It seems like I’ve spent most of the day cleaning out and backing up files. So to treat myself, I made a yummy afghani dish (kadu) and we’re going to work out after dinner settles.

Last night, we watched Lucky #Slevin and Brick. Both were pretty good. I had orginally planned on working on some of my paintings, but my arms would start shaking if raised for too long due to the trip to the batting cages.

Tomorrow I take Buddy to the vet because he’s been grinding his teeth whenever he stretches, then work, work, work. Hopefully Cody and I can have an art night tomorrow night. He sent me such a sweet email after going to an all-you-can-eat sushi lunch with me friday (before which he brought me presents!). In the email he sent me some of the latest photos he took while walking Chance and thanked me for keeping him inspired. Do I have the rockin-est best friend in the whole wide world or what!?!??

So I had the bright idea of suggesting a client and I meet at the batting cages for our quick meeting. We were both having a crazy week and thought that swinging a metal bat at baseballs would help relieve some of our stress. We each decided to pay for 60 pitches, most of which we both hit. I’ve not picked up a bat since middle school, so I was quite happy with hitting a majority of what was thrown at me, but I’m paying for it. For the rest of the day after the batting cages, my right-hand grip was rather weak. This morning though, both arms were sore and my grip is still poor. I had a heck of a time brushing my hair this morning (which is waist-length and requires a large paddle-type brush) and trying to reach behind me is a slower-than-normal process. However the bruise that threatened to form on my forearm is already vanishing, while after her first 20 pitches, my client/friend already had a decent bruise appear from her watch.

All in all, we both agreed that it was a great way to have a quick meeting to end the week and we plan on doing it again…but with gloves on…and she suggested softballs…at a slower pitch.

The interweb’s demons did bad things to my domain, and I just now got it all straightened out. So since my last post, I left my job and started working for this REALLY cute miniature schnauzer with pond algae breath. Okay, I’m not really working for him, more like he supervises me whether I want him to or not. I’m definitely keeping busy. Much busier than I thought I would be at less than two months on my own, which I’m very grateful for.

So this is the painting we got on our vacation. We love it. If you go to jordanbent.com, you can see his other works. If I remember to find a specific email, I’ll have a plugin that let’s me post links :P

If you click on it, you can see it closer up but it distorts the image a bit.

Yesterday I was given some rather shocking and heart-breaking news. A peer, a friend, announced that he has Lou Gherig’s disease. Patrick is only 31 years old. So talented in a variety of media (design/film/music), you can see that he lives life to the fullest in his work and I’ve always admired him. Please donate to his foundation, which was set up to bring awareness of this disease to people. Go to www.patrickobrienfoundation.org (a direct link can be found at themayocynic home page also).

The other people in the community where we all became friends, despite heated differences of opinions on many issues, are all finding wonderful ways to help spread the word. There have been times I’ve been quite upset or saddened by things said on Newstoday. There have been times where it was constantly so mean-spirited and aggressive that I would step away for a day or two. But for the most part, I’ve felt that the majority of people there have been some of the most amazing people I could ever hope to meet. Both in talent and emotional capacity. I remember when one person was sounding rather suicidal, many people from Newstoday – particularly one in Canada – made long distance calls to the Bay Area to try and talk with him. Another person was downright broke and hungry…and someone else on Newstoday ordered and paid for a pizza to be delivered to him. Another guy ocassionally offers to do a random act of kindness for the next person who posts. More often than not, I can remember the poster asking for a donation to a good cause and not something for personal gain.

I haven’t met most of these people face to face, but I love them. They remind me that maybe the world isn’t really full of just the assholes I often come across. That there is still decency and good to be found, even on an online forum. We’re like brothers and sisters there. We fight, boy do we fight, but we still love each other because of bonds that run much deeper than we can describe. We at Newstoday are not for everyone. Some n00bs have left after just a day or so because, as I see it, they weren’t thick-skinned enough. But I swear they are amongst some of the greatest people I’ll have the privilege or desire to know.

We love you TF, Transfatty, Patrick. And we’re with you all the way.

