another Phone Photo Post.

I feel so left out not showing off my camera phone pix. While when I got my phone it was really important that I have one- I rarely use it. However, when I do need it, it’s so sweet that it’s right there. Besides, me writing shit down? WITH MY HANDWRITING? Shit. Just take a pic.

So a lot of these photos are ancient. That’s cool, right?

Anyway- off we go!

This one… uhm. Yeah, looks like exactly what it is. Me taking a pic of the store hours of a place we simply can’t seem to get the hours right on. Every time we go, the damn place is closed. It’s actually a pretty neat picture- the mirrored tinting makes for an interesting composition.

Ohman. Uhm. I had to go to a Motivation Seminar. There were some interesting moments, and it was a day out of the office, but everything else was lame. Even my lunch was lackadaisical (I love that word). So yah. I doodled. A picture of Cash, asking for more turkey necks. He likes turkey necks.

Rudy gave his brothers Raiders tickets for Christmas. They went and tailgated for three hours before the game. His younger brother took this picture of him. I really quite like it. And uhm… yeah, that flag hangs in front of our house, seriously. It makes it look like I live with a houseful of goddamn pirates. Well, cause I do. Anyway.

This one- wow. That is old. Okay. Back when I worked at BevMo, we were working Christmas eve, and it was dead slow. My assistant manager is a prankster, and to play a joke on our receiver, he stacked all the empty kegs in front of the receiving door. And… well, it kinda grew. There’s a lot of crap there- lots of empty kegs, keg buckets, packing peanuts and we somehow wound up with a bunch of tinsel. It was probably the best day of work EVER. And then I walked out after closing to find my tires were slashed.

When a moment comes up like this, you can’t pass it up. Edgar- Rudy’s cousin, and my honorary brother- is a mechanic. He got a contract with the Sheriff’s department to work on their cars… and somehow, a Santa Cruz County Sheriff lost his driver’s side door.

And this last one… We pass by a full-scale Stonehenge replica every time we drive to Washington State. This last time we drove, we stopped and finally checked it out. Simply awe-inspiring. There also seems to be a monument erected to Sam Hill there…

There ay go kidlets. Hope the stories were interesting, enjoy das piccies!

Lucha Libre!

So!

Last Saturday I went to my first ever Lucha Libre Mexicana match. And from the amount of fun I had, it will not be my last. The language barrier wasn’t an issue- my rudimentary knowledge of the language, combined with my boyfriend/translator made it really easy to understand. While I show you pictures, I figured I would tell you guys things that I was told while I watched that made it easy for me to understand.

 

El Rayo De Jalisco!

 Lucha Libre Is Entertainment.

First and foremost- The luchadores seek to amuse you. Whether that is with silly antics or high-flying off the top ropes, or even as far as spending time to sign autographs and gladhanding the fans- that’s what they’ll do, and they’ll do it with a smile.

There’s no denying that they are athletic. But they recognize that what they do is NOT a sport- its entertainment. And people love it- Fully grown spectators were dressed up like their favorite wrestlers, right next to their kids. And The Luchadores feed off the crowd too. They find what the crowd wants, and cater to them. It’s like improv combined with ridiculous costumes and fighting.

Cassandro- a cross-dressing Luchador... and really good!

Matches are Best 2 of 3.

Called “Mexican Rules”, the winner is the winner of the majority of three matches. That way, everyone wrestling gets a chance in the limelight, a chance to pin and win or lose and be pinned. It really seems to help you identify with the characters, too. It’s also tag team- it’s rare when wrestlers go one-on-one.

Blue Demon Jr. ! Used to be a Rudo... now A Technico (good guy!)

 

You always know who the bad guys are.

The Bad guys in Lucha Libre are called Rudos or singularly, a Rudo. They always introduce the Rudos second, and you’re supposed to hate them. They cheat, they scheme, and they tend to be cowardly and not as physically impressive. It’s great fun to hate on someone like that- when you know who you’re supposed to dislike it makes it easy.

El Rayo and Partner celebrate the removal of Opponent's mascaras.

 

Losing your Mascara is akin to death.

