--------------->RAVES! PUT IT OUT THERE!<-----------<3

[lyfenlyn]

We have a vent area to say what's eating us.

How about the stuff that goes right?

How about the stuff that inspires us?

No matter how small

It could be a great meal

Extra money on your paycheck

Found $20 on the sidewalk

Helped a little kid learn to tie their shoes...

whatever.

[lyfenlyn]

In the rants section someone mentioned retarted taggers. I was driving home and got stopped by a train. I was mad at first till the train came and it was covered with some of the most awesome burners I have ever seen in my life. I mean really intricate grafitti, it was breathtaking. I had wished I had a camera to take pictures of the stuff and study it later. It was really incredible and it made my day. It made me think of Dwanye.

[lyfenlyn]

I found I have $150 coming to me from old electric deposits from a few years ago! You know how BAD I can use that extra money? Talk about relief.

www.missingmoney.com

[Boudica]

A person who I know well enough to consider a friend but haven't known long enough to be particularly close to casually said that my aura was purple. You don't need to know the intricate details, but that makes me extremely happy to hear.

[Rosenda]

My raves: my boss for being considerate about all our feelings at the office in a very sad and difficult situation for all of us but especially for our main grrrl. He thought it would be sad and painful for her and for us to all be there together while she's dealing with her final paperwork and moving. God bless him for thinking of that and telling me to come in later, even though he said he feels she might just call in for the day. He has a great deal of respect for her.

Every so often, Lyfen, I see the most beautiful and incredibly gorgeous graffiti art. Even within 6 blocks of here are 3-4 small and beautiful such murals. In the most ripped parts of town, I love to see those blooms of color and shapes.

My dad, just in one sentence a warm hug and sweet smile and life learned wisdom, made me feel so much better and released of pain about that old friend that I heard some REALLY bad news about last week.

Sometimes all it takes is seeing the sky reflected in a big puddle of water on the broken up sidewalk to make me feel a few minutes of joy and peace.



RANDOM CONNECTIONS: I always feel like those random connections mean that I am destined to know this person and that it will be good for me somehow and that I am destined to be where I am in some situation right here right now for really good reasons about to unfold.

Cases in point.....I met Marisela way back when we first begun at MOCA. I met Stone here on Afropunk. When we got to talk as friends, I found out he knew The Specs way back when (and I knew them when I was with my former husband, because they ended up practicing their tunes every Sunday in our loft apartment in the Valley).

I met Kim when she started in my department over 6 years ago. We talked and on her second day, I found out she went to school with an old workmate Meg and knew here husband too! Then later one I was talking to Stone and he said he remembered Kim too from when his other band Jim Dandy had opened up for either Redondos or Royal Crown Revue, and she's still RCR's business manager after 15 years now.

Then Stone called me one night last year and said "hey, I just met your friend Marisela!!" !!" Marisela and her friend (who is a professor at USC and a DJ and tv show host on a local Latin music rock show) did a poetry/music event that night and Stone is one of her friends classes and that's how he heard about the event.

The next day at work Marisela said "so that's the guy my buddy Josh told me was so impressed by! he's been telling me about one of his student's field and study for ages!"

After that me and G and A finally went to Club Soulside, they played awesome Northern Soul and ska and soul music.
The guys who runs the club took a liking to A and made his move right after the lights came on and everyone was leaving at 2:30 am. It was funny cause he'd been staring at her across the room all night long! He introduced himself as Marv.

Well the next day at work, Greg (who is an excellent singer and performer who is also a longtime friend of Kim, and he was looking for a longterm assignment of work that years so she told him about an opening at our museum) came up to me and said "hey, I heard you know my friend Stone! how did you meet?" and I told him. And then when I asked both him and Stone later if they'd ever been to Club Soulside they both made a funny comment about Marv cause both of them are friends with him!.

