Choo-choo!

Santa might be down at the other end of the mall already, but kids are still having fun in the old-fashioned Old West train at the Stonewood Center.

"I like trains. I like their rhythm, and I like the freedom of being suspended between two places, all anxieties of purpose taken care of: for this moment I know where I am going."
~ Anna Funder

A more permanent nod

Yesterday I showed you some of the Promenade at Downey marketing slogans that give a nod to our aerospace history. Today's picture shows some of the more permanent acknowledgments of that history.

First is the address. The new street that has been created to access the Promenade is called Apollo Way, after the Apollo space program that built 17 command and service modules here.

Then, these large murals cover several of the buildings that have been completed so far. This mural shows not only our aerospace history, but the borders on each side acknowledge the Downey Studios that used to exist here.

Honoring our space history

Through its architecture and displays, the Promenade at Downey will honor our rich aerospace history. But I was amused at how its nod to history starts with marketing, with slogans such as "We have liftoff," "Reimagining space," and "Walk in space" proudly displayed on the construction fencing.

Humans of Downey - Steven

"I met my girlfriend when I was living with my parents in Victorville and 20 years old. She used to work at Forever 21 and I worked at a clothing boutique inside the mall. I would often go into Forever 21 to talk to one of my friends during my breaks. She would see me talking to one of her coworkers and would say, 'Oh, you want a job here', just messing around. Then we would talk every now and then. We responded to each other on Facebook. Then one day, randomly, we're on Facebook and I don't know, just out of the blue, she asked me, 'Hey, do you want to go with me to get a tattoo?' I had never talked to her about that and I said, 'Uhh yeeeaah, sure.' So, I went with her and she got a tattoo. I didn't, I don't think I'll ever get a tattoo, but I went with her.

"After that, I told her, 'Hey, my friends are having a party tonight. do you want to come along?' and she said sure but it wasn't for a while so we went to watch a movie and then had Subway. We went to the party and my friends said, 'Oh, who's this?' And I said, 'This is my friend from Mexico and she's here for a visit.' And they asked, 'Oh, how is it in Mexico?' They believed it because she had on chancla but she was wearing them because she didn't think she was going anywhere that night. So, it went on for a while and then we told them, 'No, really she's a friend from here.'

"Ever since that, we've been hanging out every single day. Now we're here and it's been 3 years and 8 months together living in Downey."
~ Steven

The other zoo

I was walking through Stonewood Center and noticed these animals penned up. They were pretty active for that time of day, just hovering above the ground. I think they were waiting for someone to take them for a walk before dinner. I also think the bunnies were the leaders of the pack. They usually are.

Black Friday

What does everyone want to find on Black Friday? A great bargain? Well, maybe, but first, you have to find a parking space.

This is the Stonewood Center parking lot on Friday afternoon, with not an empty space in sight.  Just lines of cars before and behind me, all looking for the same thing. We don't even care if it's a good spot—any space will do.

Mathematically, your odds of snagging a space are much better if you sit and wait instead of circling the lot. (For the details, see Use math to beat holiday shopping crowds.) Keep that in mind if you venture out to the mall again tomorrow.

Ice cream and cookies

Sure, Halloween is about ghosts and goblins and scary things in the night. But let's face it—it's really all about the candy.

But for as long as I can remember, it's been about the wrapped candy. I mean, I always had to throw away anything that wasn't in a sealed wrapper. So cookies and ice cream were never part of my trick-or-treat haul.

But that doesn't stop cookie and ice cream shops from getting into the act. The Ice Cream View (above) and Mrs. Field's Cookies (below) at Stonewood Center are not about to be left out of the fun!

Kid's Club

Saturday was Kid's Club at the Stonewood Center Mall (sponsored by National Geographic Kids). Kids gathered around the stage while Wacky Wendy talked about sea creatures. Here you see some of the participants being kelp.

After a fun teaching time, complete with live music, the kids were invited to use the provided materials to create their own "under the sea" art project.



This little artist was proud to share her work!



"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to  remain an artist once he grows up".  
~ Pablo Picasso

Imagine, dream, believe

Today the feature performers from the soon-to-be released 3D movie "Cirque du soleil, worlds away" appeared at Stonewood Center. They rode their "Vessel of Dreams" as they drew in the crowd, hoping to pique everyone's interest in going to see the movie when it comes out.

I had come to the mall to try to catch any of the sales that lasted past "Black Friday" so I could finish up my Christmas shopping. Luckily, cell phones have cameras (even if they aren't the greatest.). It was fun to take a quick break and watch the performers navigate their umbrellas (their "vessels of dreams") which slid across the floor without any apparent effort.  To see the trailer for the movie click here.

Apples to apples

Christmas is just around the corner. So, once again I ended up at Stonewood, our local mall, with my daughter for a quick errand. As we wandered past shops, I spied this beautiful sight: amazing looking candy apples. Yummy! Although I was drawn to the Chili Apple, the Rocky Road looked delicious too. My daughter's choice was the Snickers-topped apple. While each one had its own appeal, I did manage to resist...this time.

Black Friday

Okay, I admit it. I'm a Black Friday novice. I usually work on the Friday after Thanksgiving (also known as "Black Friday"), so I've never really had the opportunity to experience this unique shopping event. This year, since I had Friday off, I was "convinced" to go to our local mall (Stonewood Center) at midnight Thanksgiving night to look for Christmas bargains.

To give you a little background, according to timeanddate.com, Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days in the USA. There are two popular theories as to why the day after Thanksgiving Day is called Black Friday. One theory is that the wheels of vehicles in heavy traffic on the day after Thanksgiving Day left many black markings on the road surface, leading to the term Black Friday.

The other theory is that the term Black Friday comes from an old way of recording business accounts. Losses were recorded in red ink and profits in black ink. Many businesses, particularly small businesses, started making profits prior to Christmas. Many hoped to start showing a profit, marked in black ink, on the day after Thanksgiving Day.

Regardless of which explanation you accept, Black Friday has become the official first day of shopping for the Christmas holiday. As the first official day, retailers offer all sorts of special offers and bargains to entice customers. While I didn't spend a lot, I found some gifts at good prices. Overall, it was an interesting experience. The mall was crowded—there was a sense of excitement. While I later heard crazy stories of people getting really aggressive about shopping (stories of pepper spray, knives and shootings), everyone I saw was wandering around, having fun and spending the money retailers were hoping for.

Standing room only

Stonewood Mall, Buffalo Wild Wings.

It's 11:00 on a Thursday and the place is packed. Never mind that there is more than enough room on the patio and inside, Downey is now finding the night life it has been looking for, and waiting out the door for it.

Right there waiting for you (Theme week: feet)

This young man was sprawled on the display ledge of a women's dress shop in Stonewood Shopping Center. He was playing with his cell phone, patiently waiting for his girl friend to finish shopping.

"And a fence around every tree. . ."

I'm sure the planners who designed Downey Landing were thinking about 'Lady and the Tramp' when they 'fenced in' all the trees.

Spit and polish at the mall

When I was young, going to Stonewood Mall on my own with my friends was a rite of passage. But I don't remember being as young as these girls who apparently drove themselves to the mall for a shoeshine.



What I do remember is that guys have always enjoyed girl-watching.

Will you please take me home?

The cats at the Petsmart Adoption Center call to me. Every time I visit the Petsmart at Downey Landing, I have to stop and look. This cat was very appealing, but he looked so discouraged, like he'd given up all hope of finding a home. The kittens, below, were just having fun.