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Picture Perfect / Library Girl

What a surprise!!! I read Eric's blog this morning and he sorta posted this picture up just for me! [least I would like to think so! heh!] It's swell!!! Swing by his world and say hello! We've only emailed each other a good few times, if not a couple, but from what I've gathered, he's one great guy. He's charming, sweet, classy and avant-garde, tho that's really an understatement. So now that I stole the picture from his site and it's being permanently reside on my blog, I feel great! :-)

Thanks to Eric AND Corin [they don't know of each other I don't think], Corin posted an idea here, that he and his fellow bloggers should all take a picture simultaneously, at a certain time and place, etc... Sounds like a project! So I was thinking maybe people can take a picture, may it be a self-portrait, objects, etc., for that certain someone or a friend... A one and only original photograph just for a specific person!! I think that would be very nice!!! Just like what Eric did [now I'm hoping this picture is reeeally for me! heh!]. Yeah?

That was just a thot... Maybe I can start doing that, like sending, or even just posting different 'personalized' pictures to a few good bloggers/friends! Who knows, tho I do think that's a pretty nifty idea.

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On another note, I've been a lazy butt today. Mmm... feels great! Taking the next couple days off as well.. Tomorrow I'll be picking up my grandma to go shopping and eating and drinking, wait, no drinking... She'll spend the night tomorrow... Fun. Tho my coworker did advice me to make sure to hide all the porn... "It's only art grandma!! Popcorn?"

So I didn't do diddly this afternoon... no big whoop! Surfed on the net, watched 'movies', ate leftovers, took a late shower, breathing... Late afternoon I swung by Amoeba and got a couple of CDs... while going back and forth the aisles I saw people were setting up the stage for a live band... Yikes! I shuffled off quickly to make my purchase and left before the music started! Last thing I need is to get my wee-head blasted by some friggin' loud music... cuz I can do that my self thank you very much! ...and before I headed home, I had to stop off and return some 'educational' movies... 'nough said.

So I got His Name Is Alive's Rare Tracks in the Snow, and The Chameleons' Return of the Roughnecks... also Air's Surfing On A Rocket 12" vinyl. Ugh, I can't stand the newer HNIA stuff, but the old material is just simply divine... dreamy, devilish and charming... Now it's late and I'm transferring some reeeally old vinyl records to CDs for my dad, he'll like that once they're done! There, I'm not THAT lazy!

Music: The Chameleons - Silence, Sea and Sky / In Shreds

PS. I just checked out Tribe.net again, and there was this one person who has over 1600+ friends. Omilooord! Okay, I just now joined so I could check out all the mature content/pictures... I'm a perv, I know, but is that so wrong? *smirk*

Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops

I think I'll be going to the CocteauFest this September. I missed it last year... There'll prolly be a big nerdy bunch and 'lukewarm' cover bands but I don't care. Tho I'm by far not as HUGE of a fan as I once was, but their music still delights me in every way. They still make my heart pitter-patter!!!

Over 20 years ago since I first had the pleasure... Saw them live twice and they were... ethereal, to say the least! Hey, if you're into the Twins and in Los Angeles, we should go! heh!

The Faithful Wish: Revisit

One day a simpleton threw a coin down a wishing well. He wished for another coin. Later, as he walked upon the road, he found a coin.

The next day the man again threw a coin into the well, wished for a coin, and found a coin upon the road. This continued for several days and always the man wished for a coin, found a coin, and used it to wish for another.

At the end of a week the man cast two coins into the wishing well.

'I won't be able to come here tomorrow.' he explained.

Text: Thomas Wiloch - Tales of Lord Shantih

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Another one of my fave short stories. I've posted this some time last year, and I tend to re-read my books often... So I'm getting inspired again! heh! Tho at times I don't fully quite grasp the 'full' or the 'intended' meaning of each story, but I know somewhere in the minute universe of my wee-mind, it constantly searches and finds its own way to interpret and decipher such...

