Humans of Downey - Karla

"I think I'm the same as everybody else in that I get angry when someone causes pain to another person. I also get angry when someone causes me pain. On the positive side, I am a loving person. I love my family. I love that they love me and support me. I love my husband. He is a very loving and caring person. He's always wanting to help and care for others.

"The only thing I can think that is unique about me it that I work with my dad in construction and painting. The fact that I am a woman in this business is not seen very much in the Southland. When I go into the stores for our material, people tend to get surprised when they see me. I get asked a lot, 'Do you work in painting?'. My responsibility on the job site is safety. To make sure that all the equipment is working and we have all the safety equipment we need. I also make sure pedestrians are kept out of harm's way. My dad taught me that safety is one of the most important pieces of a finished job. If we were to have a history of accidents we wouldn't be in business for very long."

~ Karla

PS Karla works for Alberto Rodriguez painting, Santa Barbara. They were here for the past 4 months painting all the buildings of Downey Landing. My interview was on the last day of their project where they were painting the Downey Landing sign.

Humans of Downey - Daniel

"I'm just like everybody else in the aspect that I like to suspend reality for a few hours and go to a movie. I like being an extra in everybody else's lives and be in the background. I'm the guy in the bar sitting in the background. That makes me feel normal. I'm an ant in this huge colony and that's just fine with me.

"On the other hand, I've traveled the world because I was in the navy. I've been to Dubai. I was in the Persian Gulf when we had all that action with Iran in 2007. I could have been anywhere else in the world, but I ended up in Texas and then back here in Downey. I went to Downey High School and being back feels like I'm home. So, with all those experiences condensed into a 34-year-old body, I feel I'm different from others.

"Also, when I worked at Disneyland I knew I was part of someone's vacation. You are put in a position where you can make someone's day 'magical'. Knowing that I could have that kind of effect made me want to go to work everyday. I'd say to myself, 'I'm going to help these people not have to wait in line today,' or 'I'm going to play a game with these certain people.' That certainly ingrained itself in my personality so that I am more of a people person than I was before. I'm not afraid to go up to strangers and joke with them or at a bar, make some new friends. I think that makes me unique."

~ Daniel

Fiery sky

The sky was amazing tonight as I was heading home from work. The clouds looked to be on fire.

"Once you have tasted the taste of sky you will forever look up."
~ Leonardo Da Vinci

At last...

Fall colors aren't limited to the landscape. They also decorate the store windows at the Second Tyme Around Thrift Shoppe.

"And all at once, summer collapsed into fall."
~ Oscar Wilde

Trees and light

On our recent trip to Oregon, we spent some time driving through the beautiful redwoods. This was a favorite picture of mine because it shares a little of the magical feel of the redwood forests. The light and how it sort of glows through these tall trees adds to the beauty of the setting.

komorebi ~ Japanese for the sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees. 

Trick or treat at the mall

Looking back, what strikes me most about Halloween when I was a kid was the level of participation. I grew up on a block of seven houses. Once around the block, both sides of the street, and the total went to 30 houses. And every one of them had their porch light on, welcoming the neighborhood kids.

On my current street of 40 houses, there were four porch lights on. (I think this explains why trick-or-treating seems to be such a car-bound experience anymore.) No wonder community events, such as Trick or Treat! at Stonewood Center, are so popular! With great participation from all the stores, kids could have the excitement of running from place to place in a warm and dry environment. And safe, too, especially under the watchful eye of the security storm troopers.

It almost felt like the old neighborhood.

Humans of Downey - Jennifer

"I am the same as others because I enjoy life, I like to go with the flow. I like doing things that are exciting. We go camping, go out on a boat, and we love going to the movies. I love doing these things with Daniel, my husband. When I love someone, I get butterflies in my stomach. When I see my husband, who has always been my protector, or when I see my son wake up in the morning, I get butterflies. My family makes me happy and I think, 'everything is OK.'

"I am unique because I went to school for forensic pathology. I like to work on dead people. When I was in the fifth grade at St. Raymond's here in Downey, I'll never forget this, my teacher was teaching us about JFK and his assassination. I remember the TV in the corner and watching the video. I got in trouble from the teacher because I asked her to play it again because I wanted to know how it happened, why it happened, where did the bullet go. She actually yelled at me for that, but I knew then and there that's what I wanted to do when I grew up. All that stuff fascinated me. I wanted to investigate, I wanted to find out the truth."

~ Jennifer

Smoky sunset

A few weeks ago we had some really hot weather, which meant it was fire season weather again. We had some large fires in Orange County that spread their smoke and ashes across the Los Angeles basin. You can read about the fires here.