Daily Life 2008

February 13

Book ’em, Danno!

I’m in a very bizarre phase these days since I discovered tv on the computer. Sooo much tv. In the last few days I’ve watched hours of the first season, 1968, of Hawaii Five-O. On the computer there are less than half as many commercials as on the broadcasts too., Hmm, I wonder if those writers are going to get residuals on my viewing…

It’s a good show, really. And especially entertaining for the very early and often awkward attempts at political correctness. I respect the effort.

February 12

She be stylin’ in her new shades.

February 11

Happy Birthday Alicia! She wears the crown so regally…

The family is moving into another unit in the same complex, this one having three bedrooms. I got to take a tour and it’s going to be great!

February 10

It’s my own nephew Texas Travis Black and his own brand new Baby Jack Weston, takin’ a snooze. Aren’t your eyes getting all scratchy and red and aren’t you suppressing a yawn?

lb

February 9

This place is just a few blocks from my house, on the corner of 26th and California. Sharon and I went walking here on a little field trip to take some pics.

A man was sitting on the patio putting on his shoes so we had a little chat of course. Com’on up he said, no problem. His parents, who still live here, did all this Themselves and welcome photos.

The entire outside of their home, even through the alley and around into the back yard, is Entirely Covered with these amazing mosaics.

The large piece here says ‘Light up your work with love.’ Isn’t that wonderful!

…great live music. I totally enjoyed these guys. They were playing, among other things, both Gypsy Kings and Buena Vista Social Club. A world of Latin Music. The volume was exactly right too. How can that Be?!

Then we did a nice amble through some of downtown, groaning from the weight of the astounding quantity of food consumed.

February 8

Bob came down for a few days and we met up with Richard and Emilia for dinner at Ciudad downtown. It was fantastic, really. The food was delicious, the setting was aces, great company, and…

We stood around at the Biltmore for a few minutes to hear these guys playing – very nice rhythms and a waay big (b.i.g.) sound.

It’s the next day around 2pm now and I’m still digesting.

Work!

The volunteers are filling in the floor of some foundation walls of what they hope will be a vocational center. Courtney’s comments about the work: HotHotHot and HARD.

The gang is resting under a giant mango tree. And on the right side of the picture…the shower room=a bucket with a hole in the floor…the toilet=just the hole.

(cr)

February 6

I haven’t seen Michael for more than 20-25 years, I don’t remember how long, but we’ve kept in e-touch all this time, and he recently sent this picture.

It’s called ‘Laissez les bons temps rouler!’ and it cracks me up.

(ls)

February 5

I’m sitting here listening to the election returns and messing around with Courtney’s pictures from her recent trip to Africa(!). She was doing some volunteer work in Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania, in a village called Bambi. SOO Exotic.

Here is the children’s school and volunteer living area, with Courtney’s bedroom and her roommates, and some students in the background. I think in this same building is the dining hall and the other bedrooms too.

(cr)

Play!

There were weekend trips to the beach and a soccer game of volunteers against the local team. Courtney’s comments about the soccer game: here are the teams before they kicked our *ss.

That’s Colm, Mr Ireland sitting in the sun in his bare-*ss-white-boy skin. He got cooked. He looks like such an appealing guy too, but pleeeze, Colm, where is your Common Sense?!? Think of your Mother?!?

The group of volunteers was incredibly international. Almost like the program won’t take more than two from any one country. Courtney and a guy from Canada were the only North Americans.

(cr)

February 3

I went with Ken to the Granada Hills Pavilion Saturday Night Dance where we tried to raise from the dead the West Coast Swing we learned together about 8 years ago and hadn’t done since.

It was Mighty big fun. Live music, and a huge floor full of dancers, and we were Not the oldest (nor the youngest I should add). Mighty big fun.

February 2

I snagged all these individual shots off Emily’s KodakGallery, Emily being the mother of Zoe and a great source of playgroup parties and photos. (I did crop and assemble and etc – the originals are big and pretty!)

What we’ve got here is Ballet Class for 2 year olds. Fun! top: Rome, Marquez, Zoe. bottom: Ellie, Nora

(er)

Oh you Rome, what a charmer! Plié! Relevé!

(er)

Zoe and Ellie Big Hugs. Nice toe pointing Zoe.

(er)

…and then there were the 12 consecutive episodes of ‘entourage’ that I watched on my computer. That should do it. Ask me anything.

I’m almost through the New Yorkers, and I played the ukulele several times each day. Now my wrist is killing me so I better be checking with a teacher to see what I’m doing wrong. I did a very little bit of Japanese.

I did a few batches of kitchen sink laundry, and Sharon took me shopping at my favorite favorite clothes store Eileen Fisher (that’s the stylin’ Eileen with the gray hair!) where I got a top and a pair of pants at Seventy Five Percent Off! meaning I spent only a small fortune instead of a huge one. And not to forget yakking on the phone.

Lovely.

February 1

What have I been doing the last few days? Looove that walkin’ on the boardwalk…