it's out!!!

You all know that my Studebaker has been in the shop for quite some time now...the thing is they haven't really been doing anything on it - except gathering parts (they've been busy with projects.) Well...today the engine finally came out! EEK! That much closer to getting to drive er'!

Happy late thanksgiving!

I was intending on creating an "I'm thankful for list" up here pre-thanksgiving...but just didn't get to it. Somewhat sad that I don't have the time for that. I feel like there's so much going on I can't do much more then think about today. Which may be good for awhile :) Today...I'm thankful that: I got some needed rest, that someone gave me a ride home from work, that I began a brand new journal, that I had a very nice Thanksgiving with my parents, that I got to appreciate the pretty lights of the LA.

Also today, an odd thing occurred as I was getting ready for work at about 4pm. I was in the bathroom and I swore that I heard horse hooves clomping down the pavement...but was somewhat confused that this would ever take place in my neighborhood. So I open the window and peek out to the street...and indeed see the tail-end of a horse. So I run around to peer out the kitchen window and there walking along are 3 mounted police men!? Crazy.
So Thanksgiving was very nice, my parents came to town for a few days. Thanksgiving day was low-key because we ate out - which doesn't meet my cooking sensibilities, but I was quite happy not to have the extra work...and dinner ended up being very nice. In the evening we played Cranium with neighborhood friends. Then the day after we gathered for a different sort of shopping. We spent much of the day prowling through some fabric stores of the fashion district - looking for just the right fabric to recover a small, antique, chair on rockers that Dad got at an auction in Montana. We found just the right combination of fabrics - including some real, blue-pearlized leather! On Saturday we explored more LA architecture by visiting the Ennis house (by Frank Lloyd Wright, 1924, Hollywood Hills) and the Gamble house (by Green and Green, 1908, Pasadena.) Very different styles and stories to tell. Unfortunately the Ennis house is in quite a state of disrepair but hopefully will be restored eventually to it's former glory.

It's unimaginable in my head to have the money to undertake such a project of making such a distinguished house. These are the castles of America. The design and craftsmanship that is an art. I was reading an article today in the magazine "Garage" (yes...I'm taking to reading car magazines...it's somewhat amusing to me!) about a shop that creates some really fast motorcycles and another about this fantastic 34' Ford custom project...it's kind of neat, because the whole hot-rodding scene is somewhat analagous to these fabulous houses that I just saw...but for those that don't have incredible amounts of money to spend (although the 34' Ford was a half-million dollar project, but still far less money then the houses.) They both combine craftsmanship, creativity, skill, ingenuity, problem solving, thinking of the best way of using what you have or else finding some way to invent something that nobody else bothered to create. Which is why I like original hot rods.

Am I repeating myself? I feel like I said this earlier. That's the sad thing about my conversations...I haven't' the slightest clue when I repeat myself...it's one good reason why I'm a horrible liar (horrible meaning unable to lie).

Oh yeah...I had a little "photo shoot" one evening...why I spend my time doing this, I don't know. But here's me and the record player...I'm not sure whether I like it or it looks like I'm lying dead??? Which...if anyone has knowledge of how to fix the electrics of an old record player, I'd love some direction. I've been immensely looking forward to playing a Bing Crosby Christmas record that I bought sometime during the summer - but last time I played a record about a month ago it smelled bad and I saw a bright orange wire through the speaker mesh...not a good thing!

Quote of the Day: "For us bringing someone to justice means they suffer the consequences of their crime or they are rewarded for their achievements. For God bringing someone to justice means they are brought back into the circle of God's embrace. That's not the opposite of mercy. Justice is to reinstate the connection of the covenant that God has established. It is to restore us in love to each other and God." Debbie Blue from Sensual Orthodoxy

on my way home...

I was just got home a little bit ago from a night of work at the restaurant. After I had just pulled off the freeway - there was a girl, obviously prostituting, at the corner. I've noticed this one other time as I was coming home from the restaurant on a Saturday night. After passing her, I decided that I wanted to circle around and scope out the situation a little more to see if there was anything/anybody else that I could see. But she was already gone. I zig-zagged around in some side streets, but found nothing.
Is it my complete idealism that makes wish I could just go up to them and hug them? I yearn for these women to feel and know true love. The world of sex work is so incredibly strange. The night, the secrets, the strangers, the power manipulations. How did that girl get on the street in her striped mini skirt? Where did she come from and who is she?
Ahhhh...Not the end of my thought on this but I'm nodding off into sleep - and I will get into bed before I spend another night propped up asleep on the couch :)

car colors!!

So...I've been trying to decide what exactly to do with the inside of my car. I knew I couldn't pull the pink/coral or white-ish color in from the outside, because 1.) I don't like white interiors and 2.) the pink/coral would be way too overwhelming (and besides I'd never be able to find one that matched). Along with that there's this grey painting on some of the dash (with a hint of mauve to it) that I want to keep. So...what to do. I had purchased what I thought were a couple of neutral materials for really cheap that I thought would do. But as the project is getting more involved I really didn't want to use - and since I'm putting in a carpet - which the natural choice would be grey and that definately wouldn't go with on of the material colors.

