i kicked a boy

deery-lou.
previoiusly on the e-list…

goodbye 2009, hello 2010! it's day four of the new year. a decade is behind us and a new one is beginning. i can't believe that christmas has come and gone already. it seems like only yesterday that i was packing and planning for my trip to r-kansas and now i'm completely unpacked and settling into my so-called life.

i want to start off by saying that i had a wonderful holiday. in some ways it was even magical especially with it snowing on christmas eve. the holiday itself was at times emotional but i'm so grateful that i got to spend it with my family. entering the house for my first time was a bit surreal, with all these childhood objects in a strange environment. even though i don't have a connection with this house, i could still feel my mom's presence all around and that was comforting.

farm life is quiet! i actually found myself settling in quite easily. in the morning, i'd go out and sit on the front porch and drink my coffee. at this time, all the birds are chirping. while i smoked my first cigarette of the day, i lazily watched the sheep, guinea hens, & peacocks stroll about the property. what more could one ask for. sadly, i never got close enough to pet any of them. that was mostly due to milo constantly chasing them.

in the evenings, my pops would build a fire in the sun room where we just sat & relaxed. on occasions the puppies would fight, but most of the time is was very peaceful. my pops definitely has his hands full with all the animals. the fact that they keep him so busy is probably a good thing. life on the farm does seem to agree with him. i got to meet some of his neighbors on christmas eve which was nice. i'm glad that he has people there to look after him. i'm looking forward to going back in the summer. i want to explore all the state parks & swimming holes i saw.

here are some highlights from my trip:

1. spending time with my family

2. fresh country air

3. snowing on christmas eve

4. country fried steak

5. a deep dish pizza pie [it looked like an apple pie]

6. fried jalapenos & pickles
7. day trip to mt. magazine
8. passing through small town squares
9. watching the peacocks
10. pulled pork
11. finding old photos
12. tabitha's salon takeover marathon
13. hearing pops laugh while watching family guy
14. meeting the new puppies [grace & milo]
15. simply relaxing

can't wait to see what 2010 has to bring. just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…

m-train

deery-lou.

previously on the e-list...

R-kansas, here i come. i hope the people of charleston [if there even are people there] are ready for me. i'll be flying out there in about 10 hours. i've got my cowboy hat & boots all packed. can't wait to to spend some time with the sheep & peacocks.

i have a lot of mixed feelings about this trip. on the one hand, i'm looking forward to spending the holiday with my family. on the other, this will be the first christmas without my mom. i still haven't been able to look at pictures from last christmas. there's a part of me that feels if i do it makes it even more real that she's gone. it has been over 5 years since i've been to my parents house. and the first time for me to be at the house in arkansas. i'm a bit nervous about walking into this house and seeing all the things that remind me of my mom. i know that i haven't fully processed my mom's death. i'm just hoping that being there doesn't set off any triggers. i really want this holiday to be about us creating some happy memories. afterall, we could definitely use some. just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well...

p.s. not sure i'll be able to post much while in the country, so stayed tuned for my adventures in R-kansas. happy holidays to one and all...

winter now

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

sugar is evil! i went to a cookie exchange last night and managed to od on sugar. i truly believe it was the two pieces of eggnog fudge that sent me over the edge. i brought pbj cookies to the exchange which, if i do say so myself, turned out quite tasty. there were lots of goodies to be had and i left with an tin full of cookies & fudge. now if i can only refrain from eating them all today.

as part of the cookie exchange, there was also a white elephant. i dipped into my supply of back issues of girlfriends & on our backs as my white elephant gift. i even threw in a rainbow bright hat i made several years ago but never wore. i ended up with a book, the cheetah girls: living large books 1-4, which will now allow me to tap into my inner tween girl. i love how the book includes the cheetah girls credo: "to earn my spots and rightful place in the world, i solemnly swear to honor and uphold the cheetah girls oath"…

the book also contains a cheetah girls glossary making it all the easier for one to fit in with the cheetah girls. it's very important for us to know the meaning of such terms as: wefties [weaves that are so tick tacky the tracks are showing] or diva size [a size fourteen or up]. the best of all however, is the introduction: "once upon a rhyme, there were two beautiful, bubble-icious girls named galleria and chanel who were the best of friends and the brightest wanna-be stars in all the land." hmm, that sounds roughly familiar. i can't wait to start reading this classic.

