I’ve always thought dreams, actual ones, where you sleep, not where you think about what you want to be when you grow up, should you ever, are super fascinating. There are so many theories to dreams & the “extension” of them.

During a specific time of my life, I logged my dreams; I monitored them very closely. In other words, I had a dream journal. I wanted to learn more about dreams & how they’re affiliated to my life. You can read about what dreams “mean,” yes, but I don’t like doing that. I want & choose to pursue my own interpretation. I don’t want what’s going on in my life to be assumed or influenced or forged & send my mind in more of a tizzy than it already is. 😉 One of the best things I’ve ever been called in life is a ‘non-conformist.’ I mean, there are certain scenarios where things are as clear as crystal, not meth, where it’s like, for sure this is what it means! Even a blind man could see that. I also feel like I have an extended gift for interpretation & maybe I should be the one doing the dictating. I was also brutally, yet fabulously, trained on interpretation as I earned my way to an Inglush digrie.

How I got this started… I made notes on my mobile. Stored them there for 2 years. 2 years, yes. Funny. Those notes sure did simmer. I had tried to attend to them sooner, but I have so many legitimate excuses… blah blah blah. I finally got to it, them! No, not getting pronouns-ish here. All this time I’ve been saying I’ve been writing. That is true. A LOT just hasn’t been published [yet]. I’m waiting for an episode of writer’s block to happen, so I can bounce back & rely off them. Everyone loves a comeback. & everyone loves a villain.

I’ve also had a little actual journaling going on, too. I’d logged manually & then step away, switch gears. Not switch hit. Those were other times. The digital notes were only temporary. As a writer, you need to stop what you’re doing & jot down a good idea as soon as you have it. You know the good ideas & you don’t. If you say, I’ll remember & then forget to write it, you’re screwed. Consider it a miscarriage. If you do remember & do write it down, you won’t have the same momentum & it might jeopardize the founding or building of the idea. The same with dreams, not unless they’re really remarkable where they’re on your mind all day, like seeing a hot person you later wish you would’ve talk to because now they’re lost in the sea of 8 billion + people, you need to jot it down as soon as you wake. That’s the key. Memories about dreams tend to go in vanishing mode, at least for me. Something like a Snap[chat]. I think. I forgot. Do people still use that platform?!? See! & not unless they, the dreams, become reoccurring, you won’t realize until after the fact.

& to get witchy, & bitchy, on you, this type of thing belongs in a book, old school status. I’m sooo old school in some, important ways. Anyhow, I finally, CeCe Peniston status, found time to transcribe them & reflect. Wow. Dreams are interesting & funny & weird. I truly think they can reflect life & I also think they’re some sort of message. Interpretation & putting thought into it is key. For all those who have said I overthink things, screw you, thank you, I DO! With good reason. The signs are always there. Learn to follow them. To me, human existence is interesting & weird & I trip out on it allllll the time! Am I alien? Yes! For instance, when I was going through a rough, anxious time where I felt life was challenging me & not necessarily on my side, my dreams weren’t dreams, they were night terrors. Hell, so bad they were also daymares. I’m a big daydreamer. Some nightmares had me wake up because it came to a point where they seemed too real & I didn’t know reality from dreamery. Given some of the episodes, I was relieved to wake up! I’ll say that. Another interesting part of this journey, & speaking of extended gifts, no pun intended on certain parts of my hot body, especially when waking up, was when I foresaw certain things: premonitions. I dreamt something was going to happen & in some way, it happened. Overnight? No.

The dream journal is also about other things. Synchronicity being 1 of them. Talk about weirdness. Psychicness. Déjà vu. Intuition. Aside from aliens, I soooo believe in the multiverse. I’m telling you, some of my dreams are so vivid that when I realize they didn’t actually happen in real life, I’m life WTFQ?!? Nice joke. It’s crazy. I’m pretty sure my spirit roams around at night & has fun of its own while I’m passed out, I mean knocked out, at home. There’s no such thing as coincidence or is there? Timing is everything. Yes, searched the lost & found for my marbles. Not there.

It’s pretty safe to say, I’m obsessed with dreams. Literally. “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac is one of my favourite songs. & let’s not forget about that one little 3-piece serial, Strange Dreams & Other Things. Mind you, those were in 2 different lifetimes, at 2 different stages. Or were they? Life is interesting… They’re also formatted differently. The serial. There’s a fiction tone & foundation to Strange Dreams & Other Things. This dream journal that I don’t plan on publishing, but maybe using snippets of it in other pieces, might come to light?

The time I began the dream journal was somewhat dark & then it transitioned to light. It was dreams via my life. My dreams change when my situations change. It makes me believe that dreams can reflect our daily situations. I was surprised to see the same people reappearing, too. Hmmm— I [still] wonder, if I dream of you, do you dream of me? Kindred spirits, maybe? Spirits communicating? More than you want to admit? Strange things happen in the sleep, even when we pretend to. I did say the human life is interesting –& weird. I truly think we’ll all in some sort of way or another say to ourself, it was all a dream, or was it?

First & foremost, happy summer solstice. Summer is here! Usually, summer is my least favourite season, but not this cycle around the sun. I’m excited. Like last Christmas, winter season, I am sooo into the season & am looking forward to it. I grew very excited as the change of the season, calendar-wise, approached. Nipples hard & everything. Well, not everything. I saw light! Pun intended. I’ve drafted a list of things to do in Los Angeles this summer & my red marker is ready to start swiping & slashing –tSwizzle status! Cap’s on in the meantime so it doesn’t dry out. There won’t be any summertime sadness here! I’m ready to do shit. The animal was locked up in his cage for too long! & yes, he is vaccinated. #Moderna. Are we still needing boosters? I’m a few behind.

Aside from waking up hung over from celebrating summer solstice eve, I woke up with the energy to live & love a whole new season. Spring may be the season of rebirth, but summer is where you do a lot of living! & no, I’m not woke. I feel like I’ve experienced a shedding of the skin, an awakening of some sort. This spring was metamorphoses-like. Let’s laugh at the other ‘gilded butterflies.’ Always know, trust in the universe & the universe will guide you, direct you into where you need to be. Sometimes, we don’t get answers instantaneously, but know, we’ll eventually get them!

I celebrated the first day of summer by going to the beach, where I haven’t been in what feels like forever! After work, I just got up & booked it. No thinking. I was like, get.me.out.of.here! The beach is back! Me & the ‘Bu are very good, old friends. Out of all that time, I didn’t get to visit the’ Bu when all the rain & gloom was occurring. It’s beautiful when the weather’s like that at the beach.

I see this summer as a ‘staycation.’ I need to get rererereacquainted with Los Angeles, & local surroundings, on a different level. I’m different. It’s not like I’ve been doing nothing. Check out my Insta! Go exercise your groupie tactics. Road trip within the state, maybe? “Call me, maybe?” I just feel like I’ve slacked in some areas –hobby-wise & in other areas I’ve really spruced it up! & I don’t need to brag about those areas but it’s time to switch gears. All while trying to be as frugal as can be. I have some financial goals to achieve. & although I have some great plans in-store for the summer, there are greater plans for the fall. 😉 I’m excited for that, but let’s enjoy the now!

You ask why summer is my least favourite season? It’s overrated. Plus, in good ol’ sunny SoCal, it’s nearly summer all the time. & it’s annoying when Angelenos complain about not seeing the sun & then when it’s too hot?!? In case you forgot, California is a desert; HOWEVER, Mother Nature has switched it up a little & thank you for that! Most are calling it ‘climate change’ or what have you. Call it what you want to call it. Yes, I’m a fucking alcoholic. I was quoting Xzibit. That rapper. He’ll resurface soon.

I’m also looking forward to having a summer fling, a summer love. Someone just to be “Cool for the Summer” with –Demi Lavato status. Somehow, someway, but we’ll see how that pans out. I’m open to it! Not posting an ad for it. When someone asks me the name, I’ll just bust a ‘Jan Brady’ & say, “his name’s ‘George. George Glass.’” Or maybe it’ll be a ‘Georgina?’ “I’ll never tell… XoXo…” LMFAO. I am not sad to see that reboot/ sequel cancelled. I love me. OK! Maybe my summer-fling will be me. If I were not me, I’d sooooo date me! If you don’t know who ‘Jan Brady’ is, we probably shouldn’t chat, but if you know ‘Marsha Brady’ then that’s a whole other story. You might have redemption. Overall, hoping for a nice summer fling doesn’t mean I don’t get mine… It’s time to live— more! Go bump “Summerlove” from the record, futuresex/lovesounds.

This spring, as always, felt so short! Think ‘Spring Love’ by Stevie B.. The season lasted as long as his career, not his hit. Is that June gloom over done with?!? The forecast says so, but like fortune’s wheel, it’s always spinning & changing. Fortune… has luck been on my side?!? IDK. Life is… life! I feel like life is going by a little slow & the best thing I can do is take advantage of that & do shit! Explore! Get out. Live. Fuck, hate if you have to! LMAO. Do something GOOD for yourself, with yourself. Take advantage when time goes slow to live in the moment more, because then it’ll all be “too fast.” It’s time to swap those beanies & half gloves & coats & rainboots –yes, even for Angelenos! for swimming trunks, shorts, tank tops –barely-covering-anything-clothing, & stunner shades & hats & sunscreen. Before we know it, Angelenos will be complaining about how hot it is outside instead of inflated gas prices or fast-food costs. It’s funny how here is Los Angeles, this month, it didn’t start getting sunny until the actual day of summer. That June gloom is real! It came early. Now, there’s ‘gray May’ or ‘May gray.’ Whatever. I tend to be backwards. Or maybe forward & just ahead of the times? We’ll go with that one. Happy summer. May your days be full of sunshine. Get some sunshine, vitamin D. We all need it & most lack it. & speaking of summer-flings & the beach, don’t take sand to the beach.

Los Angeles, or California rather, is known for its consistent warm weather. And anytime it’s not hot and sunny, the locals throw a bitchfit and complain how depressing it is. When it’s hot, it’s scorching hot, unbearable outside. When it drizzles, a “storm” is approaching. Angelenos don’t know how to drive in the rain. Some don’t know how to drive at all. I find it SOOOO annoying how there are so many people texting & driving now. Seriously, WTF is so important?!? Pull over. Don’t jeopardize other people & their vehicle & the expensive note they pay every month on it. Only to pay the car off & then go get a new, higher payment. I have no sympathy for those people, the texter&drivers. The people who do it all the time, on top of not being a good driver, deserve to get in an accident. Blame your neighbour for the local rates! Just like the idiots constantly running red lights & not looking out for pedestrians deserve to crash. Sometimes, I’ll purposely swerve into them so they can pay more attention to the road. Or, I’ll yell, “pay attention to the road!” or “get off your phone!” In that area, no fucks given. ”It’s an emergency” a jackass will say. OK, well, for not paying attention, another emergency is going to happen. Or better yet, do that thing that’s called “call them!” You know, what people had to do back in the day, but via Bluetooth or hands free, of course. From my observation, traffic is caused by some idiot on their mobile or a douche in a Tesla, coasting it trying to look cool. Newsflash: those cars are not God’s gift to the world & sorry to burst your bubble, but Elon Musk is NOT God. It’s true. I read it on the internet. & no, not ToxicTwitter.

