I had the best day yesterday and it's because I MADE TIME to do something that I always want to do, but am normally too busy to do.

I spent the entire day with my dad. We went to breakfast, and he read a passage from a book he loves to me. We went to Rejuvenation and Hippo Hardware and looked at all the cool things. Then we wandered down to the Saturday Market when there was a break in the rain. We went to the Doug Fir to have a drink and a happy hour snack. Then we went to see the Stranger Than Fiction, which is a great movie.

For all of the running that I seem to do all of the time, these are the moments that I cherish the most.

I discovered today that Gloria E. Anzaldua, a lesbian Chicana writer and poet that I very much admire and whom I met while I was at PSU passed away from complications from diabetes in 2004. Even though this event happened 2 1/2 years ago, it affected me and led me on a nostalgic journey today.

I remember being tremendously impacted by her writing when I discovered it. She, like my family, was from Hidalgo county, the poorest county in Texas. She, like my mother, was a migrant farm worker and was my mother's age. They grew up and worked in the fields within miles of one another or possibly side by side. I guess because of that, I felt very connected to her and her writing . I think it was empowering to me to see that someone with my family's background and history could have a voice, could have something important to share with the world.

While I worked in the Women's Studies department at PSU, I was given the task of compiling a library of books by women of color. It was truly a dream job. "Here's some money, go buy books." It was during this period that I discovered Gloria's work. I read Making Face/Making Soul: Haciendo Caras and found it to be amazing and comforting that there were women who felt and experienced intersections of culture, class and gender the way that I did. It was refreshing and exhilarating. My daughter even has her bilingual children's book, Prietita.

I was awestruck when I met this petite woman when she came to PSU to read her works and speak with students. She was warm, funny and intelligent.
She played an important role in the lives of many Chicanas. She is sorely missed.

When I left for Seattle on Thanksgiving day for a couple of days, I knew that Tiger (the cat) would be here alone so I left the door to the patio open about 4 inches so that he could go in and out to the litter box as needed. I left his food dish overflowing and a bowl full of water. When I returned on Saturday, there was an odd smell in the house and I noticed the patio door was closed.

I called Leah, who had stopped by to see if she had closed the door, but no. Then I saw that the cat, given no other option, had relieved himself on my bathroom on the floor (at least he didn't do it on the carpet or in the plants). As I was cleaning it up, I was getting irritated. I guess cleaning up cat poop isn't necessarily an activity that cheers me up. I was racking my brain trying to figure out who had come over and shut that door. I called Joseph, but he hadn't come by. Then I started thinking that I was losing it. Maybe I hadn't left the door open. Maybe I was the one who had caused this whole debacle.

However, Marianella came over last night and informed me that Alonso had come over to play with Tiger, since he was worried that he was alone. Whew! Mystery solved - I am not completely nuts.

P.S. Tiger is officially able to come and go as he pleases now. He can go outside and do his business. This is very good news to me and to him I am sure. He is currently outside making the rounds as I write this. Hopefully, we are done with vet visits and bills for awhile.

Four Star Hotel

My daughter has this new thing she does whenever Deb stays the night with us. If I tell her, "Deb is coming," she runs like a little maniac to her leftover Halloween and birthday candy stash and digs around for something that most closely resembles a mint, and then goes and puts it on the pillow in the guest room. Yesterday, it was a variety of a Hershey bar, a pack of M & M's and some other candy. A couple of weeks ago, she left her a individual size package of kleenex.

It's just her little way of making her special guest feel more welcome.

Well, I made it 322 days...

322 blessed days of no hangovers, but I managed to break my New' Year's resolution this weekend just 43 days shy of the end of the year. Oh, it wasn't the WORST hangover I've ever had, but it was definitely a hangover; nausea, pounding headache, stomach very unsettled, tired-as-hell hangover.

I almost made it. Of course, the evening that led to the killer Saturday hangover included Cristie, Nell Anne and Cactus Jack's. UGGG! The sad thing is that Nell and I each ordered only one cocktail. It was Cindy, the waitress's fault we decided. She continued to bring us cocktail after cocktail that we hadn't ordered. We didn't protest.

