The Most Magical Time of the Year

Indeed it has been a magical time of year for me, starting with Advent Sunday. Every year on the first Sunday in December we invite friends and neighbors to come ring in Christmas with us European style. It's a more quiet and pretty uplifting evening. We got around 25 people again this year (this is our 3rd one). We always call it our Christmas miracle that that many people come to our ghetto and brave parking. It's the only time of year that happens. This year I learned to play a song on the guitar, Infant Holy Infant Lowly, and sang too. I also made mint brownies that didn't get burned so it just keeps getting better. The little neighbor kids, Ada and Julio, came over and sang Feliz Navidad, though their heads were bowed most of the time. I guess single adults are pretty scary. It was good fun, and we kept our Silent Night tradition alive at the end of evening. This year, in addition to Spanish, German, French and of course English and Bulgarian, we had Thai, Korean, and Tagalog. It was fabulous.


I also had the great pleasure of visiting Washington D.C. this month with a thirsty little ginger-pants wearing kitten (if you really want to know about that you'll have to ask me, otherwise just chalk it up to word salad.) It was dang cold but one of the funnest trips I've had in a long time. So much space, brick, and stone. I want to live in a brick house. We went to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and saw the first plane the Wright Brothers used for their first four flights on Dec.17, 1903 and guess what day we happened to be there? You got it! Dec. 17. Coincidence? I don't think so. At any rate, my abs were well exercised from laughing so much, my taste-buds sharpened from the large quantities of good food, and the hibernating spaces in my brain revitalized with my love for America and what a great country this is. There were still leaves on the ground too. I felt intoxicated by the memory of autumn. I returned from D.C. on the 18th, only to leave for Salt Lake City on the 19th. Also cold here and snowy. It's good to remember what snow looks like but I won't mind leaving it in January. I've enjoyed seeing my family and my new nephew Vincent who could be destined to become an artist or part of the maffia who would then have the nickname Vinny. Either way, we'll love him and probably get good Christmas presents too. We found out my brother Stephen is coming home from his mission in Norway on March 27 and then as our Christmas gift the family's taking a big trip somewhere so we can all be together. Yea. Experiences are greater than anything material anyway.
I have to say it's been an enriching year and one that has seen a number of goals and dreams met. I can't wait to see what the new year will bring. Merry Chrismtas and Happy New Year everybody! Life is Beautiful! And don't go see the movie I Am Legend. It sucked(feel free to contact me for a more detailed criticism).

Ghetto Gratitude Moment

I just want to take a moment to express gratitude for the place in which I live: For the one washing machine on the premises and the lady downstairs who has to wash each of her 6 loads of laundry 3 times each day before the clothes are actually clean. I'm also thankful for OCDs. For the minutes I use on my cellphone calling our landlord to fix the pipes in our apartment that have been leaking for months. For the Fix-It guys he finally sends that do not speak a word of English. For the sliding glass door that doesn't quite close and the cockroaches we had to exterminate ourselves. For the walls that keep us frozen in the winter and help us lose weight in the summer. For the newly installed gated fortress doors surrounding our building that sometimes I can't even get into. For the lack of parking that gives me a 20-minute morning and evening walk a few times a week. For the beautiful sounds of tamale carts, ice cream trucks, and accordion music every weekday after 3:00 and on weekends as the sun comes up. For all the people west of Roberston Blvd that live in large, tree-lined, spacious houses and block the rest of us out with 30-foot hedges. Sucks to be you! For all the things that make this ghetto glorious, I am grateful.

Hollywood Walk of Shame

Two redheads in the ghetto. We took it by storm - or at least we caught a lot of people's attention. I think two redheads walking down the street here is something of a phenomenon. At any rate, we had fun and lived to tell about it. We started Saturday off running on Venice Beach and then having breakfast at Jack and Jill's in Beverly Hills. I'm not sure which Ben found more entertaining - the crazy, hate-filled lady on the beach that yelled "barf ass" at one of us (we're still deliberating as to which of us she was yelling at) or the 50-year-old Botoxed blond in her black Rolls Royce on Rodeo Drive. The diversity in this city's astounding. Of course we had to stop at Sprinkles for some of their lovely over-priced cupcakes. Carrying around the box was part of the experience. It helped us feel truly important as we made our way slowly through traffic. Ben had been learning that everything in California, even the grocery store, is 20 minutes away (unless you're going to Hollywood. Then in takes an hour. He wanted to see the Kodak Theater, but what he got was an entertaining cultural experience for only $1. Scruffy drunk men with dogs and signs that read, "Retired super-model - Please help"; kid street performers extorted by their own family members; out-of-work (and might I add unoriginal) actors dressed up as Superman, Wonder Woman, King Kong, Snoopy, Dorothy (checking her cell phone messages) Sponge Bob with tube socks and his home-made magic marker sponge, Shrek, and our personal favorite - Gollum. Tall and Lanky with part of his black fro coming out the back. He was also wearing a fanny pak for all the money he's making off pictures. Ben made me get a picture taken with Shrek without realizing it costs. He was bewildered when the man in his mother's stretch pants pretending to be Shrek unfolded a crumpled bill and said, "You got a little something for Shreky poo?" Ben gave him the dollar. What they say about LA is true - everybody here's trying to make a buck. This was expertly demonstrated by the blue Ford Van with the top cut off displaying a home-made sign that said Hollywood Tours. There were actually two passengers, although we think they were bought off to make it look like they had business. We had a good laugh as we passed the groups of people gathered around the red carpet for the premiere of Enchanted. I guess they felt waiting 4 hours for a glimpse of important people in expenseive shoes was well worth their time. Hmm. I guess there are a lot of out-of-work people in this town. We finished off the night with In-N-Out burgers, animal-style. After the expensive cupcakes, that's about all we could afford. Thank you Los Angeles for the entertaining weekend, and thank you Ben for making the experience complete and helping me see the city through the out-of-towners' eyes. I love LA.

