Kid News

It's been a quiet week, here in Grass Valley.

Spring has sprung a little leak. Rain is good. It's keeping all the daffodils happy. I haven't taken any spring photos, yet. So many trees are blooming around the area, and daffodils are planted everywhere. I was reading that the Master Gardeners up here plant thousands and thousands along our little freeway every autumn, and it shows. I don't know how, exactly, I'll get a picture of that--maybe from one of the bridges. When the weather brightens up.

Rachel was here for several days. She was preparing more school apps (Columbia and I-forget-where) and packing up all the stuff she's kept at our house since Christmas. This weekend, she's moving into a house in Truckee with a friend, where she'll stay until school starts. She hasn't had such a stable domicile since mid-August, last year, and she's looking forward to it. And, it's only an hour away.

Before she left, yesterday, however, we squeezed in a lunch out and a movie. "Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day". We liked it. Fluffy, but fun. London in the late thirties. Very stylized--very symmetrical. We enjoyed Frances McDormand, as usual. Not the most demanding roll. But amusing.

Dylan is busy designing furniture and website/business cards in preparation for a couple of major design conferences. He and Charlie have a small booth at one in New York in May. Now, we learn that his twisty shelves have caught the eye of two organizations that showcase new designers. One will be as a part of the New York event. Another is for a similar event next month in Phoenix. He has to build and ship pieces for both, since they'll be displayed for the duration of the event in each case. It's a very good sign and he's pretty happy about it. But getting the extra pieces made and shipped in time will be a challenge. Stay tuned.

Other than that, a very quiet week, indeed...

Easter!

Well, there's no keeping up with us.

We met Dylan and Rachel for an Easter/birthday picnic at Golden Gate Park, yesterday. GGP is one of my favorite places, as we know, already. Everything, including the cherry trees at the Japanese Tea Garden, were in full bloom. Here's a nice shot of the kids in front of one of them. Perfect day! High sixties, little breeze. So, how remarkable that only about 60% of the city had the same idea! Where were the rest of them? (There might be a couple of other spots they could've gone, I'll admit.)

Parking was tricky, since we arrived a bit after noon. We'd made pretty good time, given that we were hauling enough food for a small village of Sumo wrestlers. A team of pack llamas would have been helpful to transport it all from the car to our beautiful spot on the grass surrounded by evergreen trees. But the four of us did the best we could. And it made us even hungrier, which was a good thing.

Rachel's birthday had been Thursday, and Tom's is today, so Easter Sunday, this year, turned out to be the best day to celebrate both of them! Easter landed on the second-earliest possible day in 08. Of course, you remember that it's always the first Sunday after the fifth Thursday after the second Blue Moon after the Leonid meteor shower the of previous even year when Mars is at apogee. So, sometimes it sneaks up on us.

We had quiche and chicken (yes, I bought a couple of roasted chickens--poor babies--but Tom loves them), and M&Ms and other stuff. We topped it off with Lemon Tiramisu Cake. Lovely. Let me know if you want the recipe. It goes together in a jiffy--after about 3 hours of prep. We made a pathetic stab at physical activity (we'd brought an odd assortment flying/hitting things, like Frisbee and Smashball) but otherwise, you can see what we did. Plus there were kids nearby blowing bubbles and operating a cool RC car that gave us illusion of being active.

It was a fine day, indeed. Who knows what excitement lurks today?! It started out with pancakes for Birthday Boy. And I know that I have to work a bit on the compost pile. Then...?? I'll bet you can hardly wait!

Terry!

What a fun day! I know. It's Good Friday. But, at our house, we laughed a lot, today. That's because my sister, Terry, came for a visit. It was her first time to see us in this house, so it was extra special!

Her life in Fresno is--what's the correct terminology--kinda crazy, between her demanding work and her big family. So, it's difficult to break away just whenever. Work is running three home-like long-term care facilities for kids with fragile medical conditions. She manages a staff of about 50 and is the primary RN/half-owner. The kids are all ages and the "facilities" are homes that have been modified appropriately, but still maintain a comfortable atmosphere. Those kids are all treated as though they were her own kids.

Her family is husband H, and six kids, all living either at home (2) or nearby, and--I'm losing count, here--going on eight (that's e-i-g-h-t) grandkids. And, also, there's our mom, who lives near her "work" houses. Enough to keep a body busy enough.

