Right Brained Gal

Keep Your Hands on the Wheel

Starting at midnight tonight, driving in California will never be the same . A new law goes into effect that will cost you dearly if you are caught holding a cell phone while driving a car. Since people in California spend an inordinate amount of time in their cars, not only are they second homes, but have now become personal phone booths. I can't tell you how many people drive and talk on their phones at the same time, and I admit I am just as guilty. But now I have a real excuse for not answering my phone while driving. I don't want to contribute any more of my money to the State of California's treasury. For some strange reason, you are still allowed to text while driving, or I should say the law just hasn't caught up with texting since it has just become a verb in the last year.

This will be a real test and the winner will be the State of California and the manufacturers of Blue Tooth headsets. For the past month, there has been a run on sales for mobile headsets and I heard from a friend who waited till tonight to get one, that every store she went to was sold out.  She was finally able to find one selling for ten times more than the average, but decided that she would take it back when she saw how much work there was in getting it set up. For someone who didn't even know that her cell had a speaker, it was a little overwhelming.

As much as I despise people driving while talking on their cells, and the past ten times I have almost been in an accident it was because of someone on a cell, I despise the Blue Tooth Headset even more.  I hate using it, because I can never figure out how to transfer back to my phone.  But most of all, I especially hate being in a store, on the street or in any public place and think that someone is talking to me, only to reply and realize that they are talking to the phone in their ear.  They really had no intention of sharing all the details of their sex life with a complete stranger on the street, but actually they just did. Now that everyone has to have one anyway, there will be more and more annoying people walking around sharing their conversations with everyone around them.  The good news is that you can now talk to yourself and no one will know the difference.

Illustration Friday - Fierce

 The topic for this week's Illustration Friday is Fierce.  Mother Nature has been extremely fierce lately.  I WONDER WHY?

My Los Angeles

One of my favorite bloggers is Janet of Slice of Pink, who has the best sense of humor and is the type of person you know would be fun to spend time with. I was inspired by her My Davis post where she shares about Davis, California, one of my favorite towns in the whole state.  She has encouraged her readers to participate in listing the things you love about your town, following the format used in the My Hometown feature in Real Simple Magazine.  I see that Los Angeles was left off the list and I was wondering if it was because no one was willing to own up to it, or if everyone really hates it as much as they say they do.  Anyway, I love Southern California and even thought I don't particularly love the city of Los Angeles, I do love the components that make it an interesting and exciting place to live.  The fact that the sun shines all the time, is a plus in my eyes.

My Los Angeles: Nancy Smith

Age: Lets just say I'm a Baby Boomer

Occupation: Graphic Designer

I've lived here for: all of my adult life

My Neighborhood: Pasadena, but I will be moving to the beach very soon.

I am here because: This is my home and I can't imagine living anywhere else.

Favorite restaurant: Pizzeria Mozza 

If you go to this restaurant be sure to order:  everything. The pizzas are amazing and unlike any you have ever tasted. Nancy Silverman is a genius in the kitchen and she has taken pizza to a new height.

My favorite museum: The J.Paul Getty and the Getty Villa

My favorite tourist destination:  The Original Farmer's Market and The Grove.

Best insider spot:  Huntington Gardens and Seal Beach.

Favorite shopping area: Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. 

My favorite area: Malibu

When you visit be sure to pack: sunscreen, bathing suit and driver's license

But leave room in your suitcase for: See's Candy, In-N-Out burgers, and knock-off sunglasses that are sold on every street corner.

One local cuisine you should try is: Korean Bar-b-que, Vietnamese Pho and Pinkberry Yogurt.

The best way to get around: sorry, but the only way is to drive or have someone drive you. 

If you had to describe this city in one word it would be: DIVERSE

I tell my friends to stay at: W Hotel if they can afford it, it not, there's always the Farmer's Daughter Motel.

The one thing most outsiders don't know about this city is:  Even though everyone thinks of Los Angeles as a humungous city, it is really made up of many small towns and suburbs that individually give you the feel of community.

They say “Virginia is for lovers.” So fill in the blank: Los Angeles is for everyone.

Heat Wave

It has been so hot in Los Angeles, that regardless of almost $5.00 a gallon gas prices, everyone is hitting the beaches.