On Thursday morning during our trip to Cabo, Ralph and I decided to go to the glass-blowing factory, having fallen in love with nice glasswork while in Venice. Since Thursday was also going to be the night that the two couples on the trip split for dinner to have a romantical evening, Ralph and I both put on less tourist-bum looking clothes in case we didn’t make it back to the room to freshen up before dinner.

The map that our hotel gave us showed the factory very close by, so we decided to just walk over. After one block past the main tourist drag, we were getting into some pretty shabby-looking territory. We weren’t too concerned though, because the glass factory was just right ahead, right? bah! We walked almost twice as far as we needed to and still nothing. Trying not to look too lost and even more out of place than we already did, we stood on one street corner and tried to discretely look down the streets to see if anything looked like it would be a glass-blowing factory.

“What are you looking for?”

We turn around and a man with a mild limp, carrying a 9-iron, is walking in the opposite direction of where we were originally heading.

“Glass-blowing factory,” I answer. He waves us over to follow him.

“Tommy Montoya,” he introduces himself, shaking both of our hands. We tell him our names and start walking with him, Ralph standing between me and Tommy-holding-a-9-iron.

Tommy: So where are you guys from?
Ralph: Nevada. Not Las Vegas though (which seems to be the only place in Nevada that most people think of).
Tommy: Aaaah. Are you Japanese (looking at me)?
me: No, I’m Filipino (I didn’t think telling him my true Filipino-Russian mix would matter).
Tommy: Aaaahh, sayanora! And what about you (looking at Ralph)? Full gringo?
Ralph: Pretty much, yeah. Full gringo.
Tommy: German?
me: Mainly Irish (I responded because Ralph isn’t much of a talker when it’s someone he doesn’t know and I didn’t want the guy to take offense).
Tommy: Irish! A salam malakim (to Ralph)! Sayanora (to me)!

It’s quiet for a minute. Tommy is walking with a swagger, Ralph is keeping an eye on the golf club and I’m keeping track of our surroundings. It’s easy to still see part of the road we were initially on that leads back to the strip, but the streets are becoming more narrow and less paved. I tell myself that the second we start turning down alleys, I’m going to try and gracefully bow us out of the rest of our little walk. At one point, in the middle of streets of dilapidated houses and mini-markets, a much nicer, well-taken-care-of house is situated along our route. As we pass it, Tommy crosses himself.

Tommy: Sooo, that’s a nice shirt (he says to Ralph). Is it Tommy Bahama?
Ralph (chuckling): No, it’s not Tommy Bahama.
Tommy: It looks nice, expensive. Are you sure it’s not Tommy Bahama?
Ralph (chuckling again): No, “Target.”
Tommy: Awww, c’mon it’s Tommy Bahama. Hey, do you want to go to the moon? Do you want to feel good?
Ralph: No, we’re good, thank you.
Tommy: C’mon, you must be looking for something, yes?
Ralph (chuckling): Just the glass factory, thank you. We’re good.

A little bit more walking, while Tommy keeps vaguely offering things to “take care of ” us, or yelling authoritatively in spanish to guys going into mini-markets and who nod their responses back. The mini-markets are getting fewer and far between, which is making me look for the best way back to the original street should we need to get there quickly.

Tommy: C’mon man, what you guys want? I have it. Ice, weed, X, anything. What do you guys want?
Ralph: We really just want to get to the glass factory.
Tommy: Meth, you like meth?
Ralph: Nope, just the glass factory.

Thankfully, we turn a corner and the glass factory is right there, coming out of nowhere like Brigadoon. Shuttle vans going in and out. Tommy yells something in spanish to all the drivers that pass by us. We stop before the courtyard gates.

Tommy: See? I got you here safely. Maybe you should give me a nice tip, yes? [Ralph, already reaching into his pocket, is taking out money.] Are you sure I can’t take care of you, amigo?
Ralph: No, but thank you for taking us here.
Tommy: No problem, amigo. You let me know if you want me to take you on the way back or take you to get some weed or acid. All the cab drivers know my name and have my card if you need me. [Holding out his hand to shake] I’m Tommy Montoya of Tommy Montoya Enterprises. I’ll get you anything you need.