So, her having a chance to drive up here, for the day, was great! And we laughed a bunch, like we always do. Getting older just opens up new horizons of silliness from wrinkles to creaky joints to unruly eyebrows (yikes! who said that?!). Tom joined us for lunch at Posh Nosh in Nevada City, where we tried to behave ourselves. Two orders of iced tea, hold the ice, please.

We spent some of the day laughing and marveling at internet oddities, the links of which I've posted here, in the past--Keepon, the robot; Chinese ice city; Korean Beatle baby; Magnus, etc. One that she directed me to, however, is quite stunning. Who knew it was possible to train a turtle to do dog tricks? The guy's a psychologist who uses his pet, "Florida", to help troubled kids relax and open up. Here are a couple of links: http://video.knbc.com/player/?id=192974 http://www.ksdk.com/video/default.aspx?aid=64743&bw=

While she was here, Dylan sent a link to a site where he's submitted his shelf design to an online contest. So, now you must go there, create and account and vote! Right now! http://www.designdemocracy08.com/node/210
You can select either "recent" or "storage" to find his entry. Do it!

So, that's it! Here's a shot of us on the front step. Aren't we cute (can't see those unruly eyebrows from here, can you)?

Blotter Mania

We knew it would happen. Goofy Police Blotter entries seem to be picking up as the weather calms down. Daffodil pollen, perhaps. I've ignored some that seem to keep coming from the same neighborhood, day after day. Let's just say I plan to steer clear of Honey Mushroom Lane, for awhile (where ever that is), until the Hatfields and McCoys are all safely locked away.

Meanwhile, here are some peeks into the lighter side of the seamy underbelly of Nevada County this week:

"8:06 a.m.--A caller from a school on the 400 block of Searls Avenue reported daffodils were vandalized. [A big deal, around here. NOBODY messes with the daffodils!]

"11:19 p.m.--A an called from the 300 block of Bennett Street to report he needed to be taken to jail because he was violating the terms of his probation by drinking alcohol. Police arrested the 35-year-old man on suspicion of violating probation." [Around here, the police are really just a taxi service...they just wait for the law-breakers to call for a ride.]

"1:31 p.m.--A caller from a business on the 800 block of South Auburn St. said a disgruntled customer was opening the mailbox and going through the mail." [The best revenge--steal their unopened credit card promotions!]

"11:56 a.m.--A caller reported two juvenile males were walking through an empty lot at Leduc Street and Whiting Street. One was carrying a bat, and the other was carrying a saw." [Perhaps they were on their way to a baseball/barnraising, uh, event]

"8:27 a.m.--A woman called from the 500 block of Silva Avenue to report finding three ant traps on her upper deck, which were not there the day before. The woman believed someone used a ladder to do it. The upper deck is only accessible from the outside by ladder. [Dastardly! What better proof of the decline of Western Civilization as we knew it!]

"1:28 p.m.--A caller from Tumbling Creed Road reported his 12-year-old son told him someone tried to enter the residence at 11:30 a.m., and he was stabbed with a fork after hitting the person with a baseball bat. A deputy took a report for attempted burglary and assault. Upon further investigation Wednesday, deputies determined the event had not actually occurred." [the kid has a future in tabloid journalism]

"2:38 p.m.--A man called from Gautier Drive to report a 12-year-old boy was home alone and shot a BB gun toward her residence. A deputy determined the event was about some chickens roaming in the neighborhood. Animal Control was notified." [What about 12-year-old-boy Control?]

"5:10 p.m.--A caller reported hearing about a dozen gun shots coming from the area of Nevada Union High School on Ridge Road. Police arrived to find a track meet in progress. The shots may have been fired to start the races." [ya think?]

"1:17 p.m.--A caller from the Broad Street overpass wanted to file a complaint about the peace protesters blocking the sidewalk on the overpass." [We say, "Let peace have a chance!", unless there's any inconvenience involved, of course...]

[This made it to the front page of the Union, somehow...]
"1:45 p.m.--A caller from the 200 block of Mill Street reported a man with red suspenders had his pants down behind the library." [faulty suspender clips? Perhaps we don't need to know...]