Cry Me a River

In my latest effort to get in shape, I have started walking five times a week.  I get really bored walking around neighborhoods, so I have started to walk in Pasadena's best kept secret, the Arroyo Seco.  I love the fact I can feel hundreds of miles away from  the nearest Burger King, Starbucks and Staples,  when in reality, they are only minutes away. This is the closest you come to a river in Los Angeles and even during the rainy season, it isn't very deep.  For someone who grew up in Pittsburgh, it is hard to call this a river.
This is the infamous Pasadena Bridge, which is also know as Suicide Bridge because of the number of people who have jumped to their death.  Unfortunately, I have a friend whose 21-year-old nephew was one of them, a few years back.  It is a great landmark and looks especially nice at night, all lit up.  Last Saturday night, they closed it to cars and held their annual Pasadena Heritage party, for people of all ages to enjoy, and dance the night away.
By the color of this water, I only hope this gentleman was practicing fly fishing and not actually trying to catch something.

Moose No More

 There are very few blogs that I am emotionally attached to, but Greek Tragedy, by Stephanie Klein has definitely gotten my attention. There is something about her honesty and transition from Sex and the City to new wife and mother of twins, living in Austin, Texas, that makes me want to keep coming back for more. Although we are from different generations, I can identify with so much of what she writes. I was painfully thin growing up, when being thin wasn't so popular and Twiggy was the only one who could get away with it. But it was painful, none the less.

I was delighted that she was going to be at our local bookstore in Pasadena to do a reading from her new book "Moose - A Memoir of Fat Camp" and I was looking forward to meeting her in person. Unfortunately, because I was held up at my volunteer job at the homeless shelter, I was going to be late and almost didn't attend. But once I  took my seat I knew I was where I was supposed to be. I was immediately drawn to her openness and the effortless way her personality filled the room. Not to mention the most beautiful hair ever. As she read  from her book about her father's reaction to her peers naming her Moose, I could feel my heart breaking for her. Apparently her new book is about self esteem issues and how important a role parents play in building their child from the foundation up.  I was raised by parents who were always on my team, and instilling healthy self esteem was second nature to them.  When I had my own children, I would have rather taken a bullet in the heart than have them ever think they weren't good enough. Stephanie represents how you can transcend a not so perfect childhood and move on.  It also made me realize that a few hours prior to being there, as I was working with single mothers and their children at the shelter, I was doing more good than I ever imagined. All anyone wants is a little respect and some hope that they some how matter in this world. She really brought the point home to me. To share her battle with weight in front of  the whole world, is tremendously humbling.

It was a wonderful evening and as Stephanie fielded questions from the audience, I could see why she has so many friends and such a faithful following on her blog.  I bought both of her books and hope to start reading them soon.  As I was standing in line to have them signed, I was able to talk to her fabulous husband Phil, and see how extremely proud he is of her.  I hope I didn't freak him out too much, by telling everyone who wasn't familiar with the blog, all the details of their twins' birth. Two women in line, who weren't into  the intimate world of blogging, thought I was related.

Stephanie, keep up the good work and thank you for sharing the good with the bad. By the way, your children  have the most beautiful eyes.

Happy Father's Day

Even though my father has been dead for ten years, he still lives in my head and heart. Especially in my head. It is a very depressing feeling, after you have lost both your parents, knowing that you are no longer anyone's daughter. For someone like me, it is also very frightening and lonely. Father's day is always a very difficult time for me, as my daughter's spend the day with their dad and I am pretty much left on my own, with only the memories. These are the things I remember about my father:

1. He taught me that nothing is more important than football, baseball and basketball.  They are the reason television was invented. When the Steelers are playing, it's equivalent to a national holiday.

2. It's mandatory to finish everything on your plate because children are starving all over the world. Starving children especially like it if you eat all your vegetables. If you take more food than you can eat, your eyes are bigger than your stomach.  I wish.

3. When mom isn't around, it's perfectly all right to make a pot of fudge or buttered popcorn and eat it all before she comes home.

4. Neither rain, nor snow nor sleet or heat could keep my father from taking us out for ice cream.

5. Always pay off your bills every month, and don't charge anything you can't afford. How I wish I had listened to this one.

6. The way my father would read the comics to my sister and I and make up his own exaggerated stories which made me furious.

7. How my father would always let my high school boyfriend borrow his car to take me out on a date.  How he never liked the boys my sister dated and one time told a guy she wasn't home when she really was. 

8. The fights we would have over his control issues.  Unfortunately I hardly ever won. In retrospect I realize it taught me to stand up for myself and never let another person try to control me.

9. Through the good times and the bad times, I always knew that my father loved me.

10. When my father died he and I were the best of friends. I broke through his macho-ness and taught him to say that he loved me out loud.  In return, I was able to express to him how much I appreciated what he had done for me and thanked him for being such a wonderful dad.