The words “winter in LA” have always made me giggle a little. It’s a near oxymoron. But this past winter season, like calendar-wise, when winter usually occurs in other parts of the globe, it was actual winter in Los Angeles. I’m global, yes, but I’m a native of Los Angeles, the Valley; San Fernando Valley. The only valley they call “The Valley.” NOT sorry, Clarita and Gabriel. While here, actually, physically, I’ve never seen it snow. I’ve heard about it from yesterdecades, & from a few years ago, but I was in Chicago at the time. I believe it was Christmas morning. People would say, that’ll never happen! Well, it did. Go buy a lottery ticket. Buy two! It reminded me of the scene from Age of Adeline where ‘Adeline’ got caught up in the ‘freak’ accident, crashed, and paused her aging. SPOILER ALERT. But that was in Sonoma County. This is Los Angeles, baby. If it snows in Los Angeles, anything can happen. It’s passible because nothings impossible. 😉 Makes me think, is the apocalypse beginning?!? If you haven’t seen Age of Adeline, check it out! I’m a big Blake Lively fan. I have it on DVD. Yes, DVD. It has one of my favuorite sayings in it, Anni, amori e bicchieri di vino, nun se contano mai, which translates to, Years, lovers, and glasses of wine; these things that must not be counted. I’m also very much more of a “Serena” than a “Blair,” but there’s some “Blair” there. & then, there’s A Simple Favor.

This season, when the news reported a storm coming, they were on point! Like, an actual storm. The news actually reported facts! & for some, good news! For those who like weather. Unlike all the other shit they report. Is it me or is anyone else SICK of all the reports on racism, hate crimes, and killings. There’s even stupid commercials! My gawd! A lot of the time it’s 1 race trying to call out the other & retaliation. Who gets the last word? Everyone’s a victim. Everyone’s at fault. & you can’t say nothing without being deemed a racist. Back to the news. They were actually right, storms did hit California. It was BAD in the Bay Area for New Year’s & bad in SoCal just a few weeks ago. It’s still kind of lingering. Punxsutawney Phil was right, 6-more weeks of winter!

Aside from those who live hillside, the other that got the short end of the stick: Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, LADWP. DWP parades itself as the largest utility provider in the nation. Maybe it’s too large for its own good. Many, MANY people were left without power. OK, the stick became shorter. & of course, these babies, the Angelenos, can’t handle the cold, so they resorted to ToxicTwitter to lash out. They lashed out. I’m curious what DWP is going to do when all “light vehicles” must be electric come 2035. & in a place where driving is everything?!? Is it sometime away? Yes. But time flies & California is [already] on a weak grid. They basically need to restructure a lot, A LOT. The power grids over here need a facelift. Pun intended to that Beverly Hills plastic surgery. What excuses will they give then? They struggled a few days of stormy weather. All future homes are going to be natural gasless, all electric. Cooking, hot water, the internet. They don’t even want people blasting their AC during the hot summer! Don’t use certain appliances during certain hours… But they sure wanna charge an arm & a leg for the utility bill! I’m seriously going to laugh the day Gavin Newsome becomes president of the United States.

I was one of those without power. I was a victim. I made the most out of my situation though. I lit candles & read a ghost-story book. Literally. On haunted places in California. I was in it! My only concern were my perishables. I had JUST went to the grocery store, too. I have yet to throw out some chorizo. LMFAO. Take it as you want. In between locations in the book & before I had to charge my phone in my truck, I resorted to ToxicTwitter for amusement, and then it turned into heartache. If I were having a heart attack, the ambulance probably couldn’t even get me! That’s the shit people go through. Some complained out their electric garage gate not opening. Apparently, I was glamping-esque. All the DWP did was keep pushing everything back, the timeframes of service. Looks like you’re not so big & bad now!?! No sympathy. Plan ahead, people! Praise to all those who went in for that overtime, & then those who were mandated; lucky were those on holiday out of SoCal, but need you be reminded: know what you signed up for & expect the unexpected.

When I was in Chicago & would hear how the weather had changed in Los Angeles & that it switched up, I was shocked. I’ve always loved the four seasons. Yes, the hotel chain, too! I was like, all it took was for me to move to make changes happen?! Curse & bless you, Mother Earth. & of course, because out of the 8-billion people, it revolves around me! Wow, 8-billion people. At the beginning of the millennium, there were only a little over 3. There are tooo many stupid people in the world today. The humanity of the human race, the good people, are dying down. Move over, bitch. More rapid than they’re appearing. The wrong kind of people are reproducing. Anyhow, when I moved back to California, & experienced the change in weather I was shocked & pleased. I was fascinated how it would rain, a lot. & that it was cold, for Los Angeles standards.

I predicted it was going to be a cold season. I felt it. No, I don’t have boobs. And, like most of the time, I was right. I’m going to miss this winter season. It was more-so wet than cold, I guess? It was a beautiful one. It was a true gift to Angelenos, SoCalians, California with the drought. What drought?!? & rewarding for those rainboot, trench coat, & umbrella makers. Everything & everyone’s a market! The whole country supported you! Every time it rains, I’ll either sit there in silence & admire it, listen to Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams, because when the rain washes you clean you’ll know, or Hilary Duff’s Come Clean, in honour of the music video. Sometimes, I’ll go to the beach & watch the water hit the water. Speaking of the beach. It’s always nice taking a drive along the coast right after it rains. It’s so picturesque & clear. Of course, the sand is wet, but I did say take a drive not get off. Or maybe not take the drive with gas at $5/ gallon, at minimum. But should we be deprived? No, we’re Angelenos. We’re entitled to this all. We’re today’s generation, we’re entitled to everything. After the storm cleared, it was nice seeing the snowcapped mountains so close rather than from afar. Or needing to drive a minimum of 3-hours away. There’s actually water flowing in the Los Angeles River aqueduct! Spring is no more over yonder, Spring has arrived! Happy Equinox. Although, it may be a little wet. [Insert devil emoji here]. Spring is the season of rebirth, & we can all use a little change in our life.

Remember in elementary school when you returned from summer vacation & your first assignment in your new class was to write & draw about what you did over the break that seemed eternal? You hated being in school & you hated being out of it. You would then present your story to the whole class & it would account for the first week, or so, of school. This was always a must. Icebreaker, my ass. Intended to make new friends, that eventually turned to frenemies, then enemies, & when you finally fought you did become friends?!? Maybe lifelong friends?!? The assignment was probably because all the teachers were like, fuck, back to reality with these bastards. I’m not ready, so I’ll continue to get drunk all day & just have them do that one assignment every other teacher is doing, that one assignment they’ve done their whole elementary career. I also remember hoping I didn’t have to deal with the idiot classmates I dealt with the previous school year & hoping that I got a cool, easy teacher. When that didn’t work out, I just moved schools.

School may not be in-session for me, but there’s still some lessons to learn. That’s life. No matter how old we get & grown we think we are, there’s always something new to learn. & sadly, at times, we learn the hard way. For some, that’s the only way. Anyhow, this summer, a lot of my entertainment fun was spent at the Hollywood Bowl. I felt like each concert event I went to talked to me in some way or another. Summer isn’t my favourite season. I think it’s overrated. This was a HOT summer. On top of always being hot in Los Angeles, it was REALLY hottt.

Gustavo Dudamel

Paris Opera Ballet

La Philharmonic

&

Beethoven’s Fifths

Gustavo Dudamel

Seong-Jin Cho

The first 2 concert events at the kick of my season, I got wasted! I was like, oh! It was fun. I was thrilled to be there & I knew it was going to be the start of a journey, so I had time to enjoy it however without becoming bored & repetitive. Truly make each event unique & a different experience. OK, I’ll give you a pass for calling me “nouveau riche.” I’ve been to the Hollywood Bowl before!

It amazes me how people forgot to act, in public, especially in a venue where performing artists or performing arts are going on! No one paid to hear you, dumb shit! Go watch the event online! Or when you’re in a sound meditation class!!! You are NOT the president, you can turn off your phone for a bit! I was thisclose to going up to 2 guys at the Bowl  & shout to them, STFU! But, I kept my cool & did the more “adult” thing: move. There were plenty of other seats available, I could’ve snagged a closer one to the stage that would’ve cost 4-times what I paid for mine. Plus, I wasn’t in my seat to begin with. Those lame fucks seemed like they were. Still! Be mindful & respectful of the people around you. Your voice travels in the Bowl, idiots! Yeah, they were entertained. But serious, idiots be doing that in the movie theatre, too?!?! I’m like, hello! I won’t throw popcorn. I won’t even put my hair back! I’ll just throw bowls! The movie nerds I do volunteer around aren’t bad. It’s the normal people who go to any & all theatres because that’s what people do, I guess?

There was one time this big fat guy was chomping on his popcorn LOUD! Louder than louder. I mean loud! I thought there was other food involved, but no. One of the many times I looked over at him & TRIED to give him the shut-the-fuck-up-face –in the dark! I saw popcorn all over him! WTF was he chewing on then?!?! Air? It was at the New Beverly, so an old, super rare movie is playing, of course, & you can’t just borrow it from the library. FML. This mother fucker would not shut up. I must’ve turned around five times. His fatass saw the people around him walk over him to move seats. I kept turning to him, so did this guy. Or maybe I was being checked out on? IDK, but he was looking, too. Fucker still ignored us. I finally got up & moved. I made a comment as I passed by. Still nothing. This fucking boulder! That one guy followed, so maybe he wasn’t checking me out? Whatever! I wanted to enjoy the movie, & I got to. The animals are acting like they haven’t been out of their cage in IDK, 10+ years! Not 2. We get it people! & with now being a time of voicing you’re opinion & being right & accepted & heard, even the agoraphobics want to chime in?!?! Via Zoom, of course! & when they want to get straight to you, they’ll just FaceTime you, even when you’re in public & want a full on convo, because again, the animals are out of their cage… If the 2 of you were in public, that’s a different story. Save the call for when you’re in private. No one wants to hear your stupid conversation! Or when people bump the shit out of their Bluetooth while driving in the car. I can hear their conversation with a bus passing by honking its horn! OMGaga! Introverts my ass! Your freak side wants their voice heard, too! Nouveau riche who?!? Back to the Bowl, both bowls. 😉