Your mask is your identity in Lucha Libre. Not everyone wears masks, though. But if you do… YOU DO. That mask is who you are. When you are in public, you wear your mask. Whether it is doing laundry or going to get dinner at a fine restaurant- you are your persona, and you wear your mask. Sometimes people will threaten to take your mask- and you fight it with all your might. And when that mask is lost, that mask can never be worn again. Not by you, not by anyone. And you can never wear any mask again. So losing your mask means either you wrestle without a mask for the rest of your days- forever shamed for losing your mask- or you retire.

El Ultimo Tigre Poses for Pictures after his Match.

 

There is very little security.

Maybe it was just our event, but it seemed that the crowd could walk up to their favorite stars and take pictures and get autographs. They could crowd the wrestlers as they go to and from the stage. It made it very intimate. The wrestlers also interacted with the crowds- stealing their beers, heckling them back, and throwing each other into the seats. It was hilarious.

So I recommend, if you ever get the chance- go!

It’s so worth it. And because it’s mostly physical, there’s not much of a need to understand what’s being said.

At the end of Old Mine Loop.

 

So, like I said, I went camping this past weekend. It was a little damper than I prefer, making Camp generally a bit less comfortable than I would have liked. But I didn’t complain. Go me!

Our big event of the weekend was our Hike trip. I was ambitious and selected a relatively long and challenging hike. It was a 4-mile hike that rises in elevation almost 600 feet in the first 1.5 miles.

The highlight of the hike was at our turnaround point. There was a small hike that was the furthest away from our entry point called the Old Mine Loop. Mines, huh? Sounds promising, right? The long hike combined with a looping old trail piqued my curiosity. So that was our goal of the whole crazy hike. To do the Old Mine loop and maybe see an old mine.

We were pretty bummed when we reached the end of the Old mine Loop. No mine. No rest spot, no ANYTHING. Not even a decent view. So we were ready to give up on our fruitless hike when I saw a patch of gray out in a valley beyond the barbed wire fence that was the boundary of the park. A bit of head bobbing and nosing about revealed it was a LAKE!

We consulted the map.

The map said it was “Land Not Open To The Public.”

Not “Private Property”, as that was coded differently.

That led us to believe that it was park property- but because it was so far back into the middle of nowhere, that they didn’t want gooney folks drowning in it, dirtying it up and doing bad thing way back in there.

Imagine also, if the word of a small swimming hole so close to home got out.

The place would turn into a trash dump.

Dying for a sense of adventure, I poked around the fence line, and found a well-worn path through the fence and in the general direction of the lake. I was amped, and yet really nervous.

When we reached the general area, we realized it wasn’t just a lake, but a lake with a boat-house like structure and a dock.

From the architecture style and its wood quality, it looks like it was built in the 80’s and had been maintained until about 15-20 years ago. All the rubbish we saw- which wasn’t much- was old, at least a few years old. And it was strangely devoid of graffiti. There was some, but nothing too big. There were glass panes in the building, and the fact they weren’t broken was a bit of a testament to the place. Whoever came here was respectful enough to keep the place intact. 

 We had to be careful of our step- every single step sounded so loud, and the wood groaned under our weight. I advised Rudy to walk on the nail lines- those would be the beams and would support our weight better than the straight deck planking.

 

 It was really quite nice- quiet, secluded. I bet the lake had some decent fishing options in it- as someone used to give a crap about this place and probably stocked the lake a long time ago. I imagine duck hunting could be an option too, as we heard coots screaming at us from deep in the reeds.

 We didn’t stay long, there wasn’t much to do but look and technically, we weren’t supposed to be there. But it’s been in my head for days. I want to know more about it. Who owns the land, what that place was used for. Stuff like this always haunts me.

 I did find a guy who saw the lake and wrote about it, but didn’t get as close as I did.

 Random Curiousity

 But that’s all I have been able to find.
I’ll let you know more when I find out more.
Like my own little Advent mystery- only it’s not Advent.
Cool, huh?

Survivalism.

I am going camping for the weekend.

Strangely enough, this is the third time I have gone camping this year.

Normally we’ve been pretty moderate with our camping. Once, maybe twice in the season.  This year, we camped in Mid march (froze our asses off) and then again in May- as I told you the tale of  the Shitty Winds.

Our desire to aggressively camp comes from our desire to be prepared. If shit ever hits the fan, we want to be sure that we can get up and go.

