Lost Angeles

2009-11-05T00:32:00.001-08:00

Today we looked at a very small place with a very large deck and a very large place with a very small deck. And then other places that were dirty and far away from local shops, no parks nearby, and then there were places that were close to shops and parks.

Friday we're checking out a place with a bedroom loft. And there are others, in Los Feliz I think, that we found by doing drive-bys.

Plus, I had fish tacos from a mexican place that claimed they were the "Best in LA"...but I think they were lying. The fish was dry and the tacos were only two to a plate and it was an overpriced plate at that.

Still searching for the best fish taco in LA...still searching...

2009-11-05T00:29:00.000-08:00

Have you ever met someone and thought to yourself, 'That's a man I could love'? It's a hard question to answer.

Damn.

Fire! Fire!

2009-11-03T13:44:00.000-08:00

Today, there was a fire along the 60 as I was driving to Riverside. The yellow planes bringing water came dangerously close to the road. The sky was a dull brown. It smelled like BBQ smoke, I saw the orangey flames dancing alongside the concrete freeway, teasing the firemen and the police officers that were trying to keep everything contained, controlled. It seemed like they should be more upset, the way the fire was mocking them like that. The fire had already burned most of the hillside, the smoke billowing up into the clouds. At first I thought it was a tornado, the way the smoke swirled upwards so violently. You could see the blue clearly on either side. I wanted to fly in those yellow planes, they had a purpose. I liked seeing them swoop so close to my car, because I wasn't used to it probably, and because I wanted them to put out the taunting fire.

At the same time though, it was mesmerizing, watching the hill burn like that, and so quickly. A change in the routine, the day to day. Is it wrong to welcome a burning hillside for selfish reasons? It's not like I had to worry about it destroying my home. Still, I felt guilty. Relishing in how it burned. My heart pumped in my chest, I was so close. I think I'm a bit of a pyro.

We're looking for a new place to live in LA. Checking out a place in Echo Park and Silverlake on Wednesday. Hopefully I'll get to check out the AFI Fest, as well. Yesterday we looked at a cute guest house in Atwater Village (and then also a not-cute guest house which was more money).

Probably be spending Turkey Day and Christmas in LA this year. I'm looking forward to visiting New York come warmer weather. I am constantly contradicting myself. But I like my life right now - full of possibility. Always good. :)

Dog-Sitting, the Silverlake Way

2009-10-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

We're dog-sitting for tonight, crashing at our friends' place in Silverlake while they're in Vegas. The hunt for our own apartment continues as we get back in the groove of the daily routine in La La Land (though M is convinced we should take off and move to Argentina). M's existential crisis aside, I'm enjoying being back in Los Angeles. Besides New York, it's probably my favorite place to be in the good ol' US of A (as far as cities go). This summer we drove across the country to NY and back, stopping in small and large towns and cities in between, and I can seriously say that I LOVE AMERICA. The people in it anyway that aren't trying to be greedy and steal all the money for themselves. The States are complex and all over the place. Southwest, Northwest, Middle of the country, New England, Mid-Atlantic, South. This country really does have it all. I just hope I can afford to do what I want to do. Find a job when I graduate. Make a living. Hell, I don't need much. I'm thrifty. :)

And so here we are. Craigslist job postings are ghastly. Really. "Work for free and maybe we'll give you a job eventually...Cheers!" No. Thanks.

Screenwriting is going good. Working on many new projects that I'm excited about, and Fiction, well, that's going along. I'm building the spine right now of the NY stories project. It's a slow and sure process. I'm amazed at how much more time and effort it takes to complete a short story in fiction than a screenplay - or maybe it's just that I have movies on the mind? Or that I don't necessarily think that writing a screenplay is depressing work (because I enjoy it). I'm a broken record. Why must there be one or the other - why not just write what I feel like - just write, you know? The Movies and Books sections are always the first to be read when browsing the NY times. I really like what I do. I just hope I can find a way to keep doing this when I graduate.