"2:43 p.m.--A caller reported losing teeth in Fairfield." [sure. We'll get right on that. Um, it's about 100 miles from here. Was this person laughing too hard on the Jelly Belly Factory tour, or what?]

I don't think I'm going out on a limb, here, when I suspect that there are more of these out there where these came from. Stay tuned...

Stormy Weather

Today is a rainy day, as was yesterday. LOVE rain! Can't get enough. Perhaps it's because I've lived nearly all my life in arid areas, wondering if it would ever rain again. Going so many months without a drop.

Now, we've moved from San Diego, which logs an average annual rainfall of around 9 inches, to Grass Valley, which claims 55. Fifty-five wonderful inches! I hate the word "drought". It always gives me a prickly and anxious feeling. There is, of course, a very real and constant concern about fresh water availability all over the world, including local regions as populations grow. But, beyond that, at a visceral level--in the more primitive parts of my brain (some might say that's most of it)--rain relaxes me. Gloom is good!. Would I ever get tired of wet weather? I'll probably never know. I'd have to live in Portland (avg. 60 in.) or Mawsynram, India (avg. 467 in.!!!) for many years to get the full treatment. I'm guessing it wouldn't matter (well, I'm not so sure about Mawsynram...). Up here, we recently went about two and a half weeks without precipitation of any kind, and, unaccountably, I was becoming concerned. I'm sure it's one reason that summer is my least favorite season of the year. So, it's raining, today. Ahh. I hope it's raining where you are, too!

Are you always asking yourself, like I am, what ONE medium you would choose, if you had to choose just one, to make amazing art? John Bisbee chose the obvious--construction nails. Check these out: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87808787
Totally cool!

That's it, for the moment. Hey, it's hailing! Heavenly!

Play Time

Again, the hue and cry for "Miscellaneous Stuff"! (What IS "hue", by the by?) I am here to answer the call!

Are you bored with eating at the same old restaurants, week after week? Tired "Mexican" decor? Bad "Italian" murals? The ability to get up and visit the restroom during the meal? Who isn't? Here's an option: http://www.dinnerinthesky.com/pictures.php
I wonder how the burritos are... Thanks to Dad for the link!

Dad also sent this photo of a "zero tolerance speed camera" in Texas! Ha! Where else?















Easter's coming, and, I don't know about you, but it always puts me in the mood to look at amazing egg sculpture! This guy's work defies the imagination, and, perhaps, the laws of physics. Makes the domino thing seem so yesterday!



















Speaking of eggs, just had to throw this one in. Someone has a lot of time and a Dremel! There's more at: http://eggsalon.com/aboutus.ivnu









Lastly, as you know, Dylan is a furniture designer. So, we troll the internet for other designs that are interesting, as well. Rachel found this one. It's an unusual approach for an expanding table (no more fussing with leaves!). Such elegant engineering! Just watch your fingers...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh_qn62zny0&feature=related

Ha! That feels better!

NevCo News

I've mentioned it, before. Our newspaper, The Union, isn't about global news. Or national news. Or even California news. There's a bit of all that, on page 6 (today, it's the AP article about Mr. Spitzer). But, it's OK. We have other sources for that fluff. The Union's all about Nevada County, as it should be. And where else could we get that?

I love The Union. It's been given a facelift, this week. New colors ("spectacular", like our "surrounding geography"); an "industry standard"-sized page (1/2" narrower--finally!); new section names ("Flavor", instead of the confusing "Food and Wine"), etc. I like the changes. Unfortunately, it appears we've got the same writers.

Today, the front page is all about a production crew working here in Grass Valley/Nevada City this week to shoot a few commercials for Sony. Seven, in fact. Big stuff! And the crew of 75 is staying at the local Holiday Inn Express. And spending a lot of money, apparently. On food, trinkets and wine, says the article. "Trinkets"? Can't we sell something a bit more, uh, dignified? Come to Gold Country to stock up on your trinkets! Who could resist?! Anyway, with camera crews around every corner, I'll bet we'll all be just a little better groomed before we head off for the Safeway.

Last weekend, Grass Valley celebrated St. Piran's Day (somehow, they managed without us, since we were in SF, at the time). St. Piran is the patron saint of tin miners (as if you didn't know), who came from Cornwall, England, during the Gold Rush to help dig up the gold. The event reaches a screaming climax with the Cornish pasty toss. A pasty (short "a", please!) is a meat/potato pastry. Or, in this case, a dog-food pastry. Yup, they make 'em out of dog food for the toss to make clean-up just a matter of letting the dogs out (hoo, hoohoo, hoohoo!).

