Happy Halloween

I am in New Orleans and want to wish everyone lots of fun!!!

Nawlins

Off to New Orleans today - I hope it is as exciting as I think it will be - although I refuse to say Nawlins lol.

Love and Miss You

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

La Mano

While we are in New Orleans we are going to an Anne Rice Lestat costume ball. I am very excited but it means I will have to dress up. I am not normally into dressing up. Although I love Halloween, truth be told, dressing up and being around others in costume wigs me out a bit. I guess being unsettled is the point but it is also kinda a thing with me - maybe it is the whole clownish aspect, ick. So I have been search online for ages for a cool mask. Something wearable and distinctive but comfort was the main criteria. It is so hard to order one on line because you cannot touch it, a major reason I don't like shopping online in general. Also you can not really see the quality or try it on or anything. I finally broke down, made a decision and placed an order. I had no clue where the company was. Well they called me the next day with some questions and it turned out the store - which could have been anywhere in the 50 United States - was just over in La Jolla. Yay! I told them I would just come over Saturday and make the purchase. What a cool store right on the ocean in downtown La Jolla. The shop is called La Mano. The incredibly lovely and sweet owner is named Lydia and she is from Venice. All the masks are handmade in Venice and imported. Some were so elaborate and well over $300 but I decided, although I could work that many feathers there was really no need. I did get stuck and so ending up buying two masks because I still just could not decide. No pics yet of the masks I got - you will have to wait for the big reveal. However I was excited before and now I am super excited!

Mika

On last Friday night I went to LA to see Mika in concert. I went with a friend I used to work with and it turned out great, so much fun. The drive, which is normally horrendous, was not bad at all - the traffic gods were so smiling down upon us. Since we got there early we walked down sunset strip and found a yummy little burger bistro called the Bowery. As we walked to the restaurant there was already a huge line. I was a tad scared because it was all teenage girls. Seriously it looked like the same crowd that would attend American Idols Live. Once we got in I determined it was all teenage girls and gay men. Such and odd combo but somehow the two always go hand in hand - hmmm. The show was at the Palladium and I was so excited. The Palladium is this historic art deco theatre in Hollywood that sits on the site of the original Paramount Studio lot. Ah it was so beautiful - very grand indeed. The show itself was fun - no big surprises since it was the 4th time I have seen him live. He delivered over the top energy as normal and a fun time was had by all the tweens and queens! What a great night :)

Things That Made Me Chuckle In the Past Week

Texting with Rick:
From Scott to Rick -- omg did you hear about Hurricane Rick? ur a disaster!
From Rick to Scott -- you sound like my mom

Workplace Stories:
In the inevitable Christmas vs Holiday party debate, I was asked, "Do you celebrate Christmas?" to which my prompt reply before exiting the room was, "No I gave it up for Lent".

Ruby, the most crazy coworker ever, stated she does not go to the car wash because as soon as she does it always rains afterward. A confused me said, "Ruby, it only rains like twice a year here?" and even more confused Ruby replied, "Oh yeah?"

With my Spanish Tutor Miguel:
We had class at a Mexican restaurant. I know the basics such as if a noun ends in an O it is masculine and if it ends in an A then it is feminine and he was trying to teach me how to figure out if nouns ending in other letters were masculine or faminine. He would write a Spanish noun and then say does that look masculine or feminine? I told him that because I am a native English speaker it does not occur to me as masculine or feminine since I have no point of reference. I said take umbrella for instance it does not seem very masculine or feminine at all. As soon as I said that within a millisecond I followed it up with, in an exaggerated fey manner, "Although if you put the word parasol next to umbrella it does make the word umbrella seem downright butch!". Miguel spit out his drink because of his laughing. It was at that point I chuckled.

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Daniel

Daniel Cartier came so close to the bigtime. He is from NH and then went off to NYC where he was discovered as he sang in the subway. He released a major label effort on Elton John's record which got a lot of press and was well received. I thought it was amazing and remember seeing him live plenty of times in MA, NH and NY. Course it did not hurt that he is gay and a hottie too. Well he tried and then went off to LA and like most everyone else there got a bit lost and he eventually faded. He still continued with his passion though and put out his own records.

Well he is all over cyberspace with his own webpage, youtube videos and social networking sites (Judy is his friend on stalker.com). I was watching some of his videos a bit ago and decided to email him so I went to his website and sent and email through there. I was emailing because I wanted to request he do a cover of "Pure" by the Lightning Seeds and it just grew from there -you know me an mail. Although it turned out to be a huge email about all different stuff - I was actually pleased that it was not too rambling - I save rambling for here lol. Well it took a month and a half but he responded. It was a very sweet, complimentary and thoughtful response where he apologized for the delay and said that my email was very well written (is there a greater compliment?). He told me some stories and what he was up to and all sorts of stuff. It really made my day. I was so pleased.

He ended with saying he is going to tour in 2010 and he hopes and he looks forward to thanking me in person at one of the shows. I responded back with the picture that I have posted here and let him know he already did thank me in person. This picture is a scan of the cover of his big cd. He signed it for me at one of the shows. Ah see, sometimes it is good that I do not let go of things.

Timeless

Judy rocked this mullet up in York Beach, Maine. Somehow in Maine it did not seem so out of place but she would not wear it out. I still pissed myself, plus truth be told was a bit envious.

It is Getting Close

Halloween is right around the corner and I am getting so excited. Although there are lots of weirdos in the neighborhood now! I think New Orleans is going to be soooo fun.

HOW DID I MISS THIS???

