Most of my writing efforts have been siphoned over to GreaseGirl...but I will still post here when I feel like there's something particular I would like to share!

Found this story today at The New York Times on "Truck-Stop Girls". I know I think about this stuff all the time...but lately I've been feeling more of an urge for a "next-step" - whatever that might look like. And the interaction this article describes really strikes my heart...

I asked her what she needed most. “Someplace safe,” she said. “Someplace to be a girl. Someplace where I won’t have to have sex with men anymore.”

I had that. I was given that. I want to make that place...

Kim has reminded me many times that I need an update...so this won't be long as I currently have Dad's car completely packed for the weekend at Bonneville salt flats for speed week...but I thought I'd at least share a few pictures!
Summer Fun!



Creating...

oops...gotta go...but perhaps you'll hear from me when I'm back from the races!

adventures with Dad

Last week I had a slight break in my teaching - which was lucky...because my Mom had foot surgury last Monday, and I was able to get away from LA and head to LV to help out Mom while she was confined to bed/wheelchair.
I was really glad to get a little time at home. And of course, Dad and I found some spare time to get away and have a little adventure. I just thought this was going to be an outing to our regular breakfast outing, the Polaris Cafe and then taking a fancy pen Dad had given me that needed fixing to Paradise Pen...but Dad created a little adventure out of it (like he's so good at doing)...with pictures to ensue...thus, here you enjoy the goofy spoils of our adventure :)
Dad and I enjoying breakfast (and the FT paper) at Polaris Cafe.

Can ya find me?! Entering Paradise Pen at the Fashion Show Mall...I haven't been to this mall for years. I used to LOVE malls, but tend to stay away from them now...this one's pretty posh...it even has a runway fashion show...only in Vegas!

Dad buying a little prize in Betsy Johnson...

Browsing one of my favorite home stores, Z Gallerie...

And checking out his newest building project - the Veer Towers at City Center (those two yellow-checkered ones that twist)...


This week it's been back to work - starting up classes at yet another school! One more month of this crazy teaching schedule!...but I sure am looking forward to an extra day off this weekend!

Viva Las Vegas and other happenings!

It's been a long month since my last post...and I have to admit, this is gonna be a fast one...to make up for it though, I do have lots of pictures!

This past month has been crazy! First getting ready for Viva Las Vegas included sewing and car projects (finishing up my headliner and changing out the transmission). I was also busy preparing at work for a month and a half's worth of classes.

Viva Las Vegas 12 was tons of fun. Stude and I drove out, along with my friend Emil. We made it to Vegas without a hitch! Stude was in her first car show ever and I got to meet up with a bunch of old and new friends alike! I had tons of fun. And also got some great material for articles...which is something else I've been spending lots of time on!

Over at GreaseGirl I've teamed up with another website called MyRideIsMe.com - so all my articles are being put up there too! It's been fun to connect with new people through that site and am excited about helping to build that site up! I've got a list of articles ready to write...and no time to write them!

I also got to spend a little bit of time with the family as I was in Vegas, which was nice. And enjoy a Easter Sunday brunch and time with my parents and nephew Blaise.

After returning home, I was swamped with starting to teach my classes for the pregnancy prevention program. I'll be teaching with that 5 days a week until mid-June. (I normally only teach 1-2 days a week...so this is different for me!) But within that time I have the opportunity to teach 1200 seventh graders! Which I think is awesome, and am willing to put a little work into it ;)

Things are finally calming down a little bit and I'm looking forward to getting a bit more sleep, hanging out with friends a bit more, and of course surfing!

enJOYment

It ended up being quite a lovely weekend. Despite the fact that I couldn't muster up the needed energy to dive into one of the various projects I would have liked to. Once I succumbed to the fact that I needed rest...it was quite nice. So on Saturday after a CPR class, a much-needed bi-car washing, and a failed attempt at pinstripping - I retreated with a favorite author to one of my favorite little restaurants. Philip Marlowe at Masa Cafe on Sunset...great noir-ish detective story, leek soup, and a drop in by my friend Ann, what more could a girl ask for on a Saturday evening!?



Sunday was quite equally great. An easy morning followed by a trip out to the Hollywood Farmers Market. Produce buying and people watching there is fantastic - but I was really going for the Petrovijic Blasting Company in the good company of my friend Emil. I first saw the Petrovijic Blasting Company play on my birthday, and it was delightful to enjoy their unique blend of parisian jazz/circus/i don't know what else music once again! I headed home from that for "house church". Which is something my housemates and I hold once a month - people come over and we worship some and talk about something. This was our third "church" and we talked about what the Bible says about the environment...it was great! Thank God for his creation...even though we do have to care for it...even when the "it" might be our tired bodies - Thank God that joy can come through the caring-for too!