Speaking of dogs, the big event for next weekend will be that Gibson, the World's Tallest Dog (as officially certified by You Know Who) will be the subject of a British film as he's walking (or, being walked) around town. Locals (like us) are encouraged to come join the fun as extras. Gibson lives here (presumably with humans of some kind) in Grass Valley and is almost 43" tall, at the shoulder. He's a harlequin Great Dane, and I've seen him, gadding about downtown. I said to myself, at the time, "yikes!--that's a big dog!!", though I had no idea that he was the actual factual World's Tallest Dog. Now, I know. He's been on more TV shows in more countries than, well, most dogs, has his paw prints in cement on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and has a new book out called, "Gibson Speaks", a children's book about his adventures. "Adventures"? Perhaps he's also explored Antarctica. Wouldn't surprise me. Guess I should've fed Wylie more. Here's a link to Gibson's website (of course!) his blog (naturally!) and store (right). http://gibsondog.com/

We'll wrap this up with a few (you knew it!) Blotter Bits from the last week.

"10:37 a.m.--A caller reported losing a diabetic testing machine somewhere in Nevada County" [I guess we can be grateful it wasn't a contact lens]

"7:42 a.m.--A caller reported a boy was skateboarding down the middle of Hughes Road." [Alert Homeland Security!]

[taken together:]
"9:53 a.m.--A caller from the 15000 block of Pleasant Valley Road reported the theft of a gate opener."
"2:06 p.m.--A caller from the 16000 block of Pleasant Valley Road reported the theft of a gate opener." [Someone needs to alert the folks on the 17000 block]

"9:08 a.m.--A caller from the 17000 block of Highway 20 reported being blackmailed by a county department." [How else is a county department supposed to raise revenue in light of all the budget cuts?!!]

"6:07 p.m.--A woman in the police station lobby reported her neighbor on Juan Way was terrorizing her. The neighbor shot a "wrist rocket" onto the woman's windshield, damaging it. The "terrorism" was an ongoing issue. Police contacted the woman and determined there was no crime." [Perhaps Homeland Security should just move their headquarters to Grass Valley]

"12:01 a.m.--A caller reported a man on East Main Street was walking in the roadway, shouting and scaring people. Police contacted the man, who was fine." [A matter of opinion, apparently]

"10:36 p.m.--Police arrested a 20-year-old man on South Auburn Street at Winchester Street on a local warrant. The man asked for police to drop off his personal bag to a 43-year-old man at a motel up the street. Police arrested the 43-year-old man on a local warrant." [what are friends for?]

Dylan in the City

San Francisco. Less than 2 1/2 hours away. How cool is that? We went to see Dylan, but he and his roomies hadn't quite adjusted to the time change, let's just say. So, we hung out in my favorite city green space, Golden Gate Park, for awhile. An amazing day! I went dressed for, well, San Francisco, and got San Diego. Layers, next time!

I love the Japanese Tea Garden. And the botanical garden. The the conservatory. And the museums. Haven't been inside the new DeYoung, yet, but didn't have time, yesterday. Anyway, the tulip magnolias, camellias, and rhododendrons, among others, were in bloom (there's Tom, getting a closer look at the magnolias), and in a couple of weeks, the cherry trees will be magnificent! And, whilst wandering around in the Australia and South Africa zones of the botanical, I learned that I had been lumping too many kinds of flowers into the "protea" category, all these years, if you can just imagine it! Now I see I've been confusing them, the banksia and the leucospermum. Sheesh. Why didn't someone TELL me?! So embarrassing! Anyway, here's a leucospermum (I think).

We did make it over to Dylan's, and the he made wonderful tacos on the barbeque for all of us. I've included a photo of Dylan, Tom and Charlie chatting on the deck. Inside, Dylan has installed his latest shelf system. Looks great on the wall! Check it out! His friend, Eric, and baby Nathanial (not so sure about the name), stopped by. So cute! There's Dylan holding the little guy. I spent some time looking at some of Dylan's most recent furniture design. The stuff is so cool! How to get it Discovered?! He and Charlie have plans, including a trip to a design show in New York. We'll see how it goes...