Rudy is worried about the end of the B’ak’tun and thinks it would be better to be prepared and ready to go out into the wilderness, than to be unprepared and wait for the inevitable if we stay in the cities. Cities are always the epicenter for major civil disruptions; so the further you are from a city, the less you will be affected.

I don’t want to believe that 2012 will be TEOTWAWKI (the end of the world as we know it), but I want to at least put up a fight if it is. My larger concern is population and our own sustainability. This earth can’t sustain us for much longer if we keep up our rate of consumption, so we should find ways to take care of ourselves on our own- without having to fight for resources.

Our goal of saving our asses is simple. We load up our gear, and Cash in the truck. We drive as far as we can into the local valleys and find a place to call our own. If we need to, we will ditch the truck and hike in further. Our gear isn’t light; by we’ve determined we can manage it. Besides, we live in California- our winters are moderate. Snow clothes will keep us more than warm in the just-above-freezing chill. Considering San Benito County is less than 100,000 people- many who are already able to take care of themselves- we shouldn’t have a problem finding a gully or creek we can hide out in. The lands just south of us are rough and rugged, and the home of ancient volcanoes- so the land is rich and rife with wilderness. Wild pig are plentiful, ground squirrel are easy pickings. We could always eat vegetation.

Cash has a decent prey drive; an empty belly will easily increase it- he can hunt his own food. He can also serve as sentry and guard. Pit Bulls are also known for being great pig dogs; he can help with taking down a variety of animals. If our ancestors used dogs, we can definitely benefit by his inclusion in our party.

Our preparation is far from complete. But by simply getting started, we are father along than a large portion of the population.

 Are you prepared?

Corporate identity.

 Uhm. I am only disclosing this here because I trust you. Well, yes. Anonymity is an interesting thing. I can trust you to both not give a damn and care entirely too much. Also  no one really reads this damn thing- except X-E- heads who by way of Matt understand and embrace the concept of the Corporation sucking the joy and life out of our souls on a daily basis.

 Yeah. Uhm… so.

 At my job, our marketing company is informing me that we should have an online presence in social circles. It will help us to drum up interest in our site, and will help us open ourselves up to other avenues of communication and advertising.

 So, at the request of my marketing company, I have made myself a corporate identity at one of those nifty social networking sites.

 I won’t tell you where, or what my name is.

 Why?

 It’s my corporate identity. As noted by one of my also-internet-savvy co-workers, having a corporate identity is a safe way to keep your personal info separate from your work info. Too many times people- famous people, influential people- have neglected to keep their personal lives separate from their business identities and have paid severely for it.

 I’m not influential, or famous. But my personal interests can possibly conflict with the customer base we as a company are striving to secure and maintain. Our customer base could be corrupted by my liberal views, my taste for metal music, and my best friend considered a loaded weapon to the ignorant.

 So, by that token, I am also going to remove any instance of my mentioning my company here on my little writey-doodah. I can’t have any links of any instance between the Corporate me and the Personal me. One interesting web search by a stranger could open me up completely- and that could get me in hot water I’m not prepared to go swimming in.

 This probably sounds paranoid. And probably is. But as my favorite saying goes, “better to be safe than sorry.” In my MySpace post- I’ve had weird shit happen before. And being this public- I need to take precautions.

 I’m sure you understand.

it is never right.