Sheryl Crow

At the Sheryl Crow concert, she shared a handful of her personal stories. No, she didn’t bring up Lance Armstrong, out loud, but I’m sure she alluded to him subtly without really knowing so. There was a mention of bad people & douches in her day. I mean, we’ve all crossed them, & some of us are them. There was one story I REALLY resonated with. One of the biggest things for me this year is: resonance. What do you relate to? What do you feel? What do you vibe with? Sheryl shared there was a time when she lost all her work, her creative work, her music. Sheryl shared all her cassettes were stolen. She was so devasted, she could only rewrite one song. Seriously, tragic. I was like, HOLY SHIT! I hear you, universe, loud & clear, thank you for bringing me here. There was a time when I lost all my work. I was naïve & stupid & a little still drunk from the night before. For a period of time, while living in Los Angeles, I didn’t drive. Yes, by choice, & for a certain time, no, not by choice. You’re not the only rockstar, Sheryl. 😉 How, you ask? I don’t know. I made it happen. & it retrospect, I feel like I travelled the most then. Literally. Anyhow, there was one instance where I had all my short stories, photo collections, & the first draft of that little book series I created title, The Cubicle Diaries. It wasn’t finalized at the time. I was old school then. I am little newer school now, especially when it comes to backing up your work! While on the bus on my way to work, when we HAD to report to an office Monday through Friday at a specific time or your ass was fired, I accidently left my flash drive on the seat of the bus I was on. I was planning to go to Costco after work to print some of my photo collection. That was also when Costco printed pictures at their warehouse. I’m not THAT old. I was cleaning out my pockets after throwing everything in them hoping not to miss my bus, leaving in a rush, & somehow managed to leave behind my flash drive. Couldn’t I have lost my keys instead? Those’re replaceable, not my flash drive. I didn’t have the content backed up. I know, SHAME ON ME! Anyhow, I noticed when I was at work & freaked out. I didn’t just lose the flash drive anywhere, I lost it on a bus in Hollywood where out-of-town wannabes are by the masses hoping for a career in Hollywood & here I am handing over a potential photography career, because there were goooood pictures on there, no not nudes, & a near finished story of what could become a best seller or an adaptation of a future hit TV show. I’ll admit, The Cubicle Diaries is a great story, it just hasn’t had its time just yet. I was pissed. Yes, your life CAN change within a blink of an eye. I cried for about 10 minutes & then thought, fuck it! This is an opportunity to exercise my writing skills. Turn something good into something better. It gave me the opportunity to exercise my writing skills & an excuse to circle the globe again to recoup all those pictures. I still wonder, ‘til this day, where is that flash drive? & I’m also still keeping my eye out in case some plagiaristic wannabe who has my intellectual property to call it their own & make a name for themself appears out of nowhere. I’m from the hood & can & will go ghetto on you, but the whitewash in me will go full on legal by the book on your sorry ass. I may have broken the law a few times, but I still abide by it. Sheryl Crow didn’t let the theft of her music set her back. She thrived off it & look at the rockstar she is today!

Then, the part that made her a real badass was when she alluded to how many guys she’s slept with while on tour. She then said, I am a rockstar for crying out loud! Yes, you are, Sheryl. She has aged so well. I can tell she has a genuine soul.

What also resonated me with her, & my space & place in time, was when she shared that once upon a time she lived only a few blocks from the Hollywood Bowl [before her “break”]. Um, HELLO! Me, too! Currently! Not the sexual harassment movement, I mean I currently live a few blocks from the Bowl. & as a local & an artist, I feel obligated to come & get the most of my time at this historic, iconic venue. I feel lucky & privileged to be a local. People can say what they want about Hollywood & I am aware of its flaws, but to me, those don’t supersede its beauty & charm & history, its livelihood. All her nods to all the shows she’s seen there: magical, to me. There’s something about being in the mountains! I get the same good feeling while at Runyon Canyon, also. I sometimes forget there’s a whole other world on the other side of those mountains. & one of the more important things that have me resonate with her? The food for thought she praises on, if it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad. If it makes you happy, then why the hell are you so sad?

The Splendor of Saint-Saens

Paolo Bortolameolli

Pablo Ferrandez

This was an interesting night. A night of discoveries. The cellist-soloist was sooooo into it! After he concluded his first number, I thought he was going to collapse from orgasming. I learned this music has that effect on you. It drives you. This show pushed me to have more appreciation for classical music. I always have, greater now! I felt a different connection. I was introduced to a beautiful looking harp. It looked expensive! & heavy, built solid. I could tell it produced beautiful music, before it started being played. I couldn’t stop staring at it. It had a devious, angelic look to it. Like, I am the biggest, & baddest, bitch on stage. It was like crimson red met beige at a white gate. That crimson red was so pure it looked velvety-ish, from far away. I was close enough to see the actual colours. & when it crept into the music, OMG! It floated in one ear, through my at-times thick headed skull, through the ear wax, & out the other lobe. I was so in tuned. I had contact high. It was almost as if I had poppers. I noticed I was really into that harp. Then, I discovered, unknowingly, I was checking out the orchestra-mates, the members. I was on that bandwagon. First-class. With an ass. There was one specifically that was playing the clarinet, a true looker. I could tell the camera person was into the individual, too, giving him extra screen time. I was like, OK, it’s not just me. Either way, they can all be butt-ugly & in the dark, but the music they create, together, they were all beautiful, talented. This was by far the best classical night. There was a moment where I got annoyed by someone I was accompanied with. She crashed. I exercised patience. I didn’t allow her idiocies to get to me. I was like, go die. You are not fucking up my night. & you won’t be hanging with me at events like this anymore. Curse the humidity that causes that stupidity.

Side note: I think it is so rude & disrespectful to not stand up during the national anthem. Whether you’re from here or not, agree with everything that’s going on here or not, coloured or not, I don’t care. You’re still currently on this land & you should show it some form of respect. If you can’t, what’re you doing here?!?! If you have to, show up to the event late. If you’re handicapped, you get a pass.

“Back to the Future”

David Newman

Los Angeles Philharmonic

I think “Back to the Future” is a cool movie. When I learned it was going to be featured this season, I was like, hell yeah! I’m in! My ticket for this event was the costliest. A few shows combined. The things we pay for to go back into time, or back to the future. I wonder if the producers were upset they didn’t, maybe couldn’t, copyright or patent certain things they “created” or “predicted” in the movie [franchise]. For instance, even though it didn’t come from the first installment, but overall, video phone. Who knows?!? Those were some creative mo’fos on that team. Truly, ahead of their time. Pun intended. They also did a good job at not making Michael J. Fox look as short as he actually is.

I like watching old movies. I’m like, holy crap, that’s right, life WAS like that. Simpler times. Kind of. Coffee was that cheap, gas was that cheap, going to the movies was that cheap. I’m not really vibing with a lot that’s out there today, now. The live score from the orchestra did give the movie a good boost. I took my goddaughter to this event. It was a beautiful night. Packed. It was a hot night this evening. It was humid. It’s been a humid summer.

Dvorak & Bjarnason

Dalia Stasevska

Pekka Kuusisto

OK, on one of the previous shows, one of the performers looked like he was going to collapse from orgasming after his number. This violinist looked as if he was going to orgasm & collapse during his performance! I was like, holy cow! I was like, that shows you how powerful music is to the body & soul! OMGaga! &speaking of OMG! OMG! It was a hot, August night! Heat was sure in the air. Beautiful. By this time, I felt like a regular. I had already been to the Bowl six times in a row. Plus, I came from a local bar. I’m certified regular! Platinum!!! No, sadly, not ‘19 times!!!’ I was a little upset when I noticed the help was taking an extra-long time telling me, oh, yeah! I’ve seen you here before! No need to go through the metal detectors! I was like, you do know my dollar tickets are contributing to your wages, right?!? Show me the respect I deserve! There is no such thing as customer service anymore. I was going to regulate at patron services, but their hours were cut due to COVID.

The moon was near full. Around 92%. No, not my ass. A bitch is going to burst soon. “Let go what no longer serves you.” That’s still a work in progress. I’m getting better & better every moon phase. This time I noticed Polaris, maybe Betelgeuse was right in the middle of the X the beam lights projected that the Bowl puts on at every show. Thank you, Local Group of Santa Clarita for the astronomy tips. 😉 ‘X’ does mark the spot. That was exactly where I wanted to be. My X. No, not with an ex. OMG! [I reference that so much you would this I was orgasming!] The conductor was soooooo into it. A true storyteller. Beautiful! I could hear suspense in the music. Screw the body motions & words. There was a form of nostalgia with this one. Back to my junior high days in the school band. I tried the bells, the clarinet, the drums, the trombone, as a cross over to the eventual trumpet I ended up playing the most. I enjoyed it. Mary had a Little Lamb was always my warmup. I only played 1 year. My feet were wet enough. Again, I had heard classical music before & could “follow it,” but I feel like I was understanding it more now. I was more in tune. I couldn’t help but think, does everyone hear what I hear?! The beauty! & no, not the LAPD helicopter overhead looking for some hoodlum. The thing about classical music is a lot of it is about unity. Yes, we loves our soloists. Everyone has a part & when everyone does it, the harmony is sooo beautiful! I gazed up in the might sky & was so thankful for being there. I swear! On multiple occasions, I saw fireflies. There was LOTS of energy in the environment. The conductor was young and attractive. Female. & boy, did she go to town! She also went over the river & through the woods!

Scheherazade

Lina Gonzalez-Granados

This was a beautiful night. I’ve said that every night. This was different. It was the last super-full moon of the year. In honor of it, of course, I had moon wine. This time, Moon X. Funny, because X marks the spot. I said beautiful. I meant magical. Coincidence, maybe? Sure. We’ll call it that. But when I also mean “beautiful,” it’s for the return of the red harp. OMFGG. It’s soft, beautiful flowing intro was on point. Its music blossomed, it sung so beautifully. It floated so delicately but controlling, taking your energy, reeling you in, & it was beautiful to look at. & with looking & admiring the harp, you can’t help but start looking at all the lookers in the orchestra. Geeze! Speak nerdy to me, please! Speak classical! If you whip out Shakespeare… There were hot people. Back to the music. While listening to the music, you begin to hear the “story” that you think is being told. Following its beautiful rhythm.

Punctuality-wise, for me, it was the best tonight. I was really early. I try to be on time every time, but sometimes I’ll push it. Local privilege. & opening timing. It’s annoying when you gotta wait for people of your party though. The show is timed, you know. It felt good showing up early, but I’ll probably just go back to arriving a few minutes late. What a way to enjoy the full moon! Loves it! Insert cat emoji with the heart eyes here.

As I grew into the “season,” – Bowl season! Although, maybe it can be part of the next “Untitled Otter Holmes Project?!?!” My wardrobe got better. I started rocking OtterPotter. Not going to lie, I looked fly! I need to run 12.5 miles a lot more! Wrapped in plastic wrap! Then, the music was like a climax. You should start calling me ‘Max.’ Seriously. It, the music, was so beautiful! In hindsight, it’s like rubbing silk on my ear. Softly. I felt like I was under the sea. Not “The Little Mermaid” style, although I think I was a merman in a past life. I’ve had a few. The music made me feel like I was in a cave discovering wonders, riches, gems. I think I might’ve been reincarnated as a merman who was already an adult. I think I’ve time travelled. No, I wasn’t on drugs then, I’m on drugs now. Don’t worry, say’s it’ll wear off in a few hours. The Children’s Tylenol label is up-to-date.

& not only is the evening beautiful & magical, it’s ironic, again, coincidental, synchronistic & nostalgic! I wanted to kiss the floor as I thanked the universe for such a fun time! As I was hanging out during intermission, I was looking at the large screen I sat under. Yes, I still had my binoculars. I saw a piece of artwork, historical, of course, appearing from my jr. high days. It was of the Bowl! I was like, holy shit! Because relatively recently, I passed that piece of artwork & now it had resurfaced. I really like that piece of artwork. Hell, I’m going to print it on paper! Photo paper! It’s an ad for the Hollywood Bowl. A moon conducting music while a UFO is flying overhead & beaming on it. The ad is intended for something else but I LOVES the artwork. One day, my teacher came into class excited & said, I have gifts for all you. He told us they were free & he got us all one, more if we really wanted them. They were orange folders of that artwork from the Hollywood Bowl. He took the time to laminate them all so they would last longer. I was like, Hollywood Bowl… I love that folder. Anyhow, twenty-something years later, it resurfaced. Being at the Bowl, 100 years later.