Then Tommy walks back the way we just came, the sun glinting off the head of the 9-iron as he swings it around with one arm.

me: How much did you give him?
Ralph: 100 pesos. Enough to not show disrespect, but little enough to show we weren’t scared.

Well, we’re back from our week in Cabo. There were the good, the bad and the ugly moments that I’ll probably write about but at the moment, I’m just too tired to even think of starting something worth anyone reading. We did, however, walk away with a beautiful painting by a very talented artist. I’ve done a half-hearted search for a site or blurb on him, but no luck yet. Regardless, I’ll post a photo of our purchase in another entry.

Other highlights will include our conversation with “Tommy Montoya,” dinner at NickSan, discovering a fabulous restaurant and smoked Marlin. As you can see, almost all of it revolves around food, which is one of the things that bores me to tears about Cabo. Photos are few, because there was very little to take photos of, which really annoys me considering I got pulled over inside the Cabo airport for exceeding my camera and film quota for entering Cabo.

F-word, is it just me or does a bowl of cereal sound really good right now?!?!?? *patters off…*

Of course work started off today with the seductive promise of an easy afternoon where I could goof off on Newstoday while working on kingjulien’s book. The reality was being pulled in a million different directions, mainly for one client, and being the contact person for clients of the three people who took the day off or a half day. Granted it made the work day go by faster, but I ended up having to stay a half hour late and got jack done on kj’s book. Fortunately, his kind heart forbade me to stay late on his project. His words were something to the effect of,”Don’t stay late to work on my book, the friday before a 3-day weekend and the day before you leave for vacation.” Touched by his generosity, I replied with, “You’re not the boss of me! >:( ” Sadly, I had to take him up on his offer. I am, however, at a pretty good point. After doing a little bit of this and that, I can send him a pdf for proofing while I make forced justified copy look pretty.

In about 9 hours, we’ll be on a plane. Poor Buddy has been in a panic since he saw Ralph pull the luggage out. Because of this, he’s needy as all heck and a bit frustrated. The poor guy has his stomach worked up and is passing some pretty rank gas. Walk into any room he’s been in within the last 2 minutes and you’re assaulted by an acrid cloud of sadness. I’m feeling more and more guilt for leaving every time I look at, and smell, him.

I think I’m all packed.

and we’ll be in Cabo. Thank goodness! I need a vacation like a mofo. Busy as heck between now and then.

I did start giving in to a guilty pleasure, though. I found a station on XM that plays hip hop back from when I used to listen to it (over 15+ years ago). Driving back home goes by so much more quickly when I’m rapping along with The D.O.C., Pharcyde and the like. Today I surprised myself by remembering like over 90% of “Life is…Too Short” by Too Short, but Friday, I got to hear Wild, Wild West by Kool Moe Dee and actually squealed when it first came on. I was immediately transported back to Treasure Island, the skating rink, OZB and the rest of the people I used to hang out with. The stupid F-ing dances that we made up to it. Started off the weekend on a really good note. I know, I’m a doorknob.

Anyway, got most of the front yard done (for now) complete with Fink and Einstein, two gargoyles that just make us smile.
https://www.themayocynic.com/NT/Bungholo.htm

Ate a sugar snap pea straight from the garden and I think it was the best sugar snap pea I’ve ever tasted. Just call me farmer mayo :P

I’m bound and determined to be as caught up as possible before vacation (T-1.5 weeks). I sent kingjulien a pdf to see if I was headed in the direction he was wanting, I invoiced for the photography I did but nearly forgot about and I am as far as I can currently be with my other freelance thingy. As far as home stuff, the front yard is pretty cleaned up and the fence, stained. Inside the house, the library needs to be cleared of the things that will go in the new cabinets. Back patio needs to be cleaned up, but that’s waiting on finishing the stairwell.

After tonight, the rest of the evenings this week are pretty booked. Tomorrow, one of Ralph’s out-of-town bosses is coming over for dinner, Thursday I’m making Cody a pre-birthday dinner, Friday is his actual birthday dinner followed by watching The Da Vinci Code and Saturday is an all out booty-shakin extravaganza. Hopefully I’ll have photos to post…muah-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaaa!