Dog monuments around the world

I'm sure there are more, but in my time I've found three monuments to loyal dogs. Man, these stories can warm the heart of an Orc...

1) At Shibuya Station in Tokyo is a statue honoring Hachiko, the faithful Akita that waited for a University of Tokyo professor every day...even for years after the guy died.

2) In Edinburgh, Scotland, a sculpture of Greyfriars Bobby honors a terrier that stayed every night at the grave of his lost pal.

3) Locally in Inglewood there's an easy-to-miss fountain in the median across from the old post office. On top is a tiny tribute to Rex, the collie that followed the letter carrier from 1926 until her death in 1939. The neighbors along the route rallied together and raised enough funds to buy a metal casket and tribute to their favorite dog. Over 2,000 fans showed up for the dedication of the monument!

See myself come running back, running back

Pavement is back...we caught up with them at the Fox Theater Pomona last night. I tried starting up an "otra, otra" chant like I did in Tokyo years ago, but it didn't take this time around. I suppose Japanese audiences are hungrier for sing-alongs, synchronized hand gestures, and group chants.

I hadn't been to Downtown Pomona for a while, and it was a lot more lively than I had ever seen it. I'll try to get to their Art Walk one of these days. I'm finally over the lingering dreadful feelings from the three years I drove from West L.A. (home) to Inglewood (work) to Pomona (school) to West L.A (back home).

Was dog a donut?

I pretty much grew up in the same San Jose neighborhood. I barely remember my parents' earlier place in Evergreen (which my Dad decided to move away from "once the neighbors painted a giant sun over the garage" in the mid-'70s), so as you can imagine I had mixed feelings about staying put. Stability on one hand, boredom on the other. Even at a young age I knew other SJ areas were way more interesting. Downtown. Willow Glen. Alviso. Alum Rock.

One of my favorites along Alum Rock Avenue was the giant orange that housed Mark's Hot Dogs. No kidding...this is a walk-in orangey orange built in 1947, and the City of San Jose declared it a historic landmark in 1992. Can't say my family actually ate there much, but I definitely liked to look.

Now that this type of wackitecture has popped back in my head, over the last week I've taken a drive by most of the giant donuts in the Los Angeles area. I'm amazed by how these monsters have held up over the years, and most seem to be slinging donuts like the recession never happened. I'll have to make another round of visits, and next time I'll put on my taste test face.