Thursday, April 3, 2014

still-sound 204. What I got today



Rob and I took my mom to the Korean supermarket in Little Tokyo today.  She tends to take a very long time in the grocery store.  I'm learning to deal with it.  Since she doesn't drive in Los Angeles her outings are dependent on my free time and good humor.  A trip to the grocery store is a big deal to her.  So much so that she'll choose an outfit and do her hair and makeup in preparation.  I respect that.

 While she inspected every fruit and vegetable in the produce section, I zipped over to the prepared sushi counter and scoffed down unagi and miso soup in a styrofoam cup.  When I returned to the shopping cart my mom didn't even notice my absence.  

Rob put two jars of honey in the cart.  I liked the label.  By the time my mom paid for her groceries, nearly two hours had passed.  When we returned home I took a nap with Rosie for thirty minutes while watching At Home With Venetia in Kyoto.  It's an episode I've watched countless times.  She makes shampoo with aloe, rosemary and kombu.

When I woke up I walked to a bookstore in my neighborhood called Seite.  Seite means 'pages' in German.  It's so random that it exists only a few blocks away.  I realized as I walked down the street that it was my first daytime walk in the neighborhood.  The only other time was when Brennan and I walked to the metro station on new year's eve.  It's not really the kind of neighborhood where you walk around.  Mostly because massive dogs jump against gates as you past them and this scares the shit out of me.




I liked Seite.  There was a selection of books you might find in a used book store in a small college town.  In the corner of the store was a counter that sold Mexican perfumes and cosmetics.  I bought a book about the techniques of wood sculpture.  I like how it's 'profusely illustrated' (according to the bottom right hand corner).  I also bought a book called The Folkore of Trees and Shrubs.  I was hoping (in vain) that there would be a cool book about Japanese gardens.  The last time I was at Stories Bookstore in Echo Park I found a book about Japanese bamboo fences.  It's the kind of thing I'd probably pick up often and just stare at the pictures.  I didn't buy it though I wish I had.

Now it's nighttime and Rosie is pressed against my leg snoring.  I made myself a Manhattan and will begin to page through my new books.