Maybe next year.

I am in a funk. Someone close to me is going through an extremely difficult, horrible situation and I just feel helpless.

I also feel like it makes me question my own relationships and actions. I am conflicted and torn. I know that one cannot completely control the direction that their life takes, especially when you embark on a journey with someone else. One person cannot control the actions of the other. But what if one's actions affect the direction of the other person's life? Is that fair? I should be beyond assessing things as fair and unfair. Is there something that one can do to ensure their path in life? Are the bad things that happen to you in life supposed to happen with some greater good as the outcome or can you avoid pitfalls by making better decisions? I guess this is why many people look to religion for answers - there are so many unanswered questions in life. I imagine it provides some sort of comfort to believe in some greater power. That way the (entire) responsibility doesn't fall on you for what happens in life. "It was God's will." I think that's a bunch of bullshit. It terrifies me to realize how easy it is for one person to affect another in a devastating way without any intention of doing it by acting selfishly, recklessly, or thoughtlessly.

I heard my own words come out of my sweet, innocent cousin's mouth today and it is cutting me to my core.

I know this entry makes no sense to anyone. Please allow me to rant and ramble aimlessly.

So what does it mean when my kids are requesting a club soda with lime on their nightstand at bedtime instead of water?

We are only days (4 days really) away from the annual Halloween costume party and I am not any closer to having a costume - yikes! Here are some highlights of last year's shindig to get you inspired...

"It's a TIE!"

My kids and I are always debating who loves whom more. Last night, Lily became serious and asked me how I could be sure that I loved her more. I tried to tell her that I was sure since I have a mom and I have kids and she doesn't have both. She wasn't really sure about my response, but after a few more "no, I love you more"s, she said okay, "it's a tie".

I think that's the best answer I have heard yet.

Here are some pictures that were taken with the disposable underwater camera on the diving adventure in San Pedro, Caye Ambergris, Belize. The images above are a sea turtle, yours truly, and a nurse shark in that order (in case there was any confusion).

Well here I am in the Amstel Amon Hotel in San Jose, Costa Rica with a frog killer. I'm not sure how I feel about that. It's not like the killings were his fault. It is the rainy season and that apparently brings those little hoppers out onto the roadways where you can see their little white bellies as they hop-hop-hop-SPLAT-oops - run in front of a car. I have just never been in a situation where the roadkill is frogs. Squirrels, opossums, but not frogs. This is a new experience.

We went to Tabacon Hot Springs this weekend, which was as beautiful as it was the first time I saw it. We were actually able to see the volcano and saw and heard it erupt various times. Normally the cone of the volcano is covered in clouds and so it is difficult to see the ash (during the day) and the lava (at night). We were able to see both (I just did not get a picture at night), which was very lucky and cool.

I am supposed to travel around with Joseph while he is working this week, but it seems like that is going to be complicated, so I am going to probably take off for a day or two, maybe to Manuel Antonio National Park. It is supposed to be very beautiful and since there are so many things to do here, I need to take advantage and get out there and see things.

Well I don't know how I am ever going to be ready to leave. So many days counting down and now I am reduced to the last minute scramble. It will be fun. It will be worth it. Almost out of here. I fly out tomorrow night.

Well, for Mother's Day, Lily told me that she wished that my mother was her mother, that way we could be sisters. I think that was a compliment. Joaquin gave me a card that touted my many virtues. He thinks I am funny and he likes it when I play with him and when I take him places.

We had a good day. We had brunch at the Hawthorne Street Cafe and then wandered up and down the street and browsed in the stores. Lily really enjoyed kneeling at the altar in the Goddess Gallery, while I perused the various packages of "spells" they have for sale. They have one that will turn an enemy to a friend (but you can't do it the 3rd day after a full moon) and even one that will help you get a job. Joaquin preferred playing the gong, the thumb piano and the pan flute he found at Gifts from Afar. And Joseph wandered along smoking a cigar and got absorbed in a biography of Che Guevara.

It was a beautiful day to be out and about in the sunshine with my loved ones.