Not only did I just find out that Ultravox had a renunion tour in the UK earlier this year but there is a Spandau Ballet reunion tour currently happening this month in the UK. Holy cow if I had known about this I would be in London right now - job or no job!

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Michelle's Memories

The beach at night - fried dough, arcades and that huge chair!

Editors Note: OOOOH Yes I remember this and the best thing is that I actually captured it on film. I have had this picture framed for so long. So many times memories are manufactured or posed - like all those Disneyworld pictures everyone has in their photo albums. This one though -- so much fun - so much a real memory and one moment captured on film that ties to a thousand experiences and memories. The big chair was in Salisbury located near the Nickelodeon, an under 21 dance club - oh the fun had there. I think Ken was with us but I am not sure. I know it was night time and we were on our way to the beach to get fried dough - from Happy's of course - plus a little chit chat with Brian the owner of happy's son - swoon, swoon, swoon. We were driving in one of my K cars and I stopped and told Michelle she had to get it in. She did - dying laughing the whole time - that crazy snort laugh she does when her laughter is true and really out of control. I had my camera with me and I snapped the picture. She looks like Edith Ann. Oh god did we laugh. It was so silly, so goofy, tied to so many, many fun times and absolutely and utterly priceless.

I May Not Win But I Can't Be Thrown

The trick with my memory is most the details fade. They get fuzzy and then they just get lost. People then remind me and sometimes it comes back and sometimes it is gone. Although I do not think they are really gone forever - I know they are they are there somewhere and if there is a hereafter then during it I will experience all the good ones over and over again and yet some how they will be completely new to me and still as great. Don't get me wrong - a lot of them stick and stick for a long time - cemented and persistently existing. Some good, some great, some painful and some hurtful. Most of my memories are connected to emotions. I may not remember the details of the movie Fame but I remember the intensity of Irene Cara singing Out Here on My Own and sitting in the darkness of the showcase cinema feeling I just witnessed a miracle. I don't remember anger, I cannot stay mad over anything too long and it is impossible for me to hold a grudge - all those things usually dissipate but I can remember the hurt, pain or sadness that is most often associated with anger.

I spoke recently of London 2006 and the specter of an empty seat that followed me everywhere. The seat that had been empty for a while at that point and some how just became evident in London. I know that shadow was mine but it was not of me. And although I owned it, I know who it was truly of. No flesh, no blood - just present and taunting. I remember that last time though that the shadow was flesh and blood, February 2008. Standing in the shirt I gave away for Christmas, with watch that I earned for working 5 years of working the same job, wearing the $175 shoes that I said go ahead and get them you deserve to treat yourself, seeing the healthy body that came from the personal trainer that I located and paid for, recognizing the neatly trimmed hair that my sister cut, and above all witnessing the still newly made nearly perfect vision of those glassless eyes that I used my bonus for and drove to another country to obtain.

See I remember specifics. The most specific detail was standing in utter speachlessness as Mika sang:
You talk about life, you talk about death,
And everything in between,
Like it's nothing, and the words are easy.
You talk about me, and you talk about you,
And everything I do,
Like it's something, that needs repeating.
I don't need an alibi or for you to realize,
The things we left unsaid, Are only taking space up in our head.
Make it my fault, win the game
Point the finger, place the blame
It doesn't matter now.

'Cause I don't care if I ever talk to you again.
This is not about emotion,
I don't need a reason not to care what you say,
Or what happened in the end.
This is my interpretation,
And it don't, don't make sense.

Maze

Here I sit a bit confused. I was so stressed about my old job, about making the decision to stay, about finding a new job and figuring out where my happiness lies. After tomorrow I will have completed 1 month on my new job. A job I enjoy immensely and that could not be off to any better of a start. Good pay, ok commute, great location, nice coworkers. All this craziness allowed me to clear up $8K of debt. I really did all of this. I accomplished it. But now the downside is sliding in. I feel a bit lost in the maze. A bit like an Olympian feels a month after they won the gold - where do I go from here (as if I am brash enough to compare myself to an Olympian). I am not unhappy but I am not sure what I am, other than a bit lost in the maze. I guess because now is the time to take the next step in the never ending marathon toward the ultimate finish line, happiness. I am not sure what it is though. I solved one puzzle and now there is a larger one waiting for me. It was like my old job - as soon as I completed on major task the response was - great job now tell me how you are going to complete this new and more difficult task. All one breath - kinda like, thank you what is next. I feel flat - not depressed, not unhappy, just flat. Then the cycle begins cuz I think man what a miserable prick you are nothing makes you satisfied. You can't remember shit. Even when it is good stuff that is continuing to happen. That is just useless guilt though but I am not sure what it is from, perhaps habit? I do count my blessings - maybe I need to count them harder.

Bittersweet

This is the way you left me,

I'm not pretending -

No hope, no love, no glory

No happy ending.

This is the way that we love,

like its forever -

then spend the rest of our lives,

but not together.

MIKA

There Must Be Redwoods Nearby!

I went out for happy hour with some friends and found this gynormous pine cone. I should have put something in the picture for contrast. It is 5 and 1/2 inches tall. How cool. I am so excited and am going to mail it to my penpal niece. She is going to be so thrilled - I think lol.

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Halloween is Coming!

Here is my nephew Joshua - how cute is he, getting ready for Halloween by helping to decorate Bam's yard. I am looking forward to Halloween. I had a free ticket I had to use from my old company credit card so based off Judy's suggestion, I cashed it in to go to New Orleans for Halloween. She is going to meet up with me and I think it will be fun. I have never been there and since Halloween is on a Saturday night I figured it would be a good year to go.

We Are Not What You Think We Are...

WE ARE GOLDEN!