Turning Tables

November's off to a great start! Last week I had the pleasure of subbing at a school in Compton where the class consisted of all African American males (need I even mention they were twice my size. Who isn't?) I held my own ok until one of them called me a bitch and then I lost it and now I'm in prison. Yes, there is email in prison. Actually, the vein in my forehead (remarkably) stayed in place and I had a Phil McGraw-like talk with the young man instead. I think he learned his lesson. Actually, I really don't but I have hope.
I was also recently called as the new activities co-chair in my ward. The "congratulations" are flooding in as if I won an election or something and believe me I would not run for this, but I will try my best.
Today, Marcella and I set out to find a table (we're tired of getting in touch with other cultures by sitting on the floor). So, because we live in the ghetto, we thought we'd stick with that theme and go to the Wal-Mart on Crenshaw, where incidentally the LA riots took place. We found some card tables and chairs that will do the job, atleast until our lease is up in February. Three customers asked us if we worked there and one asked if I was Marcella's mother. I checked and she didn't appear to have bloodshot eyes or smell like pot (I know the smell very well from my neighbors)and she didn't have a service dog so she could see. I don't know, are people just insane? We're not even of the same ethnicity, although Marcella mentioned that people on our street think we're sisters and, strangely enough, in this celebrity look-alike website my brother sent me I was matched with Eva Peron and various other South American and Spanish ladies. Maybe I don't know myself as well as I thought. Or maybe living in my neighborhood is rubbing off on me, which is good. The adventures never end. And can I just say that I'm really glad the holidays are upon us. This is the best time of year!

Winds of Change

The transition from European trains to soul trains has taken awhile but I'm finally back to making tracks again on the written page as I process where I've been and where my path will lead in the future (wow, that sounded pretty deep). Sorry it's taken so long. I'll get back to blogging more consistently.
So, October is my favorite month not only because of autumn, pumpkin flavors, and the anticipation of the holidays, but it's also proven to be a big month of change for me. I've felt those winds of change again this year and I'm not exactly sure what that entails yet but I've already sat on a couch made completely of grass, disinfected my room (most especially my bed), and joined a rocktoberfest band. I played the djembe. It was magically fun.
I'm also back to substitute teaching and only felt the urge to strangle some kids once this month (don't be alarmed - that's actually pretty amazing.) What I really want to know by the end of next month is who my true friends are so if I do strangle some kids I know who will visit me in jail. (This could be pretty incriminating so I better clarify that I am not being serious.) Much to my father's delight, I also qualify for really good health insurance now, so maybe my "not real job" isn't so bad after all. For those who keep wondering, I'm not sure how much longer I'll continue substituting. I'm definitely not planning on making a career of it. I plan to do it until I can finish up the last revision of my children's novel (hopefully by spring) and then we'll take it from there. I've also mentioned I feel pretty done with LA and the city and don't anticipate living here that much longer. But who knows? The winds of change could blow anywhere. I have to say life is surprisingly good right now and I'm enjoying the freedom of living it.

Things I Miss the Most

- Afternoon gelattos
- Church bells
- Walking everywhere
- People Eating on sidewalks
- Water you can drink from the tap
- Cobblestone Streets
- Exit signs
- Unprocessed foods
- Piazzas (not to be confused with pizzas, though I'll miss those too)
- Slower pace and emphasis on stopping to enjoy life
- Rich appreciation for art
- Lonely Italian men (not really)
- Siestas
- Having fewer decisions to make (I only had 4 shirts and 2 pair of pants)
- Trains
- Superior cheese and chocolate (and pretty much anything edible)
- A river running through every major city
- Bunk beds
- Fresh (and clean) air
- Making wishes in fountains
- Glacier milk
- Multi-colored shudders
(But I guess I missed family and friends more cause I came back.)

Farewell to Europe

Well, tonight is my last night and tomorrow morning I head for the airport and its back to the States (no I have not abandoned all responsibility and decided to stay), but I come home feeling enriched and grateful for the experiences I have had and the things I have learned. I have discovered many new things like conditioner is overrated, you can make trains on time even without a watch, afternoon gelatto is an important part of everyday, and you can find a lot with a map, and even though I have felt lonely at various times I have felt well-protected and guided and I think learned some things I really needed to know. After a month I think it is time and I a ready to come home and take these new memories with me into the future. Thanks for your love and support faithful friends, family, and readers out there and if something happens on the way home and I dont make it back, bury me with my locket and know I died a soul of many satisfied dreams.