So I began looking for something better. I found this great barkcloth online (see 2 posts ago). I've been looking at it for a couple of weeks now, and I really like it. It's too busy to do all the seats in, so I needed to find something to go with it. And I also have a bit of glittery-vinyl (think old-school kitchen chair covers) which I wanted to do some accenting in, but I have it in gold and would need it in a dark silver/grey to use it with the new material. So today (which I ended up not working since the class got cancelled due to school testing, so I took the opportunity to have a real, whole day off to myself!!) I went down to the fashion district fabric stores (which I've actually never done in my 1+ year in LA - surprise!) I found a perfect grey-ish upholstery to go on the bottom-region of the seats and will use the barkcloth to do the seat backs. Then I was looking for the glitter-vinyl and nobody had it. I had almost resorted to ordering it from my SF store when I found an interesting metallic blue patterned vinyl. It's texturing is kinda retro-styled and the color will nicely pull in the barkcloth fabric...I think it will be really nice. So...I got deals on all that fabric, it being from the wholesale district and all - and now I'm really excited to get sewing on Saturday!!!

i love my grandma

I liked when she would hug me in the kitchen. There was always a certain smell. I liked how her bar soap smelled in the bathroom. I liked her little chuckles, which I hear in my mon every now and then. I liked the way she covered others in love.
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Phil 4:13

weekending [1.2]

ahhh...a productive and nice weekend! It began Friday night with getting together with another artist and collaborating in creating some posters for a human trafficking event that some acquaintences of mine are putting on. I set that art up Sunday afternoon, it looks great. There's about 7 large posters that Natalie and I made - with art and statistics/info on them and then my three large heart canvases.

Saturday I woke up early to go down to the shop and work on my car. I got all the foam put on the seat frames - so now they're ready to upholster. I also cut out the particle board for the door and side panels. I was a little tired and was moving a bit slow. I was also semi-hesitant to get started with cutting foam...because I've never done this before and was scared of doing it wrong....but I think it's going to turn out quite nicely. I do however believe I need a little more fabric then the stuff I already have to finish the interior. When I bought the fabric I have, the plan was to make cheap, temporary seat-covers (I only spent like $40 on clearance fabric). Now that it's turning into a full on upholstery job, I'm considering buying some better stuff. Any opinions on this print??? It's Hawaiian barkcloth and costs $30/yard. The colors match the car quite good and I could put in a dark grey carpet.

During Saturday's car-working my friend Greg, from the shop, and I went out to lunch and decided to try this cafe just next to West Coast Choppers headquarters (which is just a couple blocks from the Stude shop). Anyhow...it's kinda a hot rod hangout and they were also having some sort of a show at WCC. It was fun to walk into such a place like I really belonged (with the dirty overalls, white tank, and tattoos to prove it!) And even funner that I belonged as an actual car person and not just "the chick of" a car guy!!

Saturday night I worked of course and Sunday I was able to spend the day with 2 of my old Mission Year roomates. Anthony from Hawaii (who's here working on some movies for a little bit) and Shannon who still lives in Oakland with husband and 3-year-old son. We had good times catching up, going to the park and the Hollywood sign. 3-year-olds do limit the activities...but it was good to hang out with him too (albeit nice to have quiet at the end of the day!)

Today officially began the "writer's strike." Which perhaps isn't big news around the rest of the country yet - but is here in LA. One of my customers at the cafe today said it's bound to last until new years! It will begin to affect alot of people's livelihoods here in los angeles by then. Hmmm...interesting times...writers on strike, even more actors without jobs followed by all the production, catering, tech staff...all sorts of people. Maybe this is a good time for us all to start reading more books!

birthday and other events

My busy schedule has pushed out most motivation to keep up on blogging! I've been very busy these last couple weeks as I've begun teaching classes again. This year we're combining 5 high school classes at once...so I'm teaching auditorium style to about 150 kids per period. It's going very well so far! I've been creating powerpoint presentations - which is fun and is working really well. I feel much more professional doing powerpoint then stingy, marked-on overheads! I even got one of those nifty presenter laser/mouses yesterday!!! It's challenging with the pressure of 800 young minds under my care!! But I'm thankful for the opportunity and feel increasingly blessed to be put in situations that I know God is growing me in and using me!
I was able to take a glorious 2 1/2 days off to visit Las Vegas for my birthday. It was a very nice and relaxing trip home. I got to enjoy time with my mom, dad, nephew Blaze and Candle, and Matt and Shayla. Blaze sang me the most wonderful "happy birthday" song earlier in the day and in the evening Mom, Dad, Matt, Shayla and I had dinner at a fondue restaurant. It was really fun, I've never done that before. I was also spoiled by my mom, she's so good at that. And I made a really cool bracelet by welding together washers (I did one out of bolts too...but its' not as good)!

Another birthday highlight was going out square-dancing the week before. A few of my friends met me out for dinner followed by their introduction to square-dancing! I think we really amused the normal square-dancers...perhaps as much as they amused us! It was much fun and I was thankful to have pals gather with me.

Other exciting news...trafficking projects continue to go really well. The group did a training a couple weeks ago, and 80 people showed up! The previous ones have been 15-30 people! It's very exciting that word is getting out and people's hearts are wanting to work to see an end to human trafficking. I've also been able to do a little human trafficking project at my church - which it's cool to join in with it there too.