Nell Anne on the zipline in
Monteverde
Costa Rica

I've been reminded there are 7 days to go...

Here's my little scuba diver.

Certified on 05-07-06.

14 days...

Ok. I am back. Sort of. I have been avoiding my blog because I have not been in a bloggy mood. Things have sucked a bit, but I need to get over it and move on. (Insert self-motivating crap cliche here.) So I will start with a countdown. I am going to be working my ass off for the next two weeks, so I need something to look forward to, and I think that this will just about do it. 16 days and counting until I am here....

Dear Parent or Guardian of LYDIA GONZALEZ,

Your doctor would like you (alone or with your child) to watch a program called Emmi before your child's upcoming procedure. (Tonsillectomy...UGGG!!)

Emmi is a great way to learn about what to expect before, during and after the procedure. Patients find it very helpful and easy to watch. Emmi will answer many of the questions you may have... and even some you didn't even know you had.

To watch Emmi. Your Access Code is: 10845706554 (You also need her birthdate: 11-12-99)

Please watch it by: May 01, 2006

You'll also see that you can send questions to your doctor's office while watching the program.
So, feel free to watch Emmi as many times as you'd like both before and after your procedure. And please be sure to share it with your family or a friend. They'll find it helpful, too.

Thanks for reading and we wish you the best of health.

So here I am sharing this info with family and friends if you wish to watch. Apparently, Lily has very large tonsils and adenoids that do not leave room for the passage of air and must be removed. She is a mouth-breather/snorer/nasal talker. The poor girl can't breathe.

I haven't gotten up the nerve to check this out yet.

So last week, Joseph left me a message on my cell phone that went something to the effect of, "Hey, you need to get your cell phone fixed, because it is BUG-GIN that I can't talk to you."

Should I be worried that he's starting to sound like a member of the cosmo mafia?

I am becoming so thrifty that soon I may end up walking around sporting a hat with a dangling price tag - a la Minnie Pearl.

I have been looking for another print to hang up in my dining room, which I have been working on decorating. I am decorating the dining room with vintage ad prints. I have gone to the ZGallerie a few times and actually did buy a small Cinzano print there that cost $55 framed. I have been looking for a large print for another wall. Everytime I go into the ZGallerie at Bridgeport Village, I find nice large prints, but they cost $200+, which I haven't been able to bring myself to spend.

This (not being able to spend thing) is NEW for me. The old Michelle would've bought two. I am trying to live as if I don't have an endless money supply and trying to keep in mind that there are MANY things I want to to do my house, not just decorate the dining room with spendy art work. I want it to look spendy - but cheaply - if you catch my drift.

So anyway, I was at Cost Plus, another favorite spot (where I found my dining room table, chairs, and buffet) and saw some poster prints, not framed, but the same style I had seen at the ZGallerie. Then I saw the frames! I got the poster print and the frame and put it together myself all for $55. It is a much larger one than the one I purchased before and much cheaper than the similar alternatives.

I am so excited. I was even able to buy 2 wooden shelves that are going to go up above the buffet to display all of my liquor (including a mysterious bounty of Apple Pucker) and I still paid less than I would've for the print alone at the other store.

Not half bad. Look out Martha Stewart!! Anybody out there from HGTV want to give me my own show?

Friday morning, my kids were getting ready for school and my son was faced with the horrible, unjust task of... having to go and get some clean pants out of the dryer for school as there were no "acceptable" options hanging in his closet. He responded to this travesty with this comment, "MOM, why don't you have my pants hanging up IN MY CLOSET???!!!?!"

Then he demanded that I heat up some pozole for him for breakfast. Let me just tell you that this involves heating up the soup, chopping up onions and cabbage to throw in, and cutting up some limes for flavor. I was TIRED and not feeling tip-top due to the comsumption of various cocktails the night before (NO, I have not broken my New Year's resolution, but I did come dangerously close).

I told my son that he would have to make due with eating cereal for breakfast. I heard him say something to his sister to the effect of, "get your things," or something like that, but I was too groggy to follow what was happening.