'I won't be able to come here tomorrow." I find that a little sad... I wish good health and happiness for everyone!!!

Best Ever

For my birthday, I've never thrown a party, no group dinners, no surprises... Alec takes me out on a 'birthday' dinner every year, but mostly they're just simple everyday dinners. I'm going to invite my grandma over to our apartment for my birthday this year, I think this is a good present for myself. Sounds odd doesn't it? But she's 93, and a chance like this doesn't come around too often these days.

She's the best grandmother in my whole wide world. She raised me up when I was just a baby until my teenage years, she still tries to take care of me even now. She would give me unconditional love, so pure. She still advices me to find a nice girlfriend after all these years, and everytime I just give her some lame-ass excuses. When I was still with my ex, back in the early 90's, I tried to tell her about us, but somehow she just couldn't grasp the concept/idea... Her mind sorta went blank, so then I just changed the subject. Well, given the fact that she was raised in a very small village, just a plain old country girl back in her youth, 'til this day, she sorta still is. Everything of hers now fits into a little roll-away luggage. Her most important possession? It's a picture of my grandfather when he was in his twenties. He died when my mom was just a little girl, and she is the eldest of the 3 girls. Life was tough then, very tough... to be in mainland China at the time and having to take care of 3 little girls on her own, it was a hard life. She didn't read or write [she still can't, she only 'recognizes' numbers] and all she had was her determination, and I guess that was what kept her alive, with her girls.

One time I sorta 'interviewed' her... asking her about her past... All the stuff that happened recently, she can hardly remember... but ask her what happened over 60+ years ago, she can tell you almost every detail in a heartbeat. The names, the places, the people... It's amazing how her brain compartmentalizes on the things that she treasures...

Last time I saw her she talked about how she wants her ashes to be taken back to China when she dies, next to my grandfather. She hasn't seen him for over 70 years. I told her that I would take her back there... and that was her single wish.

...

So my birthday is the following weekend and I'll be taking 3 days off from work... During those 3 days, I'll have her come over and spend time with her. Take her shopping in Chinatown, and to some 5'6" and under ladies' apparel stores, have dim sum and such. She can still give a good walk, but I won't have her walk too much. I was just thinking tonight that she can't even operate one of those elderly electronic 'cart'... you know the ones they have at Target or Walmart! She's never even seen one before, let alone for her to maneuver it.

Now I just have to decide whether to take the time off before or after my birthday. I'll have fun and I hope she will too. My grandma is currently staying at my brother's place. I'll be going to visit my folks this Saturday and drive over to my brother's to see her as well. During weekdays, she's usually left by herself [long story], but I guess that's much better than for her staying at a convalescent home.

I took this picture the last time I saw her, a few weeks back. It came out quite good I think. So this I'm sure will be my best birthday ever!!! I love you grandma I really do, and I'll see you very soon!

Candyman

I ask: "Why do men exist?" I say: "The meaning of life. I think I understand that part, somewhat... But why do we exist?"

A friend of mine said: "To fuck them."

Is it the question? Or the answer? Or maybe the question is not meant to be asked.

i

The Magnetic Fields were excellent, to say the least. I didn't think I would like 'em as much. A quartet: a piano, a guitar/steel guitar/banjo, a cello and an ukelele player. The music was semi-tragically melodic and soothing, easy to listen to... Stephin's vocal was solemn and low and sweet and at times hardly audible - his trademark kinda. All the songs were beautifully executed in acoustic versions. His lyrics at times were fun-knee, tho mostly dreamy, reflective and poignant. Put a lump in my heart...

IF YOU DON'T CRY [excerpt]
If you don't cry
it isn't love
If you don't cry
then you just don't feel it deep enough...

Text: Stephin Merritt

PS. I have altered time.