Fun trip. Headed back to cooler weather. Gotta get back there to see the cherry trees, though!

Rachel Slept Here

Our vagabond daughter alighted briefly at our house. In her wanderings from Tahoe to San Francisco and back, baggage (the kind in suitcases) in tow, she is sometimes able to stop in for awhile to hang out. Doing without her own vehicle, it usually depends with whom she's riding. This time, we were pleased to meet her friend, Hayley (Frenetic Facebook Friend), and Hayley's cute doggie, Bodie. Hayley and Bodie needed to move on, but Rachel stayed a couple of days.

She's still spending a big percentage of her time filling out endless essay questions in the business school application process. By the time she finishes, she figures she will have written 35-40 essays of between 250-600 words about all manner of subject matter from what sort of extra-curricular organizations she plans to initiate on campus (how many more do they need?), to which person, past, present or future (?) she'd like to have dinner with and why (NPR's Terry Gross--do we raise 'em right, or what?). I'm pretty sure the administrator of London School of Business could make a proper decision about her qualifications without 300 words explaining exactly how many hours a week she spent playing volleyball in college. If I ruled the world, I'd outlaw (among other things) goofy application essay questions. I'm sure the curriculum will be a piece of cake, compared to this wringer of a process. She's almost half-way finished. Here she is at the kitchen counter, pondering over how to reform the European pension system.

But we also had time to munch in some sushi, chats about politics and Dylan's girlfriends (standard subject matter), and have some laughs over internet finds. Here are some of them. They're good ones. Make SURE you get to the last one. Trust me, time so well spent!

Here's a mini-movie. You'll love Magnus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqD171d0VBc&NR=1

To me, Japan is the epitome of dignified cultural form--architecture, art, tea ceremonies. Then, there are the game shows (what's the deal with the guy in the bunny ears?): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwvVh0_ZelI&feature=related
And this?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll2kajMH2u0&feature=related
And, oh, brother...:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-qBp2etNDk&feature=related

This one is unbelievable. We laughed and laughed. Remember that the little guy lives in a non-Engish-speaking household in Korea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsJCqD4lRc8

I LOVE YouTube!!

Anamorphic What?

You've seen them in your inbox, and forwarded them to your friends because they're so cool. They are the pavement chalk drawings made by one Julian Beever, an English artist who creates crazy amazing 3-D images by employing precise distortion. It's called "anamorphic" drawing. Dad sent me another collection of his stuff the other day. There were some I hadn't seen, before, and I've seen a lot of 'em the last several years. Here's a site to visit if you want to see a whole bunch, plus, you can find others out there, as well. He's really come up with a performance-art home run, as he works on sidewalks or plazas all over the world, gathering big crowds. You may have seen the half-hour TV show, called "Concrete Canvas" on the GalleryHD channel (what channel?). We've seen a dozen or so of the three-day artworks in places from Amsterdam to Mexico City. It's all about the photo he takes at the end of the process (usually with himself and/or others), since the drawings, themselves are quite ephemeral and gone the same day, sometimes, due to weather or local regulations. He invites the onlookers to see the image through the camera lens he has set up. Otherwise, the drawing is so distorted, it's difficult to understand what it's supposed look like. He's a very engaging, low-key guy with a dry sense of humor and he's very entertaining to watch. Check it out! The images I've captured here are some of my favorites. The first one is water coming out of a hose (he's "holding" the hose). The second one has two humans featured: the woman on the right, and tiny Julian on the bottle cap. I love that illusion! The third is the same kind of illusion with him in the foreground and a woman atop the word, and the fourth is a drawing about the plumbing under a fountain, every bit of it drawn flat on the ground, including the fountain.

I LOVE this guy! Such a way-cool idea! It's like he "sees" with an extra dimension.

