no doubt concert review by certified orange county girl

My love for No Doubt started almost 15 years ago around the time this budding feminist first heard "Just a Girl."  Once "Don't Speak" was released, I was hooked for life.  So, naturally, I had to see thek coolest band to ever come out of Orange County when they came to town during their so-called reunion tour. 

The point of the tour was for the band to be inspired by the fans and incorporate this inspiration into their new album.  And the show was incredibly fan-centric.  In between songs, Gwen would speak to the crowd, regularly accepting presents and even bringing a fan on-stage for a hug and photo.  How that fan managed to remain conscious during the whole thing was beyond me. 

The set list was essentially a best-of recap and they rocked out to each song like it was 1996.  Gwen, not looking a day over 29, wasn't as animated as she was in past shows, although she did open "Just a Girl" with her trademark push-up set (she had been challenged by a fan, so I don't know if the push-ups were planned).  The 3-song encore was especially awesome because The Sounds and Paramore (the opening acts) joined No Doubt on-stage to sing their latest single, "Stand and Deliver."  It set the tone for the concert conclusion--an enthusiastic rendition of "Sunday Morning."

Like I said, I've seen No Doubt in concert a lot but I would have to say that this was the best show I've ever seen them do.  By the looks of the large gathering of adoring fans, I hope that the band found enough inspiration to put out the most awesome album ever.  I can't wait!

I took these videos at the concert.  The first one is Underneath it All and the second one is Just a Girl.  Turn down the sound on your computer and hit play (I was in the pit and close to a speaker when I recorded these so the sound isn't stellar).  Maybe you'll get a feel for the show by watching...




  

california blogging*: the day i met the mexican

Gustavo Arellano, the Mexican behind ¡Ask a Mexican!, had a reading and book signing in Orange County on the 18th of December. I flew home on the 17th. As soon as I found out about this reading (which was shortly before the trip), I just had to go. And I was taking Jesse with me.

On the day of the signing, I threw out an invitation to my sister in case she was interested. No, she hadn't heard of the ¡Ask a Mexican! column before (and she's not cool enough to read the OC Weekly), but Arellano also does investigative reporting for the OC Weekly on stuff going on in my home town like the attempted cover up of a sex abuse scandal at my high school, the attempted cover ups of sex abuse scandals in the local Catholic diocese, and the saga of OC's very own shady sheriff Mike Carona (actually, I think R. Scott Moxley's the lead on this story). In addition to all of this, he's also the OC Weekly's food critic.  I thought my sister would appreciate his work and find something she's interested in among the many items Arellano writes about.

She was free Thursday night so she agreed to go. Shortly before the event, somehow, my mom got roped into going as well. I didn't invite her, but since Jesse, my sister, and I were going, she might as well go too. Oh great. How embarassing!  That is so MEXICAN of us to travel in packs!

I had a feeling my mom wouldn't like the Mexican for two reasons: one--his criticism of the Catholic Church and, two--his criticism of my Catholic high school. She's so devoutly religious that there was a time when she believed that all of those people who were claiming they were sexually abused by priests were lying. All (hundreds and thousands) of them. Poor mom.

The signing was at Calacas, a cool independent store that carries lots of Mexican-inspired and themed art and clothing. The gathering was small but intimate, which was nice.

Arellano brought up a number of things during his pre-signing warm up chat. While he did touch upon his new book, Orange County: a Personal History, he spoke a lot about his column, ¡Ask a Mexican!, the ensuing book, his successful appearance on the Colbert Report, and food. His historical knowledge of Orange County and its origins was pretty impressive and I can't wait to delve into the book (my mom was kind enough to 'gift' it shortly after the reading so I could get it signed by Arellano for Xmas).

images 'borrowed' from ocweekly.com
While waiting to get my books signed (I had a paperback copy of ¡Ask a Mexican! for a friend and my hardcovers of both ¡Ask a Mexican! and Orange County), I saw that Jesse had purchased his own copy of Orange County and was in line behind me to get it signed (*swoon*). My mom was right beside me while Arellano signed the books and she asked him for his opinion on a particular restaurant. I was so glad she didn't chide him for his criticism of the Catholic Church which he did mention during his little chat (I cringed when he mentioned it--only because I knew my mom wouldn't be happy--and I turned to Jesse and whispered, "Well, he lost mom on that one."). But Catholicism aside, I think my mom saw Arellano as a local boy who had done good and was using his writing for positive and constructive change.

All in all, it was awesome to finally meet the Mexican. Having been a fan for a while, it was so cool to meet the guy behind the only column I look forward to every single week.

And it was especially nice to see that Jesse became a fan too.

*Yes, I know I'm back, but this happened while I was home! One more 'california blogging' post tomorrow.

christmas '08: a tale of two orange counties

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday this year! This year, enjoying Christmas seemed to be a daunting task at first, but in the end, I think I was able to pull it out.

This year, we had a pre-Christmas celebration in Orange County, CA with my family. On Christmas Day, we celebrated with Jesse's family in Orange County, VA. Although the two locations couldn't be more different, the end results were similar: both were settings for two different families to get together, eat some delicious food, and open some cool gifts.

image courtesy of orangecountyva.gov

image courtesy of cpec.ca.gov
Yup, the OC is that little piece of land between LA and San Diego.