There are very few fears in my life that I can’t rationally explain away.
Everyone’s afraid of bugs but there are antidotes for near everything… Drowning is a real risk but if I don’t go in the water I can’t drown… Planes are safer than cars- as our last trip to Washington state proved… So on and so forth.
But the human element is something I can’t rationally grasp. There are so many aspects to the human mind that I can’t even begin to fathom- the desire to kill and murder, mental illness and self-destructive behavior… even the desire and need to be intentionally cruel to other people and living creatures. I imagine it is because I can’t do those things so I can’t grasp people doing those things. Fundamentally- we are all supposed to be the same, right? So how can we be so broad on the spectrum of human personality and psyche?
So, perusing the news I found this 5-part article at Slate about Animal testing, and the dog that sparked the regulation of the animal testing industry.
It’s an amazing article that really pulls at my heart strings and made me rethink my stance on many things.
But the part that struck a chord with me is about the dog that started it all- a Dalmatian named Pepper that was stolen from her 86-acre ranch in 1965. In ten days her life was turned upside down- transferred between three “owners” and sold to a research facility- and ultimately died at the hands of a doctor who was experimenting on her.
Personally- that horrifies me.
Firstly- that someone could just up at STEAL someone else’s pet. The only time I can conceivably endorse such a behavior is removing a pet from a situation in which it is suffering. But even then, there could be huge repercussions to the animal in something like that. Animals can mentally shut down, or not handle the stress- depending on their living style before their rescue. Sometimes, putting an animal to sleep is the most humane thing you can do if their suffering is deep and never-ending.
Secondly- the idea that Pepper’s life went from joyous country living to abject horror and disrespect- torture even- at the hands of creatures she had come to rely on to keep her safe, fed and happy. Even if her family had found her in the ten days she was missing, Pepper may not have been the same dog when she returned home. That crushes me. Some people see their pets as a part of their family and home. Taking that from someone is akin to kidnapping in some circles. And even if it’s just a day or two- that could destroy everything that pet is. Even just a day at the Animal Shelter can create physiological damage that may take weeks-even months- to repair for some dogs.
Thirdly, that people- in this case doctors and scientists- can just purposefully destroy an animal for their own needs. I understand the need for scientific experimentation- but I don’t have to like it. The idea that an animal is made less of a living creature and more of a scientific tool horrifies me. Doing that to an animal negates its existence- even more so in lab animals bred for such purposes.
I mean- at first I was complacent that lab animals were bred for testing. They are genetically similar across the board, making their tests results as uniform as could be. And being bred for testing- that would be their purpose in life, they wouldn’t know any better. That would be their life. As long as bad things didn’t happen, and they got their basic needs fulfilled, they would be okay.
 Not like stolen dogs that had happy lives before thrown into a life of experimentation.
But because an animal is born into lab life, does that mean that we should sentence them to such a life? There could be an awesome pet born into that less-than-stellar existence and no one could ever know, and it would have things performed on it that could ruin-or kill- that animal. And just because their basic needs are met, is that REALLY a life? Is prison life really life, or just an existence?
What set me on the other side of the fence in this was sometimes; animals that are tested on are tested for the most mundane things. Master’s Degree Studies, Eye motion, electrical impulses in the brain, sometimes just to have a living thing to test in situations. Just to fuck around.
How is that any different than the neighbor kid tying a firecracker to a cat’s tail?
They’re doing it for the same results- just to see what will happen.
The only difference is that one of them has a degree and one doesn’t. There’s a certain kind of disjointedness, a lack of compassion when it comes to injuring animals on purpose. Sometimes we have to teach compassion. Sometimes we just have it in us from the get-go. And some people learn to suppress it.
I guess what I am getting at is pretty simple. Injuring animals in any form- from kicking strays to testing on monkeys- is inherently wrong in my book. And there will be a special time in purgatory for people who purposely injure animals. Even though the testing might benefit humans- as Pepper’s testing ultimately did- there’s still the idea that they are cruelly manipulating the lives of lesser creatures, and last I check that wasn’t a part of God’s master plan. We were meant to be Stewards of the lands and its creatures, not its masters.

Dog Days of Hollister

Wow, so this weekend was just… wow!

I had my huge HDOG event, which totally blew my mind- it was so much better than I had imagined. We had over 20 vendors, a dozen rescues. We had 7 dogs pass their CGC tests ( awesome!) and almost 500 people attended the event in its first year! We only had one dog squabble and it was between two dogs who knew each other in a high energy area.

Cash fell in love with lure coursing. I know he’ll never be competition level, but he enjoys it so much that I want to make it a regular habit for him. He was also an amazing breed ambassador- he kept his wits and manners about him and generally enjoyed himself.

The event did fatigue me hardcore, though. I’m still sore from all the EZ-ups, the tables, the mopping, the setting up and taking down of everything. But it was so worth it. So much more than what I expected it to be. The final monies aren’t in, but it was a success nevertheless.

I think what amped me the most was that my Dog Days design was featured everywhere! It was on Tshirts, bags, magnets and keychains. It made me all giddy and mushy- and I couldn’t stop smiling. They even had to order a second batch of t’s due to demand! It feels good to see that my work is so admired.