Then Lily came in and said, "Mom, Joaquin wants me to pack up my things, because we are going to run away." She had a carton of chocolate milk, some clothing, and something else indiscernable in her arms, as if she had been trying to figure out exactly what to pack for this 'adventure'.

I started to laugh. "Where exactly are you guys planning on going?" I asked.

"The backyard," she replied.

I have to give them credit for making me smile.

Who invented the Genius Bar?

The first time I went to the Apple store in December, I noticed that they had a Genius Bar, an area where you can talk with a "genius". I then realized that it was a cute way to refer to their employees. Well, that's kind of clever, I thought.

Later that month, I had a problem with my ipod, so I took it to the "geniuses" so they could fix it. They tried to restart it, take off the software and reprogram it and they couldn't fix it, so they told me that they would get me a replacement and that it would be in in a few days. About a week later I got a call from the geniuses that my ipod was in. I went in and got it replaced. It was a fairly simple process.

Then about a week later I received a message from a "genius" that my ipod was in and that they were waiting for me to take mine in to get the new one. I ignored the message until I got another one a few days later. I called them back and told them that I had already had my ipod replaced, thank you very much, and held my tongue about the fact that they are called "geniuses".

Well, last week, I just received another phone message that they were going to release my ipod to another person, because they had been waiting for me for a month and a half to go get the one they had there for me, but that if I continued to have problems with my ipod that I should go in and they would order me another replacement.

Wow, these guys really are geniuses!

I wonder how many customers who have had similar experiences or have received poor customer service make comments to them such as:

"Obviously, anyone can be a genius nowadays" or

"How many geniuses does it take to fix an ipod?" or

"What kind of a test do you pass to become a genius anyway?" or

"What kind of Clinton-esque definition of the term "genius" do you guys subscribe to here?"

I don't know. I am running out of them, but you get the idea. I'm sure they've heard some good ones.

Lily was having a hard time getting to sleep last night. I went in her room with her to hold her hand as she fell asleep.

"Mom? Why do big people get to stay up later than we do?"

"Well, honey, you are still growing and kids need more rest so that you can grow up to be big and strong. I am already all grown up."

Thoughtful silence. "Mom, I don't want you to grow old."

"Mi'ja, we are all going to grow old someday."

"I know, but you are going to be REALLY old when I get bigger. Your hair is going to be white like Great Grandma Keesecker."

Not as long as there is hair dye, I thought to myself.

In an IM session last night regarding the all-important topic of fashion, Deb and I were discussing khaki pants.

This led to the question: What is khaki? Is it a color? Where did this term come from? Well, as soon as I had a second, I had to find some info. It's just the weirdest sounding word. Anyway, I guess it does refer to a color. It comes from the Persian KHAK, meaning earth colored or dust colored in case anyone was curious.

It was a lot more entertaining when I didn't know what it meant and it was just a funny word.

HHHHEEEEELLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaackkk! I was temporarily sidelined by a spyware freak file.

My computer had to be stripped down and everything reinstalled. Everything I am writing about right now is basically gibberish to me. All I know is, it didn't work, I had to save everything on discs, pay the tech guy to save me, and now I am trying to pick up the pieces of my shattered existence and try to put all my files back on to my computer.

How bad is it that of the 10 discs that were necessary to back up my stuff, 8 of them were music? My work files and half my pictures fit on one disc. You can see where my priorities lie. I am still struggling to be functioning at full capacity. I am now not connected to my printer at home, nor to the network at work. I guess this will all take a little time in order for me to be up and running. You know how irritating it is to lose all of your bookmarks from "my favorites"? Pretty freakin' irritating. I'm not saavy enough to have saved everything obviously.

I noticed that Joaquin was using a calculator on his math homework the other day. He was doing simple addition and so I told him that he couldn't use a calculator on his homework.

"Then what was it invented for?" he asked. Good question.

hangover update...

I almost blew it. I had drinks with Nell Anne and we went to sushi last night. Then we came home and had a few more drinks. I didn't feel great this morning. I didn't feel destroyed, but I didn't feel...let's say, well rested. It could be because I didn't get to sleep until almost 4am. It could be because I had a kink in my neck from sleeping wrong the previous night and had taken some vicodin. I got up, took some excedrin migraine and took on the day. It got better quickly, so I think I am still in the safe zone.