Although my brother and his family didn't make it to our OC, CA Xmas, my mom, sis, Jesse and I had a wonderful time partaking in family traditions despite their absence. Namely, these traditions consisted of spending the day making tamales, anxiously awaiting for tamales to be cooked, eating said tamales (which were delicious and, yes, we brought some home and, no, we are not sharing) and then opening presents. It was nice that it was just the four of us. Because of the intimate setting, there was no craziness or drama and Jesse and my family were able to interact more and get to know each other even better.

image from http://www.whatweareeating.com/

It was sad to leave my mom and sis on Christmas Eve, but I was grateful to be headed back home to see my fur babies. We had NEVER left them for so long. We came home to find two crying (for attention) kitties. Nicky wouldn't stop yelling at me and Gracie was all over Jesse, wrapping herself around his legs, keeping him from getting around the condo. Oh I missed them so!

The next day was Christmas and Jesse's family decided to celebrate at his aunt's house in Germanna, VA (which is in the other OC). Normally, the family tradition is a Christmas brunch but this year, Jesse's aunt decided to try something new and cook Chinese (when I told one of my Jewish friends about this choice of Christmas cuisine, she replied, "Hey, that's what I eat for Christmas!") So we had noodles and shrimp with brocoli for lunch (which, as much as I love tamales, was a nice break from eating tamales for breakfast, lunch, and dinner). After the meal, we opened presents and my gift to Jesse garnered much attention (yes, I'm bragging a bit).

I managed to get Jesse a Wii, which he had not been expecting. This means I finally managed to surprise him which is never an easy feat. He was really happy with the Wii, but probably not as happy as his 10-year-old nephew Chauncey, who got a Wii last Christmas from Santa. Chauncey was so excited, he couldn't stop talking about how cool the Wii is (you can hook your iPod to it!!!) and how he had to be 'friends' with him so they could play together (you have to tell me who you are so we can play together when we're online!!!). Jesse is really a big kid at heart, so seeing his nephew get all excited for him was pretty heart warming for me (and Jesse too).

Once we got home from Orange County, VA, we hooked up the Wii and Jesse played for hours. Despite my hatred for video games (except Bioshock on XBox 360), I have to admit that I kinda enjoyed playing the Wii too.

So...how was your Christmas?

california blogging: yesterday was not a good day

Greetings from Orange County! It's the coldest I've ever felt here yet that's the least of my problems. Happy vacay to me! (NOT)

Yesterday was kinda crappy. Jesse and I had a 7:30 a.m. flight to Orange County by way of Dallas. We arrived in Dulles before 6 a.m. so we decided to go to the sit down restaurant near our gate for breakfast (Max and Irma's has a great b-fast for cheap that I highly recommend). After breakfast, we saw a huge line of people by our gate. Assuming it was time to board, we made it to the end of the line, only to be told that our flight had been cancelled. I was plenty tired, had just had a tearful goodbye with the kitties (they took it well; I was a wreck), and all I wanted to do was get home ASAP and now here we were with a cancelled flight.

Ugh. I hate cancelled flights.

They ended up putting us on a flight to Dallas 2 hours later after which we would need to hightail it to the other side of the airport in order to get to our connection to Orange County. Except I was hungry, thirsty, and needing to pee. We got to the gate just as they were doing a final boarding call. I got on the plane and my hunger/thirst/bladder was the last thing on my mind because I felt a migraine coming.

Ugh. What timing.

I took an Imitrex which knocked me out (yay, sleep!). I slept for most of the flight to Orange County until I woke up during some crazy turbulance due to a storm we were flying in. It continued for about 45 minutes until we had the bumpiest landing ever. As I got off the plane, I sighed in that little connector tunnel between the plane and the gate and I SAW MY BREATH.

What??? I'm not supposed to see my own breath in normally sunny, mild, generally perfect Southern California! That stuff only happens in states where winter actually takes place.

Ugh. It's cold.

As we stood outside in the pouring, freezing rain waiting for our car rental shuttle, I saw my breath plenty of times. I checked the weather forecast on my phone and saw that we should expect this kind of weather for the entire week we are here. Great. I left DC to get away from this crap and enjoy some sun. Now I get to spend my week, sans sun.

Ugh. Stupid rain.

Things calmed down a bit after a trip to In-and-Out and a long-needed trip to the bathroom. Two hours later, we started on our way to meet a good friend of mine for dinner.

The normally 1 hour drive to Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood where I was meeting my friend took nearly 2 hours thanks to the usually congested freeway made worse by the rain. Not sure what it is about rain that makes people forget how to drive. We were nearly rear-ended twice because the cars behind me were wayTOOclose and we were stop and go for a while. Hello, inappropriate stopping distance!

Ugh. Silly California drivers.

Dinner was awesome and I'm so glad I got to see my friend and her new husband. It was the first time I had seen her since her wedding and she looked so happy with her boo and her life, which made me really happy.

Yay, friends!

Later, I had some trouble sleeping, so I got up to check email. Big mistake. I received an email from the agency I consult for (I need the extra money as my non-profit salary isn't remotely competitive in today's market) telling me they can no longer afford to pay me so I was being let go. Oh and Merry Christmas, Liz.

Ugh. Sh*tty layoffs.

And now I'm here, blogging this at 4 a.m. PST. Well, at least I didn't get a migraine, we got home safe and sound, we didn't get rear-ended and I got to see my friend.

I really miss my kitties though. *sigh*

the honeymoon is over

I arrived in California at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. I flew into Long Beach, which is my favorite airport in Southern California simply because it is so not complicated. There is only one terminal and it’s the smallest terminal I’ve ever seen. And you deplane on the tarmac which is super cool. So I got off the plane and started peeling off my layers. I put on my sunglasses, felt the warmth of the sun on my skin and thought, “Oh yeah, I’m home.”