Weather Report

Today, according to the Nevada County Union, will be "sunny and pleasant" and 62 degrees. It's 53, already, at 10am, and hovered around 32 when I walked, earlier, around 6:30. It's been extra warm the past week, or so. The crocus are blooming, and I see my iris and daffodils (planted in Nov) beginning to send up shoots. It reminds us of spring in Colorado, when we began to better understand the term, "spring fever". We' were looking very hard at the bare trees to see any sign of budding after the icy, brown months. I love winter, however, so it's leaving a bit too early, in my perspective. But one reason I enjoy the seasons, here, so much, is that there's always something wonderful and different ready to happen. We like the changes. Plus, summer (my least favorite season) and it's hot days are kept a little more tightly confined. None of this 90's-in-January business. Enough of this sentimental fluff. I'm beginning to hear violins.

Now, for some goofy, real-life fluff. We've gotten behind in Police Blotter shenanigans. This isn't the best batch, but I was gone a lot in Feb and missed some, maybe. Or, perhaps the really loony stuff is seasonal and cranks up in the spring. We can only hope (isn't that what spring is all about--hope?).

"11:25 a.m.--A woman called from the 17000 block of Cattle Drive reporting that her computer was having problems and she said it seemed as though someone was hacking into the system and looking at different files." [Oh, if I think of all the times I was frustrated with my computer and calling the police didn't even cross my mind! On TV, they're always computer wizards! Duh!]

"9:37 p.m.--Officers arrested a 27-year-old man on suspicion of falsity and being drunk in public on the 300 block of West Main Street and booked him into Nevada County jail." ["falsity"? Can you be arrested for denying that you're plastered?]

"12:08 a.m.--Officers contacted two employees of a business on the 1800 block of East Main Street who were fighting over a quarter on the ground." [Perhaps these folks need raises]

"3:33 p.m.--A caller from the 100 block of Boulder Street reported a suspicious-looking man was dancing in the street and undressing. Police determined there was no crime. The man was moving on." [No crime? I guess that could be taken as a compliment or an insult]

"8:29 p.m.--Someone left keys at the police station. The keys were in a red cloth that goes around the neck. On the key ring were four keys, a remote vehicle unlocker and Petco and Petsmart cards." ["a red cloth that goes around the neck"? Hmm. Wish there was a shorter term for that...]

"1:21 p.m.--A caller from Freeman Lane reported that a woman had slumped over her steering wheel in a black vehicle in front of a business on the 700 block of Freeman Lane. The reporting person had knocked on her window and she hadn't responded. Officers contacted the 64-year-old woman who said she was simply tired and not unwell and that she'd be on her way home, now." [I guess the chalk outline she usually uses for her cat naps was occupied]

By the by, I hope you checked out "a train runs through it" from the last entry. It's a fave.

Nice Day for a Wedding

My dad and his wife, Jean, were up for a visit, this weekend. Jean's daughter (and my dad's step-daughter), Kathy, married Rex in Nevada City on Saturday. It was a lovely day, which isn't necessarily a given up here this time of year.

They chose the upstairs parlor of the Historic National Hotel--the longest, continuously functioning hotel west of the Mississippi (long time since I spelled "Mississippi"). Barring fires (just routine, in those days), it's been going since about 1850, like everything else, around here. The Holbrooke Hotel in neighboring Grass Valley features some minutely different historical claim (like, oldest, continuously running hotel west of the Mississippi where Mark Twain stayed, or sat at the bar, or walked by and looked in, or some such). We major in History around here. The National is, perhaps, a little too historically authentic. While the parlor is very Victorian la-di-dah, the building, itself, could use just a bit of good old 21st-century restoration. Last May, we took both our moms (plus Dylan and Erica) to the Mother's Day Brunch, there. Two words: "cheesy" and "fleabag". I hope they have good insurance. Guests should wear hard hats.

But the wedding was lovely, and Kathy and Rex were quite the radiant couple. They've each been married, before, and have grown kids (Rex has grandkids), but there was an air of first-time excitement and pre-ceremony jitters, all the same. With the reception a short walk up the street in the garden patio of the Posh Nosh, it was all very nice and atmospheric. And a fun party. We wish them a long and happy life together.

Here are a few pics: Kathy and Jean (showing off Kathy's bridal footwear), Dad shooting a few of his own, and Kathy and Rex with Dad and Jean (left) and Jerry (Kathy's bio-dad) and his wife Susie (right).

And, now, for something completely different. I might have posted this, before, but I couldn't find it, so I'm running it, again, maybe. Ever get tired of shopping at those big box retail outlets? What about shopping on a train track? http://www.break.com/index/train-runs-through-bangkok-market.html