Dawn-a-pa-Drew-za!

I just got an email from Drew of The Dawn & Drew Show podcast, asking me if I'd be able to make it to their "Dawn-a-pa-Drew-za" party / birthday party for Dawn! They've been talking about it for a while on their show, and I just thought, wow, that would be cool to be able to go to that, to meet these people in person--these people who called me (who they only know as someone who listens to their show) while I was in the hospital last year; these people who raised money for another listener who'd been mugged and robbed after attending one of their meet-ups.

Then they said that they were keeping the guest list to a minimum, and I thought, ah well, whatever, it's not like I could've made it out there (West Bend, Wisconsin) anyway. But then I get this invitation from them! Now, I'm not confused--I know that in my current state of affairs, I haven't the means to make this happen--and I'm ok with that. Just the fact that I've been invited has made my day. I am putting it out there, however, just in case, y'know, the Universe might splash some extra blessings my way.

Slip and Slide Mayhem

So I never got around to posting about our spectacular Saturday last weekend. For a real quick run down, here are the highlights:

We started at a birthday party for my friend's kids;

then had a mini Blogger-Con at the Bird Park Concert in the Park;

and we rounded out the night at a birthday party for one of my friends, where Ren won the prize for best Robot dance!

Well this Saturday, we partied almost as hard, only we stayed in one place. Every Summer, my friends Erin and David host two slip & slide parties--one near the beginning of the season, the other around Labour Day. This year's opener was postponed, thus its late-July date. Despite being the only kid at the party, Ren had a blast--he's my usual companion at such gatherings, and all my friends, at best, love him; at worst, humouringly indulgent. Really though, it's a slip & slide party; there's gotta be at least one kid to serve as the model and example.

Hey, now that's serious

Barry Bonds Home-Run Scandal Somehow Becomes Feel-Good Sports Story Of Summer

It's pretty bad when a story out of The Onion is not simply parodying reality, but actually covering it. See, unlike, say, the story(ies) about Starbucks' multi-tiered plans for world domination (featuring images of armored combat vehicles emblazoned with the coffee empire's insignia), the fact is Barry Bonds appears a virtual angel (small 'A'--not to upset any SF or Anaheim fans) compared to the rest of the Sports news makers.

Not that he isn't just as bad as the rest of 'em. Barry's (alleged) use of banned performancing-enhancing substances is just as damaging to society as gambling, dog-fighting/murdering, or attempting/committing murder/suicide; the effects are just not as immediately apparent. It's a much longer story arc when you start with ambitious Little Leaguers who look-up-to/aspire-to-be [better than] Barry Bonds; who are witnesses to the glorification and tacit acceptance of his [allegedly substance-enhanced performance; who are driven by rabidly fanatical supporters; who figure, "If Barry got away with it, so can I!"

Next thing you know, you're hearing about a college baseball star who, in the throes of a full-on 'roid-rage, practiced his homerun swing on his girlfriend (for not supporting him enough) and his parents (for pushing him too hard), before sticking his face in the business end of a pitching machine full of rocks.

Still, the fact remains that Barry has not killed anyone (or any animal); and no matter how dubious his achievements, any suspicion will be over-shadowed by the gamblers, dog-killers, and murderers.

The Skeleton King (from "Super-Robot-Monkey-Team-Hyper-Force, Go!"), subtly hinting that it's about time for a blog post
Originally uploaded by ebilflindas

Ok, so yeah, we've been home for how long, and still I haven't posted? Sure, some of it has been just like Amy described, or maybe not--as busy as I seem to be, a lot of it is just in my head.

And this post, well, it's just to get something up here. I haven't felt like posting since getting home. It's funny, while we were away, I was itchin' get get online and post, which I did four times. Actually three times--the two Fourth of July posts were done from my cellphone, which wouldn't allow me to post more than one photo at a time. How's that for jonesin' for a postin'?!

After all that time away, though, we're back home...back to what I needed to get away from...back to what I can see more clearly. Hence my lack of blog posts--or comments on all of your blogs, either--for it became clear to me that blogging had become a form of escape for me. An insidious form of escape, to be sure, as it gives me a false sense of productivity; though in truth, it has been a diversion.