Rock-n-Roll Japanese Bistro on Canyon Rd. has the best sushi! Go there!

I survived the boy scout grand prix pinewood derby races tonight! Joaquin got second place (in his heat of three) in the race with the car that he and Joseph threw together in an hour before the race. Way to go guys!

In my defense, I only became aware of the event yesterday, so we were working with very little lead time to begin with. The best part is that Joaquin was happy. A boy and his car. It all starts here.

You don't know Jack Schitt.

23 days with no hangovers and still going!!! 23 days of awakening clear-headed, without nausea, and pain-free. I got very close to the edge Friday night, but I proved that it is possible to have fun, drink, and keep myself from crossing that delicate line that can needlessly cost me a day of my life. I keep the photo above to remind me of the unfortunate evening of Dec. 31st, the night that led me to take up this worthy challenge.

If I only got this much done at the office... With the exception of Friday night, I worked my butt off this weekend.

Saturday
8:30am - met with some moms at Kodi's Coffee Shop regarding Girl Scouts (I may be on the line for some participation in forming a troop at the school and somehow got roped into serving food at the Multicultural Fair next week)
9:30-10:30am - took cans and bottles back to the store, went to Miller Paint to get living room paint
10:30am - met Jen at my house where she helped me paint the living room
2:30pm - Jen had to go, I went to Nell's to get metal rack which Clint couldn't cut and then went back to the paint store for another gallon of paint
3:30pm - back home to painting the living room
7:00pm - made some dinner and finished sanding and caulking wainscotting in the dining room
9:00 pm - started to paint my bedroom which required a coat of primer first as the walls were so dark. I finished at 4:00am.

Sunday
I slept from 4:30-10:30 am on Sunday morning.
10:30am - 5:00pm - got up and painted wainscotting in the dining room and the base trim, touched up paint in my room, put up artwork and changed the curtains in my room, got a load of stuff for the Goodwill in my car
5:00-8:00pm - went to run some errands. I had many exchanges and returns to make at different places that had been piling up. These are the places I went in 3 hours:

Goodwill
The Apple Store - my replacement ipod was in - YAY!
The Container Store - exchanged an item
Circuit City - returned an item
Taget - returned various items
Meier and Frank - exchanged an item
Winco - grocery shopping
...and I was on time to pick up my kids from Jorge in Jantzen Beach at 8:00pm.

Whew! Just recounting it makes me tired. I think I've done enough crap this weekend to take the next month of weekends for relaxing (maybe cash in on that spa weekend). I am pretty happy though sitting in bed in my bedroom and seeing the walls that now match my bedding and the curtains and the artwork is up. I am enjoying the fruits of my labor. No more navy blue walls in here.

I don't make bets (casino gambling doesn't count) unless I know I'm going to win - just ask CRM (sorry buddy).

I made a bet with Cristie's new friend, Julio aka "Jules". We all went out to sushi Friday evening and at one point began discussing Belize. I don't know exactly why or how it came about, but all of a sudden Jules (he was hammered) and I began debating whether Belize was an independent country or not. I took the (correct) position that it is an independent country. Jules was VERY sure that it wasn't. He kept saying that "there are 6 countries in Central America" and then we were naming them: Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala...we had forgotten Nicaragua. Well, once we remembered Nicaragua, he was REALLY sure he was right. "There are six countries - only 6!" Obviously we weren't going to be able to determine who was right at that moment, so it turned into... YA WANNA BET?? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BET? I thought quickly and said, "A weekend of spa treatments for Cristie and I." "WOO-HOO!"she shouted. "What do I get if I'm right?" he asked, and then answered himself, "Ok, I want the same thing." "WOO-HOO!" Cristie shouted again.

Saturday I ran by Nell Anne's to pick up a metal rack that Clint was cutting for me. Jules and Cristie showed up as they were headed to Seaside with Nell and Clint. Jules walks in and says, "Ok, where do you want to go? I looked it up this morning and apparently Belize was recognized as a country in 1991 . I spent all morning cursing the British and the Guatemalans. First I was cursing the British for letting it go as a territory, and then the Guatemalans for recognizing it as a sovereign nation in 1991."