I've discovered that finishing projects helps - as in really finishing them. Then at least I can send them out in the world. See if they can find a home. If anything, I'm working towards that. Completing ideas so that they're tangible. Even if someone hates what I write, at least I've finished something, you know? It's one more thing to add to my body of work.

So that's it. There you go!

There's been a heat wave this past week. It's been in the low 90s. Heard it snowed in NY already. Crazy. Is this global warming? I ran around the Silverlake reservoir for the first time yesterday. It was late at night, but I wasn't scared. It just made me run faster. Plus, there are lots of people out and about in that part of the city so all was well.

Enjoy the day!

Wow.

2009-09-23T13:34:00.001-07:00

First noticed this on a friend's link and had to share:

Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian artist who just won Ukraine's version of "America's Got Talent." She uses a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and "sand painting" skills to interpret Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII.

Let it happen to you. Life is in the right, always. - Rilke

2009-09-22T20:55:00.001-07:00

Show Me Show Me Show Me Show Me

2009-09-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

I love Dexter and Mad Men. Sigh. They are always, always a good time. I'd even say that they're art.

Oh yeah, and True Blood. Guilty pleasure.

The end.

The Redwood Forest

2009-09-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

So, you get it going. So, you get it gone.

We're driving to the redwood forest today. We are driving to the redwood forest today. It sounds...enchanting. Like a fairy tale. I've been there before, but still, the redwood forest played with my mind, the light disappeared before it was supposed to. There were other worldly turns. I was by myself. Maybe this time it will be different.

Nature can do that to you. And life.

Sacramento was surprisingly fun!

Next stop: Up north. More so.

Joy.

WELCOME TO KYBURZ/NOW LEAVING KYBURZ

2009-09-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

And so it is.

Aren't leaving places so much fun?

We're constantly leaving places, we're constantly avoiding getting stuck. Whatever that means. I felt rather sick yesterday. My stomach was all out of wack. I curled up in a ball and tried to think.

So, mountain towns...did you know they're all made of wood?

We passed Kyburz on the way out. Kyburz was so small that the Welcome and Leaving signs were on one white metal sheet.

WELCOME TO KYBURZ/NOW LEAVING KYBURZ.

That's what it said. We had left before we had even entered the town! There were one or two convenience stores, too.

My horoscope said I have to plan out the future and September is my month for planning. So. Contingency plan. First, we must go into the unknown. Then we must sing for the sparrows. Bear Box! Houses in Lake Tahoe have bear boxes! (So the bears don't get into the trash.) And there's all this outdoor stuff you have to do if you're in Tahoe. Like, go camping on your two days off! And drink milkshakes at Echo Lake! And hike up mountains! And go on 72 hour bike rides!

Also, people were coming from far and wide to see the lake for Labor Day. I can't blame them. It was pretty.

Now we're in Sacramento. M's downstairs watching football with people, I'm upstairs writing. At least...for now...

2009-09-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

We're staying at the THUNDERBIRD MOTEL (or rather THUDER TEL since half the neon letters are out on the sign). The office smells like curry and is run by an indian man, and I presume, the rest of his family, by all the shoes that are stacked outside the door. We're in Bishop, California, near Lake Tahoe, which is our next stop. Surprisingly, Bishop has quite a lot of Mexican shops and also the Thunderbird Motel is next to a coffeeshop. Looney's or something like that. Loodles? Or was that in Colorado? It looks like there are some nice places here. They're even playing District 9 and some weepy Cameron Diaz movie in the local theater.

We were going to camp, but then we realized we didn't have any camping gear (except a tent and makeshift sleeping bags). We decided against buying all new stuff just for a few days of camping/wilderness time. I figure going hiking will have to suffice. Now we're heading up to Washington, British Columbia eventually, and then back down to Los Angeles. School starts around September 24th.

I've been buckling down, writing a lot, also taking lots of pictures.

Yesterday we drove through Death Valley. It was so hot that my eyes felt like they were sweating, I couldn't breathe. It felt like being in a sauna, only there was no door to let me out, just sand and sky for miles and miles. No escape. Still, beautiful though, like being on Mars, or as M told me, "You only think this looks like Mars because all the movies on Mars are shot here."

