I didnt get laid I got in a fight
uh huh, It ain’t no big thing.

Actually, Saturday afternoon and much later into the evening than host/ess with the mostest expected. My bad. Twas Lisa’s birthday nod one more time and belated MFA graduation celebration, Maggie’s [slightly belated] birthday, and my second going away party. A good (dare I say great?), busy weekend: friends on Thursday, on Friday, on Saturday and family Sunday. Took a bunch of people pictures but not too many of the city itself. (Was reminded, there are plenty enough of those already and I have limited space.) The city no longer allows smoking in public but they do have hookah bars; smokin’ apples. yum.

If you have a chance, there’s an article in the Village Voice to read about my friends’ apartment plight: How Not to Pay Rent (The lofty ambitions of tenants of illegal apartment buildings), by Maria Luisa Tucker, July 18th, 2006 11:04 . Just remember, their shoes could be your own.

From Tuesday the 25th

Met up with Adine; saw the oh so much bigger and adorable Freyja Perry. Lunched at The Bistro (oh, the days of 55 Main stumbling down for a hungover “59 Main”) then Dan, Pat, myself and Lisa took off for a celebratory birthday “hike” to Awosting Falls (where Dan did his Jennifer Beals impersonation). Dragged them back to town to meet up with Ant, her boyfriend, and Phaki for dinner (unfortunately I’d run out of space b/c I’m using the very very small memory card so no pictures of Ant or Pete. DOH!) Being the fab-four in a car again even if for only a day rejuvenated my spirits beyond wildest expectations. Ah, the bitter:sweet crossroads of memory and experience.

Yesterday was Maggie’s bday and tomorrow Lisa is hosting a mixed birthday party celebration for the two of them/art sale. Finally a normal (i.e. busy) week! I’ll take a couple more pictures along the way (am hanging out w/ the ex-roommate, Stephanie, tonight and finally will get to meet NY Chris!!) but am STILL carrying this same dumb 32 MB flashcard! Hopefully can download pics along the way.

In the meantime, here’s what we’ve got (for you L.A. folks tired of hearing me say, “My friend -insert name here-…”

Check out Hopstop, the new site for city directions. You can now map your travel by foot and subway! I love this site. I’m a huge mapquest fan and try to always confirm my travel plans before departure. (You can always tell if I’ve forgotten because I get lost for an hour along the way.) Can you IMAGINE what it would say if they ever added Los Angeles as a destination city?

(1) Walk 3.5 miles East on Hollywood Blvd.
(2) Pick up RedLine at Hollywood and Highland
(3) Take one stop North to No Ho / Universal City Walk
(4) Walk 6.2 miles West on Ventura
(5) Take 720 “express” bus 0.8 miles to Riverside Dr.
(6) Walk 1.2 miles East

Total Travel Time: 8.5 hours
Total Distance: 1.2 miles

Hhahahahahah

I’m feeling obsessed with travel today, this week and this weekend. Partly to do with my impending flights, partly to do with wanting to be that little bit more south in a borough county. Trying! Will stop blogging and get on the work to get there, hon,………. NOW.

Growing up, Liz, Colleen and I attended the Octoberfest annually. We would stay at the Lennon’s hunting camp and go danc. When the D.J. asked if she’d like the same song played at the party OF COURSE she said, “YOU HAVE TO !” so,… here we are doing the internationally reknowned Chicken Dance!

This is the mini-reunion photo of the LCHS women…. with a link to the rest of the slideshow.

Went to a “Not a Wedding” One Year Anniversary Party for my friends Liz and Andy who eloped,… well you can guess when… which for several of us was simultaneously a mini [x-year] Class Reunion (which in some ways is too bad b/c it overshadowed the event of the evening so it’s a good thing that we were set up in the back of the room/at the bar.)

With Bobbie and my first good twin, Colleen.

The next day, we (both sets of family/both generations of the Clarks, Bobbie, me) headed over to Bethel Woods for a day of the Jazz Festival including: Wynton Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, this amazing but weird Brazillian artist named Cyro Baptista and Beat the Donkey, a little piece of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and synchronisity of synchronisity because she’d just mentioned him a day or two before, Bobbie’s favorite jazz musician, Chris Botti. (Missed Thurman Barker.)

The new site is beautiful but they aren’t allowing picnicing which, considering the rolling green vistas serving as a backdrop, is just rediculous. I’m going to write a letter pointing out the numerous venues across the country, for example the Hollywood Bowl, which allow such activity with success. It’s just greed and if not checked, people will leave the place bitter. Oooh, speaking of. They also seriously need to relax on the whole “assigned seats” idea. 1/2 the place was empty (there is a LOT of seating) and when people moved up a couple of rows, the ushers were adament about moving even as late as the last 1/2-hour of the last set. Time shall tell.

anyway, great weekend!