while making my pbj cookies yesterday, i felt inspired and decided to dig out my little christmas tree and decorate it with the random ornaments i had in my apartment. the christmas spirit is definitely beginning to rise within. just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

















my little silver tree

stay gold and be well…

if she wants me

deer-lou.
previously on the e-list…













saturday night, i found myself celebrating my friend tamara's birthday russian style. we met at sadko, where we started the meal off with fried calamari, beet salad, crab salad, pickled vegetables, some kind of duck loaf, potatoes & mushrooms, rye bread, and shots of vodka. according to sasha & tamara it's customary to eat something [preferable a pickle] after taking a shot so that's what we did throughout our appetizers. prior to my entree, which was schnitzel, i had a bowl of borsch. and for dessert we had cherry blintzes. i'm not really sure where i managed to put all the food i consumed that evening. perhaps i was making up for fasting on friday. all i do know is that everything i tried was absolutely delicious. birthdays russian style are F.U.N! just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

be well & stay gold.

four sticks

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

well, another thanksgiving has come and gone. i have many things to be thankful for as i reflect on the past year's events. i spent the day at misty's with great friends, delicious food, and lots of drinks. this is the first year i managed not to stuff myself and it felt good.

i did a bit of shopping yesterday in my hood. i love the fact that i don't need to travel far to get things. i managed to score myself two pairs of jeans [the second pair was a guilt buy] as well as getting some stuff for others along the way.

in a few minutes, i'm heading downtown to check out the richard avedon exhibit at the sf moma. i'm looking forward to having an art day. it's been awhile. i hope every one out there in the cyber-world had themselves a happy thanksgiving. enjoy the rest of your weekend. just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…

make me smile [come up and see me]

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

we had our holiday potluck at school on friday. staff, host families, & students all brought food to share. the school supplied the thanksgiving basics: turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, and cranberries. everything seemed to be going smoothly until it came time to carve the turkey. no one had thought about needing a carving knife in advance. so there i was left to carve a turkey with a butter knife & plastic fork. not quite sure how i got stuck with the task. oh wait, could it be because no one else takes any initiative. anyway…to makes matters worse i had students lining up asking for turkey before i had even cut any. there's nothing like starving students breathing down your neck. half way through i abandoned the plastic fork & just started pulling turkey off the bone with my fingers. nothing like getting your hands dirty. it was the first time for most of the students to have turkey and they all seemed to enjoy it which makes it worth it in the long run. here's hoping we have an actual carving knife next year.



















i went and saw new moon on saturday with some friends. i didn't really like twilight and mainly went to be social. i'm trying something new these days. i'm sure i'm going to get some hate mail for this next comment, but i've got to admit i thought the movie was pretty boring. it felt as if i was watching a very long, drawn out afternoon soap opera. i didn't care much for the bella character at all. she seemed quite needy and selfish. the only redeeming factor of the whole film was the shirtless werewolf clan. whenever they appeared on screen, my interest peaked. go figure. the other highlight was seeing a preview for the new john woo film red cliff that looks awesome. i'll definitely be checking that out.















after the film, misty & i did some shopping around japantown. i love that mall, especially the cheap japanese stores there that sell everything for $1.50. note to self: go to japantown more. just where will i need up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…

talk talk

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

part of my weekend was spent with the brockway-huegel clan in concord. i headed out there on friday after work and came back saturday evening. i always have a great time when i visit them. scott & heather open up their home to me as if i was family. in a sense, they are a part of my extended family and i've very grateful to have them in my life. the two of them are doing a wonderful job raising their boys and i'm very lucky to be a part of it. it's really great to see scott in action with the boys. the fact that we went to high school and are still a part of each others lives is truly amazing. we spent friday night simply sitting around talking and drinking. who could of asked for anything more.

on saturday morning, i awoke to lachlin poking me to tell me that the pancake breakfast was ready. it wasn't. scott & heather were still sleeping and i was on to his game. he ended up climbing in bed with me and we had a little chat. he sang a song about some kind of bunny pie, we talked about superheroes, and he asked why i had hippos on my pajamas. the last time i visited i gave the boys two "challenge of the superfriends" dvd. apparently, it has become a favorite of the boys. lachlin seems to be a fan of the green lantern & riddler while finn favors batman & robin. a boy after my own heart for as we all know robin is one of my favorites. i think i managed to watch all eight episodes with them and some of them even twice.

the afternoon was spent taking a mini-stroll at castle rock which i like to call castle greyskull. we never did quite make to the castle rocks but that wasn't the point. it was all about just hanging out together. during our outing we happened upon a tarantula. i had never seen on in the wild before so it was pretty exciting. the boys seemed pretty impressed by it too. after lunch we drove to the top of mount diablo. it was another first for me. it was pretty cold at the top of the mountain. the view from the top was simply amazing. i could see twins peaks & the golden gate bridge. we even managed to see some hand gliders. i can always count on the brockway-huegels for getting me out into nature. it's sort of becoming our thing & i like that. just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…

no i in threesome

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

there's a man that i see from time to time on the 38 muni on my way home from work. when i do he's always making paper swans from what appears to be square pages of a magazine. before his begins folding them he always checks both sides of the paper. i happened to see him again today and as usual he sat there making his swans until he reached his stop. every time i see him i can't help but watch as he folds the paper into these creatures. i can't help but wonder what he does with all of these swans. just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

new jersey

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…


"i am lost, it's ok". the words from this image stayed with me long after i had left the "fight hiv your way" exhibit. even while i was walking around the exhibition, i kept finding myself returning to these five words. it been quite some time since i've been to an art show that had such a strong impact on me. the images & accompanying quotes spoke of hope in lieu of the tragedy & heartache that is often thought of. the images were powerful & several of the quotes gave me chills. i had taken my class there for two reasons. the first, as a writing assignment, and the second more important reason, i wanted them to take a look at this disease in another light. after reading their essays, i realized that i successfully accomplished my second goal. sometimes it feels good to be a teacher. just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…

freeloader

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…













i went and saw whip it tonight with misty & kate. awesome! everyone in the movie was well cast, but i must give props to juliette lewis. that role was perfect for her. the movie made me think of the episode of charlie's angels "death on wheels" when jill joined a roller derby team to uncover a murder. there's a scene where jill participates in the classic roller derby move, the whip. here's a minisode for those of you interested.



just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be be will…

honeybear

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

need a good pick me up in the morning? check out my new favorite site people of walmart, capturing the true essence of america. here's a sample for you:

hot for teacher

just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…

heads will roll

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

as i was passing by new may wah supermarket market on clement street today, i noticed a little boy swinging what appeared to be a dried squid. last time i checked, i thought dried squid was meant to be eaten. apparently, it's now the new hip toy of 2009. place your orders soon. just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…

dragon queen

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

she's back!
ok, i must admit that i'm totally excited to see heather on the new mp. so watching on november 17th. i miss the mp viewing parties we used to have back in the day. here's hoping heather spices up the place once again.



just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…

skeletons

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

my apartment building consists of old asian women & russians with a few youngsters scattered about. yesterday, i rode the elevator with my neighbor, an old asian woman. our conversations usually go like this: "hello", "what floor", "goodbye". you would think that after a year she'd recognize me as her neighbor but she never does. perhaps i shouldn't change my look so much. anyway...as we were exiting the elevator, she handed me a flyer that was in her hands. it was a notice from fedex about a delivery attempt. i wasn't sure if she knew what it said or not so i explained it to her. she responded in chinese, then ran into her apartment. she returned with another fedex notice from the day before and preceded to talk to me for five minutes in chinese. the whole time she was talking she was pointing up and and down the hallway. i couldn't quite figure out what she was trying to tell and finally had to say, "i don't know". she repeated, "oh, don't know", said goodbye, and headed into her apartment. i love my neighbors. just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…

my wandering days are over

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

the last two themes. whew! the current theme will be posted later this month. not every one has uploaded their photos yet. remember if you are interested in joining contact me. just where will i need up next is any one's guess.