Also on the large screen, I saw: the Hollywood Bowl is an outdoor auditorium. An iconic one. It is, actually, the largest outdoor setting in the United States. Thank Dionysus for BYOB! –Only at the L.A. Phil events, not for concerts that rent the space. FYI. You’re welcome for the tip, even if it was just the tip. Something I saw with my eyes in-person that was SCARY: $18 for a 24ozer of beer?! WTFQ?!? I swear though! The concession stands are expensive like a mo’fo! & of course they, too, want a tip for service, as does everyone else now. This isn’t a bar. It’s a concession stand. I’m tipping you for handing me a beer I have to open. All you did was turn around. I didn’t even have time to check you out! Hmmm…

As I looked up in the night sky, I continuously saw fireflies. I watched them zing around during intermission. Could it maybe be the meteor shower occurring simultaneously?!! The air was magical. I thought, could the sound bath I had today helped? OMG! During that session, I started to go anti-namaste on a bitch! She didn’t silence her mobile beforehand. Not after the instructor said so, not even after the 5th time it went off, did she. Seriously, WHO DO YOU THINK ARE YOU?!? Some publicity agent?!? Who does that?!? Idiot!!! What’s funny was, in the beginning of the session, her coworker, helper, minion, IDK… was like, oh, be careful, she’s the boss…! Whatever they were talking about when they killed the energy of the room by walking into it. Um, excuse me! Bitch ain’t my boss! When her mobile went off for the fifth time, after waking from the mediation stage I was in, I shouted, “that’s the 5^th time already! God!” She felt stupid, bad, normal, important, unimportant, IDK, but she crept out a before the instructor dismissed us. Seriously! Not in a damn mediation-like environment!!! No consideration of others. I did get the most of that session though. It was a good one.

It’s sooooo amazing what the violin can produce! It takes you. It takes me. I got nods to mariachis! Hey! The animal IS out of his cage! Collapsing music, harmonizing it, to me, is ssssuuuuuccchhhh a talent! Music is a lot!! It’s powerful. It turned out the main performance was about the sea! I knew it! Felt it! & I didn’t know much was about was being performed. I’m in a learning, discovering process. The main one was, The Sea & Sinbad’s Ship. Then, there was the prince & the princess. What a story! What an orchestra! I’m telling you, those lookers… Don’t speak, just play! & after the show was over, as everyone walked to either their car, their ordered car, or public transit, I had the luxury of walking home, a few blocks away, to my atelier & flaneur along the moonlight. Super-full moon light. So arioso. To Graybrook atelier de Otter Holmes I went. It’s a privilege. One of the greats for living in Hollywood. 😉

An Evening with Rachmaninoff

Louis Langree

Nobuyuki Tsujii

Bramwell Tovey

Out of all the concert events thus far, I don’t know if the air ever felt so great. I might’ve said that before, a few times. The heat was coming down, kind of, & the cool was trying to find its way into the air but couldn’t. It was a cool, OK, cool, comfortable heat. Some still screamed “bloody murder.” Babies. & you call yourself an adult. Adults tend to shut their mouth. Prior to everything & all the events I ended up crashing, when I first bought those “presale” tickets, this was the night I was looking forward to the most. It was just something to look forward to. I mean, I looked forward to the whole season, but this one stood out.

I was so relieved when I sat in a random seat after all that walking. I wasn’t all sweaty like the last few events. & then I got hot again. Return of the hot clarinet player. Through the music, the piano drove the first half of the show, pre intermission, I guess. Whatever you fancy, sophisticated people say… Seventh inning stretch? Half-time? Piss break? Coke break? Whatever. OMGaga! I hadn’t seen anything like this prior to this. This wasn’t my first rodeo, BTW, I’ll tell you! But, seriously, OMG! I was SUPER calm & chill, naturally high. Also, mainly because I had killed 2 bottles of fermented grape juice prior. Oh well… That’s life. This is the life I chose! One of the perks for living in Hollywood & taking advantage of the resource.

When I started to think of the rapidly declining number events I had with the Bowl left on the calendar, I was like, oh, shit! I got a little bummed. My bum was bummed. After this, I only had 2 more shows planned for “my season.” The end was approaching. The Hollywood Bowl was going to still rock on & I was going to go back to being another annoyed local because the streets are blocked off & traffic is worse than it usually is. I am soooo thankful I finally got a parking space in my complex. Moving on up, baby! OMFGG! I am SOOOOOO OVER seeing people text & drive. Don’t get me started on that.

My claws started to come out a little. I could hear chatter going on in the background. There were people who wouldn’t shut the fuck up. I wasn’t high, but I was like, don’t fuck up my high. My music high! It was a pretty packed house, bowl I mean. I exercised my ongoing goal of completely blocking out idiots around me & zoning in on one thing to really understand it: the music. Then, that’s all I heard. Time was ticking, I needed to savour the flavour of music. I sensed the drama –in the music, not those jackasses’ convo. I sensed the drama in the music of the story that’s being told. Just as I was getting good, the season is ending!?! With that said… if I were a part of a TV show, as in timeline-wise, I am sooooo a season finale! I would leave people high & dry & keep ‘em wanting more. Give them something to chat about. & come back for more. One time I asked someone that & before he could answer about himself, I described me. He was like, you’re a season finale. I was like, am I that obvious?!? I’m more than a pretty face!  I like TV production overall.

Beethoven’s Ninth

Eva Ollikainen

I took a 2-week hiatus. That’s what a show does before the finale. Get your viewers going, build the hype, & anticipation, then give it to them good. It’s only a matter of time before streamers follow the pattern of broadcast television. They already have. Before, all episodes of a season were flushed out all at once online. Now, it’s once a week. Sometimes, some streamers don’t air all the episodes of a series, so bingers can’t binge. You can’t catch up like you would like to. YadaYadaYada… Yes, I did miss out on a few dollar ticket shows. It’s OK. I still had other things to do. I live in Hollywood, Los Angeles, not the Bowl only. I don’t have some encampment under the freeway, or something.

I was reminded the end was near when I saw the last 2 tickets, the current show being one of them, the pen-ultimate show. Ovation here I come. No, not the new Hollywood & Highland complex. It was going to be a bittersweet ending. I spontaneously ran into a friend there. I was like, OK, let’s hang & shoot scenes. I forgot my binoculars! And water. Oh, the drama! But I sure didn’t forget me wine or its opener! I would’ve walked home to get it. Run home. It would’ve been cheaper & probably more convenient than to buy at the Bowl. Yes, it would. I rocked Burberry this night. I was casual but sleek. Casual glam.

The conductor was intense & the band followed. Super great performance. I didn’t see my clarinet crush, so no distractions there. It’s OK. There’s still the finale. There was a full-on choir this time. They didn’t sing until the very end. I was like, why not come after half-time?!? You stood there sweating for no reason!?! Intermission was super early. The sweat from the heat & walk up there was barely drying. Oh, gosh. Seeing all those people on stage coming together to create something so beautiful, what a treat! & to channel something so beautiful. It was truly harmonious. There were all sorts of beautiful people on stage. It was a night of beautiful people creating beautiful music! I felt beautiful listening to it, watching it come to life. Beautiful & expensive. You’re welcome, universe! I was transformed into another world. Historic, classical music as the background music, the score did its thing. Elysium. Fire. A starry canopy. It felt very operatic to me. In my world, whatever dimension I was in, everyone around me was dressed glamorous.

Finale

Mozart Under the Stars

Nicholas McGegan

Martin Chalifour

Tonight, was the night. My personal finale night for the season. This was the hottest night, temperature-wise. Everything else was a breeze. If you don’t believe me, resort to the almanac for Christ’s sake. Even he was sweating! We were amid an ongoing heatwave. Like COVID, I think the whole globe felt it, too. I know I said “An Evening with Rachmaninoff” was the night I was looking forward to, yes, that’s true, but this one was truly, truly the one I had been looking forward to. Aside from being the finale, to also see “Mozart under The Stars” was something else. I’ve enjoyed the entire season & all the performers, the performances. I was literally going to be under the stars.

I made the choice to wear white after Labor Day. I know, shame on me. But I’ll admit, I looked damn good! & hey, the musicians, the orchestra wore white, too, so I wasn’t the only one. & they all looked good. It was humid AF. It was an unexpected white t-shirt contest. When those small breezes came through, ode the joy! I was tempted to wear shorts, but I couldn’t come to it. I tried a new wine. I sat in my usual section. About 20 rows down from my original ticket. I will look back at these days, & be like, remember when…?

The violinist’s solos were so good. The orchestra followed well. It was like a sea of violins. The orchestra was smaller this time. I wonder how hot they were in all that clothing?!? Throughout all the shows, I never caught any hiccups or mess ups or errors on their behalf. Are they that professional? That subtle? The thought of off-stage/ behind-the-scenes drama did cross my mind. But they’re probably trying to be cautious of everything like that right now, especially given the time, & that you’ll be blacklisted if you step out of line twice, fifty-plus times, & deemed as difficult to work with. I mean, no one wants to work with a jackass, but c’mon. Remind me how you’re perfect, again? They probably go in & out. Not like the band geeks would before though.

I felt so grand & sophisticated being there. I learned more about music. The conductor, an older gentleman, was giddy & fun. Out of all the shows, I only recall him giving an introduction & little story to the music he was going to conduct. Aside from thee Sheryl Crow, but that was a different setting, atmosphere. Still great but different. There were a few new faces in the orchestra.

There are a few shows at the Bowl that I would like to see, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. This isn’t just some summer fling or something. OK, maybe this hoorah was, but it doesn’t always have to be like that! Am I getting attached? Maybe. Sprung? Let’s not get ahead of the game here. There are plenty of venues out in the city. Some big, some small. Some fancy, some rundown. If I were to return this season, I would soooo see Stevie, the white witch. She’s playing at the Hollywood Bowl while I’ll be on holiday! I won’t be able to see her. I’m a little upset, but there’ll be better days ahead of us.

It’s been a fun adventure with my partner is crime, attending nearly every event with me: my binoculars. They come in more use than spying on people & looking at the moon. I gotta give shout outs to my corkscrew & wine tumbler. I’m thankful I snagged those dollar tickets when I could & did! I was pissed when I learned I paid more for the tickets I thought I was paying less for. That damn presale. I was also a little pissed when I couldn’t get dollar tickets for other shows I would’ve liked to go to. But, that’s life. You don’t always get what you want, & no, that doesn’t apply to people who only live in Hollywood. Sorry, Charlie. I’ve wondered if the Bowl was only doing dollar-tickets for their centennial & won’t be doing it next year? One-dollar-&-one-cent-tickets? We’ll see what inflation does to that then. I wonder if the Bowl regrets that now? I’m thankful I took advantage this year & had the opportunity to do it. Every show was a new adventure, a different experience. It was my me-time, my good space, happy place.

