home sweet home

suburbia

the father of a kid in my kid's school (let's call him Buford) whooped up on the father of another kid in my kid's class (let's call him Hans) because Buford didn't like Hans' driving. this all happened in the parking lot of the elementary school IN FRONT OF CHILDREN!!!! Buford had the nerve to say that Hans was setting a bad example for the children by his bad driving as he was roughing Hans up. the WORST part is that of all of the adults who witnessed this, only one person went up to Hans afterwards to see what happened, and to see if he was ok. no one else has said a word to Hans about it since. kind of twilight zone-ish.

DOMESTICATION IS SETTING IN

did it. bought a house. we're over 40 and finally own our own mortgage. i'll post pictures later. my job is the hardest thing i've ever done, except for childbirth. very challenging, but i love it. husband is working on an austin independent comedy.


maybe i should change my blog name to cali girl. I MISS L.A.!!!! (don't you dare tell anyone i said that)

so, i've been away.

not feeling so bloggy these days. maybe i'll come back one day. we are in texas, and i think we're buying a house tomorrow! panic is setting in. and excitement!

oh, the best news of all!

my sister who was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in around november, was just given the news that she is free and clear!!!! she has the strongest faith in God of just about anyone i know. not many stage 4 diagnoses go completely into remission like that. my faith has waned quite a bit of late, but this definitely gives me hope.

my head is about to explode

i hate change, folks. like, REALLY dread it. it gives me knots in my stomach, the heebie jeebies, and i have strange dreams that i can't quite remember when i wake, but i have a strange unsettled feeling when i open my eyes. i create completely irrational scenarios in my mind about the horrors that change might possibly bring about. like if i take one step away from the path i'm on, that unknown terrors await me around every bend. yet...

at the same time, it exhilarates me! i feel empowered. on top of the world with endless possibilities before me. how can i possibly feel so powerful and so incredibly freaked out all at the same time? is that...normal? right now my emotions are going from one extreme to another within a matter of minutes. from feeling like i can conquer anything, to feeling like i want to just crawl in a hole, or better, drink a whole lotta something.

ultimately, this may sound like a heap load-o-gibberish to all of you. suffice it to say, there are some big changes on the horizon in my world. in the world of my little family. all very good, but hard for me to conceive of. my dear husband is very supportive, and proud, and even willing to make concessions. the kid is excited and positive, and always the light of my universe. i started this blog because i was homesick for texas. a place for me to pine away for austin. and now i fear losing something by leaving los angeles. friends. excitement. maybe i am more interesting as a texan in l.a. than as a texan in, well, texas. i come from a family of flamboyants. HEY! that would be a great movie title. "The Flamboyants" i digress. i come from a family of flamboyant individuals, who tend to define you and compartmentalize you, and try to fit you into their own concept of who they think you ought to be. narcissists really. ok. so there are a lot of people like that out there. but i have always longed to stand out in a crowd.

however, i think i'm taking something back with me from la la land, and that is the ability to just be me, and to realize that it is ok. my husband thinks i am much more capable than i give myself credit for. and my little girl has grown into a real character herself. a wonderful, compassionate, intelligent little human. and she loves me just the way that i am. and that is just enough for me. so whatever changes life has in store for me, for us, I... we can handle it.

My first ever meme

noirbettie interviewed me.

1. What's the thing you miss most about Texas (not counting family)?
Oh, geez. That's a toughie. There are many many things. I'd say it isn't actually Texas I miss, but Austin. Town Lake hike and bike trail (even the stupid Stevie Ray Vaughn statue), South Congress Ave - (Continental Club, funky shops, Guero’s). I miss giant thunderstorms, the fireflies, and the sound of the cicadas on a hot summer's night. I miss and when the insane heat of summer slowly changes to a crisp fall with golden leaves. And there is a feeling that I have when I'm there which I don't know how to describe that I really miss. Things seem slower there, not as hectic. I miss the hippie neighborhoods and general funkiness.