Ha.

Vegas Weekend!

2009-08-29T15:09:00.001-07:00

Only not...because I'm spending it writing in my room and in casino coffee shops.

The sad thing is I am SO EXCITED about doing this. Even now I'm listening to the ping ping ping of the slot machines and absolutely loving just sitting down and watching all the different people walk by.

My reverie only ends when someone comes up to me to ask a question. (Or possibly flirt with me? Is that even a possibility? I'm really bad at telling which is which.) I guess I've been here long enough where people think I know what's what on the main floor (oh, how wrong they are).

And although it's tempting to try and win $100,000.00, the likelihood that I actually will is rare. I probably have a better chance of being struck by lightning (I guess it's good that I don't believe I'm a winner. After all, aren't there only losers in Vegas?). To the everyday person, this realization might come as an obvious one, but it really did take me until...oh, yesterday...to realize that I am never ever going to win in the city of sin.

Anyway, we're going out tonight...to somewhere...Vegas-y. That's enough, isn't it? Right?

'Till then though, I'm comfy in my little chair. Happy as a clam. Yes, Ma'am.

Escape From New York!

2009-08-16T06:10:00.001-07:00

...just kidding.

The wedding last night was lovely. DELICIOUS food, beautiful place, and I saw family I haven't seen in way too long. There was dancing and merriment and the band was wicked good, way above the typical Adam-Sandler-Wedding-Singer thing (although I've never really been to a wedding where there was an Adam Sandler-type wedding singer...hmmm...).

We leave for Sara's wedding today (DURANGO!), also heading back to the West Coast. We're going the roundabout way (driving to Colorado, Utah, Nevada, up through California, then to Washington and back down again - but we'll get there eventually. Picking up Em around 1:00 and then taking off. :)

Theresa gave me a book: A Circle of Quiet by Madeline L'Engle. I'm excited to read it. I adore books, ADORE them.

Sigh.

Okay, back to packing...

xristopos

2009-08-07T03:33:00.000-07:00

We're heading to the village today, the one that doesn't appear on any maps.

Athens is HOT, but comforting. Does that make sense? I love how everyone has balconies in Greece, and I love how a lot of people actually use them!

I've been reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez short stories and my imagination has been running wild. My head is full of spirits and small villages where the heat just floats and sticks.

They say the Peloponnese is the "backwaters" of Greece.

M says Greece is like Mexico.

I think Greece is like Los Angeles. At least...okay, well, at least the climate is.

I'll say it again, maybe that's why I like LA so much weather-wise, it's like the land of my ancestors. Or half of my ancestors.

Curious, I must say.

Boo

2009-08-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

:(

Ugh.

"The life is hard."

I'll Be Your Alternate, Baby

2009-08-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

In an alternate universe, I have a boyfriend. I live in Los Angeles with this boyfriend. We just decide to leave one summer, we put everything in storage, we take off across the country to New York and visit my family, then we go to Europe, we travel by train to Greece from Germany.

Oh, wait...that IS my universe. YES!

::Eva does the happy dance:: <-Eva = Dork

It’s going to be hot today, I can only assume.

The internet isn’t working. All we’ve been eating is pasta and greek salads and spinach pies and gyros (glorious!). Myzethra too. And cheese! We’ve been eating in a lot and M makes his Arrabbiata sauce which is actually quite tasty. I don’t mind not doing much in Thessaloniki, because we’ve been go go go since the beginning of June and even before that, so I’m okay. It’s nice to not do anything and just relax, to just wander, especially since from the 15-20th it’s probably going to be go-go-go again, with flying back home and then Melissa’s wedding and then driving to Sara’s (although, don't get me wrong, I am excited!).