I enjoy the great outdoors, I do. One of the reasons why I moved back to California was for the geography & the resources it offers. So, upon being back –which has been 2.5 years already! OMFGG! I try & make the most of my time. & by that I mean I go hiking as often as I can. I like running at the beach & hiking in the mountains & canyons. Yes, I even do it when it’s hot AF, which isn’t the smartest choice but if you want to get those toxins out & shed a few lbs, you gotta do what you gotta do & sweat.it.out! How’s that saying? NO PAIN, NO GAIN! I need to stop on the gaining! A little pain never hurt nobody. Or not.

I live by the infamous Runyon Canyon. I make myself hike on a weekly basis. I feel better about myself when I go multiple times a week. I don’t feel right knowing that I live right by it & am paying a lot for housing & not taking advantage of that resource. People always complain about the parking there. Welcome to L.A.. I hate the fact that it smells like dog piss all over the neighbourhood & that people only go there because they think it’s cool & trendy. Get over yourself, groupie! Stop trying to look hip & focus on looking fitter. That’s why you’re there, right?!? Another frequent hiking hotspot of mine is in & around Griffith Park. I like running in the neighbourhoods of Los Feliz & admiring the housing there. It’s inspirational. Moving west, as most hopefuls & wannnabes do, I like to hike in the Valley -San Fernando Valley that is. The only valley that matters to me, besides the valley of death… HAHAHA. Want a gOOd hike that’ll work you, see Caballero Canyon. I also like to hike in Malibu & Calabasas, or as I call it, Cali-bASSas. Those places are flushed with trails. A trail that has been on my list of things to conquer, for what seems like forever!, or 2.5 years: Fossil Ridge trail.

At Fossil Ridge, there are rocks with seashells in them! Would I know exactly what they look like in person? NO! Because I didn’t find them when I went for the first time. I found boulders with rocks in them. I’ll get more into that scenario in a moment.

Did you know that once upon a time everything on land, above ground, above current sea-level was once submerged? Once upon a time, Mount Rainier was just a cone that barely popped out of water. Once upon a time, the mountains at White Mountain in Bishop, California were once submerged. Hell, once upon a time, the Los Angeles River was once a river! It’s more like a stream of water now with algae. Global warming much?!? We also live in a desert. Crazy! That would explain why there are rocks in the mountains with seashells in them. I HIGHLY doubt the Santa Monica Conservancy hired a decorator to glue seashells in rocks & make the area look all pretty & festive & thematic to the ocean that lays right beside it.

I woke up from a slumber one morning & I was like, I’m going to go there! I am going to get this off my to-do list. Let’s see what the fuss is about. Put a big red slash across your name, not T.Swizzle status. Or maybe…? [Insert thinking emoji here]. Plus, feeling like a fatass also pushed me to go. Take a hike! Actually, I’ve never heard fuss about it. Someone told me once & it’s been on my mind. Curiosity ain’t killing this pussy!

I found the location. Thank God for Thomas Guide! I grew a little nervous when it came to parking my truck, Beverly, in the mountains on those narrow roads. The posted signs said, X miles this way, X miles that way for whatever trails, yadayadayada. No pictures/ maps. At least I didn’t see one. I had never been, so I was like screw it. It all wraps around, like most trails do. I’ll find my way back. Let a dog roam & he’ll find his way home. After the hiking, I had planned to go to the beach, another resource I came back for. I think the ocean is a whole other fascinating world! I like going to the beach when it rains. It’s so beautiful. It’s also kind of creepy at night but beautiful. Talk about blackness! Fast forward. I did 2 trails. I ended up on the other side of the mountain, not back where I started from. I was like, SHIT! I gotta walk back the same way I walked in! Mind you, I’m also in hippie area where there is no cell service, probably by vote. So be it! I needed to make sure I was correctly enroute. Note to self, & I ALREADY knew this: don’t trust technology. I mean… At least, don’t be so reliant on it. In certain circumstances, you need to think of the worst possible thing that can happen. Otherwise, think positive, get positive, just don’t test positive! Take more screenshots. My mobile detected where I was on a map but that was it. I couldn’t reroute myself. How many Gs is it going to take for service not so in the middle of nowhere!?! We’re already on 5, & that comes with a conspiracy! Who know what 10 will be like?!? XG? LMFAO. I laugh when I’m watching an old TV show & they’re all gaga over 3G! Or the really old movies where they claim cordless, now wireless, is an oxymoron!

I managed to get 1 bar of service in a spot after walking off a little. The map’s way of “wrapping around” / getting me back was having me go around the entire mountain not through it! I was like, OH HELL NO! I’ll get there at sundown! 5 hours later. Literally! What did I get myself into!?! Funny how I keep asking myself that… The last thing I needed to do was see a snake or mountain lion. I did see human life, so I was OK. I also saw what appeared to be the same butterfly throughout the entire time. It had the same pattern & colours. I highly doubt there was a cocoon community of all the same exact kind around. What are the odds?!? –nevermind! We’re BFFs now. Thanks for looking out & hanging with me & seeing me through. Not gonna lie, that butterfly was like a companion on this journey. Wilson?!? It was hot. Not as hell but hot. It was a winter’s day in hell. I can bare the heat, I’m from SoCal & didn’t always have an air conditioner while growing up. I had no water –on me! I was like, I have to do this! You want to be a fit bitch with no Fitbit! I headed back to retrace my steps. As I was going back in, a gent said, Oh, good luck, you’re going the hard route. Typical me! Unknowingly doing things the hard way! That’s life. I wanted to say, I saw you about an hour ago!?! I let him & his bitch pass, after checking both of them out.

OMG! Talk about boot camp! Whenever I travel somewhere, I usually walk all around the city. I don’t like ordering cars, Uber/ Lyft, unless I must. It’s become a rip off, a lot of the times. Plus, I can get acquainted with the city. Even though I live in Los Angeles & have a vehicle, I will still take public transit when I can. I don’t think I’ve ever walked this much! There were a few moments where I wanted to gag a little! I took breathers & stopped for a few moments, but I kept going. I didn’t stop & hang out & listen to the wind. I had already done enough of that. Mother Nature was singing those tunes the entire time. I wanted out! My light was hearing cars. I was like OK, I’m near the road I began! I was like, I’ll never come here again! I saw my Beverly baby from afar & wanted to give in, but I couldn’t. Daddy couldn’t break down in public. My feet & legs were hurting so much! Even my side started to hurt a little. I was TIRED! EXHAUSTED! It was as if I had just run a marathon! Literally. A lot of marathons aren’t the miles I just hiked. I’m a fast walker. I worked the shit out of my body! Hot body: here I come! When I got back to my truck, I pounded 2 bottles of water. At this point, I was so hot & sticky & dirty. I could feel dust all over me. I had no energy for the beach. I was dead tired but not THAT dead tired. I’m a pretty active person. Most who aren’t would’ve never made it. They would’ve waited on the other side of the mountain to be picked up, or if they had cell service, order a car & get dropped off back @ their car. Not me! I got myself in the mess, I’m getting myself out! The Indians had no other choice! The sucky thing? I didn’t even see the rocks with the seashells in them! I think they’re at another spot I passed upon beginning the trail. I was VERY tempted to find those fuckers, but I was like, have mercy on yourself. They’ll be there another billion years!

I got home. My body was in tingle mode. In a little shock. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked refreshed, strangely. I didn’t look like an exhausted old bat. I took off my shoes. My white socks were near dark brown! Even my feet were dirty. You could see the imprint of my shoes. I was like, shit! After showering & unwinding at my atelier, I saw myself in the mirror again. I guess my vampirism was off at the moment. My soon-to-be hot body was no longer in shock after what it just went through. It was as if it was transforming! I know you can’t lose weight instantly or overnight, but I SWEAR! I looked thinner! I saw it in my face, I had less of a pudge in my gut, my thighs felt trimmer. I was like holy shit! I felt good! I had a clear mind. I felt exorcised. I didn’t have negative thoughts going through my brain. I felt so calm & chill. My vision seemed clearer. I felt like I had just finished a cleanse! A cleanse of which I need to do. The second time around, I said I would never do that hike again. Shit, I’m doing it again! I am a results-oriented person & I saw results. I just need to keep it up! Work myself harder. Hey, wanna feel thinner? Take a hike! Go on a 12.5-mile hike with sweats on in the middle of the day. What’s even crazier?!? I’m thankful for this one, this is PROOF to myself I’m physically active. I didn’t even wake up sore the next morning! 😊 Stretching does help. I stretch religiously. This was seriously a life changing hike! Maybe it also had to do with the fact that I was in the mountains & all the spirits around me.

Thank you, mother nature!

Namaste.

A strange thing happened to me the other day. I mean, strange stuff happens to me frequently. I am, after all, me. 🙂 But yes, a strange thing happened, something out of the ordinary, ordinary.

I feel like the universe converses with me a lot. I don’t always hear & see it all, but I do hear & see it often. So, I know I miss some stuff on occasion. We’ll call that ‘human error.’ Yes, even an alien can experience human tactics & feelings. Oh, the secrets she knows though! Anyway, this all came about because I rearranged my kitchenette cupboard. Spoiler alert! I live in what I call my ‘atelier.’ For those of you who know French. No, I’m not saying a curse word or some form of sexual act. After I rearranged everything in that cupboard only & not the whole atelier, I experienced the strangest, most uplifting feeling. It was a true chemical reaction. Talk about feng shui —capital F! I was so drawn to this cupboard. It’s a big wall cupboard. Not the entire wall, but majority of it. Space is limited. The message from this new energy I took away was, everything is in order. Enjoy. It was the way I had my glasses aligned, the dishware, the dry goods, the Tupperware. The strange thing was, I didn’t do much changing around. I just tweaked it out a little. I “enhanced” it a little. It was all there, just not there. The cupboard also wasn’t overly stocked. I make sure everything has its own little space. If you know me, you know I can be organized —& messy in the right ways. 😉 Only sometimes in the wrong. All the glassware, not drug utensils! I have has meaning: the coffee mugs, the wine goblets & glasses, the beer mugs, etc. Each piece is from somewhere I went, I collected, I experienced, earned on my own. They’re not just souvenirs, though they are, but there’s a specific meaning to them. There are 1 or 2 gifts. & after they were in order, I had the feeling everything was Gucci. I literally hung out in my little kitchenette & just admired the positive energy I had just cooked up! I also took the time to gaze around the atelier & give thanks for all that I have, today, & all that I’ve accomplished. #superThankful. Having your own space is very important for oneself. This isn’t a ‘Switch it Up’ all over again, this is different. I was so drawn. I can’t remember any other time I’ve felt like this. Wait, I can! It now reminds me of the time where I felt “settled in” after I moved to Chicago, which took a minute. It was a little rough at first. I didn’t have all my belongings when I crashed it. They were shipped over little-by-little, courtesy of a little guardian angel of mine. I didn’t get that feeling of feeling “settled in” until I had all my magnets from the places I’ve travelled to placed on my refrigerator. It was after then when I felt “at home.” It was a true feeling of comfort. I guess the message that I’m sharing is, even the smallest changes can have the biggest impacts. Energy matters. People will remember you & forget about you, but they’ll always remember your energy & whether it was good or bad. No one wants to be around negative people. I hope. People can be quick to say, they’re good peeps, & it’ll stick. We all have off days, but you can only use the same excuse for so long before you’re really deemed as someone who is full of shit. There I go with my French, again. 😉 I also believe, energy goes where consciousness flows. This, I believe, was a true example. Does it define the saying? No. Oh, it was flowing as if Aunt Flow were in town! For those of you who don’t like change, I understand, but you don’t know what you’re missing out on. Am I suggesting to go & get a face lift? No. But hopefully you do change your underwear from time-to-time. & if you don’t wear underwear, well, I’m basically giving up there. Also, I believe it is the small things in life that matter. The next opportunity you get, test yourself, change something, & see how it goes. Hey, you can always go back. Just don’t be negative about it because remember, energy goes where consciousness flows & big messages come from small things.