My family picked me up at the airport and we’ve been together every waking minute since. Right off the bat, I realized something. My family is loud. They talk loud. They argue even louder. And they might be deaf too. The radio and the TV is always at a loud volume and maybe that’s because they talk so loud that the only way they can hear the TV is if it’s louder than they are.

I spent most of Sunday and Monday saying, “Calm down.” My mom and sister argue a lot and the volume at which they argue is deafening. I can’t believe that my family embodies the “Mexicans are loud” stereotype.

I didn’t fly all the way across the country to argue with my family. I prefer to stay out of it (or gently point out how pointless the fights are). So things were going well until yesterday evening. After a long day of running errands (like my hair which is back to its goth look), I really just wanted to relax at home. My sister had other plans.

When my mom finally got cable (for all my life, my mom thought cable was a waste of money), she conveniently forgot to give me access in my room. My tiny TV in my old bedroom is still using rabbit ears. Normally, I wouldn’t attempt to get my mom and sis to watch I Love NY 2 with me, but seeing as that the season finale was last night, I simply had to watch the impending train wreck.

Sure enough, my mom was appalled that I would watch that show. I explained to her how every one I knew watches it. In fact, every Tuesday morning at work, my co-workers and I would dissect the previous night’s episode in detail. I knew my mom wouldn’t get the appeal so I had to explain to her and my sister that it’s trashy TV and I simply watch it to be entertained. My mom was disappointed in me. My sister bitched about it for 23 minutes.

Yes, I kept track.

After spending all day with them as the rational one, I finally broke. I wanted to watch the show without being criticized, so I loudly said, “Shut up.”

Yeah, it wasn’t such a great comeback. And yes, I stooped to my sister’s level. But I was done with taking all of their crap and playing peacemaker all day. I snapped.

I’m human. What can I say?

Well, my sister snapped even more and got all angry. Hmmm, I thought, it had to happen eventually. The honeymoon is finally over. Reality is setting in. My sister was so angry that she refused to speak to me for the rest of the night. My mom was so upset at me for pissing my sister off that she also didn’t speak to me. It was an all too familiar situation.

I truly am home.

my niece, the little ABC-singing, attention seeking, trouble making angel

I’m going home yet again. I know, I know. I was just there. In my 5 years of living in the DC area, two weeks is the shortest time period between visits to California EVER. And although I’m sure you think it’s odd that I’m going back so soon, I wish I could always go home every two weeks. I've already started to miss my niece, Serena.

Now that my niece is approaching three years of age, I adore her so much more. Her personality is incredibly evident, although she currently displays the typical childlike qualities of curiosity, troublemaking, and occasionally shyness with some vanity mixed in.

Serena says the cutest and funniest things…that is, when I understand her. Occasionally, her words come out oneafteranother so I get confused. I ask her to repeat herself and she says it the same way, not slowly. And when I ask her to repeat herself a third time, she gets frustrated with me, like it’s MY problem that I can’t get her. I suppose she’s right. It certainly isn’t the little angel’s fault.

And the girl loves herself some recognition. For example, while at the grocery store getting some last minute stuff for my birthday party during my last visit home, I was busy deciding what kind of wine to purchase (sure, I enjoy the white, but what if some people are in the mood for red…yet, we’re having chicken tacos and chicken goes better with white…but what if people prefer red…and if so, what kind of red…it sucks being a Libra). Since I was busy, I wasn’t paying too much attention to Serena, which she didn’t appreciate. She started to sing her ABCs…LOUDLY. This still didn’t break my concentration. When she was done, she turned around to face me and said indignantly, “Nina, I just did my ABCs!” In my head, I thought, that’s great, kid. But what I said was, “Oh my gosh, Serena, that’s awesome! Good job! You are so smart.” This praise brought a smile to her face.

Taking care of the little angel also taught me something. Kids can be way smarter than adults. Or sneakier, at least. I learned this when my mom asked me to help Serena wash her hands before snack time. I took her to the sink and she climbed up her little step stool to reach the faucet. She turned the water on and dumped two pumps of soap into her palm. She put her hands under the running water and got her hands nice and soapy. And then she proceeded to get her arms nice and soapy. Awww, I thought, she’s trying to be extra clean. Then she proceeded to scrub her elbows. Hmmm, I thought, this kid likes to be thorough. Then she decided to grab her baby toothbrush and brush her teeth. Apparently, she really wants to be extra clean before snack time.

When Serena finally finished giving herself a mini-bath, she pulled away from the sink and headed over to the towel. It was then that I noticed that Serena was SOAKED. Her little tank top was dripping wet. I ran over to the kitchen to where my mom was cooking for the party. “Mom,” I asked, “Do you have an extra t-shirt for Serena? She got her tank top all wet when she washed her hands.” My sister, also in the kitchen, said, “Oh no! Did you let her wash her elbows and brush her teeth too?” Clueless, I said, “Um, yeah. I thought she was being extra clean.” My mom laughed as my sister said, “No, she just likes to get all wet.”

My mom grabbed an extra tee and we went searching for Serena. She was hiding in my room, lying on my bed. When we walked in, Serena turned away from us bashfully. She knew she had been bad. But she looked so cute and shy that I couldn’t get mad at her. Neither could my mom.

I dare you to get mad at this little cutie pie

Sure, it’s been two weeks between my visits home, but I really can’t wait to see Serena again.

And this time, I’ll make sure she washes her hands and nothing but her hands before snack time.

my very cali birthday

My trip to California started with a stop in San Francisco. I had a great view from my hotel.

Here's a plane landing. It looks like it's landing on water.


Here's another view.


On Friday, I flew down to LA and spent the rest of my trip in the OC. My Saturday was spent babysitting my niece and watching college football.

I managed to do both in this picture.

That's the USC/Notre Dame game on TV. I taught Serena how to say, "Boo Irish!"

Speaking of USC, what was initially a joke turned out to be the real thing. My family threw me a very Trojan party.


This is the cake my sister made. Yes, she decorated it herself.


I started to feel like an 8 year old, what with all of the decorations and all. So, after dinner came the obligatory present opening. Here are some highlights.
A scarf from Aditi.

A necklace Lisa made for me.

A Coach make up bag from Aurelio.

And Jesse didn't make it out to California for me so he Fed Exed one of his gifts in time for my party...

Which was appropriately a USC visor and t-shirt, perfect for the Homecoming Game we're going to in two weeks.


Finally, my friends started making their ways home.



It was a great birthday. Can't wait for my DC birthday party tomorrow!

sometimes, i wish i was making this stuff up

Here is my trip to California in a nutshell (a very, very large nutshell).

Day One (Wednesday).
I flew out of Dulles at 8 a.m. on Virgin America. It was my first time flying with them and I was impressed. I really liked the atmosphere on the plane and the seats in coach had a lot of room. Plus, we all had our own TVs at our seats, like JetBlue. Unfortunately, the satellite wasn’t working, so the only channel I could get was Fox. Boo.

The flight to SF is normally 5.5 hours. About two hours in, I was feeling incredibly uncomfortable in my seat. I was freezing cold and my body was achy. It wasn’t long before I realized that I was feverish. I put on my down jacket, asked for a blanket from the Virgin flight attendant and hoped that would help. Ummm…nope. Let me tell you how much it sucks to have a fever on a plane. It’s awful. It’s hell. So at the 5.5 hour mark, I was anxious to land. Except we weren’t. We were circling and circling for what felt like an eternity. Apparently, the folks at San Francisco Airport weren’t letting us land.

All of that circling led to one little problem—the plane I was on was starting to run out of gas. So, we headed over to San Jose Airport to get some gas and hang out on their run way until we were cleared to land at SFO. Still feeling feverish, I willed myself to sleep. When I woke up from my nap (feeling incredibly rested so it had to have been at least an hour), we were landing at SFO.

Day Two (Thursday, AKA my birthday)
I had a hard time getting up and an even harder time getting ready to go to my conference. My body was so incredibly achy and I had developed a cough. I really wasn’t feeling well, but I had to work so I forced myself to go.

I left the conference early because I really wasn’t feeling well. I thought maybe if I got some fresh air and tried to enjoy the day, maybe I could salvage my birthday. So my friend Kattie (who flew up to keep me company) and I headed into the city (Union Square) to do some shopping, my favorite pastime and usually the cure to all of my ills. Unfortunately, not today. I didn’t buy much (a pair of shoes, a necklace, and tank top) and I felt so miserable while going from store to store. But I wanted to enjoy my day, I really did. Finally, we left H&M and headed to dinner at a restaurant called Colibrio Mexican. OH MY GOD. The food was so good. And the dessert was even better. And the sangria helped me forget about my misery for a little bit. But then, once sober, it all came back.

Day Three
Right after the conference, I left for the airport for my flight to L.A. When my mom gets out of the car to hug me, I beg her, “Please make me feel better. Please.”

Day Four (Saturday, AKA, the day of my Cali birthday party)
I was determined to have a good time despite how horrible I felt. I learned that coughing up phlegm was making me feel better, albeit temporarily. Shortly before my friends showed up at my mom’s house for the festivities, I threw up phlegm in the bathroom. I thought I was done because I started feeling better.

While talking to my friends, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The coughing came back. But I put on a smile and made the most of it. I had a great time with my friends. And then, little by little, they left. I rushed to the bathroom after the last person left and coughed and coughed and threw up some more phlegm (I know the difference between coughing up and throwing up and I managed to do both). This time, it came out red. Damn it. I told my mom and she said, “We’re going to the hospital. NOW.”

Day Five
At the crack of dawn on Sunday, I was in St. Joseph’s Hospital in Orange. Turns out I have pneumonia.

Day Six
Sleeeeeep. Mmmmm…

Day Seven
Back to DC (cough, cough, wheeze, wheeze).

Ok, blog peeps, I really want to post pictures and blog about the wildfires (many of which I saw) but it took all I had to write this post. I’m going to go back to sleep. G’nite.

california dreamin'

I had the following conversation over the phone this weekend.

My sister had just sent me a text message with the latest picture of my niece Serena doing something cute.

Sister: So, did you get it?
Me: Yeah, it’s cute. I just showed Jesse.
Sister: Yeah, isn’t she adorable? I was trying to get a picture of her eating and then she posed right as I took it. Here. Do you want to talk to her?
Me: Yeah, of course.

Muffled sounds as the phone is passed to my niece.

Serena: HI! (giggles)
Me: Hi, Serena! What are you doing?
Serena: Uh...eating French fries.
Me: You’re eating French fries? Yum!
Serena: Yummmm!
Me: They’re good, huh?
Serena: Are you coming home now?

At this point, my heart sunk all the way down to my stomach. I couldn’t believe she asked me that. A lump formed in my throat. I wanted to tell her, Yes. I wanted to see her right then and there and just hug her with all of my might. But I couldn’t because I was on the opposite side of the country.

I took a second to compose myself.

Me: No, Serena. Not yet. But I’m coming home soon.
Serena: Ok. Love you!
Me: I love you too! (that lump in my throat suddenly doubled in size)
Serena: Ok, BYE BYE!

Muffled sounds as the phone is passed back to my sister.

Sister: Wow. I can’t believe she said that.
Me: Neither can I. Did you tell her to ask me that?
Sister: No, I didn’t. I swear. Isn’t that cute though?
Me (thinking), Sure, if you call your heart breaking cute.
Me: Yeah, that is cute.
Sister: So when are you coming home?
Me: Soon.

And I am going home soon. My tour of the West Coast starts Oct. 17 in San Francisco and then I’ll fly down to the OC to celebrate my birthday with family and friends.

Oh and I can’t wait to see this little angel:

cue the song 'California' by phantom planet

There are so few things to do in the OC that don’t involve the ocean, the beach, shopping, or Disneyland. However, once a year, every summer, the OC Fair opens. It’s a time of year when Orange County residents rejoice because, apparently, the Fair is the only other thing to do in the OC.

I say this because when Jesse and I went there with my mom, sis, and niece Serena, apparently everyone and their mothers had decided to visit the Fair that same day. But, in true OC fashion, nothing was short of over-the-top. I hadn’t been to the Fair since I was a kid and I vaguely remember it. Honestly, all I remember is seeing the animals. Damn, I don’t even remember the food! So I was a little surprised to see how big the OC Fair was, which had about as many rides as Knott’s Berry Farm and far more food than what Disneyland offers. And yes, there were many, many animals.

This year’s theme is “Cow-abunga” which perfectly combines the OC surf culture with agriculture (yeah, that’s the best explanation I could come up with). The sand sculpture at the Fair’s entrance was pretty spectacular (and unfinished as some sculptors were still working on it).

Here are some cows surfing a huge wave.


Here is a cow, not surfing.


Here is a baby cow (a calf) that Serena is desperately trying to pet.


There she is!


Here is a piggy with her recently-born baby piggies. So cute!


Although she actually has her own horse which she rides at least once a week, Serena was insistent on going to the pony ride. Here she is showing off her pony-riding abilities.

Her riding skills are pretty good for a two-year-old.

Naturally, I made a Youtube video of her riding the pony. You can hear my mom telling me what to do (aka yelling) in the background.


We were getting tired (except for Serena who had taken a quick power nap after the pony ride) and sat down on these bulls of hay. Here I am riding a bull with Serena.


After the pig races, we took a quick pic with Serena on my shoulders. Apparently, by the look on her face, I’m not as comfortable to ride as a horse.


It was a fun, long day at the Fair but I’m really glad I got to spend some time with my niece.

why the west coast will always be home to me

I got back into DC two nights ago and I was greeted by a familiar feeling as soon as I got off of the plane—humidity. Sure, it was just after 9 p.m. and the sun had set long ago, but the humidity smacked me right in the face, a not-so-subtle reminder that I was no longer home. Even before I stepped off of the plane, a feeling of dread had pervaded my stomach. I didn’t really want to come back here.

There are times when I go home to visit and I can’t wait to get back to the East Coast. Usually, this feeling is brought on by family drama, which I would rather escape from than perpetuate. But since my niece was born, it gets much harder and harder to leave, regardless of family drama. And when Jesse comes to Cali with me, we’re entering a whole new level of difficulty leaving. For me, Jesse completes the family circle. I lack nothing. And when you have everything you want in one place, why would you want to leave?

As soon as we settled into our connecting flight in Texas, I turned to Jesse and said, “I don’t want to go.” Jesse, replied, in his most soothing voice, “It’s ok.” I shook my head. My head knows that eventually I will be ok. Eventually, I will return to work and the gym and the Metro and the routine of my life will fall back into place. But my heart knows that there will be a tiny part of me that will refuse to forget home—the family, the friends (who are practically family), my perfectly happy and intelligent niece, my doggie, my fabulous colorist, the perfect weather, the feeling of the sand through my toes and the ocean breeze through my hair. Damn that tiny part of me.

Last night, while going through pictures of our trip, my West Coast Withdrawal took over me. I sat there looking at the many pictures Jesse and I took (as soon as I'm done organizing them, I will post some of them here), thinking about how happy we were and how much I hated leaving. However, I refuse to regret moving here. If I hadn’t moved here, I wouldn’t have met my friends, I wouldn’t have my job and a career in public health, and (most importantly) I would never have met Jesse. Had I not moved here, I wouldn’t be the person I am now and honestly, I kinda like her.

The truth is that I actually have it pretty good here (despite the weather which I will never, EVER get used to). But it’s still not quite home.

“when you have kids you’ll understand”

I have a somewhat complicated relationship with my mother. I love her. I really do. And it would not surprise me one bit if I grew up to be just like her (with the exception of the religious fanaticism and super-conservative beliefs). But sometimes, she makes me want to pull my hair out (and you all know how much I like my hair).

Last night I was about ready to pull a Britney Spears. She called me as I was getting home. I got home unusually late last night as I had an unusually long work out session. I was physically exhausted and definitely not in the mood to exercise the patience I would need to deal with my mother. However, I am going home TOMORROW (sorry, couldn’t contain my excitement, hence the ALL CAPS) so she might have had a sense of urgency in contacting me regarding the trip.

I picked up, rather breathlessly as I was trying to get off of the bus at the same time (her timing is impeccable). She starts with the guilt trip: “Oh wow. You finally answer your phone. It’s a privilege to finally reach you.” I roll my eyes at no one in particular. I respond, “Hi, Mom. I’ve had a long day” (meaning, I’m not in the mood). Mom says, “Well, I was just calling to ask you what your plans are for when you come home.” Here are my plans, which I’ve explained to her before:

Wednesday: Fly in to OC, go home for a quick lunch, leave to go to my annual ophthalmologist visit, go straight to hair appointment with the best colorist ever (Misha at Ricardo’s in Anaheim Hills for those of you OC peeps looking for an awesome colorist), have a home cooked meal with mom and sis.

Thursday: Drive down to San Diego. Spend time in Old Town, Gaslamp

Friday: Go to Balboa Park and check out some museums and stuff. Go to the Padres game at night.

Saturday: Drive back to the OC. Spend all day with family, including my niece, Serena Rose.

Sunday: Go to Catalina Island. Possible family get together for dinner.

Monday: Hang out in L.A. for a little bit. Check out Griffith Park, Olvera Street. Drive back down to the OC (pre-traffic, hopefully) and go to the Angels game.

Tuesday: Have b-fast with the family. Fly back to DC.

The minute I walked in the door to my place, my mom went off. “WHAT? You’re not going to spend any time with your family? What about me? You come down here for a few days and you don’t want to make time for me?” I reply, “Mom, what do you want from me? This is Jesse’s only vacation this year. We want to go out and do things. There are only two days that you’re not going to see me. Just two days. You’re going to see me all of the other days. It’s hard for me to make time for everyone. I want to see my friends too, you know.” She responds, “See? You don’t even want to see me. It’s all about Jesse, Jesse, Jesse, AND your friends. What about your mom? When you have kids, you’ll understand how I feel.” I answered, “I never said I didn’t want to see you. We’re going to spend Saturday together.” My mom said, “Yeah, we’re all going to spend time together. But what about you and me? Remember when we used to go out for coffee just the two of us and we just talked?”

A light bulb went off in my head. And then I thought, damn, I’m such a bitch. That’s all that my mom wanted. She wanted to spend some one-on-one time with me. The last couple of times I’ve gone home, Jesse has been with me. So this means that my mom and I haven’t had mother-daughter bonding time in over a year. Now I understood why she was upset. And I felt horrible.

I didn’t apologize because I am stubborn (so is my mom, so there). Instead I said, “I really don’t want to fight any more. I want my visit to be happy. I don’t get to spend that much time at home any more and I really don’t want any drama while I’m there.” My mom replied, with a softer tone, “Yes, I agree.”

Somehow I prevented World War III. I’d rather have peace at home, not war. And maybe, in the process of peace, I will understand my mother better.

i’m going back to cali, cali, cali

I mentioned a few weeks ago how much I missed home. And I still do. I miss home so much my heart aches. Especially when I get phone calls from my 2-year-old niece, Serena Rose.

A few days ago, my sister called me. Unfortunately, I was working and the call went to voice mail. When I finally checked it, I heard this…

My sister: Hi, Liz. I don’t know where you are right now, but we just wanted you to know that we were thinking of you. Someone wants to tell you something.
Serena Rose: (muffled sounds) Hi, MAH-NEE-NAH…MAH-NEE-NAH!
My sister: Go ahead, Serena.
Serena Rose: OK, bye-bye.

* Not only am I Serena’s aunt, but I am also her baptism sponsor, AKA her godmother. The Spanish word for godmother is ‘madrina.’ Obviously, Serena couldn’t say it right so she called me her ‘manina.’ It was the first time I had ever heard her call me that (which probably means she just learned how to say the word).


I gave her those sunglasses. Doesn't she look like a little diva?

Needless to say, that message just about broke my heart. I saved it, just so I could hear it over and over again. It pains me that all of these milestones keep happening and I’m not there to witness them.

Besides moving, what are my options? Well, I could visit. Jesse and I had been thinking about going somewhere for our upcoming anniversary. Last year, we had gone to San Francisco and we had a lot of fun there. Why not kill two birds with one stone? Since I desperately want to go home and Jesse and I want to travel somewhere that doesn’t involve a wedding, Jesse and I are going to Cali!

So, we’re going to catch an Angel game and a Padres game since I love my Angels and they’ve been kicking ass lately. I’m sure we’ll hang out in San Diego (Jesse’s favorite city in Cali). We’ll hopefully go to Catalina Island and stay somewhere romantic to celebrate the anniversary (belatedly, but that’s ok). And of course, we’ll spend some time with Serena. Hopefully, she’ll be a little less afraid of Jesse this time around.

I CAN'T WAIT!

ducks win! ducks win!

Damn I wish I was a hockey fan. Oh well, this is still pretty cool!

image courtesy of ESPN.com

I can't believe the Ducks won the Stanley Cup. Party in the streets of Ana-slime! I can't believe my eyes are watering. I'm just so happy for the team (and all of Orange County)...although it could be the hormones...

This is like straight out of a Disney movie.

Wait a second...

quack, quack, quack!

Tonight marks quite the momentous occasion for me. I am actually going to watch a hockey game. But it’s not just any hockey game—it’s Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. The game is between the Anaheim Ducks and some team from Canada. If the Ducks win tonight, they will be winning the whole enchilada. And the Ducks are playing at home where they have been dominant during the playoffs.

I wish I was more of a hockey fan to truly appreciate the momentous occasion that would be the Ducks winning the Stanley Cup. But I am enough of a sports fan in general to appreciate history in the making—the Ducks’ first Stanley Cup and the first Stanley Cup in the OC.

So…on that note, GO DUCKS!!!

the 5 month itch

I was watching the Gilmore Girls last night and I had an epiphany. Ok, maybe it wasn’t an epiphany but more like a sudden realization. I sat there and was watching the show with Jesse during last night’s dinner. I got super excited while watching the Yale ‘campus’ scenes they filmed. Why? Because I had no idea that Rory Gilmore had suddenly transferred to USC. All of those scenes were filmed on my old stomping grounds. That scene where Rory and her friends are drinking out of a bottle right before graduation? Yeah, my program’s graduation ceremony was in that park. That scene with all of the assembled parents about to watch their kids graduate? Right outside of Bovard Auditorium, home of my freshman year Biology class. And as I sat there admiring the beautiful campus that had been transformed into a Hollywood set (definitely not the first time), I felt a slight pang. Hmmm…feels familiar…as if this pang and I have met before.

Pretty soon, I recognized that pang and had a sudden realization. I miss home.

But this wasn’t any old case of homesickness. This was THE case. The case that usually makes me buy a plane ticket before I could start feeling better. It comes along about 3 times a year, approximately every 4 months. If I haven’t gone home by the 5 month mark since my last visit, I get really, really homesick. Unfortunately, I haven’t been home since January. So it’s about time for the Itch.

I spoke to my mom recently and she asked me, “How’s your hair? Are your roots starting to show?” (Trust me, this is related to the homesickness). Unfazed, I told her, “No, mom. Actually, I had to get the roots taken care of in a few weeks ago before that wedding I just went to. They were really bad. I can’t believe I was out in public like that.” My mom replied with disappointment, “I thought you might need to see Mischa.” Mischa is my West Coast hair colorist (yes, my hair team is bicoastal) and I really prefer not to cheat on her but sometimes I have to. She understands. She knows that I think she’s the best but sometimes I cheat out of necessity. My mom continued, “Does this mean you’re not coming home any time soon?” And there came the pang…and the guilt. I answered, sadly, “Mami, I want to, but I don’t really have the vacation time right now. I’m using all of my time off right now for all of these weddings. And all of my money.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, my mom said, “Well, I can pay for your ticket.” I was shocked. Since I got the whole “you’re on your own now” conversation from her when I was 17 and getting ready to move out to go to USC, I have asked my mom for financial help twice. Twice in 11 years. I’m pretty proud of this fact. My mom knows that I am too proud to ask because I’ve been so self-sufficient for so long and she has occasionally given me money as random holiday gifts when she thinks money is a little tight for me (like the year I got a big check for Easter, which was incredibly random but appreciated). I didn’t want to let her down because the offer was pretty tempting. A free ticket home? I’d be crazy to say no. I told her, “Thanks, Mami, that’s really nice of you to offer. I’ll see what I can do. Maybe in June.”

I really don’t want to wait. I have an opportunity to earn a considerable amount of comp time at the end of this month, so I really can’t go home before then. But I want to go home so badly. I miss my niece. And my mom (even if she is crazy sometimes, I know that she loves me). And my dog. And the weather.

And maybe I miss my sister. But only a little bit.

a little recognition goes a long way

I have never been one to brag about anything but whenever this little ol' blog gets some props, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And my appearance on WaPo Express online definitely brought a smile to my face.

Here I am being quoted from my blog post about The O.C.:


The same post was also added to an OC fan site.

Awww...I heart all of you little blog peeps!

r.i.p. the o.c.

Dear Josh Schwartz (creator of The OC and fellow Trojan):

Well, they say all good things must come to an end. In this case, I guess all things that “started out really good and then took a wrong turn into Crappyville but then found its way at the last minute when there was nothing left to lose” must come to an end. Either way, your show provided much entertainment over the last 4 years and for that I say, Thanks!

I recently blew the dust off of my copy of the first season of The OC on DVD and began to refresh my memory. Damn this show was really good. The story of the juvenile delinquent from Chino (which I still claim is not ghetto) who gets taken in by an affluent Newport Beach family really had a lot of heart. Who doesn’t like to cheer for the underdog? Season 1 may not have been perfect (the Oliver story was frustrating to watch but the Caleb/Julie scandal more than made up for it), but it felt like the start of a successful series.

However, things started to suck in Season 2. For example, the story line involving Caleb’s illegitimate daughter and how she became Ryan’s love interest but then soon went away (never to be heard from again) was tiresome at best. The drama with Ryan’s brother definitely had legs but you chose to resolve everything in the first episode of Season 3. This definitely made no sense because the previous episode showed Marissa shooting Trey just as Trey was about to seriously maim Ryan with one major blow. How does one resolve all this with just one episode? I don’t know, but you found a way and it lead to a dreadful Season 3 (oh don’t get me started on all the whole Johnny story line because it pains me even to just recall it now).

Knowing that you had nothing to lose in Season 4, you totally went all out and reminded us of just how good this show could be. From Summer’s turn as a tree hugger to Taylor and Ryan’s relatively healthy relationship (at least there wasn’t any alcohol or drugs involved like Marissa), the show experienced a rebirth of sorts. Unfortunately, it had already been cancelled, but you ended the show on a high note. And speaking of the end, that last episode brought tears to my eyes. It was all still a little rushed but I understand that you wanted to tie up loose ends. I could’ve done without the dual-later-in-life pregnancies of Kirsten and Julie, but whatevs. But seeing Seth and Summer getting married and Julie finally getting a degree (why was her son the same size as Marissa?) and then Ryan asking the troubled kid who reminded him of him if he needed help…awww it was all so sweet. What a great way to end things!

Now that it’s all over, I just want to say, Thanks. Thanks to you, when I tell people I’m from Orange County (because they asked not because I am freely volunteering this information), they know what I’m talking about (even if I have to follow it up with “like the show, but not”). And a whole lotta “indie” rock bands have you to thank for making their music popular (like Death Cab for Cutie, Rooney, and Phantom Planet). I wouldn’t have half the music on my iPod if it weren’t for those OC soundtracks. And what would the half Jewish/half Christian kids do without Chrismakkah? The impact of The OC will be seen for years to come.

So thanks for the memories, dude. Oh and thanks for not making Orange County look as bad as those Laguna Beach kids do.

Sincerely,
an OC girl who is a fan of The OC

“so you’re gonna move back to California, aren’t you?”*

Once upon a long, long time ago (in what feels like a previous life) I was an associate store manager for the Gap (or “the Crap” as I liked to call it). I had been working for the company in Cali and transferred when I moved here for grad school. It was a no-brainer job with a great discount and a flexible work schedule (which worked with my inconsistent school schedule). One of my first weeks on the job in DC, I was helping a customer and during our conversation she revealed that she was originally from California. I got excited. Yay! A fellow Californian.

I asked her how long she had been in DC and she replied, “Four long years.” After telling her that I had just moved here and I was having some trouble adjusting, I asked her, “How do you like the city?” She said, “I love DC. There’s so much to do and see. But I hate the weather. I know that I was spoiled back home, sun and warmth all year round. But the humidity—I hate. The cold—I hate. And don’t let anyone fool you. It’s been 4 years and I’m still not used to the weather. You’ll never get used to it.”

She rained on my parade. I loved DC so far. Sure it was the middle of the summer and I felt as though I was melting away every time I stepped outside, but I was excited about following my dream to DC. But in 4 years since I helped that customer, I have not forgotten those words, “You’ll never get used to it.” My first winter in DC I got to experience snow for the first time. And I got to experience my first snow days. And I got to experience the coldest days of my life (until my trip to Chicago last December). Every time I meet someone new and I tell them I’m from southern Cali, the response is the same every time, “Why would you leave such a perfectly magical place and move to this, the 9th circle of hell?” (ok, so maybe I embellished a bit)

Every summer and every winter I ask myself the same thing—Why am I here again? I forget.

So what I’m trying to say is, I hate this weather. And when you find out that the weekend temperatures in Orange County (aka Home)will hit 80 this weekend, you end up feeling more than disappointed. You feel desperate to go back. And you question why you’re here in the first place.

So I tell myself, “Great job. Jesse. Great job. Jesse. Great job. JESSE” That’s why I’m here.

But somehow that doesn’t make me feel any warmer.

*Today’s blog post title is brought to you by Shama, my coworker who said those words to me yesterday after my little weather rant.

scenes from the Cali Xmas Tour ‘06

Here are some pics to give you guys an idea of what Jesse and I did while we were in Cali.

On the Day after Xmas, Jesse and I went out to dinner with my friend Kattie, who looked fabulous as usual. We headed over to Downtown Disney in Anaslime and ate at the Jazz Kitchen. We gave it 6 thumbs up! Great food for a reasonable price. And the beignets were amazing.


The next day, Jesse and I explored Santa Barbara County. It was a first for the two of us. We took the scenic route through the Santa Ynez Valley which enabled us to take some great pictures at Lake Cachuma. For the record, it was very, very cold that day as wind gusts were expected to reach record speeds and rain clouds hugged the mountains.

This shot of the storm clouds over Lake Cachuma could practically be a post card!


So, the reason for the scenic route on such a chilly day? The wineries of the Santa Ynez Valley! Here I am looking very cold at Gainey Winery .


Did I mention that my mom and sis invited themselves along for this trip? Here is a picture of them looking pretty in pink in the Buttonwood Farms Wine Tasting room.


The following day, after getting my hair done by my colorist (red, red, RED!), Jesse and I met my boos Jered and Aurelio for dinner at Cheesecake Factor. I normally shun chain restaurants, but I hadn’t been to Cheesecake in forever. I’m glad Aurelio suggested it.


The following day, Jesse and I visited the Getty in LA. If you love art, then the Getty’s definitely for you. If not, you should still go to take in the views! Here is a view of the coast from the Getty.


Here is a view of LA from the Getty.


Here’s Jesse. The LA skyline is off in the distance and downtown Westwood is clearly visible on the right.


The Getty Institute, the Gardens at the Getty, and Brentwood


The following day, Jesse and I went to Laguna Beach for brunch. Laguna isn’t really about rich kids and what they do for fun. There’s a beach too (and actually Laguna is known for its art community).


Sana’s wedding was on our last night home and I just had to take a break from getting ready by playing with my niece, Serena Rose. Can you believe she just turned two?


Here’s Jesse and me, right before leaving for the wedding in a picture I call “our prom picture.”


It was such a great week that I was actually very sad to leave home. But it was especially hard to say good bye to Serena, who has finally stopped being shy around me!