Dinner at the Evan's

is always interesting and we have a great time. Last night was one for the record books and hopefully never to be repeated again. In the morning, I got up to take my daily dose of medication for my "rhummy" (rheumatoid arthritis) and made my way to the kitchen to prepare my "Kalua Pig" or smoked pork as part of my contribution towards the dinner. It's a Hawaiian dish usually dined on at luaus and events in a Hawaiian family. I always make it because it's usually requested by my friends and very easy to make. Here's the recipe:



1 pork butt approx 1-2 lbs at the butcher store

1 bottle of liquid smoke

Hawaiian salt (rock salt)

Banana leaves

Foil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a deep bowl or pot add pork butt. Coat and marinate in liquid smoke. Let it sit for 10 minutes. On a plate, lightly coat/roll the pork butt in Hawaiian salt. Transfer the salted pork to the banana leaf and roll that up. It's OK if the banana leaf splits revealing the pig because underneath the leaf, you're going to roll the banana leave/kalua pig up in the foil. Enclose the side of the foil. It should look almost like a burrito. Place your kalua pig on a deep cookie sheet to catch any liquid salt spillage from the pork. Put in oven and let it bake for 4 hours at 350 degrees. After it is done cooking, split open the foil revealing the banana leaf and pig. What you want is the pig only. Discard the foil and banana leaf. Place pig in a casserole dish and shred pig with two forks pulling away from each other. It should be moist and ready to eat.

As I was saying, the holiday dinner featured a "poor man's" gumbo dish from New Orleans made by my friend Carmen. Her mother had been cooking a wasabi mashed potato dish and had mistakenly turned on the burner for the gumbo pot which had already been turned off by Carmen. The next thing we knew, there was a billowing cloud of smoke from the gumbo pot. Mama ran to turn off the stove and put the very heavy pot, laden with shrimp, crab, sausages, chicken and other delectable spices, onto the other side of the stove. My daughter Nani and I were hurrying to open up windows and doors to let the smoke out after setting off the smoke alarms. Carmen, who was in the shower and by now was out in the kitchen wondering what the heck happened and saw that it was her pot of gumbo that had been smoking and lifted the cover and found that her gumbo was completely destroyed by being on the unwatched stove for too long. She quickly got angry at her mother and all hell broke loose as Carmen let out a barrage of verbal attacks against her mother. At one point, I had to tell Carmen to "stop it" but she wouldn't listen. The verbal attack went on to the point of Mama Diane drinking all of the rum just to escape her daughters nagging, then falling asleep at the dinner table in a drunken stupor. That pretty much ruined the mood of the evening. My family and I salvaged what we could from the gumbo which was everything that floated to the top, sausages, crab and whatever else didn't burn much. The soup did have a burning taste but when you put everything else over rice, it turned out to be a good meal after all. Carmen vowed she would throw the whole pot out and take whatever we wanted to salvage and we did. The turkey didn't get done until midnight because they put the bird in the oven too late. It was just a whole comedy of errors and what ever could go wrong did go wrong. I know Carmen won't let her mother forget this, that's just how Carmen is, she doesn't let things go very easily. After settling down and finally having dinner after midnight, it was time to go home. Carmen packed us off with food from the evening, we said our thank yous and made our way home. I've never felt so glad to be home.

Thankful for

this day to just be able to get up from my bed, put my feet on the floor and take a breath of air while listening to the quiet rustle of the leaves from my pear tree. I'm thankful for looking out of my bedroom window to see the beautifully colored finches dining on seeds and swimming in the birdbath bathing in the warmth of the sunshine. Thankful for seeing my summer covered dirt backyard now drenched with dark green grass and ivy covered fence. I'm thankful for my well being and my state of mind, to know that I can. I'm thankful for my three beautiful children and know that they will find their way in this world. I'm thankful for my friends, family and relatives being a part of my foundation and support. I'm am thankful for the almighty God and his faith that we are all human.
I am thankful for Lynn, my absolute love, friend, confidant and companion. I give thanks to all of these gifts and I know that all of us have gifts such as these to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful holidays to you.

No hot tub

this morning. My sweetie, Lynn, and I usually do a hot tub on Wednesdays after her ice skating gig but not today because "Auntie Flo" (my dreaded monthly) is in town. We frequent Watercourse Way in Palo Alto with it's serene atmosphere and feng shui surroundings. There are nine hot tub rooms that are beautifully decorated with its own Asian theme. Some of the hot tub rooms have a tub only while others are more elaborate with cold plunge and sauna added for a little extra. Actually a lot extra as the hot tubs are quite expensive for an hour, this being Palo Alto and all. Included with the private room is the variety of world music to sooth your mind as you soak your blues away. And lastly is the small but comfortable twin bed should you need further rest from all the tub activity. Lights can be dimmed for a more romantic setting which we take full advantage of during the winter months away from the distractions of our busy lives. Since we do not live together, this is our treasured private time. Our time of being together and enjoying each other as we have done for the past eight years in each other's loving arms, lips and embrace. Making love to one another as only two women in love can do. Honestly, I don't know how thin the hot tub room walls are and have never cared if anyone has ever heard us as long as I'm with Lynn, that's all that matters. Rain check for now.

