Venice Beach...or is it Gainesville FL

Years ago while working at a vegetarian restaurant in Gainesville FL., I developed a special distaste for drum circles. That place was filled to the brim with idealists ready to educate you about everything from health, to preservation of the environment, to polyamory. It was a formative place. For all of our plans to save the world we still had to clean up after the patrons at the end of the night. Usually my coworkers and I were rushing the mop over the floor or sponge over the counter in hopes we wouldn't miss a show when the circle of drummers would show up. They were a group of 50 yr old guys..remnants of the era of flower children, who would congregate outside the cafe and pound out their pasts. The day trading ponytail wearing neo hippie who is cool as a cucumber As the rhythms built and dragged on I could feel my blood pressure going up. Frantically cleaning a cafe in hopes of not missing the Fugazi or Gillian Welsh show just didn't sync up with the overly simplistic, clumzily relentless pounding going on right outside the door. They probably thought they were doing us a favor...the day trading ponytail wearing hippie sitting next to the much younger quiet guy who we later found out was the supplier for the whole town.

On a recent trip to Venice Beach at sunset, I heard the sounds of a drum circle off in the distance. In the past I would have rolled my eyes and walked the other way. But, having found my angst ridden judgment to be nothing more than a high school left over like, I've become more open to just about everything. this was no ordinary drum circle. It seemed that there was every type of person in on the thing. Of course, no drum circle is complete without the wavy haired, half clothed goddess who's utter lack of inhibition wins her both my respect and a very gross older boyfriend. Yes, she was there. But,there was also the JCrew guy who's smile while hitting a stainless steal kettle that the pink haired, punk, lesbian, girl had given him, says "that weed was great! That pink haired girl is a little chubby, but I bet she's a great ****. I love Venice Beach dude."

Not to be forgotten are the skate kids, who were really too cool to be there, but had "parked" their boards in the sand to take part in this community event. Most interesting though were the homeless guys, who surprisingly did not smell bad. On the street people look the other way. Here, they are just another guy outfitted with a can or a drum...by the pink haired punk girl of course.

Maybe it was the diversity...the lack of cliche in the group that made me feel o.k. about this drum circle. Maybe that is the kind of drum circle the Neohippies in Gainesville used to have before they made too much money to know anyone other than each other. Maybe I'm just in a new place and finally letting myself be young.

Nature in the city

Most people who live in a beautiful town like Athens think living in a city to be, well, unthinkable. So, often the reaction I got when telling an Athenian I was moving to L.A. was this little scrunch of the nose and then a quiet "why?". One of my friends warned me that everyone in L.A. is like the vapid guys on Entourage. Still another friend, well an acquaintance, said it would steal my soul. I had my doubts. But part of the reason I chose L.A. over N.Y.C. was the hope that nature would be more accessible here. I haven't been disappointed.

In fact the neighborhood I live in at the moment has actual trails running through every part of it! There is so much to see! If you tire of looking at the houses (there is a Richard Neutra house around the corner) you can hike down the side of the mountain. The smell of sage and honeysuckle is everywhere!

Of course, we won't live in this neighborhood forever. I suppose Griffith Park will have to do. Though it is not as nice as Central Park, what with the depressing remnants of the old Zoo, it is still alive with birthday parties, hikers, and plenty of dogs. People seem to love the outdoors here. I think my soul is safe for now

Cheetas on Cocaine...Driving in L.A.

My first voyages out of my flu haze onto the highways of L.A. were as a passenger. I kept thinking I was better, but everytime I got in the car I would regress. For now we are living on the top of a mountain, 20 minutes from L.A. proper, which means a miserably winding road to get to the nearest highway. UUUGGG!
Once on the highway cars wiz past and each curve feels like it might be your last. Tim had gotten into the speed of things straight away. "Are you on crack? Why are you driving like that?", I asked, when we came dangerously close to smashing into the back of a semi. "This is how people drive here. You'll see. It just looks scarry.", Tim said, while trying once again to get in the "right" lane. (The right lane sneaks up on you)
I realize now that driving here isn't much different than Atlanta. I'm even getting used to the winding roads. I havn't lost my dinner in days!

Henry update

So whatever happened to Henry? So many of my friends and family have gotten almost as invested in this dog rescue thing as I have. When Henry, the now one eyed, jumping dog, got sick I asked for help...not something I like to do. What I learned is that people really want to help, and it felt great to ask and receive! I also learned that situations that seem horrible can turn out to be the best thing that ever happened.
So where is he now? Tim and I met with Henry, his new owners, and doggie brother and sister just before we moved. I just had to see him one more time. He looked great!!! His eye looks great and his new owners actually cook him doggie dinner every night!! He has a very full and healthy life.
I was surprized how hard it was for me to see him..and to say good bye again. But it was wonderful for me to see him in his right place. A happy ending indeed and as ball crazy as ever.

Put all of your shit in a box

I had known that I was moving for years. So why did I accumulate so much stuff? The simple answer is that I didn't realize I had accumulated so much stuff. Being a pack rat is a complicated thing. I will not assume that I could explain my own personal flavor of packrathood in a blog. That should be reserved for some drunken night when I think I know how to excuse my weaknesses to an understanding friend.
When Tim and I set the final date for our move, and subsequently pushed it up by two days we had no idea what were were getting into. All of my moves had been accomplished by a car or van. Though I've always been a pack rat, I have mostly confined my ugly habit to the realms of ephemera...mostly. Somehow I had let my lust for old mostly useless things get the better of me and my space. Consequently, nothing could prepare me for the kind of packing that lay ahead.
We did everything wrong or late. We kept wanting one last party...one last visit..forgetting that our stuff would not pack itself. So, the day our friends converged to help us there was stuff everywhere! I watched out of the corner of my eye as Alex took down decorations that I didn't even realize were there. Katie and Jeani formed a team in the junk room and frantically tried to make sense of it, while whispering promises to themselves about getting rid of there own "stuff". Jay, organized a rotating team of people who graciously did a lot of the heavy lifting Jeffry, Andy Cherwick, Donny Chambers, Aarron Walters, Kenny, John, Noah, and Mark...just to name a few. While Brian Causy expertly packed one of Tim's guitars, Jamie was painstakingly organizing anything she could through the allergies that seemed to be plaguing everyone. Cori and Jessica made snack packs and joined in with their little ones. You would have thought we were paying these people!
I had never imagined that moving would be such a communal effort. It made it harder to leave. Watching Vicky and Sali play in our back yard, seeing everyone for the last time as our neighbors.
Thanks to everyone who helped pack, wished us well, or took pictures of people doing the above (Jason and Beth).

Here is a link to a little video we put together to commemorate the event.
<<;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X441ZiU-8m8>

The U.S. ....It's Bigger Than I Thought

After one of the most insanely mind numbing weeks of packing and parties Tim and I got on the road to Los Angeles. With so many good friends and family in Athens it was hard to say good bye. Both Tim and I watched as Kenny and Jay, the last Athens folks we saw, stayed on 544 Blvd. (the dream street)
The first 15 minutes were full of praise for our friends and family, so helpful and supportive. Then we got quiet. Were we doing the right thing?? Hmmm
Our first stop was Nashville. Tim's dad serendipitously was at a conference at the Opry Hotel. We had a great sleep, $15 omelets (thanks John), and some sleepy conversation before we were on the road again.
The truck wasn't as difficult to drive as I thought it would be, but it did take a considerable amount of concentration to guide it through the inevitable road construction encountered entering and exiting each city.
We breezed through Arkansas and Oklahoma, putting in 12 hour days in the hopes of getting one day off to go to the Grand Canyon. They were long days, but we needed to see the physical distance that lay between where we were and where we were going to be living. Besides, I've mostly traveled to other countries rather than seeing my own. This was a great op. to see what this country really looks like. As we went from craggy mountains, to lush bridge covered lakes, to flat ranch lands littered with windmills, to the seemingly endless dessert, I think Tim and I both were coming to terms with the move we were making. It's a big world out there and I we haven't seen enough of it.

(Quick aside...)

Oklahoma is pretty damn safe. We had gone to several Wal-marts along
the way in hopes of finding a certain kind of lock that we had seen in
Athens but failed to get the correct size. Once in Oklahoma, noticing
they too did not have the size lock we needed I asked "Do you have these
locks somewhere in the back?" "Nope", the hardware sales guy says and
goes back to helping a couple with house paint. "How about tazers?", I
asked (I was convinced we would meet with trouble in the dessert and had
heard Wal-Mart now sells them) "UUUhh No!", answered the paint and
hardware guy. Finally, the customer who was being helped told me that
the lock I was looking for was a "high-security" lock and that I would
have to look in a less safe town for such a thing. "O.k. We're traveling
on Hwy 40. Where's the next unsafe town?", I asked with little or no
irony, only thinking about the fact that the Athens Wal-Mart had five
sizes of this "high-security" lock. "Ah, maybe Oklahoma City..if your
lucky. My friend is a locksmith and he don't hardly make any money.
People don't really lock their doors around here." We decided to take our
chances and call off the search.
Then it was on to Flagstaff where our gracious hosts, Matt and Cameron Clark gave us a warm welcome and our first non hotel bed. I had expected that Arizona would be hot and dry. Nooooo! I couldn't believe it it was actually snowing!
It was my first time seeing the Grand Canyon and the snow just made it more magical. There really isn't much I can put into words about the G.C. outside of just saying, everyone should see it. If you really take it in, it will make you surrender those petty worries.
So we are now here in Cali. I've scarcely seen the outside of the house we're staying in...but I know this flu will pass soon. It's funny to see so much in such a short time and then to be confined to looking at four walls from a sick bed. Ahhh life.