It had been drilled into his head in school that there were 6 countries in Central America and at the time he learned it, it was true. He made it sound like it was some sort of new development. "Jules," I said, "That was 15 years ago." "Yeah, I know," he said.

So now we have to decide where we are going. He is pretty adamant about fulfilling his end of the deal. Cristie and I are thinking about where we would like to go. Aequis is nice, or Skamania Lodge or the Bonneville Hot Springs and Resort. We'll have to think about it a little. Whether the goal is to avoid drinking an appletini or to get pampered at a spa, if I don't know what I am talking about, I may insist that I am right, but I will not make a bet. Losing sucks.

I wonder if I paid a visit to my 15 yr. old self and had a chat with her to clue her in on a few things, would she even listen?

I carried out a threat today.

I am the queen of threats with my kids. Very bad, I know, but I have found that in discipline, a certain level of fear seems to work with my kids, as it did with me when I was a kid. We were planning on going to family swim at the gym tonight after dinner, but after many warnings and "just one more chance, Mom...pahleeze?" (They blew that chance too), I decided that enough was enough and that I wasn't about to take two bickering children that were having a hard day following directions to the gym. Needless to say, they were stunned that they weren't going swimming after they already had their swimsuits on. However, I'm pretty sure that the next time we plan on going swimming, I will be getting an entirely different level of cooperation from them.

It was especially hard to stick to my decision after they each offered up their individual very sincere apologies. It's tough to be Mom sometimes.

Ok, I am starting to scare myself with all of the projects that I have started working on.

The Kids
I have the kids signed up for after school classes through spring break on Tue/Wed/Thur until 5:30pm at the school. They will be taking classes, such as martial arts, mad science club, spanish class, scrapbooking, and homework time, so I don't have to leave work early to go pick them up at 2:00. I've also finally gotten them signed up for swimming lessons again, so I am getting organized on that front. I only have riding lessons and boy scouts to get in and I will be good. I am also working on a sewing project with the kids. They decided that they wanted to learn to sew (mainly Lily) so we went to the fabric store this weekend and they picked out some fleece and they are going to be making pillows and scarves.

My Health
I have begun going to the gym again regularly and also following the weight watchers points plan again (I lost 52 lbs when I did it in 2004). Aside from the incredible urge to listen to the entire Jet-Get Born album everytime I am on the elliptical machine that I must fight, things have been going very smoothly. I haven't shown this much interest/motivation since I did this from Jan-July 2004.

Household projects
I am simultaneously working on finishing the wainscotting in the dining room, choosing a paint color for the living room (I believe it will be Filbert from the Devine paints), and determining how many coats of paint it will require to conceal the dark almost navy blue color of my bedroom (between 2 and 3) with the new color (Hazelnut from Devine). I am also doing some sewing. I have been making some duvet covers for the down comforters on Joaquin's bunk beds and getting up the nerve to try some pillowcases. I will probably wait until Nell Anne can be nearby in case of an emergency.

The Finances
Nell Anne is coming over tonight and we are going to start the process of organizing our finances. I am going to help her set up online banking and we are going to try to get ourselves focused on figuring out where we are at financially, how to cut expenses and to try to exercise a bit of self control. Yes, I said it, SELF-CONTROL. It's possible. We've both already cut out much of the eating out and cocktails. We can do that at each other's homes much more cheaply.

Pretty good for a girl who's only official New Year's resolution is - no hangovers in 2006.

I went on a field trip this morning with my kids and their classrooms to see a production of Charlotte's Web at the Keller Auditorium. It was a very nice production of a beautiful story of friendship.

I was wondering though as I was sitting there watching, WHY - when Charlotte is the one doing the amazing things (i.e. writing "some pig" "radiant" and "humble" in her web) is everyone proclaiming that Wilbur (who honestly, does nothing remarkable and is, in actuality, a bit of a simpleton) is such an amazing animal. This story really makes no sense.

