Friday/Saturday shenanigans

[DowningRules]

After a walk, a taxi ride to my car and then the drive home, I'm finally sitting on my couch.

 

I went to dinner with my friend who recently broke up with his girl.  He's taking it pretty hard and is dealing with it by going on the prowl, craving female attention and approval.  I'm not craving either, but I don't mind the casual chat.  I just don't want to work as hard as my friend does at it.  So, after he chatted up about five different chicks, and me telling him I wanted to go, I finally got up and bailed.  Didn't take long to find a taxi.  It had an electric sliding door which confused the hell out of me.  The driver is from Ghana.  Excellent English. 

 

The restaurant/bar was an interesting mix.  My friend had one gal sit with us for a bit.  She was gorgeous but wore me out.  She spoke so damn fast and I don't know what she was talking about.  She works out at Equinox and does pilates.  She asked us if we wanted some cake.  Since I'm a sucker for anything that might have sugar, and my friend was looking for action, we both said 'yes.' 

 

"It's in my car.  I'll be right back."  Yeah, we were confused.  So, she leaves the table in a dirvish and marches back in with a cake in a round dish.  Chocolate with thick chocolate frosting.  I wanted to face plant it.  It looked good.

 

Since my friend co-owns the restaurant, the staff whisked over some plates and serving utensils.  The cake was really good.  But I was still confused.  I asked why she had a cake handy.  She tells us that she made the cake for her trainer (you do the math).  He wasn't around and she didn't want to eat it since she's trying to stay fit, so she kept the cake in the car...which she drove to the restaurant.  Female Kramer.

 

After killing a piece of cake, I excused myself to the lavoratory.  When I returned, my friend had two 'new' girls sitting at our little table.  Jade and Monica.  Jade wore a white blazer and shockingly, she wasn't sure if I was insulting her or not when I complemented her for her Sonny Crockett look.  Monica made it a point to tell us she was born in London, resides in Newport, her mom is Italian and her father is Spanish.  She was cool.  I liked her.  She had some sass and could carry on a spirited conversation.  We made fun of poeple...One of my hobbies.  I told her I was in Spain last week and she got real excited.  And then some dude c-blocked, showing up at the table.  He knew this chick and she got puppy eyes.  This is where I moonwalked out of the booth and out into the night, in search of a taxi.

 

It's gonna take me a while to get my swagger back, if it ever returns.  The high cost of living.  The high cost of loving.

 

Earlier in the day, I drove my mom up to Anaheim.  She's not so good with the freeway driving.  She really wanted to go to a friend's party so I told her I'd take her.  It was the 60th anniversary of mom's friend being a nun.  My mom has known this lady since they were in grade school in Riverside.  Amazingly, I wasn't too excited about the event, but my mom really wanted to go, so I took the hit.  It was held at St. Catherine's Military Academy on Harbor Blvd.  I've always wondered about that joint.  I've driven by it and only knew it from its exterior.  This nun has lived a full life.  She's worked with orphans in Mexico for years.  She's sewn clothes for them and taught them English.  She's worked with the homeless and helped to assimilate latinos in San Francisco's Mission District.  She's been a school principal in Idaho.  She's scrimped and saved money at every opportunity to give whatever she has to the poor.  She's cared for the sick.  It made me think of how little I've contributed to the world.  I think mostly about where to buy a Coke Zero.

 

We sat at a table with another nun who gave us a history of the place. 

 

Turned out to be real interesting.  Founded in the 1890s, the Academy was originally an orphanage set up to take care of children mostly who were orphaned by a flu epidemic.  And then World War I created more orphans.  Early on, the idea was to align it with the Boy Scouts, but they distanced themselves from the orphanage and school because the Boy Scouts doesn't want any religious affliliation.

 

So, the school did its own thing and that's how the psuedo-military thing happened.  Otherwise, it would be a kind of Boy Scouts academy.