Not only that, but the City has finally given the go-ahead to start making a Dog park out at our Airport. That’s got us psyched. All of our hard work has finally given us a place to begin calling our own! I feel so proud to be a part of something big like this.

And even moreso since they offered me the position of Treasurer since the VP stepped down and all the other positions moved up. Right now being the treasurer doesn’t mean much- there’s no true Cash flow, but as things begin moving they’ll be needing my help to manage things- we’re actually all in this together and I’m glad to be a part of it as well as have the support.

And being the only Committee member with a full blood Pittie kid, I feel like I am going to only help the Bully community with such a high profile position and such an amazing beast under my control.

So that’s been my week so far… just reeling!

 Here’s some pix for you guys to enjoy.

Ooh, don’t those cookies look good enough to eat? Well, you can, but they are fer Doggies! The Girl Scouts outdid themselves, no?

This is what it’s all about- doggies from all different walks of life being doggies. This here is a red/fawn Dobie and a  Dogue de Bordeaux. Both are 5 months old.

Here’s a pic of Beasley- Cash’s buddy. Bees is half pit/ half dane… and all submissive effeminate goober. I think that’s why Cash loves him.

Irish Wolfhounds. Just… amazing dogs. They are so elegant but goofy with all that hair. Someday I’ll have one. Maybe.

This was a part of the Search and Rescue Demo. I had an idea that dogs could climb ladders, but have never seen it before. What a trip!

Here is a pic of Cash taking off for lure-coursing. I had never seen him throw himself into a run like he did that day- he looked like a lion tearing after an antelope! It wasn’t elegance- it was the power in his stride that amazed me.

Enjoy, y’all!

i have no idea.

He gave a heaving sigh as he pondered the proposition before him.

He turned to find the arm of the couch and eased himself into the seat, one hand heavily pressed against his forehead as he weighed his options.

It wasn’t a hard decision, logically.

Emotionally, it was a goddamn entanglement.

Logically, he could just sever ties with the family, relinquish his license and slip into obscurity like a black cat on a moonless night. It’s not really hard, or even all that dreadful. It’d be fun to start over, he allowed himself to think- even if only for a moment.

Emotionally- he’d have to cease talking to both Sarah and Hank. That alone made the decision rough. Slap on top the expected decision to throw away 12 years of schooling and a comfortable lifestyle… and essentially every physical possession that he had gathered in his 38 years of life.

He pursed his lips and leaned back into the couch, letting his head dip back. He stared up at the stucco ceiling.

The more he thought, the more his head hurt. But the clearer the decision became.

He was going to have to go.

Like a cat in the night, he thought.

He sat back up, and then leaned forward, setting his elbows on his knees. He glanced across the living room, to his guest who was seated at the kitchen table. His back was turned.

“So. It’s irreversible.” He stated, his eyes glazed over.. It sounded like it should have been a question, but he knew the answer.

“At this moment in time, yes.” His guest confirmed. “Perhaps in the future, you may return- but at this moment in time we are not able to confirm or deny.” His guest stood from his spot in the kitchen, but did not turn. “Have you come to a decision?”

He rose from his spot at the couch. “I don’t think I have a choice.”

His guest turned around, his eyes hidden behind a pair of mirrored aviators.

“No sir, I don’t think you do.”

weird dreams.

I have had some strange REM episodes the past week. I’m a lucid dreamer, so I know when I am dreaming and can control some of it- myself, my actions. I can’t control the actions of others, but that makes it fun and interesting. I don’t always remember my dreams, but with work I can remember bits and pieces of most.

 So… Just last night I was Dreaming…. I was at some kind of blowout sale. A lot of really high-end items at dirt-cheap prices. I was with a couple of female friends that I don’t really know- I guess it was just to set the story- and I passed in front of a whole group of emo-like boys looking at a clothes rack.

 I didn’t realize until I passed that I just totally cut off Fall Out Boy.

 ( This is embarrassing to admit that I dreamed this. It sounds like a teenybopper dream. I don’t even really know who they are, what their music sounds like… but Rudy has just gotten a free subscription to Rolling Stone from the NRA and he hates it- but I read ANYTHING. And that’s where I read about them. Honestly, I don’t know what the others look like, I just know that Patrick Stump (who is kinda cute in a nerdy-rock-band-geek kind of way) and that Pete Wentz Guy were there. )

 ANYWAY…  I cruised by, kept my cool. Because that’s what  girls do.