If I was to put my hard core feminist hat on, I could probably draw some correlations between the story and the fact that many times it is women who are doing the "real" work while men getting the credit for that work.

There's something there, I think.

Pat Robertson is an idiot.

I found a new reason to love my Bally's membership. I have been paying for myself and child care for the kids and not using it. I called tonight to see if the Bally's on Beav-Hills Hwy had swimming lessons for kids. They are working on getting them set up, but I did find out that there are various times that they have family swim and that I can take the kids for free. I hadn't thought of that before, so the kids and I rushed through dinner to go get a swim in tonight and we didn't have to pay $10 like we would have had to at the community center.

And we pracitcally had the pool to ourselves.

And...I got to soak in the hot tub while the kids splashed around in the pool. It doesn't get better than that.

I have a little problem involving Santa Claus. My kids got home from Mexico yesterday where they spent the holidays. The first thing I get is, "What did Santa bring us?" Oops. I was so delayed getting back from my trip, that "Santa" didn't have time to set anything up, so now I am reduced to making up excuses for Santa and trying to explain his delay in bringing presents.

Is an 8 yr. old ready for the truth?

...an excerpt of life on the ROAD - part one

Day 1 - Since my kids are off in Mexico with their dad, Joseph and I headed out on a road trip this week to see what we could see. Before we took off on Christmas day we first had the task of cleaning out my car for the journey. The kids had left the most disgusting stuff in the car and as we were cleaning out the back of my car and finding food mixed with change and toys and all sorts of nastiness, I was resolved to setting up some new rules when the kids get back about what will be acceptable in the car. It was pretty nasty. We'll see if I can stick to my guns when they get back. We headed south and got as far as Coos Bay. We stayed there for the night and went off roading on the beach the next morning to find the wreckage of the New Carissa before we continued on down Hwy 101.

Day 2 - We headed down the Oregon coast and into California to the Redwood forest. This part of the trip was special for me as I was born in Humboldt county and lived there until I finished kindergarten. The sight of the sequoias is overwhelming. To see a tree and know that it has been there for 1,000 and some for more than 5,000 years is a reminder of the insignificant blip that is my life by comparison. It's kind of a religious experience. Although I have been accused of being a tree hugger in the past, there has never been any convincing proof until now.

I was especially excited about sharing the beauty of northern California with Joseph as he had never experienced it. Needless to say, he was impressed.

We arrived in Eureka, my hometown, to find that it has grown enormously. It has everything. The little coastal town where I got my start, now has a mall, two Cineplex's, a Costco, and most all of the other major chain stores that you find in a big city. We went to the house that I lived in when I was born and found that it is now painted a vibrant purple. It is also for sale. The house next door which belonged to my godparents is now brown and it was painfully obvious by looking at the neglected back yard that they are no longer there. When I was a child, they were our retired neighbors and spent their days alternating between caring for the plants and tending to their garden and polishing and cutting rocks. They were ardent rock collectors and their home was filled with amazing rocks that although unremarkable on the outside, were sliced open to reveal amazing crystal formations and stones. My childhood memories are very fond and I photographed the alley that I walked down to get to school. I could proudly say that I walked to kindergarten by myself, but in reality, my godparents could watch me walk into the school building from their yard, so I really wasn't as independent as I thought that I was. Without connections to the people living in these homes, things were different from my last visit, as it was just the homes, now inhabited by others that I was visiting. We drove around town and decided to take in a film. It didn't start for an hour so we went and found a tiny bar and had a great local beer, Great White. After sitting there drinking the beer and chatting with the locals (the bartender offered us some pizza that they were eating, not for sale, just a kind gesture) I was slightly disappointed that we had to leave as we had a movie to get to. If you are ever in Eureka, CA, stop in at Ernie's on A St. just off of 6th. It's a cool little hole in the wall.

Day 3 - We did some more driving around in the morning. I tried to get a Humboldt State sweatshirt for myself but the University was closed for winter break. I guess I will just have to get one online somehow. I had a sweatshirt a few years back, but over the years, it is one of the articles of clothing that has disappeared into the black hole of clothing lost. Another disappointment would be my discovery upon arriving in San Francisco later, that I had left my white corduroy blazer in the hotel room in Eureka. Joseph called and tried to locate it, but to no avail. Somehow, housekeeping had failed to find the blazer that I had left hanging in the closet. Bummer for me...a stylish fashion treat for someone else...

