Rest in peace Ray Bradbury & may the force be with you!

Today I learned that Ray Bradbury, passed away. Ray Bradbury was the first Science Fiction writer I was assigned to read in high-school; not only his great first novel ,"Fahrenheit 451" but some of his short stories. He was not just a writer of science fiction but was more a Greek chorus, singing songs of warnings to where he thought our world's technology was leading us. I think that is why my Freshman year English teacher had us read "Fahrenheit 451". For it shows a world where people got their reality from a wall sized, screen TV and the written word is banned! I love the part when the hero, Guy Montag, was no longer able to soar up the fire pole for his mind has been enlighten to logic by reading! His books and short stories, filled my mind with awe, chills, thrills and helped keep me sane through those frustrating years of high school. ' I had the opportunity to see him often at the Comic Con or book signings at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena. The last time I saw him, was a little heart-breaking. It was about four years ago, on Halloween day, at Vroman's Bookstore, in Pasadena, California. He was in a wheel chair and he was very weak and you felt he wasn't exactly there. He stuck his tongue out while he signed your books and couldn't hear your words of praises or really see you too well. But it was wonderful to see an American living legend. He was a sweet old man who love candy. One fan gave him a basket full of snack sized candy bars and he was so thrilled over the gift, he grabbed one tiny Snicker candy bar and ate it, like a greedy child who couldn't wait to dive into his Halloween bag of treats. Some of his books, captured American, small town life and gave small town America Goth glamour. He inspired many writers and artists and will be missed. I hope he is giving angels goose bumps with his tales of life on this small planet. Rest in peace Ray !

Between a rock & a hard place

Well; today I did my civic duty and voted but it was with a heavy heart I entered into the polling booth! I just feel deep down in my bones that it makes no difference who or what I voted for! Three & half years agom I voted for a man who promiosed "Hope & Change". Well, there is little change and hope is an idea that brings no comfort. The banks are ranking in the cash, while the money I have in these banks are giving me less than one percent interest on my money. The money they use to grow their business. I feel like taking all my cash out and putting it in my mattress. My job future is less than zero. And the choices I have is to a man who offers little hope & change to a right-wing man who will offer change, but not the the kind of change I want to see! And the band plays on!

Springtime

Can't believe I the last time I blogged it was 2011, then I can't belive it's 2012. Where does time go?

"Try never get drunk outside your own house." Jack Keronac

This is a no brainer. One factor, no one should hit the road after having a few but the cost of buying a few cocktails has gone up so high that you need to take out a loan to get a good buzz on at a bar these days! Even at a dive bar, a martini can be as high as $10 a drink, at most bars in LA it's up to $12! There has always been a 100% mark up on liquor but these days I think it has gone up to 150%! Damn! For the cost of three drinks I can buy a full 1.75 liter bottle of fine booze for the same cost and I can make my drinks stringer!

There is a classic 1940 movie titled
The Lost Weekend" where a man with a major drinking problem take $10 and with that he buys five drinks at a bar and buys two bottles of booze! Now that was the good old days!

So here to mixing your own and cheers!

"What we have here, is a lack of communication"

"Submission to everything, open, listening" - Jack Keronac

I once heard a New Age female preacher state, that listening is one of the greatest act of love. There is so much truth in that statement, for how often have you been fighting with a love one and you found yourself shouting at them:"You're not listening to me!" ?

Why do you think people are so willing to dish out $100 dollars an hour to an therapist, just so they can talk to a person , who will just sit back an LISTEN!

One of the most frustrating things a person can do to me, that makes me want to stick a fork in their neck, is to cut me off before I finish a sentence, so they can jump in with their opinion! It's maddening!

The art of listening is also a sign of great intelligence! Any fool can have an opinion but an intelligent person, sits back, observes and listens!

Last night, while having dinner with my friend Steve, at a little cafe in Old Towne Pasadena, there was a very young,attractive, Japanese couple sitting next to us. It was Friday night, Date Night, but these two young people were more involved with their Smart Phones than they were with each other! She was on her Face Book page-heaven only knows what she was texting on it, and he was playing some game on his Apple IPhone! They spoke only a few words to each other, even when their food arrived they barely spoke a word to each other!

I turned to my friend and said:"If they are so involved with their cell phones now, when they are young and in love, can you imagine what they are going to be like 20 years from now, when the mystery of love has faded and they are all too familiar with each other? Most women don't bitch about being neglected until two years after marriage. But the norm of ignoring one another has already been set! What is the bridge that brings these two lovely people together? Sex? And after sex, do they pick up their Smart Phones and text about it?

Has this new technology taken away the art of true communication?

"Winter is coming"

Anyone who is a fan of "The Game of Thrones" will get that jest. Summer is just a few days away from ending and with it begins my favorite season of the year, Autumn! I love Fall, the period of harvest and weather change, shorter days and cooler nights. Indian Summer with it's hot afternoons and it cold evenings But most of all, I love the brilliant colors of the season. Even in California we have some trees that leaves change color of bright orange, deep red and dark browns.

I find myself harvesting memories of my departed, beloved mother and the beautiful road trips we would take up the coast, as soon as the long Labor Day weekend had passed.

Now I must also, harvest ideas for my new life alone and harvest the dreams of my past and plan seeds of a new future. I once heard on the Rosie O'Donnell Show, that sometimes we should treat our lives like a school year, give ourselves a goal and give ourself the time a school year takes to reach that goal.

So, I enter a new school year for my life and put into action becoming the woman my dearly departed parents would be proud of!

Greeting from the edge

Just when I thought all the dust of disorder has began to settle down and I can move on with my life, another monkey wrench of fate has been thrown into the works and my life falls into a vortex of confusion. After our last storm system, I noticed that my roof was showing signs of leaks! Rats! So for the pass few weeks contractors have been by giving me their song and dance and giving me quotes on the estimated cost on installing a new roof. Price quote went from OMG to WTF! The big end construction companies quoted over ten grand!!!! Do they think, I'm made out of money! And I live in a very humble, one story, three bedroom house! What are the cost for the big, two story mansions in Southern California? I feel emotionally exhausted from listening to these contractor give me their facts and figures as if I'm been interviewed by a vampire! This is not the time to give up drinking!

Don't know how I'm going to come up with the cash but I do have a CD that is due to mature. Damn, this house has become a money pit! But, I really shouldn't complain. When I see the images from Japan, i grateful I have a roof over my head, even if it has leaks! It's not just the earthquake but damn; the destruction of that tsunami! My heart went out to they.

This Sunday my friend Steve and I went to Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles and there was a group of kids collecting for the earthquake relief and of course Steve and I just had to make a donation. But really, I can't image what those poor people are going through; even with those nightmare photo; those people lost everything!

So who am I to complain over paying for the replacement for a roof!My prayer are with you in Japan!