January usually goes by fast. I mean, it’s already gone! A lot of times, I’ve seen February 1^st as a form of New Year’s. Come the 1^st of January, we push to have our New Year’s resolutions go into effect. A lot of people break them quickly after, which is why a lot don’t bother making them. The way I see it, sometimes, we [can] have January 1^st & January to iron out the kinks & then things go, or can, into play come February 1^st. That doesn’t mean we still shouldn’t try come January 1^st. I see February 1^st as a booster, if things go south. I did make some New Year’s resolutions, & for the most part I’ve stuck with them. By that I mean I’m still working on them. Have I lapsed? Not that I can think of to the point where I’m like, shit! I fucked up. I have my resolutions I work on daily & my longer-term ones that I know won’t happen overnight, but I’m still focused & driven. This was a special February 1^st, because it was also Chinese New Year’s, year of the tiger! I was born during a year of the tiger.

I’ve been back in Los Angeles for two years now. Wow! I’m still hanging onto the dream/ goal/ idea of returning to China to teach, but sometimes I can’t help but feel that as I get older the more likely it’s not going to happen. It’s not necessarily because of age, per se. I believe I’m still eligible for a mid-life crisis. I can still be like, fuck this! I’m out! Screw everything! I’m not that old! Plus, I still look youthful. 😉 It’s because I need to stay put somewhere if I want to get ahead of the game & accomplish certain things I want à buy real estate property in the great state of California. I haven’t given up on that dream/ goal yet. It’s just another thing on the backburner right now. It’s probably best its there, because right now California’s housing market is tooooo out of control. Everyone on this planet knows it’s expensive to live here. My advantage: it’s not too obscene to me because I’m from here. & with inflation, I’m thisclose to saying, take me now! There’s just no winning! & all certain people want to do is cry how life isn’t fair & yadayadayada. SAVE IT! BUT! I must be strong, strong-willed, determined, continue with my goals, keep my mindset focused, be confident, courageous, energetic & on occasion rebellious 😉, like the tiger, a beautiful white tiger. On the other hand though, I should still push for that teaching job in China because then I can bank my money because usually foreign teachers get “free rent.” It’s included in their salary. I’m likely to have less expenses over there. Decisions, decisions. Strategize! There’s more than one way to skin a cat. No pun intended. Time! Everything takes time! Plus, we’re still in this fucking pandemic, so it’s not all that simple, especially going there, to China, mainland China. I’m not only restricted to China, but I liked living there & after I’m done I can just country hop.

Speaking of the last 2 years, I need to rid myself of whatever “funk” this pandemic has put in me. Am I broken? No. Seeking sympathy? No. But in some way or another, the pandemic has affected each & every one of us. & in a weird way also, it has helped us. I am over the pandemic. I am over hearing the conspiracies. I am over hearing people contest vaccinations. Um, didn’t you get them as a child? & if you didn’t? You should’ve because don’t you hate being sick all the time? Hahaha. People want to say, it’s just another way for the government to control us & it’s all about money. Um, newsflash! They already know everything you’re doing! All those stupid posts you do, swiping your debit/ credit card, because you don’t like carrying cash because you’ll spend it –stupidest saying ever, one of them. & you want to swipe, not left or right, for points to earn rewards. Hello! Do you not see the picture? They listen to your phone calls, Bluetooth. Can read your texts, hack into your cameras, clouds all in a matter of a few clicks. There are street cameras everywhere, even on your front porch, courtesy of you. Every time your passport is swiped, because you want to escape & go on holiday. & you still want to say, the government is trying to control us. You wanted that stimulus money though! You’re the idiot falling for their schemes! But you have all the privacy in the world & you’re 100% free. & no one knows your dark little secrets, huh? Mobile devices, navigations, thumb prints & face detection, cookies. Not the kind to snack on either, heffa. Ordering groceries online! It’s convenient… Yeah, even more convenient for them! I can seriously go on & you give it to them unknowingly. Seems like the only privacy we can get IS wearing a mask in public! I could give you some tips & tricks to evade them, but a magician should never reveal his secrets. 😉 Anyhow, enough of that. I am over not seeing people wearing their masks when they should. Are you that hardheaded? Wait! No need to answer that. I am over having events cancelled. I am over hearing businesses and companies say they can’t function fully because of the pandemic. I am over hearing hotels saying there’s no early or late check-in or outs or they can’t provide all the amenities they should, yet they still want to charge you their inflated prices. & everything has a fucking fee! OMFGG! I’m over the food shortage & supply chain issues. I’m over the stock market tanking. That’s really nothing new, but whatever. Need I go on? I hope corporate America has realized, though they probably haven’t, from this that things needs to be in-house & not outsourced to some foreign country. I get it, it’s cheaper, but look at the ricochet effects of it all. Anyway, thank you for letting me share on that, that was not my intent. Fuck the water break, give me a champeezy break!

Back to February 1^st. The more exciting thing about this past one was it was also a Lunar New Year & on that new year, there was a new moon. Timing. Alignment. Exciting. Magical, maybe? Aside from all that is going on, or isn’t, life still goes on & we must make the best of things. Is it always easy? No. Maybe we all need to be more tiger-ish. Don’t be some lame little pussycat either. With that said, go get some Chinese food. Screw the MSG. 😉 If cutting carbs is on your resolution list, & if you haven’t broke it already, there are alternatives! Or, just break it! LOL. Just make sure you get a fortune cookie. Don’t underestimate them. I’m not sure about ending them “in bed” though. This could be a great year. I’m hoping it is. Remember: it’s what you make it. I have a feeling it’ll be a good one. Namaste.

‘Tis the season, All Hallows’ Eve season. ‘Season of the witch,’ 😉 ghosts, & vampires. I know, I know, can’t it always be like that?!? Or is it already? With that said, or typed, I’m going to do an unofficial book review, or a witch’s brew-down version, on an underrated, not exposed enough great piece of literature, Carmilla.

Carmilla is a classic piece of literature I stumbled along at the beginning of the pandemic. There was a virtual film festival happening & they were going to show a version of the film adaption. It sounded interesting, clearly caught my attention driving through the canyons of Malibu in my Ford pickup truck.

Before Dracula came to life after death, or what have you, Carmilla laid the platform. Who and what is Carmilla?!? Via a novella written by the great Joseph Sheridan La Fanu, Carmilla revolves around a teenage girl, Laura, who crosses path mysteriously with a mysterious female, Carmilla, who just happens to be a vampire. I guess the part where I mention the long-running blood-line of family members with dark secrets is irrelevant?

Carmilla shows up out of nowhere in a European city, go have you, by the name of Styria, outside of Austria. I guess Transylvania would later become the promise land. It was all by accident. Literally. Carmilla is involved in a bad horse-driven carriage accident with a whole bunch of ugly people, one referenced as ‘Matska.’ Even the name is ugly. Is that where ‘horse-power’ really derived from?!?! Carmilla is with mommy dearest & she meets & befriends… Laura’s dad. Soon, somehow, go figure, Carmilla’s mom convinces Laura’s dad to take care of Carmilla, for a minimum of 3 months, because she has “important business” to do, while Carmilla is ½ dead, pun intended, because of the accident. Seems urgent. Yes! Happy Mother’s Day! Was it even an event then?!?! That’s just the way it was back then. People booked it for long periods of time & just lived. They didn’t stress about having service to post & overrate their life. Carmilla stays at Laura’s MASSIVE manor-house estate in the middle of nowhere. Mind you, this is all orchestrated. Con-ary at it’s best. The way the manor-house estate is described à OMFGG. To be of those times! There was NO such thing as $5.00+ a gallon gas prices in SoCal. Hell, I bet the horse food-gas was hella cheap then! & to think they still complained! I love the way the drawing room is described: oakwood everywhere, the cabinets, the shelves, the sitting spaces at the windows, velvet everywhere. I guess velvet was REALLY a thing then. Hell, still is… 😉 The views the room offered. Always having coffee, because There’s Something in the Coffee, & chocolate there. Oh, the drawing room! Another room that REALLY caught my attention was the room Carmilla stayed in. One described as the most “handsomest.” [p. 28]. The Cleopatra tapestry described on the wall! Where to begin!?! Let’s start with the smiley face emoji with hearts as eyes. I need to search the world wide web for one like that. But seriously, that passage is pivotal. Cleopatra plus the asp with the bite marks, Laura with the bite marks, Carmilla serving as the asp!?! A beautiful nod. Another beautiful nod is when Carmilla is described in bed as Eve. Flowers —> garden. Beautiful. Oops! Haven’t I given too much away?!

When Laura was young, very young, younger that what she is in the book —you get the damn point! Or should! LMFAO! She has a “terrible nightmare” of being bitten/ attacked by a figure. The bite marks? Actual bite marks —from a vampire! Where a vampire would bite from! Aside from claiming how vivid it is, the proof, & actual it felt, everyone assures Laura it was “just a dream.” When Laura & Carmilla cross paths years later, over a decade later, for the “first time” Laura is taken aback. Strange shit starts to go down. Eventually, one does go down. Literally.  It’s said a picture is worth a thousand words. Photographs appears from a very long time ago & it is called out the one of the persons in the photos looks JUST like Carmilla. The moon begins to shine & all is illuminated: unveiling of the truth, love, questioning, seduction, distraction, suspicion, thrill, secrets unveiled. Let’s also not forget about that big, nasty black, “monstruous” cat that appears & is described as Carmilla in disguise.

Carmilla is a lesbian vampire love story, something ahead of it’s freakin’ time. Pun on the ‘freakin’.’ Carmilla seduces Laura & make her fall in love with her, of which she is successful, but there is also a lot of reciprocation; it’s not just a one-way street. I will say, that no matter the chemistry between the two ladies, Laura didn’t like everything about Carmilla. There are reservations, & I don’t mean to a restaurant. Laura’s lack of sleep & “strange dreams” [& other things 😉] get the best of her. This is a horror story, people! There are speed bumps, & humps, but the chemistry is equal. Fear & love totally clash here. In the background of the town/ country-life style, havoc is wreaking. Weird shit is happening. I love when it is learned what Carmilla’s real name is: Mircalla. Anagram anyone!?! Oh, the name play. Don’t get me wrong. This isn’t your Hollywood story with a happy love-ending. I’ve given away a lot. I’m not going to give away everything.