Yesterday I was not very creative. At least not as creative as the day before yesterday. The day just faded away and there was nothing left of it. We went to the store and at the stores here they weigh the fruits before you go the final register so the final register people don’t have to weight the fruits. See, there's this fruit girl who specifically weighs the fruits in the produce department and that is her job. Not that it really matters who's weighing the fruits in the end. Actually, those big supermarkets are not so different from how it is in the U.S. Except cheese and fruit and vegetables are much cheaper here. Much, much cheaper. Or at least certain ones are. For instance, avocados are actually more expensive then they are in Southern California, but then, they're expensive in New York, too. But hungarian green peppers are EXTREMELY cheap here! Like .35 euro cents for 7 of them. Also, I didn't realize how obsessed I was with sushi! And avocados, apparently. But even New York doesn't have the variety of sushi that LA has (sorry New York?). Sure, there is expensive and yummy sushi places in NY, but I haven't found cheap, affordable and yummy places yet (if anyone knows of any, let me know!). My point is, Sushi and avocados and yummy asian and mexican food and fresh fruit and vegetables and sunshine is a Southern California thing. Granted you can have fresh fruit and vegetables on the east coast too, this I know...sigh...I'm just going to stop comparing. The two cities are just...different. It's like comparing a really big apple to a really big orange. Good thing I just like fruit, period.

Right now: There's the smell of tomatoes boiling, someone shouts down the street in tune with the music on the radio. There’s some Japanese cooking show on television and the challenge is to cook with mushrooms. For whatever reason there doesn’t seem to be many mushrooms in this town. I don’t know why but Greeks don’t believe in mushrooms, maybe the 'shrooms can’t survive in the arid ground? Maybe Greeks just make what’s do. Or I’m not looking in the right places.

I miss beaches! Sarti was fun (and relaxing - I'm all about relaxing right now, can you tell?). I think we're going to try to go to one of the blue flag beaches outside of Thessaloniki. You can take a bus to them, that's what I hear. Yup. On the telley they had a news feature about the "crazy" beaches of Greece. It was actually funny. They had a segment about the bikini and just showed lots of pictures of women's butts! Really, Greek News? Really? Is the bikini that extraordinary? Plus, they just showed people partying and dancing all crazy on the different island - which I don't understand. How is any of this breaking news? Isn't that what you're supposed to do in the summers in Greece? Just dance to electronica on the beach? Hmmmmm?

Or...perhaps, perhaps...something was lost in translation. That could be it, too. I can't understand all the words yet, but I am getting there. Slowly, slowly... :)

Random Thoughts From A Thessaloniki Apartment

2009-08-02T03:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to the gym that’s right by Thea’s house and asked how much it would be a month to join. They said 75 euros the first month then 65 euros after that. That’s SO expensive! Especially if you’re converting it to dollars. Europe’s just a bad choice to travel to if you're working with USD right now. But still, even if you had euros - that's a lot for a gym! Plus, it was a woman's gym. Hee, no boys like M allowed. Or any boys for that matter. I guess it's like a fancy Curves? But no, they had yogalates and pilates. I like how it's right down the street from my Thea's place though.

Darkness. The air here from the fan blows, but I can’t really feel it. Thea got this from the old ladies down the street. They said they didn’t need it and gave it to her. It’s a heater but also a fan. It blows and blows and blows. They say things like this help. The Fan, for instance, but it’s hardly cooling me off on this hot August day. It kills me that there’s no AC here. This could be fun. We could rent a car. But…but…but…

In Kormista, there is a man who drives around and honks his around – blam blam blam blam blam blam (no, more like buh buh buh buh buh) – very melodic and staccato – like he’s driving over rocks, bumpy concrete. A personalized horn to let you know that – yes! The cart man is here! - And he brings the villagers fruit and other goods with pop music blaring from his speakers so that you know he’s there.

This man, he's in Thessaloniki too.

I like booking my hotel accommodations in caves. Meaning, you find an empty one and you set up camp and then you don’t leave until you want to leave. Caves by beaches, hard to get to caves where you won’t be disturbed or where you will drown in your sleep because of the tide. This is a careful process, but it’s a delicate one, and it’s one that can be done, obviously.

