this family

deery-lou.
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Hey guys. There is still time! Please help me raise money for thousands living with HIV/AIDS. AIDS Walk San Francisco 2011 will be held on Sunday, July 17 in Golden Gate Park.

Funds raised by AIDS Walk San Francisco enable the San Francisco AIDS Foundation to provide services that improve the quality of life for thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS and focus prevention efforts on those at greatest risk of contracting the disease. With a goal of radically reducing the number of new HIV infections in San Francisco over the next five years, the foundation is leading the way in advocating for critical policy changes in Sacramento and Washington that will ensure broader access to HIV prevention, treatment and care so people can live healthier, longer lives.

To make a donation, please visit my personal page here

stay gold & be well

the drowning man

deery-lou.
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In honor of Mother's Day, I walked to Ocean Beach this morning to spend some time with my mom. It's was a beautiful morning. A perfect day for mothers everywhere. I miss and love you mom. Happy Mother's Day.

for mom

Just where will I end up next is anyone's guess.

stay gold & be well…

the words that maketh murder

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

I'm having a lazy Sunday and I like it. I only ventured out of my apartment twice today. Once for coffee and then to grab something for lunch. After yesterday's warmth I thought that perhaps summer was on it's way but the cold returned today. SF weather is so fucked up.

Last night I went to Kiki's 40th birthday bash. What a blast! Lots of good eats, drinks, & peeps. We were even lucky enough to have the guest of honor sing Save A Prayer. Birthday parties are F.U.N.! Happy Birthday, Kiki!

Earlier on Saturday I was in Concord spending time with the Huegels. I went to the boys' tee-ball game. Who knew tee-ball innings were so long. Watching the kids play was quite enjoyable. The catcher for the other time kept laying down in the dirt. The heat must have been too much for him. He eventually got pulled out of the game. While I sat there, I couldn't help but think back on my little league days. I never played tee-ball. I jumped right into little league. My first year of playing I was positioned in the outfield. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time picking wild flowers and not really paying attention to the actual game. Not much has really changed with kids today. Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

maps

deery-lou.

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Another birthday, another year older, and lots of awesomeness. The festivities began on Saturday with dinner at Bisou in the Castro. I had an excellent entree [scallops], a heavenly dessert [white wave], tasty apps [endive salad & escargot] and a not so awesome drink [Hard On]. Although the second drink [Fleur De Sex] I had more than made up for the sad Hard On. After dinner I was whisked away to the Castro Theater to see a cabaret show by Justin Vivian Bond. The show was pretty fantastic. I've never seen any singing performances at the Castro Theater and was not sure what to expect. JVB definitely didn't disappoint. I even got a free CD! You can't ask for more than that. The evening was finished off with some drinks at the Edge, which was supposed to have closed but I guess they decided to reopen.

On Sunday, my actual birthday, I took an early morning walk down to China Beach. Later that afternoon, I made my way to Concord to spend the rest of my day with the Huegels. I was greeted with presents from the boys. They selected toys from their personal collection to give me. How sweet is that. I was also treated to a Spiderman cake. Awesome! Eventually, we headed out for a hike. I needed to work off the pizza and cake I had earlier. All in all it was a great birthday weekend! Thanks to all of you who helped make the day a special one. Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

burning (live)

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

China Beach & Golden Gate Bridge
Taken on my birthday morning walk. More birthday adventure posts to come later. Just where will I end up next is anyone's guess.


stay gold & be well

so you'll aim toward the sky

deery lou.
previously on the e-list…

Tomorrow is the anniversary of my mom's death. I still find it hard to believe that it's been two years already. This morning I headed to the beach for my walk. As I mentioned before, my mom loved the beach so I make it a point to go there this time of year and on her birthday. I brought two gerber daisies with me to send out to sea in memory of her. From on top of the cliff, I threw the two daisies into the ocean. As I headed back, I noticed that the larger of the two had washed up on the shore. I picked it up and once again threw it into the water hoping the current would take it out to sea. Apparently this flower didn't want to go and made it's way back to the shore. I stood there waiting to see if the tide would take it out. Before I had a chance to pick it up again, a group of kids stumbled upon it and were quite excited to find it. One of them picked it up and stuck it into the sand. I watched as he wrote in the sand next to the flower. Once they left I walked over toward the flower, took a photo, and then headed home. Just where will I end up next is anyone's guess.