Las Vegas

I had to get up early this morning to make an early flight out to Las Vegas from the San Francisco International Airport. The security checkpoint was surprisingly empty at this hour of 6:00am, I'm sure passengers have heard enough about the heavy travel season to heed it's warnings. My flight was full but not oversold. I sat next to two elderly Italian gentlemen who own several Italian restaurants around the Half Moon Bay area and Palo Alto. I usually don't talk to my seatmates unless she's a cute woman or couple but Andrea, who was sitting in the middle seat, was speaking in Italian to Joe, on the aisle seat and pointing to my little picnic of blueberries and dried trail snack food. I offered them some, introductions were made and Andrea was telling me the story of his family owning a grocery store in Half Moon Bay and how they have lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and that I had a good idea to bring some food on board. Andrea stated that he heard of all the advisories of not bringing liquids on board and I told them that solid foods were allowed and you can buy water past security. They didn't look like the type to pack anything but their wallets! They inquired where I was staying in Las Vegas and I always stay at the Rio All Suite Hotel because I have a lot of comps with them and almost unlimited rooms available to me every month. Who needs to buy a condo? I have my airfare for basically nothing and hotel. I just have to get myself to and from the hotel by shuttle service from the airport. They were staying at the Luxor. As our flight landed, we parted ways and another human interaction was borne.
My flight landed about 8:30am and not having any checked luggage makes it easier to get out of the airport. I'm always the last drop off in the shuttle because of the location of the Rio Hotel which is located off of the Las Vegas strip. I check in at the Diamond and Platinum lounge and is cozily located away from the Gold check in. Behind the frosted glass doors pulled open by an employee awaits a generous amount of check in agents to help assist you. Fresh coffee while you wait, if there is a wait. They happily greet you warmly because this is their "creme De la creme", that's right, their high rollers, frequent players and just people that like to drop a lot of money. In my case, I play very little and have won a few significant jackpots to the point where I have accumulated W-2's to take home and file until tax time. I'm still waiting for that elusive "mega-pot"! The whole process of checking in took less than 10 minutes and Mr. Mcadoo is very personable. He knows by my profile that I have been here almost every month since March to take advantage of my complimentary room nights and asks me which tower would I like to stay in. I prefer the Ipanema Tower because Starbucks is located right there. When I need that early morning coffee, I can use my points or cash to get what I want there. For this particular trip, I am here to claim a DVD offer that arrived in one of my mailing promotions. Last month it was the Nintendo Wii which I sold on EBay for a nice price. My son already has an Xbox and isn't interested in the Wii. The DVD, I will give to Lynn as part of my Christmas present to her along with other things that I have accumulated throughout the month. The month before, I picked up an Ipod with speakers and gave that to Lynn's daughter which she highly prizes and plays constantly at home. All of the rooms at the Rio are nicely appointed suites. Easily sleeps 6 but can accommodate 4 in two double beds. My room consisted of a King bed and faced the "strip" and looked out across the pool area. Because I arrived early, I took a nice long nap in my room, watched T.V. as it was a Law and Order marathon day and enjoyed the peace and quiet. 4:00pm rolled around and it was time to go downstairs to the promotion desk to claim my DVD. There was a bit of a line but moved fairly quickly. Kawehi, a local girl, had me sign for the DVD and gave me a nice soft blanket as part of the promotion. Great, more stuff to pack in my one and only carry on! From there, I went on to find a slot machine to play. No luck at those machines and had better luck at the video poker deuces wild machines. Where you really score on those is the "double up". I had won a little over $300 on that one and finally had to leave the machine because I drank too many beers and had to go to the little girls room. It was time to quit anyway and when I came back there was a little ol' lady on it. Feeling a little buzzed and sleepy, again, it was time to go back to the room and watch more Law and Order.

Birthday Celebrations

I was invited to an ex co-worker son's birthday party today at a neighborhood park. Thank goodness the weather was co-operating as it turned out to be a wonderful day. I picked up my friend's son, Maurice, to come along and enjoy the day plus give his gramma Diane, a break. I saw many of my co-workers who have been wondering about me and didn't know why I left work suddenly. I explained to them that I have rheumatoid arthritis and my doctor stated that I could not lift more than 10 pounds and to rest. My employers require that I be able to lift 70 pounds and because of this requirement, they had to send me on a family leave until my doctor could write me back into my duties. I've been off of work for two months and have been busier than ever. I don't miss work at all, I do miss my co-workers and the money I used to make picking up hours and overtime. Sick time hours just don't cut it! It was good to see everyone and let them see that I was alright. There was lots of food as usual. You know, the good Filipino kind, rice, pancit, lumpia, teriyaki chicken and beef, short ribs, lihimoi pineapple and mac salad. Yummy! All of a sudden, some of the kids came to me and said Maurice was on the tanbark ground crying. I immediately went over to see what happened. He was balled up and holding his head and too upset or embarrassed to talk. I asked the other kids who witnessed what happened and they said that he was running underneath a play structure and hit his head on the wooden walkway just above his head. I made sure that there was no open wound or blood coming from his head. Except for his crying, he seemed OK but definitely embarrassed. All in all, it was a great party, lots of kids, good friends and awesome food. After the party, "D" and I went over to Mama Diane's to drop off Maurice. We sat a spell and visited with mama. "D" ate again since he only nibbled at the party. I packed a "to go" plate for mama and she's always happy when food is brought home. That means she doesn't have to cook. We said our goodbye's and made our way into the beautiful city of San Francisco.

It is D's birthday today and we are going to play tourist. We took my truck "big Betty" into the city and started off with a nice little trip down Lombard's "crookedest street in the world". I took my time and "D" was like a little kid in a candy store admiring all of the beautiful homes and gardens on that street. It was night time and fairly lit but the view of this place is more glorious in the day time. From there we landed at Fisherman's Wharf and the parking goddess was with me in offering a great parking place one block away from the Powell/Hyde street cable car pickup. "D" has never been on a cable car before and this was his first time in all of this 13 years in California. We met Thomas, the brakeman, who let us stay toward the rear of the cable car as he worked the lead in maneuvering the noisy metal horse. We watched the hills get steeper as we climbed towards the fog shrouded peak only to make our way back down through small neighborhoods and hairpin turns. "D" shrieked with glee as his inner child brought forth a smile so bright, we could have been mistaken for a beacon on Nob Hill. The cable car let us out at Union Square and we said our goodbye's to Thomas. We were on a mission in search of libations to quench our thirst. We walked around Union Square and watch them put lights on the 40 maybe 50 foot Christmas tree. Macy's had their story book themed windows aglow as people nuzzled up to the glass to get a closer look. Couples walking, kids running, men in groups, women in groups and the homeless were all looking for a place to be. We wandered into the Hyatt Union Square and found a nice lounge on the 36th floor. Aldo, our host and server, seated us in a nice table but we managed to acquire a table next to the window as another couple left. Because we were on the 36th floor and at night, probably on a good night, we were not able to see the beautiful lights downtown San Francisco. We were shrouded in clouds and fog. It seemed pretty erie being up this high. The drinks were strong, appetizers were tasty and the atmosphere was casual. We had a wonderful pianist that serenaded the lounge goers and he played a variety of tunes. As the night started to fade, we had to catch the last cable car back to Fisherman's wharf lest we take the $50 taxi ride back. This time we sat down and enjoyed our ride back, again, admiring the elegant condos and beautiful Victorian homes along the way. It was an easy walk back to the truck and headed for home.

TGIF

Even tho I'm not working right now, i am thankful. I'll be busy this afternoon with going to pick up some duraflame logs that someone offered for free on Craigslist. They are the 4 hour ones and he has 9 of them that i will pick up, besides, I'll be passing by Ocean beach and that alone is worth the ride. Later on this evening, I'll be going with "mama Diane" to drop her and Maurice off at their counseling session and we will all be going to see the play I saw last week, "Stardust and empty Wagons" at the Brava theatre. Neither of them have seen it yet and "mama" is pretty excited about that. I stopped by the Goodwill store in the Haight District to see if I could find a "white elephant" gift for a party that I'll be going to in December. As friends, this particular group tries to get together and go on outings for drinks and dinner to catch up on our lives. The last one of "groupies" has turned 45 which is the magic number for our trips. Unfortunately, with some of us going back to school, time restraints and loss of loved ones, we did not find the time to take our trip that we have taken every 5 years. We made plans to go to New York, cruise to the Bahamas, fly to Greece and cruise around the island but none of that ever materialized. So we will settle for a holiday party. I didn't find a gift but I found a few nice cheap Cd's. I picked up Mama and Maurice and started for the theatre. Traffic was heavier than usual probably because of the football game in town and the start of the holiday traffic season. We found a good parking space in the Mission, had good dinner at a Salvadorean restaurant and got our theatre tickets. Our seats were very good and you could see well from our position. The Hot 8 band from New Orleans were playing and they were awesome as ever. Mama enjoys a good band with her hand waving in the air as she stood up to applaud them for making the journey to San Francisco. The theatre was very full and there was a great repoire with the audience and the cast. We didn't get out from the play until 11:00pm and I still had to drive Mama and Maurice home to Burlingame and get myself home in time to get a few hours of sleep before taking Carmen to work at 4:00am.

The holiday travel season is upon us

Being representative in the travel industry and a front line woman, here are just a few things to remind you about our busier than ever travel season.

Travel by airplane:

Input the top 10 air carriers into your cell phone. Why? If you are on a lengthy delay, you want a head start on getting yourself, and or others in your party, a confirmed seat on another carrier. You don't want to stand in a long line waiting at the gate or ticket counter to talk to that agent because he/she is doing the same thing that you could be doing, only quicker. Tell the agent on the phone your situation, get it booked, confirmed and if possible, seat assignments-crucial if you're travelling with your family. Get the agents name that you talked to on the phone along with an agent sign which usually identifies that agents station and city. If anything goes wrong, you have that small piece of information to count on in case something goes wrong and you can write into their customer service department. Many of the airlines offer "E-ticketing" and are usually transferable among domestic flights. Some International Carriers offer the same thing with domestic carriers, check with your airlines. If you have a paper ticket, the very old way of travelling, you will have to wait for your ticket to be endorsed to another carrier or reissued at the ticket counter.
Pack snacks in zip lock bags, trail snacks, almonds, carrots, broccoli, celery, your favorites. It's is easier to travel with and you can see what you have.
Pack a few "empty" water bottles and fill them up after security and you can refill them.
The TSA rules are still in effect, all containers must be 3 oz of liquids, gels or aerosols in your personal belongings and it all needs to fit on a 1 quart Zip top clear plastic bag which you need to supply yourself. Gallon sized bags and fold over sandwich bags are not allowed. Packing liquids is unlimited in your "checked" luggage.
Shoes still need to be removed, be sure to protect your feet and wear socks or stockings.
Laptop computers still need to be removed and placed in its own bin.
Before going through security, try to minimize your time there. Remove jewelry, watches, belts and coins before hand. Have a small pouch to hold those things until after security should you need to wear them.
I'll be adding to post as I go along. It's going to be a long travel season. Be safe and happy holidays.

Her name was

Michelle Smith. She was my first ever crush on a girl in second grade. Seductive translucent light green eyes, pale, flawless skin, high cheek bones and long brown hair, she was a beautiful little girl. Michelle was a transfer from London and had the most gorgeous accent to match her gorgeous pursed lips. She had these hair bangs that were slightly parted in the middle and hung just above her eyelashes. Her hair was almost always in pigtails and wore dresses all the days we went to school. She looked very similar to a young Jacqueline Bisset. I can remember being very shy around her and being at a loss for words when she would talk to me. Can you image having those feelings at such a young age?. All of the boys and some of the girls in my class were vying for her attention. She was the most popular girl in school that year. I still have my grade school pictures from that time. The following year later, I never saw her again.

Oracle traffic

is in my neighborhood tonight and they are still playing music at this hour at the Cow Palace which is three blocks away from me. I thought we had a noise ordinance in effect but I guess when you're Larry Ellison, you can pay your way out of minor details. At the end of this event, there will massive congestion in the form of the huge greyhound type travel buses and limousines to get attendees back into the major artery of San Francisco for their final meeting tomorrow. From what I've read, Larry flies in big name stars to these events, hosts lavish food and drink fests and his Oracle-ites have a fantastically great time. I'm jealous because it sounds like a lot of fun and the music is still going on and I would like to go. Anyone have an extra ticket?
Lynn and I got together earlier this afternoon with our friends Angie, her g/f Tamara and another long time friend, Lizzy, at the Ikea in Emeryville. We try to get together whenever we can, often at the girl clubs that we frequent once a month. Many of us live far away in other counties and our friend Angie, moved cross country to Florida and somehow we manage to still keep in contact with each other. Lynn and I have a great circle of women friends, most of them coupled and a few that are single. Our little group age ranges from 25 to 50, all walks of life and ethnicity's. It's a wonderful group of woman and not too much drama. Ikea has a great little cafeteria where you can get a healthy decent meal at an affordable price. Lynn and I got there on time and proceeded to eat lunch without the other woman who were running late. As if talking on the phone numerous times a day is not enough, because of our living situation, it's always good to see each other in person. The women finally showed up a half an hour late and declined lunch but headed right for the dessert bar. We caught up on stories and enjoyed being in each other's company. Talked of holiday plans and possibly visiting Angie next year in Florida. Our friend Lizzy looks great. She had one of those tummy staple operations and it definitely changed her body appearance from a much larger woman to a slightly smaller woman. If you have the money to do that, I'd say "more power to ya". I personally wouldn't want to do that and would be too squeamish about the operation. Three o clock rolled around and it was time to say our goodbyes and drive back over across the Bay Bridge and get Lynn back home to Palo Alto. We agreed that it was nice seeing everyone and sent her off with a few kisses for the road.

So many things to do

so little time. Whoever said that sure knew what they were talking about! I have a ton of things to do and just "don't wanna". I made out a to do list last night and it's still staring me in the face. I have boxes and mailings that need to get out to the post office and it's still sitting there as if they were waiting to go for a long walk. My bed is unmade, i still have my pajamas (sweats) on and the T.V is rambling on in the other room. What does that tell me?
It's time to go back to bed!

I finally get out bed, get dressed and go about my mailing. Actually I was getting all of my EBay stuff out to the post office to my customers that won my auctions which usually consist of materialistic things found around my house. Things that I haven't used, aren't interested in or have no place for it in my home. You know that saying, "One person's junk is another person's treasure". I don't have a store on EBay, it's just a site where I can throw my "junk" into and hopefully someone else will want it and I get paid for it. My pork chops are completely thawed out and I throw those in the crock pot along with some bacon for flavoring, season it and let that simmer for a few hours. That's for dinner tonight, I love my crock pot!
Getting gas is really ridiculous these days. $3.87 a gallon for unleaded! My truck is hitting $80.00 to fill up now. I don't see an end to this anytime soon especially with Thanksgiving next week. I predict that gas will easily top $4.00 in some areas.
A good friend of mine is in town from Florida, Angie with her g/f Tamara and is visiting family. Angie used to work as a B.A.R.T mechanic in Antioch, she sold her home a few years ago and moved to Fort Lauderdale with her mother. She sold her house just in time at the height of the real estate selling market started to cool. We're trying to find a window of time to get together tomorrow and visit with other g/f's who live beyond the bay bridge. My g/f Lynn is not sure because she will be coming from Palo Alto and then to drive over to Berkeley is quite a jaunt especially with the gas prices at an all time high. We will try to make the time and it will probably be a last minute decision. It's gearing up to be a busy week for me. I have a play to go to on Friday night called "Stardust and empty wagons" which I went to last week. I'm taking my "surrogate" mother Diane to it because she is portrayed as one of the main characters in the show. Saturday is a baby party for a co-worker who got fired last year and I never really heard the real story of what happened to her. Saturday night is another co-workers birthday. Monday morning, if the flights look good, I will be flying to Las Vegas for a little R&R and to pick up a portable DVD player at the Rio All Suites Hotel which has been giving me complimentary nights for the past three years because I play there quite a bit. I've won a few nice jackpots but I'm aiming for the Mega one day. The Rio is a beautiful hotel with a Mardi Gras atmosphere just off the strip which you can easily reach by one of their many complimentary buses to their partner hotels. Just about every amenity you could want and yes, they have a bowling alley!! And it's alot of fun.

Veteran's Holiday

As the fog rolls down over the hills above me, this time of year is an especially sad one for me. My father passed away in August of 1999 and my mother in December of 2003. This is the time of year when I should be excited about the upcoming holidays, cooking, gatherings of my children around me, friends and joyousness. I find myself hiding away more and more very much missing my mother and father. I don't return the phone calls of my friends for the want of not talking or listening to the trials and drama of their lives. Instead, I bury myself in memories of happier times long ago.

My father was a Veteran of WWII. He was a mechanic in the Army/Air force at that time and very proud family man. He was crane operator for the Local Union 3 by trade and loved to party with his brothers and extended family that moved to the "mainland" from Hawaii. My mother, for most of my life, was a stay at home mom until all of her children reached High School ages and she went back to school to receive her Diploma and went on to manage an office facility of caregivers that helped the elderly. She was a very independent woman and between the both of them, instilled good values and independence in their three children. Growing up, we were good kids, got in the usual small time rebelliousness as teens and minded our father. If not, we would get spankings from him on the butt or worse yet, the belt! I would say looking back on it now, he was a harsh disciplinarian. I love them both very much and miss them terribly during this time, a time of joy and sadness, a time of remembrance.

A dance club for women

After the wedding yesterday, Lynn and I enjoyed a nice dinner out, then came home to watch cable T.V. That was the highlight of our evening. When you get to be our age, sure we love making love but we love our sleep more! It's nice waking up with your loved one by your side, greeting each other in the morning with a kiss and a smile. Warm touches, legs draped over each other wondering who's going to make coffee first. Actually it was a trade off, she made coffee while I fixed breakfast. We planned our day with church at 12:30pm in San Mateo at the MCC. A wonderful and very accepting church for all denominations, nationalities gay or straight. We've visited this church a few times and each time like today, there are more and more members. More singing and reading from the bible, I'm pretty much "churched out" and ready to dance. Lynn and I go back to my house for some lunch and rest up before going to our usual once a month woman's club in San Francisco called RESPECT. Operated and DJ'd by our good friend Page Hodel, it's our thing to do when we are able. It's a great place to hang out every second Sunday of every month for woman of all ages. Because they serve alcohol, you have to be 21 years and older. With it's sexy red velvet interior decor, chandelier drop lights and booth style seating, it's a fun place to go, meet your women friends and dance to music from rap, 80's, 90's and requests. RESPECT does not serve food but there is a great pizza place next door. Drinks are very pricey and your best bet is the beer at about $4.00 a bottle. There is a $10.00 cover charge and the club opens from 4:00pm-12:00am with in and out privileges. Next month is RESPECT's 7th Anniversary, so be sure to get there early as booth seating does fill up and can be standing room only.

Wonderful day for a lesbian wedding

What a dreary day for a wedding, fog and rain was in the forecast. Women love this stuff. Like walking on the beach. Lynn and I started out for the church early because she had to be there for sound checks and rehearsal with Reiko, the organ/pianist extraordinaire. There were a few church staff and helpers setting up for the wedding. Lynn and Reiko practiced while I took some pictures of the beautifully artistic stain glass windows within the church. Lynn sounded wonderful in spite of her stirrings of a cold and Reiko was, can we say monsterly awesome with her wickedly quick fingers tickling the ivories! She can tickle me anytime. The bridal tribe arrived by motorized cable car to the church early to take pictures. The women were visions of beauty dressed in their dark satin purple dresses and the men were dressed in nice black suits and white collared shirts with converse tennis shoes making up the rest of their wardrobe. Everyone seemed to by going over their idiosyncrasies to make this a wonderful wedding. The church was all abuzz with chatter, laughter and joy. The pastor prepared for her first ever wedding, gay or straight. Guests started arriving in spite of the rain. The wedding couple showed up late at 4:30pm for a 4:00pm wedding start as stated on their invitations. Reiko, was getting a little unnerved and luckily she had enough sheet music to survive the half hour tardiness of the brides. Finally, they arrive and all is quiet as Angella, looking beautiful in her virgin white gown with purple down her backside draped train, walked down the aisle first. As she waited patiently for her wife to be to walk in after her, you could see the nervousness and fatigue melt from her visage only to be replaced by adulation and the loving glow of beauty as her soon to be wife walked in. Near tears from both woman as they gazed upon each other and held hands, hands that would bond them from here to eternity. This was a Catholic mass complete with Lynn as the Cantor, a woman pastor and all the details of what a Catholic wedding is. For nearly an hour, we stood up, sat down, said our "praise be to god", listened to beautiful Lynn sing while Reiko played and the Pastor laying her hand of god upon the loving couple as they listened intently. It wasn't until this point that the couple settled down and paid attention because this would be the point that seals them as wife and wife. Those were the words they waited for, "you may now kiss your bride". A thundering applause by the audience, tears of happiness from the couple and the soft sound of the rain, a thousand kisses from god.

Mz Chauffer for the day

I just came back from taking Carmen to work in San Jose this morning which is a 40 minute commute each way but going 90 mile per hour will get you there in 30 minutes which is what I did. She starts at 5am! Totally insane and I have told Carmen to get up earlier so I wouldn't have to rush like that and possibly get a ticket which would be a moving violation and hike up my insurance! On the return I drove 70 on the Highway marked for 65mph, reasonable. I also had to take her son, Maurice to school at 8:30am which he got a few hours to rest before I woke him up for breakfast, brush his teeth, wash his face and get his school stuff ready. Well, it wasn't happening at 7am. He didn't move or get up for no one, not even his auntie. So I had to bribe him to get up with the Nintendo Wii. Yup, that boy got up like a bolt of lightning and got ready so quick after doing all of the above that he had forty five minutes to spare for his Wii. Before dropping him off at school, he gave a quick call to his mom letting her know he's early to school and that he loved her. No mention of the Wii unless Carmen happens upon this blog. It's our secret.
I dropped my 24 year old daughter off at work. She sells the Kirby vacuum and is going away this weekend with her co-workers in a big company van to sell those things down in the Los Angeles area. She gave Lynn and I a demonstration a few days ago and it was a bear to put together, poor thing spent close to an hour just figuring out how to put it together. She finally got it hooked up and vacuumed around a bit. It didn't feel like it was a very powerful vacuum, i would rather go with a shop vac but I wouldn't tell her that. She's a hard worker and will do what she wants to do and will see this job through but only for awhile. So, she's dropped off and I'm heading home to take a nap until tonight for my final gig with Lynn. That's when we go to San Francisco for the dress rehearsal and dinner.
Dress rehearsal and came and went. Lynn and I didn't really need to be there. The rehearsal? Can you say Confused, Chaotic, and comical? That's how it was. I think I dozed off a few times only to catch Vanessa, one of the line woman, looking my way long enough to catch me dozing! Lynn finally got in two songs amid all the chatter about the placements and arrangements of the brides. A lot of work goes into getting married. It was over withing an hour and a half and off to the restaurant we go. The Italian restaurant where the dinner reception was held was like a step above a loud and noisy Chevy's but with great Italian food. The wedding party had pre-ordered everything from the appetizer calamari, to the shrimp pasta or chicken marinated in Marsala with mash potato and of course our "buttery" wine. I have to admit the brides looked beautiful. Seeing them through dinner and noting their immense generosity towards their families, i wish them all the happiness. It will be a beautiful wedding tomorrow.