The dates are all out of order. It’s early, before noon. So people are out on the streets. There’s the low murmur of voices, though I can’t make out what they’re saying. Occasionally a kid will scream for his mama. Thessaloniki is hot like New York is hot in the summer. Unbearable. Sweltering. The only difference is that my family doesn’t have AC in Greece (which is fine – most everyday apartments that I’ve been in don’t have AC in Greece). I’ve lived in a lot of places without AC too. The apartment in the North End didn’t have AC, the house in Los Angeles that we just moved from didn’t have AC. I tend to choose old world places. My house in New York sort of had AC, but it was the AC that comes from those clunky window units and for whatever reason my room didn’t have one, just Gina’s and my parents. How fair is it that she got the bigger room? M brought up that subject when he went to visit my childhood home. It’s funny actually. He was like, “What? You’re older! Why didn’t you get the bigger room?” And I didn’t know how to answer. It’s a good question and I’d like to know the answer. Why didn’t I get that room? Ha. Not that it matters now. Anyway, M was just teasing me, giving me a hard time as he often likes to do.
There’s the rustling of keys outside this window. There’s someone breaking glass, trying to fix a broken laundry rack, the splash of water on the street, the old ladies hosing down their balconies. The crickets outside, the silence. Dogs barking.

There are all these ads on Greek TV for work out gadgets that get you fit without you doing any work. I can’t make out most of the words, but a lot of it involves putting on Fit-U pants or Shake It Skirts and then just sitting down and reading a book and letting the pants do the work for you. I can only assume that people must buy these products (because there are so many of them advertised on here) and the only reason people buy these products is that they are extremely lazy and do not want to do the effort and go to the gym or go for a run or a swim or a whatever. Also, there is this man that rides around in a truck (the Karpouzi Man!) and he shouts strange words to people and there is fruit in the back of his truck and all you can really hear is this washed out voice and it’s almost like he’ll kill you if you step outside of your house: Come outside now and I will throw watermelons at you and you will surely perish. Though my Thea says he’s only selling melons. Plus, there is an old lady that watches me through the curtains and there are all these old ladies and they peer in when the curtain blows and so what if I’m in my underwear I’m not going to apologize for walking around like this because for the next few days it's where we live and I’m alone and if it wasn’t 100 degrees outside maybe I would put some clothes on but because it’s so hot in this silly country with no AC then you leave me no choice, Greece, you leave me no choice. Anyway, this old lady is leaning back on her chair and she is peering in and you can see her crane her neck to get a good glimpse but I don’t care I really don’t I just hope this old lady isn’t friends with my old lady aunt and I hope my old lady aunt doesn’t walk in when I’m prancing around in my birthday suit because just because I want to do this doesn’t mean that she’d be okay with it...or would she?

I actually had more random thoughts but the internet is shoddy in her apartment so blogger deleted the rest. I guess this is the end then.

Pfft.

I will say one more thing though, you see M just made me a frappe and he's better at making frappes then I am, maybe because he shakes the stuff more than I can, he's just stronger I guess. How you make a frappe is you put one spoonful of the crumbly frappe mix in an empty water bottle and then you put some sugar and then you put some water and you close up the empty water bottle with its cap and then you walk around the apartment shaking the bottle and jumping up and down and dancing through the rooms and then when you've shaken the empty water bottle enough you uncap the bottle and you pour the contents in a specifically designed frappe glass (all the glasses in Greece serve a purpose, they have water glasses and greek coffee glasses and other glasses and naturally the frappe glass has "nescafe frappe" written in curvy letters on the side). Last but not least you dip a curvy rainbow-colored straw in the frappe and voila! You have yourself a cold drink for the summer heat. Also, here's the important thing, it's good to use ice cold water for this drink otherwise there's really no point in it. Who would want a luke warm frappe? Blegh.

Question: Why do europeans not believe in ice? Por que?