stay gold & be well

question - featuring ann

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

For my morning walk, I decided to head towards China Beach. With the upcoming anniversary of my mom's death, she's been on my mind quite frequently. More so than normal. It's really hard to believe that it will be three years on April 4. This is the time of year I dread the most. My birthday is so close to my mom's death it's a constant reminder. It's often hard to seperate the two. Hopefully with more time that passes it will get easier.

The beach is where I always feel closest to my mom. She loved it there. Since I've been thinking about her, I wanted to spend some time with her. There were some things that I had to say and felt that this was the perfect place for it. The ocean air is so exhilarating. It's no wonder she liked to spend so much time ocean side. I could have stared out into the endless sea for hours.

The tide was especially high due to the recent storm so I wasn't able to go to my favorite spot on the beach. I actually couldn't even get on the beach so I stood on the final step watching the waves crash against the rocks. It felt really good to be able to feel my mom's presence. And even better to be able to share my thoughts with her.


Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

the letter

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

Outside it's rainy & gross. It's the kind of day to order a pizza with a bottle of coke and plant oneself in front of the TV. Perhaps that's just what I'll do. At least once I finish all the other things I planned on doing today.

Butterbean & I went to Rayko on Friday night to check out their 4th International Juried Plastic Camera Show. Toy cameras are FUN! I was quite inspired by the work I saw there, so much so, that I'm thinking of joining the toy camera group with Butterbean. It's been a while since I've taken any photos with my Holga and this seems like the perfect opportunity to get reacquainted with my old friend. Speaking of my Holga, I came across two rolls of undeveloped film. I have no idea what is on these rolls but I need to take them in so I can find out. After the show, we grabbed a bite to eat at my new favorite ramen place Genki. This time I ordered a soju cocktail which was delicious. I haven't had a bad meal there yet.

On the evite for my friend's birthday it read, "Please come over for some celebratory birthday pork!" Enough said, right. Who in their right mind could ever pass up pork! Needless to say, I was quite excited about this pork possibility on Saturday night. In the back of my mind I was imagining pulled pork. What I wasn't excepting was a full pig spread out on the table Filipino style. It almost looked as if it was sculpted out of bread. I must say that it was quite tasty. Actually, all of the food that night was pretty amazing. Big Mama had brought a banana cream pie from Tartine which was out of this world. I could literally feel myself getting fat with every bite I took. It was a great evening especially because I got to spend some time with some peeps I haven't seen in awhile. Just where will I end up next is anyone's guess.

stay gold & be well

i do

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

Yesterday was an absolute technology nightmare kind of day. The simply act of going out to buy a new ipod turned into an a day event. I won't bore you with all the specifics. I'm just thankfully the day is behind me and I can enjoy this gorgeous Sunday. I'm hoping to get out in a bit and take a long stroll around my neighbor. A little fresh air and sunshine is just what I need. I hope everyone else is having a grand Sunday. Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

Stay gold & be well

head full of doubt/road full promise

deery-lou.
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Inspired by Glee's anthem episode, I've found my song. Here it is:

There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light
In the fine print they tell me what's wrong and what's right
And it comes in black and it comes in white
And I'm frightened by those who don't see it

When nothing is old, deserved or expected
And your life doesn't change by the man that's elected
If you're loved by someone you're never rejected
Decide what to be and go be it.