The last time my sister and I saw our father alive was a snowy November night at the VA hospital in Pittsburgh.  We were leaving to go to our perspective homes on both coasts, after a weeks visit with him.  I was planning on taking him back to California with me after the holidays, but in my heart, I knew he would never make it.  I remember him sitting in the wheel chair outside in the snow, with tears in his eyes.  I had to run back and kiss him one more time.  My sister and I cried all the way to the airport  -- in Baltimore.   Happy  Father's Day Dad.

Things I Wish I'd Known at Twenty Years Old

Today I was at my friend's house and her twenty-year-old daughter, home from college for the summer, was hanging out with us.  She's been home a few weeks and with boredom starting to set in,  hanging out with your mom and her friend is probably a tad bit better than cleaning your room and waiting 10 hours to go out with your friends.  Since I was in a really sharing mood, I was able to pontificate my vast knowledge and experience on how to live a full life.  In a short period of time I was able to convince her that she should go to Paris for Junior year abroad, have at least one really wild Spring break, date more than one guy at a time, don't worry about having a messy room, and don't worry, there's always summer school. Her mother is no longer speaking to me.  Here are some things I wish I had known when I was her age.

1.  Try not to black out at every kegger you attend.  You want to have some fun memories of college to carry into your old age.

2. The friends you make in college will probably be your friends for life, so choose wisely.

3. Have as much fun as you can while Daddy is still footing the bill. Electricity gets shut off when it isn't paid on time.

4. Spend more time with your parents and realize they really are looking out for your best interest.  They know more than you think they do. Even though they won't admit it, they don't want you to make the same mistakes they did. Some day you will realize how awesome they were and it will be too late.

5. Unless you're studying to be a brain surgeon, you probably shouldn't take yourself so seriously.  Most things you worry about, aren't worth the effort.

6. You really don't need all those clothes. Every time you buy something you are making someone else rich. Just borrow everyone else's clothes and save your money for the future.

7. You can't change an asshole, no matter how hard you try. Just move on.

8. Everything you do takes twice as long as you think it will, and the results are never as good as you expect. Just keep on trudging along.

9.  Marriage is not the same as dating someone.  It's a lot more work than you think and a lot less romantic than you expect.

10. Even though you live in a dorm overflowing with hormones, you can still have dignity.  Learning to swear like a sailor, is not something you can add to your resume.

I'm Just Not Into Birthdays

I have never been a birthday person. For as long as I can remember, I have disliked my birthday. I don't think I've ever had a birthday party in my life, unless you count the time in college when I woke up with thirty girls in my room each holding a can of beer and singing happy birthday. My sister's and my birthday were a week apart, so we usually had a joint party for our extended family. When I got older I asked my parents for the money instead of a party and had a great time buying my own presents.

Then when I had children, I loved throwing themed parties for them, and I cringe when I think of how overboard I went.  I'm the mother who was responsible for making birthday parties a competition in Pasadena and was accused of being on Prozac way before it was socially acceptable.  Now at this point in my life I have a reason to hate birthdays and I not only ignore mine, but everyone  else's.  That is why I am embarrassed that I have gotten so many phone calls today from all my friends remembering the day I want to forget.  My sister called to tell me how reassuring it is to know that no matter how old she is, I will always be four years older. 

Even though I complain, I am touched that friends and family called and remembered me, even though I don't deserve it.  Still, I'll be glad when this week is over.  To quote Cher, "getting older really sucks."

Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

I have been freelancing for an event planner, helping her do arrangements for a big gig where, I was able to put my creativity to use. I did this arrangement all by myself and even I was impressed. The second one was a breeze, and just when I was getting the swing of it, I was moved to another project: These were not nearly as much fun, and I ended up doing 8.  While I was doing the above, three girls spent most of the day putting this together.  It is the centerpiece for the sign-in table. Can you say elaborate? Twelve hours later, and a trashed house and backyard, this is only a third of the flowers that had to be transported to Santa Barbara for a "Texan Rehearsal Dinner".  And their name isn't even Bush!!! I hope they loved the flowers and if this was just for the Rehearsal party, I can't imagine what the wedding was like.  From what I gather, the groom's family is from Texas, the bride's from Santa Barbara and both the wedding and rehearsal dinner were held at the Four Season's Santa Barbara.  The groom's parents were paying for both.  I'm glad they're not feeling the recession in Texas and I hope no one was allergic to flowers. I guess I can now add Floral Designer to my resume.

Illustration Friday - Baby

My entry for Illustration Friday - Baby.