So, either my posts will grow increasingly infrequent, or they will take on the mantle of documentary as I chronicle my adventures in getting to those things which I have been avoiding.

And nothing says INDEPENDENCE...

...like modifying your legally purchased fire-crackers to render them louder, more spectacular, or otherwise more dangerous than the manufacturer(s) intended.

Hey, Baby! It's the 4th of July!

YEE-HAW!
4ourth of July in Taft...that means fire-cracker stands on every other corner--if you're at least 16 years old.

Holocaust Survivor Leaving U.S.

Apparently this was written in 2005, but telling, nonetheless.

Monday, May 02 2005 @ 03:02 PM PDT
Contributed by: Joey Picador
The Real NewsOne of our neighbors is moving. I've been in this neighborhood for about six years now, but didn't really know them very well at all - just waves and nods, mostly.

So I heard the moving van pull up this morning. When I got home this evening I happened to spy my neighbor (he's like 85 years old - I don't know exactly, but he's old, talks and moves very slowly) standing on the sidewalk next to the van. I walked over and shook his hand, and we started talking. I asked him where he was moving, and he said, "Back to Germany."

I had been stationed in Germany for two years while in the military, so I lit up, and commented about how beautiful the country was, and inquired if he was going back because he missed it.

"No," he answered me. "I'm going back because I've seen this before." He then commenced to explain that when he was a kid, he watched with his family in fear as Hitler's government committed atrocity after atrocity, and no one was willing to say anything. He said the news refused to question the government, and the ones who did were not in the newspaper business much longer. He said good neighbors, people he had known all his life, turned against his family and other Jews, grabbing on to the hate and superiority "as if they were starved for it" (his words).

He said he was too old to see it happen right in front of his eyes again, and too old to do anything about it, so he was taking his family back to Europe on Thursday where they would be safe from George W. Bush and his neocons. He seemed resolute, but troubled, nonetheless, as if being too young on one end and too old on the other to fight what he saw happening was wearing on him.

I gotta tell you - it was chilling. I let him talk, and the whole time, my gut was churning, like I had mutated butterflies in my stomach. When he was finished, he shook my hand, gripping it really hard, until his knuckles turned white and he was shaking. He looked me in the eyes, hard, and said, "I will pray for your family and your country." He let gohttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif of my hand and hobbled away.

I have related this event to you in the hopes it will serve as a cautionary anecdote about the state of our Union, and to illustrate the path we Americans are being led down by a group of fanatics bent on global economic and military dominion. When a man who survived the fruits of fascism decides its time to leave THIS country because he's seeing the same patterns that led to the Holocaust and other Nazi horrors beginning to form here, it is time for us to recognize the underlying evil inherent in the actions of those who claim they work for all Americans, and for all mankind. And it is incumbent upon all Americans, Red and Blue, Republican and Democrat, to stop them.

For those of us without a "Germany" to return to, I hope we're able to stand up and keep this country from going down in Fascist flames.

Remember, the U.S. has already had practice with running concentration camps, so if someone who lived through the rise of Nazi Germany is seeing the same things happen here, do we still have a chance to do something about it? And if not, in today's globality, will there be anyplace to go?

SC to SF

So here we are in San Francisco, staying with Ren's Mimi (grandma). I figured since, being in Santa Cruz, we were so close to The City, we could't not make the trip. It turned out to be closer than I thought, too, with the drive only taking about an hour and a half. That didn't matter, though, as the view along CA-1 is so beautiful that having to drive slow is actually preferred.

Here's India standing by as her mom, Crystal, puts some chicken on the grill. Notice all the green surrounding them. As soon as I get home I'll be able to get all the photos off my camera to show you just how woodsy their environs are.

As far as when that will be, well, I'm not exactly sure. The best I can figure is sometime this month. From here, we'll be returning to Santa Cruz for a day or two before heading back to Taft. While in the land of Oil, I'll be helping my Mom and her husband with the ongoing move Up The Hill. [cue the Jeffersons theme]

Which means we'll be observing Fourth of July fireworks surrounded by oil-fields. Does anyone else find that just the slightest bit odd? I mean, it's odd enough that someone should decide to move IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER (I just heard a forecast calling for some hotness for the 4th), but to want to hang around while a bunch of yahoos light up some pyrotechnics amidst fields of black gold?