What a small wonderful interesting world!! :) :)

Oh....and then before this one, when Kim started years ago, my friend Janelle was looking for a new job and told me she was interviewing at a specific art gallery. I mentioned the name and she said "hey, I know the lady who works there that she is going to replace!" Janelle got the job soon after that. Well it's several years later.....and I met recently a nice lady who works in our communications/press area. She told us about her website where she makes these loooovely dresses.

I thought" these are cute, I have to tell Janelle." When I did...she said " we know each other! she used to work here at the gallery with me when she first moved to California." and when I talked to Christine, she emailed me and told me "you know Janelle? you know my man still works there with her at the gallery!!"

Very funny! I absolutely love this!!

[CocoaPuss Zine]

i have a job interview on tuesday.

i did yoga last night and jumped rope for 20 minutes this morning. and i ate a big ass salad for lunch so i feel really good and healthy.

i'm wearing pink and orange striped pj pants at work right now. working at a homeless shelter has weird benefits.

[LesYpersound]

I feel better after reading penetrating and fierce analysis of historical and ever-present forms of oppression.

Right now it's:
Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide by Andrea Smith
Last time it was:
Exterminate all the Brutes: One Man's Odyssey into the Heart of Darkness and the Origins of European Genocide by Sven Lindqvist


I ate out twice this week... and even though it was a bit pricey (over $7 each meal, lol) it was so very good!

[El Machetero]

i am actually very much enjoying my new(ish) job. i'm back to working with cons, crazies and crackheads at an overnight, breaking up fights, breaking up drug deals and telling them to take it outisde, telling junkies and crackheads shooting and sparking up in the bathrooms to take it outside, doing intake, referrals, food prep, serving meals, working lots of overnights, and i LOVE it. i truly feel right back in my element. At least i can very much be myself and properly utilize my most valuable of skills.

The only thing guaranteed about the next four years is that i'm gonna be in school fulltime and end up thousands of dollars in debt (unless i'm able to get all the scholarships i'm applying to), but whatever......i like studying. i like doing assignemnts, writing essays, working on papers and getting that shit done.

When i'm not doing that, i'm back to doing demolition, construction site clean up, and junk removal, nice, dirty, mindless physical work that is very zen and keeps me in tip-top physical shape.

i'm eating strictly meals that i have prepared myself and saving lots of money and feeling super healthy and mentally stronger than ever.

i have gotten rid of most of the people in my life who were just there taking up space and draining my energy, and surrounded myself strictly with folks who are solid and right on my level.

Lots more cool and beautiful things happening in my world, which y'all will know about when it's time.....................( :

[Daoud]

It's slowing down around here, finally. The difference will be awkward but actually I'm alright with it. His presence is here in a great way on another level, truthfully.

Weather has been excellent. Had a wonderful time with my nephew and brother these past few days and especially at the park today.

I'm a bit more grounded in reality now with the events and truths that have come out. It's good to be mature enough to roll with certain things that would have hit me differently at another stage in my life.

Ready for action now. Give me a minute and some episodes might jump off.

The ideas for us collaborating could work out very well. One project at a time, no crazy unplotted ideas that never get manifested.

I have a better concept of what I might do this summer. Sounds like a plan with some options.

Continuing to go for self. Not for selfish, but doing me. I'm truly becoming less worried about what others think or do who feel differently.

[CocoaPuss Zine]

my body is smoking hot. my legs looks amazing. i have a dance audition tomorrow and if i don't bust my ass in my high heels than i think i might have the job.

i'm REALLY excited.

[lyfenlyn]

I worke up to this kooky video this morning, it put me in a good mood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVniEYCdaoM

[kifaru]

Iphone!! I'm sorry if your phone sucks but my Iphone is the bizness. Had the treo 750. I thought it was the truth. Can't wait for 3.0 software.

BTW

I LOVE MY MOM!!

[CocoaPuss Zine]

i also love macs. i should get an iphone. but i'm broke.

i love my mama too.

kifaru said:

Iphone!! I'm sorry if your phone sucks but my Iphone is the bizness. Had the treo 750. I thought it was the truth. Can't wait for 3.0 software.

BTW

I LOVE MY MOM!!