I spent a better chunk of this holiday weekend sifting through the contents of my youth from 8 years old through the glory years of junior high, high school, and college. This is all in preparation for big upcoming moves. That’s right kiddos, EEK is finally leaving the nest yet again, to a house in echo park. The Kasimow family also will be moving in a couple months so no time like the present to play this is your life.
I was reminded while sifting through all my things that I was a voracious reader, my books were my most prized possessions. I was never that into dolls, stuffed animals or clothes. (boy how things have changed)
I read good books too but boy did I love these teen-smut classics and all you ladies out there know you did too!
10th grade Algebra II Honors binder, surf camp counselor crush, I was so proud of getting this picture. In 2 years time I’d learn that there was a murky boundary between camper and counselor/lifeguard when there are a mere few years of age difference.
In high school senior year, I had a fairly lucrative beading business, shelling out bracelets strands of seed beads to co-workers, classmates, and family friends. I think channeling that former entrepreneurial spirit would do me well at this stage in life.
In addition to books, and spiral bound notebooks filled with poetry and chapters of handwritten half-finished novels, the bulk of my stuff was my cd collection. Boxes of empty jewel cases all of which I could remember and link to the periods of life from which they hailed. I gotta say I’m kinda glad to not be aquiring more of these nowadays but how crazy that a huge activity of my former life, digging through used cd bins, trolling record stores etc. just does not exist anymore.
House-sitting turned me into a cat lady. Maude lives in Franklin Hill and is a lot like me, she’s super cool, loves to cuddle but is also a very independent lady.
My new obsession just in time for summer “sno cream” from Blockheads on Sawtelle. Sure it looks like a plate of artichokes leaves or a soppy mess but its actually shaved green tea ice cream with condensed milk and its soooo good.
Sunday Jam - You know sometimes you just need some dark gothy synthy girl jams when you feel pissed or need to wallow or be empowered or something. Her name is sorta silly but I really love Zola Jesus nontheless.
There’s a David Lynch remix of this song too that’s also pretty good even though I prefer the original.
Oh boy its amazing to have friends still in your life that have somehow all found their way back home to LA LA land and who remember enduring all sorts of crazy hi-school-hi-jinks and horrors, like skanking at ska shows in creepers, having your car towed from a smart and final parking lot, puking at the feet of Modest Mouse, getting “pinned” “ringed” and whatever other traditions had to be endured. So much love in my heart for these amazing people.
Thanks to house-sitting, I’ve had back to back staycations that provide opportunities to rediscover old neighborhoods and re-adapt routines and practices. There are new restaurants, coffee stops, grocery stores and people scapes. You become accustomed to the lives of various neighbors, their dogs, cars etc. While I was staying on 4th street I noticed the late-nightly presence of 2 men, an elvis and mr. miyagi impersonator who would share a bus stop bench. Their body language and easy conversation clearly indicated that they were old friends and one saturday night after getting home from evening activities I walked over to the bus stop and met them.
Elvis was Danny Zale, a performer on Hollywood Blvd. I think he’s been in the game a long time. He’s also the creator of the Zale Map, a project he was very proud of and eager to tell me about. Its a video documentation of every star on the hollywood walk of fame and Mr. Miyagi is his sidekick and hypeman for the project.
LA ISthose things that people think it is and a lot of that stuff is weird and wonderful and not as desperate as one might think.
Lately, my life has taken an interesting turn in that I have taken on a new profession of sorts, professional house-sitter and cat-keeper aliver. Its no joke, currently my bag has so many sets of keys in it there’s no room for my collection of 25 chapsticks and assorted moleskin notebooks. At this moment in time I could have a party in 3 separate residences on the eastside, westside or midcity, an architecture office, an airstream trailer or a vacant retail space in Silverlake.
I also have cats all over Los Angeles whose lives lie in my hands. Its a lot of pressure but it has its perks like getting to live with the cat’s in their beautiful homes. Today was my last day with Hodge, a sandy colored fella with truly excellent taste who lives in a beautiful spanish duplex by the Grove outfitted with a cornucopia of delightful found objects and choice vintage furniture pieces. The rest of the month, I’m staying in Franklin Hills with a 6 min walk to my office, unprecedented for LA life (except all the summers I worked at Clementine which was a 30 sec walking commute).
I’m available as of May 20 to care for your pet and warm your home in your absence so if you need a house-sitter with tons of experience holler at me!
On a breezy cinco de mayo in Griffith Park, it took 4 people and various blunt force objects to crack open this product of pinata alley downtown. Inside were all kinds of amazing treats including fierce zebra press on nails and the intriguing salsaghetti. It was definitely the best pinata haul I’ve seen in a long time.
