Californication

My first trip to SoCal, the dozens of times I've been to the state and never a real reason to visit the Concrete Jungle, known to those with less disdain as the City of Angels. No reason except the copious amounts of beautiful art encased in the city's architectural brilliances and west-coast wonders of museums. and my beautiful family, duh.

Day 1

Arrival. Fuck 5am wake up calls when peacefully sleeping at home, listening to the waves roll into my subconscious. addendum, fuck 5am wake up calls Always. The freeway, oh god the freeway. Antique shopping and scoring finds, as one can only do in high-end, endlessly consumeristic name-brand obsessed fashion cities. Mexican for dinner, oh holy goodness encased in fried corn.

Day Dos

CSUN Northridge graduation for the big guy. The whole excuse for this trip, and a seriously valid one at that. "Arizona must be [fucking] crazy" because my white, Irish boy of a cousin was in the serious minority when it came to race walking across that stage. These second generation, darker-skinned immigrants are not settling to pick in the fields like their parents did, they're not settling to cook enchiladas in a stuffy back room; they're getting their asses in the classroom and earning degrees. Not just in sociology or basket-weaving. They're getting engineering, biology, political science degrees. THEY are going to be the ones running for office, running the country, writing the rule books in a few years. So, really what can Arizona be thinking? Check the bigotry next time your own uneducated, clueless ass crosses over your mcmansion doorstep please.

Day 3

the Big Brother arrives, let the terrorizing begin. Tripping to the West Coast, sunshine and sandy beaches, big houses and salty air. The Getty Villa, an architectural marvel, remember when robber barons with money did cool shit with their bajillions [after they were done screwing everyone over] like open a public museum filled with an absurdly awesome collection? Yeah, cool.

Day 4

The Gamble House. Again with the rich donating cool things for the rest of us paupers to enjoy. Greene&Greene . Instant love.

[a Frank Lloyd Wright down the street]

Day 5

The Huntington, possibly one of the coolest museums i've ever been to in the space between the world's two largest oceans. Ridiculous gardens and grounds surrounding beautiful buildings encompassing classics.

[alien cactus garden]

[bonsai garden]

roses and roses and roses

The Library is one of the most all-encompassing research libraries in the united states. And it was fucking epic to walk through. To see an original John Locke letter, the hand that helped form the very basis of our society, helped hash out the principles that formed the standard for democracy.

Seeing one of the first Shakespeare folio's, the world's theatre would never be the same. And Bukowski's hand editing the fucked-up scenes straight off his typewriter. Smiling thinking of a mad man drilling away at the paper.

Smiling at the encompassing knowledge spinning around that exhibit, the endless hours and tireless work that went into helping spread knowledge in this world, that went into helping engrain it in society, worldwide, until it became as fundamental as breathing to our daily routines.

I smiled as I opened the paper on the plane home, just thinking it's so normal in our lives, and I'm so thankful everyday for that. It was a good trip.

winter was it or summer

crashingly beautiful into the pavement, sliding on raindrops in skyscraper higher heels feeling for a gash that i didn't feel couldn't remember getting over a left eyebrow, running fingers over, grasping at strands trying not to not to quit. just to recall anything about yesterday.

brighter pink nails and shiny skin, i'd let you slip between my. palms and hold my hand if you looked into my eyes and didn't let go when i started to show what i really am.

currently

a little confused. a lot scared. always emotionally unavailable. and more than able to fuck everything up.