august 2009 theme: 20 blue, 30 days
september 2009 theme: 20 stairs, 30 days

stay gold & be well…

twisted up your spine

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

two more themes for your viewing pleasure. just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

june 2009 theme: 20 patterns, 30 days
july 2009 theme: 20 shadows, 30 days

stay gold & be well…

counting backwards

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

two more photo themes for you to enjoy. just where will i need up next is any one's guess.

april 2009 theme: 20 water, 30 days
may 2009 theme: 20 flowers, 30 days

stay gold & be well…

wants & needs

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

i just realized that the last time i blogged about my photo group was back in february 09 and that was for january's theme. bad blogger. over the next couple of days i'm going to attempt to catch every one up with the themes i didn't post. for those of you just joining my blog, if there are any out there, every month a group of us take photos of a particular theme. we have 30 days to take 20 pictures of the given subject. at the end of the month we upload them to flickr to a group that i create. so that's the group in a nutshell. if any one out there wants to join, simply send me an email. with that said, some links to past photo themes. i'm going to do it in pairs. hope you enjoy. just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

february 2009 theme: 20 love, 30 days
march 2009 theme: 20 green, 30 days

stay gold & be well…

mess with time

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

october has come & gone leaving behind wonderful memories of yet another halloween. i started off my halloween weekend with a school halloween party. i went to school as lucifer's fall [my goth name]. the students all thought i looked very scary but that didn't stop them from taking their pictures with me. for a minute there, i felt like paris hilton. we had a costume fashion show/parade to show off all the costumes. i was pleasantly surprised at the number of students who actually came in costumes. some of the costumes included: colonial death bride, a bumble bee, a plastic surgery victim, minnie mouse, capt jack sparrow, a zombie or two, a ladybug, & a few vampires. after announcing the winner [colonial death bride], they started the pumpkin carving contest. the students all seemed to enjoy themselves which was great. the best part of the day was when evan's daughter made an appearance. she's such a cutie! she was handing out candy to all the adults. by the end of the day, it felt as if i had worked a month straight. party planning/organization is HARD!

saturday night was d&j's haunted halloween party. i headed over early to help the boys decorated. while we waited for the party guests to arrive, the boys were visited by several trick or treaters. it's been awhile since i've seen trick or treaters and it reminded me of my youth. i loved going tricking or treating. there's nothing like ringing a doorbell, saying three magic words "trick or treat", and walking away with a bag of candy. goodtimes. the party was fun as usual. we had good eats, loads to drink, & music to dance to. what more could you ask for. the cast of characters in attendance included: a gossip rag, a white moth, lumberjack attacked by owls, the golden girls, black-eyed ps, julia child & her husband, father jojo, drinkin' lincoln, and special guest star the cat in the hat. unfortunately, i didn't take any photos since i don't have a camera. my digital finally died. r.i.p. however, here's a group photo that misty took. yay!



i hope everyone had a ghoulishly good halloween. just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…

zerox

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

i can't believe that halloween is this weekend. this boy needs to throw a costume together by friday for school. oh what to be...at least my costume for saturday night's party is in the works. nothing like planning two costumes for one holiday.

it's been a month since my last post and sadly not much has been going on with me. well, that's not exactly true. last thursday, my colleague & i took a group of students out for a pub crawl in the mission. we started out at one of my old haunts (from the days of j.a.b) el rio & ended the evening dancing away in beauty bar. all in all, i believe that the students had a good time. another crawl is being planned for november. neighborhood to be announced…just where will i end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well