I love the introduction of the book I bought a copy of, done by Carmen Maria Machado. The intro exposes one to new authors & material. Add the materials to the ever-running list that’ll probably never end. I’m OK with that. It was once said, reading is like aerobics for the mind. I’m sure all the people in my head keep entertained. I am, after all, me. & people always say, the book is better…  Side note, to go with that side bar, 2 actually, I wonder if that’s what people will say WHEN The Cubicle Diaries gets adapted. In due time, dear child, not chile, &, I have yet to watch any film adaptions of this great piece. I still have yet to see what premiered at the film festival. I’m just waiting for the library to obtain a copy, a year & a half later. The book I have has a few illustrations, which makes it feel more gothic-y. I like the way the editor talks to the reader via annotation, serving as a form of commentary. She is sure to give her personal input on occasion. 😉 Aside from being seen as queer literature, literally, it’s also one of the pioneers of female homo eroticism. Has anyone noticed how much queer stuff is being broadcasted these days!?!

This novella is SERIOUSLY ahead of its time. Dracula, deemed/ seen as the ‘first’ vampire, kind of, didn’t come around for years to come after Joseph Sheridan La Fanu published Carmilla. I want to read more of Sheridan Le Fanu’s work! It has been said Carmilla is a part of a serial. I can’t help but think, & ASSume, & crown Sheridan Le Fanu as the one who started the trend, or depiction, of vampires being sexy, to say the minimal. Am I wrong? Well, you gotta read the piece first! Apparently, vampires are resurfacing, again, around 2 centuries later. I love how this work has been reviewed & explicated so much! That’s just the English in me getting excited. Two of my favourite lines of the novella are, “Love is always selfish.” Carmilla, page 59, & “The precautions of nervous people are infectious.” Laura, page 60. I first borrowed Carmilla from the library, you know how I do, & then I was like, this deserves to be on my bookshelf! So, I bought it & don’t have an issue rereading it.

I love having a large vocabulary, & I also love those with big dictionaries. Check out the new lists of words I learned reading this page turner. Any sound familiar?

Od

Odylic

Fallow

Laity

Arcana

Saturnine

Expanse

Wainscot

Languid

Abhorrence

Gaiety

Languor

Saunter

Discordant

Ague

Effigy

Ensconced

Lassitude

Paroxysm

Acquiesced

Trepidation

Piqued

Parried

Adroitly

Rueful

Peremptorily

Annals

Abler

Demonical

Cadaverous

Stratagem

Satiated

Specter

For this part of the year, we are entering the ‘bers. If that needs to be explained, you’re probably as dumb as you look. 😉 LMFAO! Hahahaha! JK! Sorry, not sorry. Or not. 2021 is not yet over. Still on the younger side, but I have to say, the seasons are changing. Like, you can feel it in the days, the weather. It’s a great feeling. Like when spring transitions to summer, or daylight savings, beginning or ending, for anyone other than Arizonians. Now, we’re seeing summer transition to fall. I’m excited for it all. I also enjoy “’winter’ in Los Angeles.” LOL.

With entering the ‘bers being said, I/ we can still achieve so much this trip around the sun. We’re entering a great cycle. One of my favourites. On the other hand, I will say it is a little hard planning for the future because we really don’t know what’s going to happen next, still, given the time. It’s become a game not everyone wants to play. Facts. For most of us. Have any new remedies for cleaning the crystal ball? The ‘road to recovery’ is just over yonder, but mind that delta variant detour. Is the switch for seeing the future on?!?! Powers not working today? I feel like one of the things that have been taken away from us, even though we may not see because we’re now permitted in public, for the most part, is the feeling of ‘anticipation.’ We can’t plan too far ahead, or can we, because our event[s] might get cancelled. Plus, it must be a ‘lite’ version of what we’re really expecting. RESTRICTIONS. Full throttle? The works? What it used to be. Hell, the lame gigs seem over the top now! What gave it its reputation: see you in a few? Some are just desperate for anything other than nothing to happen. We’re there but not “there.” There is, however, a difference between goals & things to do, events.

Then, we must think, will I be OK come that time? The people around me? What’s going to close, again? What catastrophe will unfold next? God forbid us going out into the society that pushes us not to go into. Don’t mean to sound bitter/ negative, but it’s been pretty continuous. & then there are events that just aren’t going to happen, again, ever, because of what’s happening & they’ve claimed defeat. Deceased. Some of the most entertaining things/ events/ experiences/ opportunities have died because of the pandemic. People come & go, but experiences are one of a kind. On occasion, we meet a one-of-a-kind person, too, but then we also know, a lot of people are all alike in so many ways, & not in the most attractive ones, so they won’t be missed & we’re sure to meet another. 😊 “What’s past is prologue.” -Shakespeare. The Tempest, Act II, Scene I. One event that was brought back, THANKFULLY, is Shakespeare in the Park. This season they did The Tempest. The irony. Dramatic irony?!? It was a good production. One of my favourite Shakespeare lines is, “We are such stuff as dreams are made on, & our little life is rounded with sleep.” Prospero, Act IV, Scene I. I am fascinated with the Old LA Zoo. It’s one of my favourite spots in Griffith Park. There’s something about it. Rumour is it is haunted. & you know how I feel about ‘Rumours.’ 😉 I also LOVES the ‘Haunted Hayride’ come every Halloween Season. Production is underway for a whole new stage/ venue for performances. I can’t wait for when they perform, Measure for Measure or Antony & Cleopatra, if they ever do. Suggestion box? I’d also like to see Titus Andronicus. I’m supposed to see Julius Caesar next month. LOL. That’ll be different because that’ll be a play I haven’t read versus going to see ones I have read, of his.

It amazes me how people really think COVID is a hoax. Yeah, maybe I wasn’t lying at the opening of this blog. Maybe you ARE that dumb?!? I know some are. I am well aware common sense isn’t common anymore, sadly, ad nauseum. I seriously laugh when I read articles about people who swear by the fact that COVID isn’t real, yet their dying diagnosis: COVID. HA! I did say sorry, not sorry, right? But, I’m not going to go there. Then, going back to “normal” life impediments, we must consider if some group is going to protest or loot & vandalize & contradict, or prove everyone right, to share some distorted message that eventually contradicts itself on so many levels. You know who you are, or what. When will COVID not be the excuse!?! Probably not for a while. Only in hindsight do we now see the beauty of our life from our yesteryears: the good, the bad, the boring. Fuck, for some, they’d love a crisis of some sort from something other than the confines of their home. Has ‘crashing’ something become something of the past until further notice? The biggest issue right now is, as we know: the vaccinated versus the unvaccinated. I guess being rich or poor & coloured or not coloured became a boring excuse? I have to say though, COVID has helped me, in a strong sense, because it is the excuse when I don’t want to hang with someone. I just say I’m social distancing, or just say I’m trying to stay safe. Or I just don’t bother because it is the unspoken truth. I think a lot of people are doing that, too. Well, maybe more so the people who need a break from specific people in their life they just can’t seem to get rid of. I’m not playing the game of telephone. Which is the truth. I tell you! It is a double-edge sword because I wasn’t able to hang with the people I actually wanted to. I was practicing social distancing before it was a thing. Anti-social? For the most part. No, I’m not an only child. I wrote about the rise of agoraphobics a long time ago. Scroll further down this page. You’ll see. & then the world happened, but I don’t have special powers or anything. 😉 If only you could have ‘me’ parties like me.

Going back to the unforeseen future of what we know we know actually making happen & how we’ve been stripped of the pleasing part of anticipation, we plan something, push/ hope to make it happen, because our money has already been taken for the event, but at the back of our mind, some minds, you have to think, something strong might happen to prevent me from experiencing this. It sucks, & I hate saying this, it is what it is. I hate saying that because it makes you feel capacitated. It means you basically have no control in the matter & we should always have some form of control over things. People are so quick to use that phrase because it’s cliché & they try to act like they’re not butt hurt because things didn’t go their way. How about this: GET IN LOSER, WE’RE DOING BUTT STUFF! Hahahaha! The first time I saw that meme, I BUSTED! —out loud laughing! I guess not being able to know the future helps cope with living in the present & not needing to plan? Who knows!?! Double-edge sword. & don’t pronounce the ‘w’ in sword. Again, all over the place. Maybe this is the sign we need to live day-by-day? I do agree this time is seen as a ‘reset.’ I’m not going to get political on the matter, just using it as an expression. It sure was a splash of cold water for some, & some were kicked off their high-horse they just love riding. This time has made us realize a lot. Internally & externally.

It’s been a good summer. In no way a ‘Cruel Summer.’ LMFAO! That’s not a nod to Oliva Rodrigo’s smash hit, currently one of them, “Déjà vu,” that has rocked the summer. ”good4U” being the bigger sister. It’s been more humid than usual in SoCal. That dry heat has gotten a little moist. I’m itching to go to a museum. I went to a buffet for the first time in AGES! You best believed I couldn’t breathe walking out of there given the amount of food I consumed. I rarely have desert. If I have desert, that’s my meal, no food, supersized, but when I go to buffets, there’s ALWAYS room for desert. It’s like going to Vegas & sinning. It is wrong if you don’t. FUNNY! That was the name of the place! ‘Vegas’ buffet in Glendale! HAHAHA! By the Americana. I was with a friend & we crashed it! HAHAHA! Maybe “normalcy” IS coming back?!?! It’s a little challenging, or not, when you’re very far from normal. 😉 I love how we can drink in public now. Basically. Or not. Speaking of ‘ages,’ I experienced getting drunk on overpriced alcohol at an airport just like the good old days! Yeah, too bad idiot drunkards are beginning to abuse that, too, by causing raucous on the plane they board after they slam a few too many!?! & with a flight attendant!?! So, let’s hope that doesn’t actually become a thing of the past! Drinking at airports, that is! Or on flights. I mean, they don’t even take cash anymore… C’mon people! You cry about being cooped up, & pooped up!, & then when you’re let out of your cage, you go & do something REALLY stupid or try to pick a public fight that you know someone can’t wait to record, & eventually fuck it up for everyone, having make the “more civilized” people suffer!?! A lot has already been taken! Don’t take the overpriced, undersized alcohol, too! Think about the people who fly to destinations THEY MUST to see people they don’t want to. All because you couldn’t drive! Maybe you wouldn’t had of drank. Wait, I’m just going to stop. Movie theatre-going is already into play. Meet me at the Los Feliz 3. How much AMC stock you got? What about the crypto currency? I’ve gotten more in-tune with the universe. Literally. Aside from potential butt stuff, I’ve also participated in a lot of astronomical stuff. Out of this world? YES! No sexual pun intended. @ this moment! Have you ever seen Saturn? Or Jupiter & its multiple moon?!?! I think 4, maybe? Call me, maybe. 😉 OMFGG! & what I mean by that, I joined an astronomy club! I’m obsessed with outer space. Now, I can really dig into it & learn some stuff & actually appreciate it! I’ve said before, ad nauseum, I am an alien. I went camping over the summer & I stayed up extra late to stargaze. OH! It was BEAUTIFUL! Thank GOD it wasn’t fire season around Bass Lake! The night sky was so clear! I saw a lot of shooting/ falling stars. Could I had been unknowingly viewing a meteor shower? They came in all sorts of sizes & descensions. Of course, I made some wishes!!! But I don’t wish my life away. I’ll make some. But usually, when I want something, I just go out & get it. 😉 Being up late into the early morning, & not like I’m used to, it was very quiet. I enjoyed it. Then, I was taken aback by the amount of snorers I was hearing. There were so many! I was like, wow! I am positive they were all humans, not bears. Side note: I did see some cubbies. Actual ones! Seriously, I thought bears snored loud. Who am I to talk?!? I tend to snore loud AF sometimes, too. Probably when I’m REALLY intoxicated. At least it’s a sign I’m not dead! & with ‘GG’ being referenced. Yes, I’ve seen the new ‘GG.’ I want to see what ‘part B’ has to say. I was pleased when they featured ‘Milo Sparks.’ In case you didn’t know, I’m all about team ‘G’ —as in ‘Georgina!’ ‘Georgina Sparks.’ Not glass! Like crystal meth!!! WTF?!?!? HAHAHA.