Bittersweet

I just finished watching Donnie Darko again... good flick. Alec and I have seen it before and we both liked it - lotz. This coming Thursday KCRW has a premiere for the director's cut of the movie, and he got 2 tickets for us to go see it again. I heard there'll be 30 minutes of extra footage in this version. I like a good 'sad' movie.

Also tomorrow night is the concert for The Magnetic Fields... I don't think very many bloggers are familiar with their music, but most certainly - Eric does! "Hello Eric! How goes? I love 'Lebanon'!!!" Tho I really haven't heard most of Stephin's songs, the few that I've heard I really liked. All his broken love songs... wretched! Unbeknownst, melancholy can creep up on one, and sometimes I think that can be strangely romantic...

Life is bittersweet.

Floatation

First off, a couple of days ago I just noticed that 2 other bloggers added me to their list... THAT was a pleasant surprise. Thanks a ho bunch to Ryan and Daniel... What sweeties! I know that I have read their blogs before and went back many times... o and they're both oh-so adorable! Big hugz and mmm-mwah!

Anyway, not much to report. But this past weekend I had an excellent time in Vegas. Stayed at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and spent most of my time swimming in their 'wave' pool... mmm... and it was also my good friend Joey's birthday, and this weekend he was one happy boy!!!

So at the end, we all had a wonderful time. Got lotza sun, tanlines are clean, and Floatation was my first AOL screen name... and that was over a decade ago.

Tho maybe we have chatted before? Maybe?

Music: Cocteau Twins - Wolf In The Breast

The Bell Jarred / Wonder Woman

Gosh, not much news coming from me... Everything's been a bit quiet for the past week. Tho something exciting did happen [BTW, I think I'm gonna ween myself from typing out "egg-****", y'know, me spelling words like egg-citing, egg-cellent, yeah, egg-xactly! So I'm gonna stop doing that.. It was silly to begin with, but that's me]...

So anyway, it's been a week already... Last Friday I finally got to meet Dr.P. O what joy... She was one of the most fun and polite person I've met. A huge smile and a big heart of gold. I also met CLS as well, her beau! Awwwwh! A cute couple indeed... all the while when all of us were walking here and there, they were holding each other's hands... They always have something to talk about... Dr.P is a real charmer... Anyway, most of the night we just talked and walked around and getting to know one another... It was a real treat to have finally met them. I don't think I'm much of a tour guide, so if anyone's thinking of coming out to southern cal to meet up, better plan ahead and bring your own map, cuz I STILL get lost in my hometown. Oy!

All and all, we really didn't have much time to spend with their short stay... They had a really busy schedule, but for the most part and the little time that we had, it was very, very nice. Pleasant folks. Lovely folks.

Anyway, it's Friday and I'm off to Vegas with a few coworkers, Alec and I. It'll be fun. Hopefully I'll get a kick-ass tan. I know the sun is really harmful to one's skin, but once a year isn't all that bad, is it?

Wayne: As far as me mentioning Wonder Woman [O joy!], I just got her DVD set last week and am loving it! I remember watching that show back in the 70's... Damn, absolutely loved her costume!!!! ...and remembering trying to mimick WW, twirling 'round and 'round like a silly little girl and jumping out windows and... o wait, I never jumped out of any windows... that wouldn't be wise! O and I just thot Lyle Waggoner was waaaaaay hot!!! God I wanted him! Anyway, last night I wanted to post this song up, it's a remix of the Wonder Woman TV theme... woohooo!!! I can never get tired of the theme song! Great mix.. and if anyone wants another mix of it, lemme know... it's a killer French version, and they did a bitchin' job!

Ok ok, can I do the twirling bit now??

I Feel Strange

Things are not aligned. Everything is changing! Are we transparence? You turn around. You are my cold hands and I am ominous. You wanted the light you wanted everything inside. You are inside me.

My holy girl. You are my destination. Stay close to me and make me bleed... Are you my not my snake-charmer?

Take me away... I feel strange and we are - transcendent.

What's a day without a little love & chaos?

Music: Lush - Nothing Natural