 

Now, it has about 190 students, mostly from Mexico.  They are the sons of rich Mexicans who send their kids to the Academy to polish up on their English and learn some discipline.  There is an awareness that some of the students are candidates for kidnapping.  The nun told us one story how one of the kids threw a shirt at her, telling her to sew on a button.  She did not. 

 

After the party, I dropped off my mom and made my way to the Valley.  Just off Laurel Canyon.  My friend and his wife planned a birthday party for their twins.  3 years old.  Sadly, my friend's mom passed away a few days ago from a heart attack, so the party was slimmed down in invites.  I usually don't go to kiddie parties since I'm a single male with no kids, but I did a surprise attack today to support my friend.  He and his wife were glad I came.  I gave the twins Target gift cards.  They couldn't give a toss.  There were his and hers pinatas, which captured all their attention.  I had two pieces of cake and now I feel like a fat ass.  Mo Vaughn wasn't at the party, but I represented him well.

 

The party was funny.  There were a bunch of kids going bananas, playing with toys, crying, falling, shitting, etc.  Then there were the men, sitting on the couch watching UFC, helping kids with their toys as needed.  One of the little girls kicked it on the couch with us when there was the women's match.  She was quite intrigued.

 

Yesterday (Friday) I had a pretty mellow night.  I watched the rare Angels win, but was interrupted by my friend Dave who did a drive by.  He lives in a very small house with three young daughters and his wife, so he's always looking to get out.  When he visits, he's always packing either a bottle of wine or a few beers.  He just walks in, makes himself at home and pulls down a glass from the cupboard and the bottle opener from the drawer. 

I always put on something to do with music when he shows up.  He is a music freakazoid.  I threw on Judas Priest at the US Festival (1983).  How did the entire world not know Rob Halford was gay?  As part of the show, he rubs up against a Harley in his leathers.  I was more than ready for Dave to leave so I could switch it back to the Angel game. 

 

Tomorrow, the sugar fest continues...pancakes for breakfast.  Diahrea for lunch.

 

 

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Always a great read, DR. You really need your own blog.

[gotbeer]

All I could think about when you said nun and military academy.

 

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Did you have seconds for lunch?

[DowningRules]

Ended up having a caeser salad and turkey sandwich on a baguette at home.  My explosion happened at 2am.  It was like a cleanse.  No seconds for lunch. 

[nate]

Great read

[DowningRules]

Thanks.  I'm seriously considering doing a blog, because there aren't enough of them out there.  But seriously, if it's easy to do, I'd probably give it a go.  I think it would be helpful for young-ish widows like myself who don't know what to do, expect, etc. 

 

I've looked around for advice and experiences, but haven't found a whole lot.  I really wish there were something out there because it's like diving into the deep end of a bottomless pool.

 

Any one got any blog tips?  As in, how to create one?

 

 

 

Always a great read, DR. You really need your own blog.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I have never run one, but you already have the writing skills, an excellent combination of frankness and humor, and your stories have just the right amount of detail. I'm sure there are systems for blogs just like there are for message boards.

[Redondo]

 I had two pieces of cake and now I feel like a fat ass.  Mo Vaughn wasn't at the party, but I represented him well.

 

Mo reference was perfect.

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Thanks.  I'm seriously considering doing a blog, because there aren't enough of them out there.  But seriously, if it's easy to do, I'd probably give it a go.  I think it would be helpful for young-ish widows like myself who don't know what to do, expect, etc. 

 

I've looked around for advice and experiences, but haven't found a whole lot.  I really wish there were something out there because it's like diving into the deep end of a bottomless pool.

 

Any one got any blog tips?  As in, how to create one?

 

 

Simple and free on wordpress.   

[Lhalo]

Simple and free on wordpress.

That's where Tin's blog is. You should hit him up DR. I'd follow it. You're stories are hilarious.

Curious as which restaurant you were trying to reel in the Crockett look alike and her friend. QW? 333?

[stevestevens]

Solid!