It's Just Different

2009-08-01T06:13:00.000-07:00

You have to throw the toilet paper in little bins over here because Greek plumbing isn’t like American plumbing (this isn’t everywhere – for instance, in the fancy restaurants and hotels it might be different but I’ve never been in any of those – at least not in Greece). Also, people don’t believe in ice over here. I’m not sure why not, but for some reason no one sells ice and no one really gives you ice in drinks and if you order a frappe maybe there will be one or two pieces of ice clinking around in your drink, but don’t expect much. Customer service doesn’t really exist in Greece either. The waitress leaves you alone and doesn’t really ever come back. Thea’s always going on about how everyone will steal from you except the Greeks but since I’ve been here the only people that have been dishonest with me are the Greeks. Just little things. Charging too much for the taxi or the fruit at the produce stand. So, you just have to be careful.

I just think it’s funny. People are people are people, you know? And there are good people and there are bad people. You just have to use your judgment about who to trust.

We're taking it easy in Greece now. Relaxing. Walking around. Snapping pictures. We spent a few days on the beach in Sarti, Halkidiki. That was nice. Just bobbing in the sea, swimming out as far as you can go, trying not to step on the sea urchins.

And now and now and now...I'm going to make a Greek salad, maybe watch some bad Greek TV. It's funny, Greek women on the TV here are all dolled up. And the men? Tan, tall, hairy. Are these stereotypes? Perhaps! But there's some truth to stereotypes? No?

I am officially in the hair belt of the world. (Middlesex? Anyone?)

Hmmm...to be continued...

Ick

2009-07-31T08:40:00.000-07:00

It happened in Greece. There was a maggot in our greens! We had greens with lemons and M picked up a piece of lettuce and bam, there it was. Squiggling and inching its way off the smooth, white plate. How could you not see it? It was so clear you could see the insides. How frantic it swung its little head around – rising up on its little worm body less than a centimeter tall. Trying to find salvation – or a juicy piece of rotting flesh to breed in. We had already eaten the whole salad. We had probably digested some of his brothers.

When the waiter came back, I didn’t know how to explain that there was a maggot in the greens. I waved my hands around, I inched my finger along the table to mime a worm inching its way across our food. The waiter smiled and then he smiled wider. He shrugged his shoulders, looked around. He didn't understand. The word for maggot wasn’t in my Greek book and we had never covered it in class. In the midst of my explanation I pointed down to the plate – but the worm had disappeared. It was smart and was hiding underneath the few remaining pieces – I was sure of it! But the waiter, in a hurry, picked up the plate and disappeared in the kitchen. Our evidence was now gone. Maybe he really did understand? Maybe he was telling the other waiters as we waited, watching the waves churn and break against the cove?

They brought out the Calamari. They brought out the mussels. We ate in silence. They talked in the back. I could hear a few words but no one came out to apologize, and then I thought, maybe you don’t apologize in Greece. Maybe you just pretend it never happened.

And that’s exactly what we did.

(Shudder.)

The History of How We Came to Be

2009-07-18T01:26:00.000-07:00

M is trying to convince me that English is the dominant travelling language in the world (at least for now). We are on a train from Budapest to Belgrade. We are almost to Belgrade. It makes me want to travel more. Talking to a married couple from Croatia and a Hungarian on the train. We are Americans, the American couple from Los Angeles. I should know more about Los Angeles. And New York - not how it is now, but the history of how it came to be. I should know more about my own culture. Greece. Italy. I want to go back and find my relatives in Italy. Everyone sort of knows something, but it's fading now and this...makes me sad. We must tackle these topics small at first and then larger. When I’m around people that don’t speak English well then I start to speak English like them. Slower. More thoughtful. In a way, I like how they speak English more than I speak the language. Their inflections and the rise and fall of their voices - it's all new and in hearing them speak it's like I'm looking at English in a new way - words have dimensions, they morph. I see them in a new light. The sounds of words - it's all not as familiar as my own voice. I like moving to the unfamiliar. I feel safer there, scared. Which is exciting - makes me more aware. Honestly, I'd rather hear what you have to say than talk about myself. It's always been like that though.

We shall see. We were on the train. It was hot. We were tired and thirsty and sweating. The train was late...we sat on the tracks for about three hours, maybe four.