There was a dream
One day I could see it
Like a bird in a cage I broke in and demanded that somebody free it
And there was a kid, with a head full of doubt
So I scream till I die and don't ask for those bad thoughts to find me out

There's a darkness upon you that's flooded in light
In the fine print they tell you what's wrong and what's right
And it flies by day and it flies by night
And I'm frightened by those who don't see it

The Avett Brothers

Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

you make me feel (mighty real)

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

Yesterday was a hard day. With everything that's going on around me, I couldn't help but think of my mom. It's quite typical for me to think of my mom on a regular basis but those thoughts are usually of happier times. There's been so much bad news lately that my mind kept wandering back to the day my mom died. I about lost it on my bus ride home from downtown. Blasting my ipod didn't seem to help at all. In order to keep myself distracted, I spent my afternoon catching up on TV shows. At least for those few hours I was able to escape my own thoughts.

The day wasn't a complete downer. That really didn't happen until I returned from Concord which was early afternoon. Friday night I went out to see the Huegel-Brockway clan. I always love going to see them. After all they are part of my extended family. The boys' birthday is coming up so it was a perfect chance for me to shower them with superhero presents. I love knowing that these two little boys love super heroes as much as I did, and still do. Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…

drastic actions

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

My friends & I finally celebrated the holidays a couple of weekends ago. Here's a little something-something my secret elf stuffed into my stocking.


















Just where will I end up next is anyone's guess.

stay gold & be well

easy way out

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

I've been thinking a lot about the past; especially, in regards to my youth. It's mostly likely due to all the high school/teen dramas I watch on TV but needless to say different thoughts/memories keep popping up. One that struck me the other day was about school lunches. I can remember that Sunday's paper use to print the lunch menu for the upcoming week. I was always so excited to view the menu to determine which day I wanted to buy lunch at school. Pizza day was always a personal favorite. It's funny to think how something as simple as that would excite me and still stays with me now. This has lead me to wonder, "Do they still print the lunch menu in newspapers?" Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

to the woods

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…


















December's photo theme is now ready for viewing.
Check it out: 20 Holiday Windows, 30 Days

If you haven't checked out these other themes from 2010 be sure to do so.
November 2010: 20 Things Thankful For, 30 Days
October 2010: 20 Scary Things, 30 Days
August 2010 [somehow I skipped this one]: 20 Orange, 30 Days

The photo theme is going on hiatus for a bit so there won't be one for January 2011. I'm pretty sure it will return at some point in 2011. Until then…

Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

leave me alone

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

It's 6 a.m. and I'm up. I actually made coffee at home and am having a cup with Donny & Marie. However, they are a bit too smiley for me at this hour. I'm beginning to think my days of sleeping in on the weekends are over. Come tomorrow, when my alarm goes off for work, I'll so not be ready to get up and face work. It never fails that I always want to sleep in on the days I can't. I guess all I can do is try to enjoy the early morning or simply just watch TV from bed.

So yesterday I was up early as well. Although I did manage to sleep until 7 a.m. Yippee! As I was laying in bed, my mind started to drift back to the days when I was so excited to get up early to watch Saturday morning cartoons. I couldn't wait to watch such shows as Superfriends, Dungeons & Dragons, Scooby Doo, Laff-A-Lympics, Smurfs, Captain Caveman, etc. There were so many good cartoons on in the early 80s it was often hard to decide which one to watch especially if they aired at the same time.

In an attempt to relive my childhood, I got out of bed and turned on the TV to some Saturday morning magic. Unfortunately, I was greatly disappointed. Now granted, I only get channels ABC, CBS, Fox, CW, & PBS since I don't have cable and view TV via a dinosaur that is connected to a digital converter box which makes for a much smaller selection. But there was still nothing on! At least nothing of any interest. The only stations showing cartoons was CBS, CW, & PBS. The only two had news on. Snore!! Isn't there enough news on that we don't need to be watching it at 8 a.m. on a Saturday. What happened to the days of fun-filled cartoons on every station. So much for enjoying Saturday morning cartoons. Instead, I watched Summer Palace, a depressing Chinese film. I guess that's why cable exists. To give us channels dedicated to cartoons 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Perhaps it is time for me to put the dinosaur to rest and venture into new territories. I'll have to give it some serious thought. As for now, Donny & Marie need a refill.