We had lunch at a local pub that makes Great White among other beers (I had a tasty Tangerine Wheat) and then headed south on Hwy 101 to San Francisco. We drove down the Avenue of the Giants, a 33 mile long scenic alternate route through some of the most amazing stretch of the Redwood forest. We drove through a tree and saw a ONE LOG house. It was pretty amazing. That is one sight that I would never tire of. The weather was not working with us. It was dark, stormy, and raining wickedly. The drive to San Francisco was tiring as visibility was poor and it was dreary. Some stretches of road move by more quickly than others. By the time we were crossing the Golden Gate bridge (another magnificent sight) we were so tired, that I was desperate to get to a hotel so that we could crash. We drove around San Francisco taking in the sights of the Tenderloin district, Chinatown, and Fisherman's Wharf. There was a blues club, Lou's Blues Club, on the pier and so we went to check it out. A local band, the Riverside Kings, was playing. They reminded me of a blues-y version of Christ I'm Chuck. They were very good, and although I was practically lying down in my seat from exhaustion, I was enjoying it. I went to the restroom and had to wait as both stalls were full. The first person who came out of a stall was, surprise - a man! I said ummm, hi and headed in after he left. After I came out of the bathroom, he saw me and began apologizing. "I just followed the guy in that was in front of me. I thought it was the men's restroom. I am so sorry. I guess that kind of thing can only happen to you in San Francisco. " After leaving the blues club, we headed out to grab a quick bite and find a hotel. We went to In-n-Out Burger, which I have just discovered, makes a damn good burger. Joseph had been raving about it, so I suggested that we check it out. Yum! We also got some free entertainment out of the deal. There was a Japanese woman sitting at a table by herself talking and screaming in Japanese to no one in particular. She had her hair up in pigtails high up on her head like a little girl would and had on face makeup (white) and was kind of looking a little like a geisha. She was yelling on and on. It was entertaining. We got in the car to look for a hotel, and all of a sudden, we got a second wind. I think it was the food that did it. I figured that if we went straight to a hotel, that we wouldn't have the energy to venture out later that night again. We went in search of the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, just to check it out. We found it and it is a very eclectic little neighborhood with all different types of folks out and about. Do you know what is on the corner of Haight and Ashbury streets? I bet you can't guess. This corner, this corner famous for being the supposed birthplace of hippies, so counter culture, is now home to - The Gap. That's right. The Gap. Where was the protest against that? Crazy, baby. We parked the car and walked up and down Haight street and wandered into an cool old bar called Zam Zam. We just went in for one drink and then sat there and talked with the bartender and the other patrons until closing time. The music on the jukebox was from another era. Etta James, Frank Sinatra, Rays Charles...

The bar was 50 years old and it was all made of wood and it was beautiful. There was a mural behind the bar that had been restored. We had a great time and met some interesting characters. Sometimes it's worth it to rally. San Francisco is a collection of interesting and kitschy neighborhoods, each with their own flavor. I can see why it has been named the most livable city in America numerous times.


Day 4 - The next day, after spending some time in a coffee shop for breakfast in the Presidio neighborhood, we decided to head south as quickly as possible in order to spend some time in Mexico. I was hoping to drive down Hwy 1 between Monterey along the coast down to San Luis Obispo, but if we continued to travel at that pace, we were sure to run out of time. So on to the boring stretch, headed down I-5, where everything all started to look strangely like...California. I have always considered Northern California to be more of an extension of Oregon than part of California. I got a call from the kids who were in Acapulco enjoying the 90 degree weather. They sounded really happy and healthy and it was really nice to hear their voices. It will be really great to see them on the 4th and to hear about their adventures.

To be continued...

First tip of 2006...

Trying to get your money's worth at an event that features "all you can drink" - not a good idea.

This leads to my one and only New Year's resolution for 2006 -

no more hangovers.