Still. Hungarian is spoken by about 15 million people. Croatian about 6 million. We've also passed through Germany. I'm just one person and all these languages, how is it possible for one individual to know them all if they're not devoting all their time to studying them - if they're not using them on a day to day basis? It would be fanciful to study languages all the time, but how can I pay the rent this way? I guess I'm always asking myself the same question, except with writing. How can I still do what I love and pay the bills? There has to be a way to do it, people have done it before...so they say, so you hear...

I think I'm the most interested in learning Greek, Italian, and Spanish. Those are the languages that call to me (probably because of my heritage and also because I just like the way they sound and I want to know more about these cultures - superficial, I know). But if you're going to spend hours and hours and days and days and months and years learning a new code of communication, it should be one that you're passionate about, no?

Still. I do always feel a little guilty when I don't know the language. I try to memorize a few key words: Hello, excuse me, thank you, please. And smiling, that always helps too. :)

2009-07-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

Munchen

2009-07-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

Sing Sing Sing

2009-07-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

We hit up all the Rockland eats I could think of. Classic ones. Okay, maybe. Well...not really actually. We did hit up Napoli's Pizza though and then we made cheese pasta and tomatoes and beans. But this made me think...where are fantastic places to eat in Rockland County? There isn't a lot online. And I haven't been back here enough to know.

I had recommendations to go to Velo Wine Bar and Spice of India in Nyack, which I remember being good places. When I used to live here I'd always get a bagel at David's and then probably head somewhere in Nyack. Sometimes we'd get take-out chinese at Mandarin Restaurant. There's a Thai and Sushi place in New City, but oh lord, they're expensive (!). Maybe I'm spoiled from cheap sushi and thai places in LA. Is there just more of an Asian influence there or what?

Hmm.

Anyway, today's a busy day. Packing up and doing laundry and deciding what to bring on the journey. I think I overpacked for the road trip. It's deceiving. I said I was going to be away for three months and then my mind was like, "YOU MUST BRING MANY CLOTHES!" And that was stupid. I'll probably leave most of what I brought in my New York home and then try to ship it back to LA later on (or cram it in the car on the journey back to la la land).

This morning I went running around the tennis court in my backyard. I remember doing that when I was in high school. I was psychotic about it. I'd just listen to music and run around in circles (Heck, it beats going on the treadmill). This year my parents didn't open the pool. I think it's better that way - It's not like they ever use it, you know?

The air is fresh out here. It was nice to have the balance. Head into the city and then come back here for a few days before we take out.

Oh, and the two cats are crazy. They're like two-year-olds. Just running around and jumping on things and giving you hugs (which I never thought cats could do, but these ones are very loving).

Whenever I'm in NY, I have the urge to sing to myself. Just sing, sing, sing. I sing in LA, too, but for some reason, the urge is stronger here. Why?

Why? Why? Why?

Maybe I'll figure it out someday. Or maybe my life has been just too crazy out West and now is the only time that I can finally just relax a bit. Take a deep breath.

3 Tips To Happiness

2009-06-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

I agree with this, what do you think?

1. Have a Healthy Outlet

So many of the people in this study seemed to have all their ducks in a row. In their prime years in the 1950’s and 1960’s, they were making big money in powerful careers. They had beautiful families and lived in idyllic neighborhoods. Oddly enough, later in life, many of these fortunate people ended up breaking down mentally and physically. Why? If one didn’t have a healthy outlet for their fears, nerves, and struggles, it was only a matter of time before repressed demons erupted to the surface. The happiest people in this study had a healthy outlet. They were altruistic or had a rich sense of humor. They funneled their issues into sport, “their lust into courtship.”

It’s something important to consider. As the study proves, a human being can get away with sustaining daily nerves, fears, and doubts for a number of years. But ultimately, such a nervous nelly will crack. If you haven’t already, develop an outlet…find a sport, commit to helping others, lighten up, and laugh more often. A wise one said, "A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs, jolted by every pebble in the road."

2. Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

This study, as reported in Atlantic Magazine, was summed up beautifully by the journalist Joshua Shenk: “Herein lies the key to a good life--not rules to follow, nor problems to avoid-- but an engaged humility, an earnest acceptance of life’s pains and promises.”

In other words, one can only carry the burden of a big ego and lots of pride for so long before your proverbial knees will buckle. Don’t take life too seriously. We all have weaknesses. Do you really want to battle your dark side year after year? Or might it just be time to lay down your arms, take a deep breath, and enjoy life. It’s shorter than you think.

3. Happiness Must be Shared

The other night I was watching the movie adaptation of Into the Wild, the true story of Chris McCandless (see above photo which is a self-portrait found undeveloped in McCandless's camera after his death). Fed up with the rat race, McCandless graduated college in the early 1990's, left his worried parents in the dust, sold all his belongings, and ventured deep into the Alaskan wilderness. Before dying of starvation, he seemed to regret his isolationist ways and wrote these last words in his journal, “Happiness only real when shared.” According to the 72 year old study, McCandless was spot on. In the study, those who spent too much alone time ultimately struggled. The happiest subjects in the study were those who sustained meaningful, healthy relationships with friends and family. One can never give enough hugs, say enough "I love you's," and send enough "I miss you's."

SEE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE!

Thundercats & Murder

2009-06-22T14:23:00.000-07:00

Thunderheads....You've never heard that word before have you?
You're a Thunderhead.
You're a...Thundercat.
Thanks. (Smiles.)

WE ARE IN MISSOURI! It is hot here. And we had to get our oil changed on an awful street of chain restaurants in Springfield. M was mad. He was shaking his head a lot and narrowing his big blue eyes. His big, doe-like blue eyes. Just kidding. His eyes aren't doe-like at all (are you kidding me?).

Okay, so we had Fried Chicken last night at Annie's. Yup. Driving to Indianapolis now. And, what's more. The Ozarks were the largest mountains in the U.S. once upon a time.

(Back in the day.)

Did you know that? Know you do. I took pictures. Sugar Tree Rd. But it's just all green, you know? It's just all trees and leaves and green grass and lots of weeds.

Truck Wars. That's a problem on these roads. The eighteen wheelers pass each other over and over again. They make a sport of it. Vroom. Vroom.

Doolittle. 7 miles.

Okay, there's a lot of murders going on in Bleeding Kansas. The Clutter Family. And then M's family told me a story about this house that disguised itself as a trading post. They'd take the travelers down to the basement and pretend to be serving them dinner. Suddenly, from a flimsy wall, would emerge the Mama with a club and she'd beat the travelers to death and the family would rob them and bury the bodies. In the gardens by the squash. Or tomatoes. Whatever. The important thing is...

Yup. That's Kansas for you. That's what happens when people eat too much fried chicken and sweet tea. They go...crazy.

Just kidding. M's family was actually super nice. He had me worried for nothing. I think he just likes to give me a hard time.

I love random signs:

HIT A WORKER
$10,000 Fine

Like it's a threat. Who would want to hit a worker in the first place?

Also, M doesn't believe me when I say my dad is a big teddy bear/marshmallow. This is the first time he's going to meet my family and people are giving him trouble when he says he's going to an Italian wedding in Jersey. Like he's walking into mafia-territory. Ha ha.

Poor, poor M. :)

Take Me To Tulsa

2009-06-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

Heading into Tulsa.

Gastropub. Yum. Oscar's Gastro Pub. (Though The York is better - in my eyes. Not as sweet or greasy.)

We are going to Copan today. We are an hour away. M calls Oklahoma towns "craptastic".

Lovely.

We are also lost right now. Which is fun. To be lost. Last night we were in Stillwater. Lots of Orange. Good thing I was wearing orange too, although it was purely a coincidence.

Yee-haw!

Did you know that when people first came to Oklahoma there was oil covering the ground in parts? Did you know that it bubbled up from the earth in pools? We passed by a few people who owned the oil back in the day, or the pipelines that transported the oil. Their houses were...big.

The end.

For now.