Take your mental health days. Save your sick days for when you’re healthy. If you absolutely need to, lie & say you’ve been exposed to COVID. That’ll get everyone off your back for at least 2 weeks. But you should get vaccinated. All the cool kids are doing it. For some, mentals breaks are really helpful. You gotta let it out! Production needs to eventually resume. The world still rotates. We continue to age. Time does not stop. & yes, getting old is a BITCH! Of course, life will throw curve balls. As it usually does, or it wouldn’t be life, & in case you weren’t told: check your conscience at the door, & ‘there’s no crying in baseball.’ Planet Earth is seriously going through some trying, crazy times. At least it isn’t as bad as it was. LOL. In general, things are way different than they were 2 trips around the sun ago. The ‘refresh’ button was definitely clicked & a virus was concocted. No pun intended, or maybe. In some way or another, we’ve all been affected. I’m looking forward to what’s coming next. Do I know what is? No. That’s a beauty of it, because there are many beauties toward it. Do I have a prescribed rose-colour pair of glasses? No. They’re unprescribed. Mainly used for fashion. I’ve learned to leave things to the gods & the universe, because at the end of the day they get what they want, & when they talk I [try to] listen. Sometimes, blessings are disguised. I’m really looking forward to this upcoming season. Fall is my favourite. The harvest moon is approaching. Pumpkin spice lattes have already launched. Pre ‘‘bers.’ Black Friday is on Thursdays now. I swear! When I came up with the concept of this blog, especially its title, I intended to publish it earlier in the month. It’s all good. We’re almost where we need to be. The world will never stop being crazy. We just gotta be able to live in it.

Naturally, astrologically, I’m a bull. Although, I feel like a piece of me, spiritually, is a bear, which has nothing to do with me as a butterfly. & those have NOTHING to do with Otter. As Otter, I am a Scorpio. Multiple worlds. They’re all mine and you’re just crashing on the couch in them. 😉 & in the “real world,” or what we call it, I can’t help but feel like an alien.

Born a Taurus, created myself into ‘Otter.’ Or did I?!? Was it the universe’s plan all along?!? [No, it has nothing to do with the otters of the gay world]. ‘Otter’ is actually an acronym. I’ll let you do the guessing. I discovered me. I really dig bears, as in the actual animal. I love seeing the little cubbies play with each other. [Again, not a nod to the rod]. It’s sad that disclaimer must be given. But when it does come to that world, I can see myself as otter-ish. LMFAO. I’ve always heard the expression ‘mama bear,’ but it wasn’t until I saw a video on how a ‘mama bear’ can get, & I was like, OK!

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I’m so consumed, for a great permanent part, with the stock market —in a positive way! I’ve FINALLY got into the stock market! Am I behind the times? YES! I’m trying to make up for the lost ones. I even thought it’d be a great idea to invest my hard-earned money into shitty stocks just so I can lose! Yep! Ride the wave! That’s me! [No, not always riding something!] It’s not a life lesson if it ain’t complicated. Unfortunately, all the best things in life are complicated. 😉

I haven’t inherited a trust fund or something of that nature— yet, so I must make shit happen for myself. I’m OK with that. It’s all for the better, because then no one can try & take anything away from you or contest it & have things used against you. Although, I’m not opposed to still having one… 😉 New, old money here.

Participating in the stock market is something I’ve been wanting to do. It‘s something I NEED to do, especially because I’m so driven on investing! But being the Rockstar I am, I didn’t always have the “time” to devote to it. Now, things have changed. For someone who didn’t have “time,” has it! The push, push came when I was on holiday in Denver, celebrating going around the sun another time. Only the good die young. 😉 That was when the ever-so-great Elon Musk with his musk was doing SNL & EVERYONE was so gaga over it, & even more so gaga over dogecoin. I’m STILL trying to figure out how & why people are so obsessed with him & follow his every move. Literally. & by that, when he says jump all his muskers say ‘how high’ or run to the nearest bridge!?! WTFQ?!? It cracks me up when I see articles, and tweets, because everything now is a tweet! [Are you an early bird or a night owl? You dirty bird]. Anyway, back to my statement, that say the market shouldn’t rely off one person’s tweet. TRUE! Sad it’s happening, true it is happening!?! Why in the fuck would you!?! Shows how STUPID people are. Spit me a game & we’ll be talking; get me a few drinks & I’m yours, but a couple of tweets?!?! For Dionysus’s sake! Can I get a retweet!?! So funny. And sad. Seriously, people!?! Teslas aren’t even that great of a car. People who drive them should take their head out of the clouds, or from their ass, or from someone’s. I forgot how much a vehicle can be such a form of confidence for people, especially the insecure, an icon for status. A lot of times when there’s traffic in that place where Angelenos spend more time on than with their “loved” ones and sometimes work, it’s probably because a damn Tesla is just coasting along, probably for 2 reasons: because they want to show off they have a Tesla &/ or because the damn thing has no power! It’s either going really slow, or flies by out of nowhere because that brave little toaster finally caught whatever power it promotes and took off. Some might say, launched. Here we go with space rockets. [Speak nerdy to me]. But in the meantime, go get your pocket-rocket.

Anyway! Enough about that. I met someone in Denver. NO! not like that… Hahaha. We got to talking about the stock market & cryptocurrency. It’s one of the few times you can talk about money. One of the first things he said was, I’m not giving financial advice. I laughed my ass off. I just needed the tip — & tricks. I mean tips. 😉 Hey, it was one of the better starts of a conversation I’ve had rather than in the past. This person wasn’t the only person I exchanged with about the stock market, but it all did happen within the same week. I hear you, Universe. My moneyhouse is telling me: JOIN. My cosmic message. I had spoken with someone else who had just started investing into crypto. I don’t think she was a clepto.

I got things established –online accounts wise, kind of, but I got nowhere. Time was running out. It was a live Saturday night; Saturday Night Live was happening. For some, the next best thing after sliced bread and God, himself, Elon Musk was on the television set. That creative piece of work. & I couldn’t for the life of me dump a bunch of my entire life savings into dogecoin because I hadn’t prepared right! I hit the snooze button one too many times. I even unplugged my wireless alarm clock! I was behind the times! Marsha! Marsha! Marsha!!! HE was going to subliminally get us all by mumbling ‘dogecoin’ as he pretended to clear his throat when giving one of his monologues. Or, he was going to do it whenever the cue-card said, I don’t know! & that would be the end of it all. Tooooo bad that was the end of it all. Doge tanked. Whiskey-dick.

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It amazes me how much power HE has! Elon. People literally think he’s Godsend! If not God!?! It shows how dumb people are to just follow anyone, & for some, hop on the bandwagon. OK, so he invents spacecraft & a car that can double as a floating device, literally, & is one of the top 3 richest people in the world?!? Notify me when to be starstruck. It kind of annoys, yet sometimes muses, me how the media is constantly publishing his stupid memes, his catalog of facial gestures. I’m still trying to understand his and Grimes’s dynamic. What is the really real!?!

With learning the stock market comes trial & error. There’s so much to learn. I remember a few years back when bitcoin was up & coming & ALLLLLLLLL I ever heard was, bitcoin this & bitcoin that. I was like, make it stop! Yeah, I should’ve paid more attention then. But, I’m here now! No, I don’t own any bitcoin, at the moment. SADLY. & things aren’t that hunky-dory with America & China right now & it’s reflecting in the stock market. Don’t get me started on DiDi. DiDi turned out to be a no-no! But that’s the stock market. It’s all a gamble. Just like life. & it changes every single moment. There’s a lot of crackdowns on cyber-security & hacking going on. Of course. & everything’s online right now, literally, so the iron is HOT! & with China being a communist country, they call their own shots, play by their rules. I mean, how can it be perceived right now? A good thing or a bad thing? Cracking down for all the right or wrong reasons?!? Let’s just hope for the better. I heart China. I can’t wait to return. I just wish they would clean up their act so we all can make a buck or two or tens of thousands & call it a day. It also makes me think, what about American companies?!?! Yes! I have interest in them, too, & I have thought, I should have more! America is going through it’s own version of a civil war, electronically and physically, but that’s America for you… The market, indeed, is very volatile right now. Did I get in at the right time? Do I know enough.

I’m not someone who is glued to their phone. Yes, sometimes I do surf & get lost. Yes, I sometimes stalk. & yes, I do leave home without my mobile sometimes. I know, shame on me. Remember those times ‘wireless free’?!?! Remember when wireless was an oxymoron?!? It actually annoys me of the people who, especially those who don’t pay attention where they’re walking &, walk right into you & don’t even walk fast. WTFQ?!?  The same goes for people who are constantly texting & driving. They deserve to crash, & they’re probably responsible for majority of the accidents out there.

So, if you see me on my mobile under the sunny-sun rockin’ Ray-Bans somewhere in the 90028 a little more than usual, no, it’s not because I’m refreshing my IG feed to thrive off the likes I did and didn’t get, no. I’m not pretending to be on my mobile so I don’t have to interact with you. If I don’t want to, I’ll just flat out ignore you and rather look bored or lost. No hard feelings. 😊 ½ the people I follow on IG are muted. I don’t need to see another version of people I don’t know or care for. Wasn’t IG started to share PHOTOGRAPHY works? That AIN’T photography work. Sorry not sorry. Me being on my phone will be, and is more than likely, me checking up on the stock market, because literally, it changes like every second. Sometimes multiple times in a second. If you thought social media is addictive, this is. & when it’s a hot-topic, OH! You’re watching your money. It also annoys me when people go on holiday & do nothing but constantly post. Did you go on holiday to vacate & relax & escape, or did you go to promote the place for whatever reason you feel is relevant to overrate your life & do nothing but post?!? Cue me the fun.

Am I going to be rich over night? No. But, at least I’ve started. & I am still young. Will all my stocks be winners? No. Insert trial & error part here! Maybe I should re-read, House of Mirth. That is one of my favourites. I’ve been meaning to buy it. We love our bull market. Yes. It’s bittersweet in a bear market. If you’re truly into a company, publicly, 😉, then you’ll invest into it at a bear’s market. But I’m not giving you financial advice! To bull or to bear.