Helping out

my friend Carmen today. Because she doesn't have a car, she needed a ride to the post office and also to the laundry mat. It totally sucks not having your own car because you can't do what you need to do and have to many times rely on someone else. There was nothing on my agenda today except to wait for my some of my EBay auctions to end in the afternoon, which at this time, sold for very little. The things I have to do to make ends meet. Lynn has hinted a few times that she would "rent out" my tongue. Oh eww! Truth to the matter is she would kick my buns before placing my tongue on anyone but her. So, back to the subject of making ends meet. Since i am on disability for my illness, i am only getting so much from my job. The disability insurance people think i make enough from my work to deem me ineligible. They won't give me more to help pay my credit cards, utilities, food, boy stuff for my son and my number one monster of a California mortgage. So I've been Ebaying, Craigslisting, garage scavenging and mystery shopping. I need to put one of those "buy me a coffee" buttons and change it to "Quarter for your thoughts" button. I know, it's supposed to be a "penny for your thoughts" but this is 2007! You ever hear of inflation, recession and the fall of our almighty dollar?
I just got back from a play at the Brava Theatre in San Francisco on 24th street. The play is called "Stardust and Empty Wagons", a production about the Hurricane Katrina Survivors of New Orleans. My friend Carmen and her mother, Diane are portrayed in the play. I saw it last year when it first started and it has toured Berkeley, San Jose and has come back to San Francisco complete with a band from New Orleans playing live music to accompany to actors and actresses. The production has improved and now with the addition of the music, it makes a lively play. The band is here for a short time but the play will be open for a little over three weeks. http://www.brava.org/ .
Tomorrow is the rehearsal and dinner for bridezilla and company. I shouldn't be mean, I'm sure it will a wonderful wedding on Saturday. My g/f is trying hard to fight off the stirrings of a cold and has reduced her teaching schedule to rest. She just called me tonight while I was at the play to tell me that she has a 7 foot tall artificial Christmas tree in the back of her car. She is very happy with her purchase after answering an ad on Craigslist and is bringing it home. Her hubby tried to stamp his feet, pout and say that he didn't like artificial trees and that he liked the real ones better. She put her foot down and replied back, "I'm the benevolent dictator and I'm in charge!" She explained her reason for this purchase and said that she was fed up with chopping down the real trees and then having to dispose of it in the dump after the holidays. She is a very conscientious recycler and is always doing her part to make the world a better place by going "green" and saving our earth. That's one of the reasons of why i love her.

Woman bloggers

are wonderful writers. Being on this domain, I have read many good stories, ideas, how-to's about everything you could ever want to read. I can attest that my writing skills aren't the best and sometimes start to ramble on up the wall but i have loved writing ever since my high school years many moons ago. I like poetry and can sometimes get into a zone about a subject. Thank goodness for the Internet or I would be lost and then I would have to go out and buy a newspaper and read about subjects that I'm not interested in or news that most people don't talk about...homosexuality, gay or lesbian. How ever you look at it, it's always not good news in the media.
I wanted to get my early thank you out to you, the reader, because you've read this far and to all the bloggers and writers for putting yourselves out there and offering personal views and insights of your everyday life. Thank you for helping me step out! {doing little dance steps}
So, a little bit about me. I'm 45, three children two girls and a boy, ages 24, 22, 14 respectively, my ethnicity is Hawaiian, Chinese, Tahitian, Filipina and divorced for three years from a man. I have been partnered for 8 years with my one and only Lynn, a woman, who's ethnicity is Polish, Irish and a good ol' southern gal from Tennessee. I love "Haole" women especially my Lynn! I'm unemployed right now actually on disability and being treated for rheumatoid arthritis by a sometimes smart alecky male doctor who is the best in the business. I am an EBay fanatic, craigslist groupie and garage sale queen. I'm your double dollar couponer, buy one get one free queen and if it's free, I'm your princess {batting my eyelashes} with a smile. I've got a big truck and she's got a gentle set of lungs that you'll hear when i turn the corner. She's my "Betty". I love that truck and what women doesn't?
Being off from work is very hard for me because I'm used to going to work, making my way out the door and looking forward to seeing my co-workers. I have a great repoire with them. Now with all this free time, I'm busier than ever! I've been finishing up on a remodeled kitchen that's taken the better part of a year to complete with my brother. Don't hire family! Even if it's for free! I've been giving my best friend a ride to work at 5:00am on a journey that takes about 40 minutes each way and just helping her out because she doesn't have a car. My friends call me from work wondering when I'll be back to work. My due date back is December 15th but I think I'm going to get my doctor to write me in after January 2008. I don't want to deal with all the madness during the holiday season. I gravely miss travelling. Jumping on a plane and going somewhere.
And blogging. It's been a key factor in my life right now. It's addictive, fun and keeps my mind active. Once I start back at work, I'm hoping to keep this up. Unfortunately life gets in the way and the posts become infrequent. We shall see.

