Shoo To The Flu

It is a magical early morning. There's a beautiful cloud cover....various shades of gray masses. The still dark morning sky peeking through here and there. Some of the clouds are slightly tinged with pink from the just rising Sun. The air is cool and still. It's very quiet or at least it seems quiet to me. I miss my morning runs at this time of day but I no longer feel quite safe down at the beach this early. There's not enough of us early risers to make me feel comfortable with my leisurely jog among the homeless and the addicted. 

Trying to get over the flu, I've been a little down and, perhaps, cranky. But this morning reminds me of the things I am grateful for as I pull into the driveway at my office. My introverted tendencies making me glad that mine is the only car around (like it would be any other way at 6:00 am) as I will have it a little bit of time alone before things start to bustle with the energy of these wonderful people. I recorded this stream of consciousness and I've kind of enjoyed the hearing my deep raspy voice that's a left over from what was a pretty decently sore throat and hacking cough. Now I just sound like a heavy smoker or maybe a little Emma Stone. 

Feeling a bit better and ready to face the day. Grateful♥

The City I Love

Good and bad, I love my city. It is where my heart is.

Ventura is a very laid back, relaxed town. Culturally diverse, fun and funky...

There's about 106,000 people here....76% white, 31% Hispanic, etc.  At the last count, of those 106K people, 306 were homeless. That number seems a little low to me but I'll take it. With all its beauty and great location, it is not cheap to live in Ventura. A young family of 4 needs to have an income of $82,000.00 to live modestly. Childcare and housing being the largest expenses in a budget, averaging around $1150.00 for childcare and $1500.00 for housing, minimum wage jobs just don't cut it.

That being said, if you are one of the lucky ones who can afford housing, food and other basics, there are many things to enjoy about our town;

30 Things to Love About Ventura 

According to a Washington Post article in 2015, Ventura County is the most desirable place to live in America for climate. I can't argue with it. Our warm months are from June to October where we see an average high of 73°F (22°C). We will see a spike of a few weeks in the summer where we all suffer through it and go to a lot of movies because very few people in Ventura have A/C. The cool months are November to April with an average high temp below 67°F (19°C) and rarely going below the 50°'s. We get a May-June gloom that I am not overly fond of but some people enjoy. 

All in all, we have the beach, mountains, good food, great weather, decent schools and loads of brewerys for you beer lovers. I love it mostly because it is where my people are and where my person is.

Welcome!

Mission San BuenaVentura - founded in 1782
(That's REALLY old for us Californians)

View from City Hall

Famous Two Trees♥

One of the lucky ones that can afford to buy a home.

Who Are We?

There are six of us...we are a unit but separate. We are so similar but so different.

1. Pam - one short term marriage once a very long time ago. Dog and horse lover (all animals really), introvert, smoker, intensely tough and serious, liberal, guarded and independent. A tender heart covered with scars and crust. Childless (except for the pets), amazing work ethic, loyal.
2. Sally - married twice. The first one was long and he was fairly horrible but she did a great job the second time around. Mother of two boys, grandmother to 6. I once was very close to her but not as much now. Wound tight, extrovert, liberal, remembers every bad thing that you ever did, nurse, confusing to me. Great work ethic, loyal.
3. Laurie - still married to her high school sweetheart. I often wonder how she got it so right. Thoughtful, very introverted, over time has become a great mom to her three kids, grandmother of 5, I would go to her with any problem and know she would consider it carefully, looking at all sides. Somewhat conservative. Great work ethic, loyal.
4. John - married twice but more relationships than I can count. Troubled father of 3, grandfather of 2 but does not get to see them. Black sheep, introvert, perpetual victim, believes in every conservative conspiracy theory, thinks Hilary is devil spawn, user of people, smoker and toker. My relationship with him makes me sad but some people are just better to keep at a distance. I don't know much about his work ethic but I know I could call him tomorrow and he would be here in a hour just as I would with him.
5. Me - married once, partnered up now and doing things different. 4 kids, decent mother, introvert, constant learner, follower of the God of love, liberal, feminist and bitch. Great work ethic and loyal.
6. Tommy - married to a wonderful woman. Two boys, dedicated father, mega introvert, don't see him nearly as much as I would like, fairly liberal, soft spoken (can't hear a word he says) and lovely. Great work ethic and loyal.

I love my sibs but like most familial relationships...complex. Our interactions with others were forever altered by being raised with a man who could not stop drinking and who would not stop cheating but it also helped in developing a wonderfully, deep and rich relationship with our mother. Always give and take

It's A Rat Race

Day 3 or 4 with Scabbers.

Got a RAT...in the house. Evading all traps and tricks. Flips us off as he slowly walks by. Somehow the dog is afraid of it. Surely it is in the cupboard right now building a nest to invite all of his ratty ass friends. Bleach wipe-downs do not make me feel at ease. 

Although, as rats go, he is kinda cute..........I want him dead. Sorry but DEAD.

I want my kitchen back. I want the construction done so all the holes in our house are plugged and secured and so I can go on my rat-free way.

Did you know:

• An adult rat can squeeze into your home through a hole as small as the size of a quarter.
• According to the Guinness Book of World Records the longest lived domestic rat died at seven years and four months of age (which far exceeds the 2-3 year expected lifespan.)
• Rats have a powerful social chain of command. The largest and strongest rats will get the best food and harborage.
• A group of rats is called a mischief.
• Rats make happy “laughter” sounds when they play.
• Rats have excellent memories. Once they learn a navigation route, they won’t forget it.

I had a rat as a child.  Hector was an excellent pet! He was engaging and had favorite people. He did not, however, live in our kitchen, play on our counter tops or eat our bagels. He was a far better house guest than the current rattus in residence.

What Next?

I want to:

• stop being afraid
• be peaceful
• love fully
• travel 
• learn to relax
• turn off negative thoughts
• trust in my God
• stop being afraid
• run a full marathon
• go back and be a better parent
• have loads of sex
• deeply connect with people
• be a good partner
• ask for what I want
• know what I want
• stop being afraid

Today's todo list.

Goodbye For Now

How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbyes so hard.
~aa milne - winnie the pooh

Goodbye sweetness. You did not lose. You fought the true battle and won.....and you showed the rest of us the way too.

The City of The Angels

Los Angeles......The Angels.

The other day when the Boy Scout and I were celebrating his birthday with a tour of Union Station we decided to take more of the cities sites. As I grew up there, there wasn't any big surprises but it was fun to see it through his eyes. Like most big cities, Los Angeles is a multicultural Mecca and it is rather easy to figure out what part of town you are in by the signage and its vibe. Boyle Heights with its Latino barrio, Silverlake with a great LGBTQ community, Little Tokyo, Koreatown, Leimert Park with a strong African American influence.  It's an interesting, lovely and gritty town.

Scattered throughout the neighborhoods are fascinating examples of street art and fabulous murals:

This is one that, though faded now, I have loved for decades

In addition to the murals, are the famous Wings (though they can be found elsewhere, this is reportedly where they started). Turn any corner and you can find a set by the artist Colette Miller and claim one as your own:

I got my set although I am no Angel!

Enjoy your day......Love from Southern California♥