2. What do you love best about Los Angeles?
The weather, the cultural diversity, the amazing restaurants, our friends, the fact that we are only 30 minutes away from the mountains or the beach.

3. How did you choose Helen's name?
It was my grandmother's name, and her mother's, and her grandmother's,and her great grandmother's, and maybe a few more before that. They were all Helens. My sister is a Helene, my cousin is Elena- variations. I chose to go back to the traditional. The other name we thought about was Lucie. Luke for a boy.

4. If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
Ireland, because I think I'm part Irish, and I love the music. And Scotland (to hunt for the Loch Ness Monster, of course)

5. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Oh, do I have to? Grow up that is? Honestly, I want to be a puppeteer. Jim Henson was my hero. I dabbled in it for a while, and did a lot of research on the history of puppetry. I wrote my master's thesis on the famous Czech puppet duo, Spejbl and Hurvinek, and me hubby and I actually toured through the Czechlands on the puppet bus, and hung with the puppeteers. I'd really love to run my own children's theatre.

I think I'm supposed to offer to interview anyone who reads my blog, but I think there are only two or three of you. But if you are out there and have a blog (or hey, even if you don't) let me know and I'll think of 5 questions for you.

Taxes Stink

Happy Tax Day! Oh, how I miss getting a refund.

AG phone home

we're thinking about moving back to austin. it would mean a lot of back and forth for the husband, but my mother needs me,we can buy a perfectly acceptable house in a decent neighborhood for under $400K, and i am pretty disgusted with the hollywood types right now. there. its out there.

my yoga teacher read this to us in class today. it has been circulating on the internet, but i'd never heard it. it seems highly appropriate right now. enjoy!


TWO WOLVES
An old Cherokee chief is teaching his grandson about life:

"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.

"One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego.

"The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

"This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old chief simply replied, "The one you feed."

me and my dear hubby at a party in Austin, December 2006

the famous face painting lady. she painted my face at a bar on 6th street called Toulouse (long gone) back in the '90s

Well, did you watch the Oscars? Did you see my buddy Randy Newman with James Taylor? I was bummed he didn't win, but he's got enough wins under his belt I guess. He is really such a nice nice man. His wife, Gretchen, is great too. He brings his family, kids and all, every year to this big fundraiser that I work for. He was honored several years back at this fundraiser, and he has attended every year since. I know I'm name dropping a bit, but it was just so exciting to see him there on the TV playing at the Oscars, and then seeing he and his wife in the audience, and knowing that I've had actual conversations with the guy.

In fact, here's a great story to rival the one about me sitting in a hot tub with Yakov Smirnoff (I know what you are thinking, and NO. It wasn't like that.). Last year, I was wearing these new high heeled pumps and my feet were killing me from running around all night while working at the fundraiser. Randy asked what the trouble was because I suppose I was grimacing, and I told him I was wearing new shoes. He looked down at my feet, and then looked at me and said "do you wanna wear mine?" CAN YOU IMAGINE???? I could have walked in Randy Newman's shoes! Literally! I LOVE that man.

I went to see him at the Paramount Theatre in Austin way back when I was in my early 20s, and I remember thinking he was a sarcastic bitter man. But now that I've met him, I know that he's just got a biting wit, but he is just a big teddy bear. When I first met him we had a conversation about Austin, and now every time he sees me he calls me "Texas."

While I'm often not feeling very positive about my job, I guess I can say that one perk is that I've gotten the chance to meet some ledgends and famous people. So here, I'll name drop a bit more. People I've met at work (I work at a school of music): Herbie Hancock, Randy Newman (of course), Quincy Jones, Pepe Romero, Placido Domingo, Bonnie Raitt and her dad John Raitt, Burt Bacharach, Bobby McFerrin, Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, John Williams. Mind you, none of these people have any idea who I am, but I've shook their hands and spared a few words. Now, if only I could meet Donny Osmond! (YES! I admit it. I'll write about my love for Donny in another post.)