of these came from my trusty Sony Cyber-shot U DSC-U60, a long in the tooth (circa 2003) but still awesome 2 megapixel waterproof camera.

S & Me


Jon, Jeff, and Me


S' sister Sonya


Patti and Me


Tina & Val


"Libbit Ladies" - Donna, Liz, and Michelle


My Dad, Michelle, Val, Tina, Adam, & Donna


Tara, Tina, Val, & Patti


Jeff - baker extraordinaire. His lemon bars should be illegal!


Amy & S before and after Jeff cannon-balled them!!! :-) Pure hilarity in action!!!





My Dad taking a break from the sun


S & Sonya's Dad (and my adopted Dad) George regaling a jacuzzi full of girls with a funny ad from the 99 cents store that had a top 10 Best and Worst Father's Day gifts ad. The Best and Worst turned out to be the 99 cent condoms. We all had a good laugh, but George's storytelling and presentation made it truly funny.


S & Sonya's Mom (and my adopted Mom) Joyce cooled her feet off in the pool.


Masha ("MEOW!!") and Amy


Sonya, S & Joyce


Sonya & S battle it out underwater - racing from the shallow to deep end


Patti & Me comparing our painted toenails.


Patti, Sonya & Lucia


Amy, Lucia, Patti, Masha, S, Jeff & Jon


Some of the food!

SOUL CONNECTION

"Soul Connection"
Me and Lucy - The Last Hour.

Photo by © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed June 30, 2009 in Encino, CA

HAPPY 4TH!

Polaroid Photo by © Lydia Marcus
Photographed May 2008 at Los Angeles National Cemetary
Westwood, CA

SO LONG "GOOSE"

Lucy lost her six month battle with Lymphoma today. I adopted her on December 8, 2007 and let her go on June 30, 2009. Words just cannot express how I'm feeling. It's been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll let this photo taken less than an hour after her passing do all my talking for now.

Lucy The Boxador R.I.P
Photo © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed June 30, 2009 in Encino, CA

LUCY'S LIFE

I saw an oncologist on Monday to find out about possible chemotherapy treatment for Lucy's recently diagnosed Lymphoma. Lucy has been sick since January, but it's only been a couple of weeks since she was finally diagnosed with the Lymphoma.

After hearing the three chemo options for her (that range from about $350 a month for oral chemo to $4200 for a five drug cocktail that's administered over a 5 week period), I've decided not to pursue chemo. Apparently chemotherapy is not a cure for Lymphoma (or other cancers) in dogs, it only temporarily treats the symptoms. The cheapest chemo averages only extra months, the middle chemo (around $3000) just six months, and for the most expensive chemo, the average prognosis is survival of one year before the lymphoma returns. At that point, you can redo chemo (which is less effective for the second bout) or just let the dog go.

If spending the money meant that Lucy would live a normal life and live for many more years to come, I may have considered it. But for the possibility of just one extra year (a period of time that may only have her feeling so-so), the chemo is not really something I want to pursue. As much as I love and adore her, I've already accepted that she's not going to be around long. Right now, the only thing I can do is continue to give her twice daily prednisone and occasional steroid shots (that really seem to give her a nice pick me up for a couple weeks), plus continue to give her a tasty diet and treats for as long as she is able to eat.

Right now it's just a waiting game as I continue to just be grateful for the time we have left together. Good days where she has a little pep in her step, a smile, and a healthy appetite fill me glee, bad days where she is lethargic and sad looking and not wanting to eat just makes me sad on a very heavy level.

I just have to take it a day at a time and keep thinking that when one door closes, another opens. There is a dog out there that will take over her spot, but never her place in my heart.

Photo credit: J. Herbert
Photographed May 18, 2009 in Encino, CA
© Lydia Marcus 2009

DOXIE LOVE

Meet my doggie "nieces" Mathilda and Talullah, blue Dachsund sisters that are two months old. Their human mommies are very close friends of mine. They just brought them home yesterday. They're the first blue doxies I've ever seen!

Talullah (on the left in the Polaroid below) is the one that seems the most photo savvy - she stared straight at the camera in practically every shot. Mathilda (on the right) seems to be more shy (or maybe less interested) in the camera. Talullah is larger but a lot more easy going and gentle. Mathilda has an obvious Napolean complex and is a raging little scrapper!


Sheryl & Denny (aka Shirley and Lennard) with their new doggie babies.








Photos by © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed in Lake Balboa, CA on June 7, 2009