Bridezilla on the Warpath

For the past three months, my girlfriend has been rehearsing and lending her beautiful angelic voice for hire to a wedding that will happen this weekend. A lesbian wedding, complete with a woman Pastor, a woman organ/pianist extraordinaire and it will be presented in a Catholic church! Can you image that? It will not be a legal wedding because the state of California has not passed the law making it legal. For all intent and purpose, these two young women, this will be their wedding day in their lifetime and in their pursuit for happiness.

The bride has been wanting to be everywhere at all times in everything which this week has taken a toll on her to the point of her breaking down and crying on her cell phone to my girlfriend. I think for every woman that is about to marry, gay or straight, they go through this period of "bridal remorse" or as my g/f puts it, "hell week". Appropriately named because the stress gets to be too much and a few days before the wedding, the bride breaks down and has a good cry somewhere. The bride may or may not know of all the stress that she puts upon herself as well as the other people involved in what is supposed to be the most wondrous time of your lives. There's room for mistakes, your wedding may not be perfect and in the end, it is you, your loved one, the pastor and god.

Women seeking women

That's the name of a show I saw a few nights ago on cable. These women from somewhere in Wisconsin and beyond, admitted to their husbands that they were curious about being with another woman and would like to jet off to the Caribbean to have this experience at a "Wild woman's weekend. The men, trying to be as macho as they can without being visibly upset, agree to this and fly down to the sunny tropics with their wives. Lo and behold, there is a small casual get-together which some of the women have met before and now continue a somewhat sexual relationship all in the company of their hubbys. The poor boys are now awkwardly embarrassed or mildly aroused from watching their wives make out on a big plushy obviously comfortable bed feeling each other up! The men who are there for the first time don't know whether to stay and watch their wives heated sessions or leave with the other men to go and have a drink at the bar to process this new information. Will these ladies be the new GenXXX'ers?? Or will they go on being bi-curious during the harsh winter months only to escape to sunny tropical places when they feel the urge. It would probably be much cheaper if they check out the W4W sections in their own hometown now that they've been "outed" on TV and the whole neighborhood knows your business. Ladies, next time? Leave your hubby at home...just a thought.

You're not getting any Younger

Being a woman of 45, as they say, "you're not getting any younger". What exactly is that phrase supposed to mean? I don't know! Please excuse my sometimes grammatical sentencing though i do try to spell check my writings that go out. I am in no way a writer but I do enjoy writing. My everyday mundane things to do around the house may seem like an adventure to some, a boring execution of chores to men and a reminder of a "to do list" to women. My three children, whom I love dearly, is one of the reasons i exist. The other is my girlfriend, lynn, yes a woman, who has been the light of my life for eight years after answering an online personal ad in the women 4 women section about a "fling" brought us together for a blind date and here we are, in her words, "still flinging". Though we do not live together because of our circumstances, i am raising my teenage son in a house that I bought almost three years ago and she is still married to her husband who is accepting of our relationship, one in part because he has been dating outside of their marriage and in the best interest of both parties. Her teenage and young adult children are the light of her lives, she's a wonderful mother and wife to a sometimes arrogant and verbally abusive and often egotistical man she calls husband. Husband is a hard working, techboy athlete, "forgot I have kids", thinks with his penis, OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder ), kind of guy. Lynn and I call each other on the phone everyday as if we were having a sit down coffee trading off the gossip of the day. The gossip pertains to the inner workings of our daily lives which sometimes and often comes up with solutions to many of our problems that exist. We don't know what may happen in our future, but we are here now, together and that's all that matters.