Saturday Morning

The week had been tough relationship-wise. Everyone I was close to was pissing me off. My roommate set a bug bomb off while I was sleeping (mistake, of course). My mom wasn’t calling me back. And el Venado, the boyfriend, kept screwing up.

He called Friday night. The first ten minutes of the conversation were tense. He was trying, but I insisted on answering his open-ended questions with yeses, nos, okays, and fines. Of course I wasn’t fine or okay, and he could pick up on it. Ten minutes into the conversation he finally received my telepathic clues and said what I wanted to hear.

“I want to see you.”
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720 to Crazyland. Cocktail race relations.

I took the Purple Line to the 720 to an art event on Sunday.

And this happened:

I was pouring myself some wine and a woman said, “That’s a beautiful dress you have on.”  I said thanks. She went on to say it was the first time she had been at this particular establishment on Wilshire Blvd. I told her I went to this particular establishment all of them time, well rather used to.

I said the place had lots of events. Art talks, poetry, jazz…she then stopped me.

“Oh I like jazz, but I don’t like rap music, sorry. I don’t like it.”
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La Crisis: Can you smell it?

I’m not going to tell you there is a big fire in the Valley. It’s practically all there is on the news, and of course most peeps can smell it or feel the effects from the bad air quality.

They cancelled classes after 2 pm on Monday and I was very eager to leave. Got back to LA by 3:30 and still felt kinda like crap.

Today I stayed in LA and was hoping I’d feel better, maybe its all in my head. Looking at the Air Quality Index, I realized just how bad the air we breathe is. News to me.

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BLINDSPOT!

I’ve been commuting to my job at Lincoln High School by bicycle since I’ve started working there almost 2 years ago.  It’s been pretty uneventful as far as run-ins with automobiles, suprisingly since Broadway is pretty hectic around 8am.  I know that once I approach the school that I should really be on the look out for people darting into the far right lane to drop off their kids. Now here is where today got interesting… Continue reading

The Fan and Fernando

I like to think I was destined to be a lifelong Dodger fan. I was born just before Fernando “El Toro” Valenzuela was called up to the majors in September 1980. Of course, I don’t remember that. Nor do I remember Fernando Mania and his awesome 1981 season which resulted Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards. In fact, I really don’t remember much about Fernando during his prime years except for listening to Jaime Jarrín announce over the radio, “¡Lo ponchó!”

Fernando made many people fans… or at least increased their love for the Dodgers. Still, I can’t say Fernando made me a fan. My dad gets all the credit for that.
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Random Hero

Standard issued street soldiers. That’s how I refer to cops after I heard Henry Rollings use those very words to describe them and at times that’s what they are. My first post on here was about a check point and me talking trash and putting the cops in bad light. Fellow bloggers and readers have also expressed their dislike of authority figures whether it’s from personal experience of just hearing about they’re oppression from other’s who have gone through it. However recent events have changed my view of officers. It only takes one bad apple to ruin the rest and leave a bad taste in your mouth. Over the weekend I was threatened with a knife over my stupid phone. You can read the whole story on my personal blog. During the whole incident I was dumb founded by the help that came my way. A person actually took a stand and did something about what happened to me. A random stranger became my Random Hero and went out of his way to make sure that the mocoso who threatened me with a knife was caught by the MTA sheriffs. That’s another thing, the sheriffs actually showed up on time and caught the mocoso as he tried to make a run for it. To me, it feels like too much of a big deal was made for a stupid phone. None the less, what happened to me that Friday night at the railway station will stay with me. I myself have helped other’s in need when no one else would help them. Maybe it was karma returning the favor, La Virgen looking out for me like she always does or something completely different. What ever it was, I’m grateful and appreciative for those who helped me, even though I may have lost my faith in them and talked trash about them. It’s easy to condemn other’s and just go about living your life not caring about anyone else. that’s why it does my heart good to know that THERE ARE people out there who actually give a rat ass about their fellow human beings. That being said, that’s the last time I bad mouth the jura. And remember, there will come a day when we will be in need of a Random Hero, because even a Hero needs saving sometimes.

The Heroes of East LA

In Quantum Physics, there is a Law of Attraction in which similar objects are attracted to each other. Since we humans are also part of the physical world, that theory would also apply to each of us.
I am fortunate to meet many great men and women during my usual week. They work quietly and diligently in the background, always steady, always faithful—adding more than their share towards the whole. It is not then surprising that two such similar beings should succumb to the Laws of Attraction even on the eastside.
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La Gripa

Photo Credit: Cynthia Goldsmith

I don’t believe in flu shots. I’ve never had one and I don’t plan on getting one any time soon either. Specially since I just finished getting over it this weekend. My thing about the flu shot is that eventually the virus will mutate into an extremely viral form that can have the potential to kill anyone regardless of age or health status. Except last year I got the “Super Flu” and I was down for a month. I found this really cool interactive description of how a super flu is born and how we get it. Still, I prefer to get over it the old fashion way, building up my immune system and kicking it’s ass. This practice works for me because I only get sick once a year. My body takes about three days to get rid of la gripa and it happens in 4 stages:

1. Body/head aches, congested and generally feeling caca

2. The water works start and a handkerchief becomes my best friend

3. My throat feels as if I was the lead signer of a death metal band and every time I cough my body aches

4. I’m back to normal, but still expelling what’s left over  

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Yabba Dabba Doo!

Sarah Palin is quoted as saying that “…Dinosaurs and Humans walked the Earth at the same time…”

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-palinreligion28-2008sep28,0,1440865.story

It looks to me like the Governor has learned her Earth History from watching a certain TV family from Bedrock.

We can only assume then, that this may be Governor Palin’s vision for our country’s future in Science and Space Exploration…..