 I found some neat shirts and started looking through them… and the Not-Attractive Pete Wentz came up to me and said “Hey.” I say “Hey.” As nonchalant and blah as possible. And he sticks out his hand to shake. “Pete, “ He says.  Being a kind and respectable person, I shake his hand- and he totally slips me his phone number in his palm.

 If there was any confusion that it was a dream before, it is VERY CLEAR NOW. I am not the kind of girl that gets phone numbers given to her on a regular basis.

 Shortly after that- whereupon I meet a female friend of his with a nasty black front tooth that claims her sweat pants double as a tampon- I wake up.

 The night before that…  I had a weird- and I mean weird- dream.

 Joaquin Phoenix  (in his sunglasses and beard “I’m quitting acting” phase) was my best friend and we were going to have a race in his house.

 The loser will forever be called “Tubby”.

 He then said he had to clean his good luck charm, and dunked his balls in the kitchen sink. I was aghast, upon which he informed me that his junk was actually named” the Golden Chariot” and if I win the race, I can have them.

 I did wind up winning the race, because Joaquin was actually tubby, and I kept moving the finish line… “So is the front door finish, or do we have to actually touch the dresser? What about we just finish at the birdbath?”

But I did not claim the “Golden Chariot.”   Haaaaaa. 

PS- Matt is back from the ded-ded-dedskis! *dances*

out of the wild…

I don’t normally watch reality tv. I find it to be a waste of my brain energy- people at each other’s throats with scripted lines and obnoxious drama. I fucking HATE drama.

 The only reality shows I can seem to tolerate are the ones on the History channel and Discovery. I think it is because they don’t focus on drama, but rather situations that people are in, or a common goal.

There are some on these channels that DO focus on drama and it totally ruins the show for me. I don’t watch Ax Men, or Greatest Catch.

 Anyway, the one I am totally hooked on is Out of the Wild, on Discovery. It’s been on for the past 6 weeks or so and I find it to be really entertaining. I tune in every Tuesday at 10 pm to watch it, and I record it if I can’t.

 It’s pretty basic. 9 people are dropped off in the middle of bumfuck nowhere in Alaska at the end of Fall. All they do is follow the map given to them, and follow their schedule- Hike a pre-determined course to a shelter, stay for 3 days, and move on to the next shelter. They carry all their supplies on their back, hunt or scavenge all their food. There is no prize money, and they don’t know where the end of their trip is. It’s all about making ends meet and making it out in one piece- and knowing you can do it.

 Each person also carries a GPS emergency locator. When they’re done, ready to give up, want to go no further, they press that button- and a Helicopter comes and takes them away.

 So far, four have left.

One left the first episode- She was older and was afraid that the trip would kill her.

Two guys left on the third episode- One was a backcountry fisherman wanting to test his skills and limits and the team relying on him too much,and the other guy (a Salesman of some sort) realized he couldn’t hack it.

They went a few episodes without losing anyone, but just two episodes ago Dan- a cop from Jersey- just gave up. He was in great health, doing well and a major player… and I think he just sunk into a depression and didn’t let anyone know. By the time anyone realized he was in a funk, he had already Pressed the Button.

 I like that there’s a strong dynamic between the remaining team members- they all understand that each one of them is there to survive and help out, and no one’s being a douche. And best of all- there is like, NO drama. The only drama is what the environment presents to them. And in Alaska with the onset of winter at your heels- that’s a lot of fucking drama.

 Lately, everyone on the team is starting to fall apart. They’re not eating enough calories to sustain their rigorous activity. The meals they catch are meager- a duck a day if they’re lucky, maybe a ptarmigan- then they have to split it between the 5 of them. So it’s weird to see these people slowly starving, lacking proper nutrition, wrecking themselves… one girl- Carolyn- is actually losing the will to live and the others are fighting to keep her plugging along.

 I think, ultimately- I enjoy the show because it’s just normal, everyday people in a really shitty situation trying to make their way out of it -and their will being the only thing keeping them from kicking the bucket. I feel I’m a bit more prepared for survival situations, so if they’re just scraping by in Alaska, I’ll do a hell of a lot better in California.