School's Out for Summer

The Hostile One (Ariel) seems to think that I have not written in a while because I have been too busy on MySpace... That was certainly the case two weeks ago, a month ago even... However, that simply isn't the case today! Since I last wrote, there are two things that have been keeping me away from a computer. One is the World Cup matches, which I have followed almost religiously. (Go Portugal!) The second reason is that I have been too busy enjoying the outdoors since I went on Summer break a week ago today.

-Last Friday night I got together with friends from Glenfeliz School at the Griffith Park merry-go-round, which our friend Julio manages. We had a great potluck complete with carne asada, chips and salsa, a potato salad, a fruit salad, and sangria. A couple of our friends brought their kids and dogs. We had a wonderful time.

-Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday I saw all but one of the World Cup matches. Not all of my favorite teams made it to the top 8 but all of the matches that I watched were action-packed. Go Portugal!

-Sunday night I went to go see Alfred Uhry's play Without Walls at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre with Serene Ford and Steve Mitchell. Last Christmas Steve and I decided to get season tickets to the Taper and we gave Serene a gift subscription as well. In the last 6 months, we got to see 4 plays and a musical, The Drowsy Chaperone. It was such a fun commitment to see all these productions together. It felt very cosmopolitan, and like such a grown-up thing to do. When I was younger, I used to love seeing live music. Loved seeing indie bands play... There were so many music festivals I tried not to miss. While I still enjoy a lot of music today, I don't have the need to see bands perform live all the time. Maybe it 's because I am older, but I much rather go see a play or a musical. Maybe it's because I'm queer too...

-Tuesday I went to LACMA to see the Gustav Klimt and David Hockney shows with my friend Susan Lewis. Both shows were great. We then had tacos at this outdoor taqueria in Koreatown.

-Tuesday and Thursday mornings I went running with Oscar and Jerry in Elysian Park. And I believe I will be joining them for runs and walks throughout the Summer.

-Wednesday, during the day, I got together with Carmela, her daughter Vero, Naomi, and Jack to go to the beach. We all packed lunches and snacks and had a fun time in Santa Monica. The water was cold, which didn't matter since we were all mostly there to hang out and sunbathe.

-Wednesday evening I went out to Happy Hour at El Conquistador with Lil' Anthony and Adria... I had three margaritas, which means I got pretty drunk since the drinks at El conquistador are pretty big and potent! It was great catching up with Adria, and talking about our latest exploits. She, of course, had a lot more to share since she got married last month!

-These last couple of days I have dedicated to working on my yard. Cleaning house. Visiting my mother and my niece and nephew... It was also Karina's birthday on the 29th... And I decided to sit down and write and mail birthday and other greeting cards to a few people. It felt good writing letters and notes on paper, using a pen. Sadly, most people don't do this anymore.

Anyway...Happy birthday Karina!!! Happy birthday to Walter also, who will be turning 33 on the 5th...

Coming up in my social calendar: Tara's birthday party, Serene's barbecue to welcome her "brothers," more beach outtings, the Lotus Festival, the final games of the World Cup....