Just where will I end up next is anyone's guess.

stay gold & be well

gronlandic edit

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

Welcome to 2011. We are officially on day 23 of the new year and this is my first post for 2011. I have two major resolutions for myself: keep up with my blog & be more creative. Then there's always the standard resolution of "this will be the year I get in shape" but I already know how that one will go.

A lot has happened since my last post on December 12. I went to Miami to spend Christmas with my sister's family. It was a great trip. I was able to relax plus spend quality time with my nieces and nephew and my sis. I believe I've filled my quota for playing Barbies. My sister and I even managed to have a night out at the movies to see The Black Swan. Can I just say that Mila Kunis is hot!

Back in SF there was P&B's annual "Cookie Party & White Elephant" which is always fun. This year I walked away with Christmas leg warmers and the album Star Walk by Larry Graham. I don't have a clue as to who he is so I'm using the album as wall art. That same weekend as P&B's party was Adawg & the Investigator's Open House. There was quite a spread to feast on. I think I got a cavity from all the sweets. Those girls should be very happy. They have an awesome pad. Rounding out December was a New Year's Eve party at M's new apartment. It was small, intimate gathering just how I like them.

So far January has included two birthday's [Pevil's & ButterBean's], dinner out, wine bars, Badlands, yogurt soju cocktails, Christmas songs in January, two movies [The King's Speech & Blue Valentine], and our annual Elfster Gift Exchange to name a few. Yes, today we finally all gathered together to celebrate Christmas. Christmas in January is fun. My secret elf surprised me lots of goodies one of which included a Catwoman plushie toy. How excited am I!

I hope the beginning of 2011 has be good for all you too. Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well

hotel

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

Christmas came early this year as I spent the weekend celebrating the holiday with the Huegels. It was a weekend filled with close friends, two adorable twin boys, presents, games, food, super heroes, & magic elves. I was even lucky enough to be able to attend the boys' Christmas Pageant at their pre-school. It was so precious watching all these little children sing their hearts out. Before the pageant ended one little girl walked off the stage and another little boy was carried off with a bloody nose. My weekend couldn't have been any better. Just where will I end up next is anyone's guess.

stay gold & be well…

wait

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone. I hope every one's holiday was as great as mine. I traveled to Atlanta to spend the holiday with family. This was the first time in about 10 years that I spent Thanksgiving with family. It was awesome; however, a little too short. If I do it again next year, I'd definitely like to stay a little longer. I forgot how beautiful northern GA is in the fall. It actually felt like fall walking around the neighborhood. All of the yards were covered in leaves and it was nice and brisk out. The majority of the holiday was spent on my Uncle's back deck drinking bloody marys and eating delicious food. Life doesn't get much better than that. Check out the photos from my trip here. Just where will I end up next is anyone's guess.



stay gold & be well…

american dreaming

deery-lou.
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I stayed home today. I'm trying to rid myself of this nasty little cold that is trying desperately to take over my body. I've been able to keep it a bay for the most part but I feel it might be getting the upper hand. This is first time in over two years that I've called into work sick. What I realized is that it's probably a good thing I don't call in more. I have the tendency to become quite antsy and bored when I'm stuck at home all day. Even though most of my day was spent in bed, I did manage to find the energy to shop online. I have a feeling I'm not going to like my credit card bill next month. Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…

That Can Be Arranged

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

The Bay Area definitely represented last Wednesday at the parade for the Giants winning the World Series. The usual empty streets of downtown at 7:30 am were already packed with fans as I made my way to work. I checked out the parade from work and all I got were these lousy photos. Check the set out here. Just where will I end up next is any one's guess.

stay gold & be well…