Found on the Venice boardwalk

Since moving to Venice Beach, I've likened its vagabond roots and earthy feel to a West Coast East Village. The boardwalk, which doesn't have boards, but travels along the beach and looks almost like Coney Island minus the gangs and the homeless people here wear less clothes. In fact, in the 1890’s, Abbot Kinney dreamed of transforming a deteriorating marshland west of Los Angeles into a renaissance resort that he called the "Coney Island of the Pacific." He also envisioned a resort town culturally reminiscent of Venice, Italy, complete with canals, gondolas, amusement piers, hotels and Venetian-styled structures. Over the years, Venice, CA, became the birthplace of the musical group The Doors, which is why there's a mural in tribute to the band along the beach here. Now, instead of rides and games at this boardwalk though, you have artists selling their wares or "performers" asking for tips, dozens of tattoo shops, palm readers, Chinese massage tents, muscle beach, rollerbladers and well, you name it.

Here are some colorful photos I took of a woman selling Mexican Dia de los Muertos items. We bought one of the male crosses for our wall and the skull photo makes for a great desktop wallpaper on my laptop.

 

 
Video: Totally unrelated, but it's been cracking me up for over a week now, it gets better as it goes on, Simba meets Kelly remix 

IV and the stomach flu

At 3 a.m. on Sunday I woke up to stomach pains and continued to throw up until the next day for a total of 7 times. I couldn't keep any substance down not even water and I had body aches, so around 5 p.m. I went to a 24 hour clinic. They had me waiting in the waiting room for awhile though, to the point where I was wishing I was just sleeping at home. Being the fainter that I am, I fainted on the floor in their hallway there, which although sucked did prompt my care from them. I was wheeled into a room and put on a cot after throwing up one last time.

The doctor said I probably had the stomach flu and that he already diagnosed seven other people today with the same thing. He ordered blood work to be done and an intravenous fluid to be put in. I was so dehydrated though that they couldn't draw blood, so they had to try in two areas. All the while I'm trying not to faint again from the needles and my body aches were feeling even worse by the fact that I was shaking uncontrollably. I was given two bags of I.V., which felt so weird and uncomfortable. I could literally feel the freezing liquid spread throughout me. They had to put an extra blanket on me. I was there for 4 hours. It was miserable and was taking forever. In the end I was told I had the a stomach virus after all and given a drug to stop the vomiting. I was also told to stay home from work and to keep hydrated. Now that it's not coming right back up, it's been easier to do.

I've slept most of today and last night. I don't recall ever sleeping so much, but I guess my body needs it since I keep doing it. *sigh* Hopefully I can get back to work tomorrow, but if I feel like I do today, I doubt I'd be able.

News: Stomach-churning virus on the rise, here and across the U.S.

Surprise Muffins

While doing a mini Star Wars marathon on Saturday (we watched the 3rd and 4th one) I made some Surprise Muffins.  They are muffins with, surprise, jelly inside of them. Take a look, I used my heart shape silicon cupcake pan.

They are pretty easy to do, here's the recipe:

Surprise Muffins

Yield: 12

Oven: 400 degrees

1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (I used almond this time)
2 cups flour
3/4 cup of Jelly/Jam any flavor (I used blueberry, grape and strawberry, since that was what I had in the fridge.)

Heat oven to 400.

Line 12 muffins with paper liners or lightly grease

In large bowl whisk the egg, milk and oil and then add and mix dry ingredients. Do not over stir though it should be slightly lumpy.

Fill muffin cups about 1/2 full, then drop 1 teaspoon or desired amount of jelly or preserves in the center of each. Add remaining batter to each muffin cup, over the jelly to fill area.

Bake 25 minutes until golden brown. It is common to have some of the jelly leek out.

Remove from pans immediately. Best served while hot. Enjoy!

Bowling for bragging rights

One of the things we did while my mom was in town was go bowling at this alley in Santa Monica. However, all of us--Raphael, my mom and I--are very competitive in nature so I knew it would mean for some good times. There was definitely a lot of smack talk and joking. My mom meanwhile only bowls once every two years, but still manages to beat me and anyone playing with us, men too. Raphael is also used to being the top player. I can accept that I'm not great at bowling,yet I still want to win of course, but I settled for coming in second in one game. 

My mom won each game though, beating the both of us.

Our third and final game was everyone's highest scoring round of the night.  I got a 124, which included three strikes and two spares, not too shabby if you ask moi. Here I am after leaving one pin still standing. The picture of me on my knees leaning back as my 8-pound-ball rolled down the alley came out blurry, hehe.

Raphael scored a 156 and was quite cocky about it ;)

My mom bowled a 165 and was officially the Bowling Queen. Look, here you can tell that she knows it too.

When entering our names into the computer we all used inside joke names. My mom was Chavez, I was Exotica and Raphael was Pokey.  It was funny to see the screen flash our pseudonyms whenever we would get a strike. Good times, good times.

Mommy at the bat

Yesterday evening was my last softball game for the season, I know if I was back East I wouldn't even be playing until the spring "season." I play on a co-ed team after work on Tuesdays, which I joined at the end of October after moving here. The problem is we are sometimes short female players and when we only have four girls, we are given an automatic out as a result, which stops any of our momentum gained in the inning really.

So yesterday we only had three girls, which means we would have had to forfeit our last game.

Never fear, my mom came to the rescue. Yes, my 51-year-old, but you would never know it, mom, wearing flip flops filled in for us as catcher. Catcher in this league mean you just have to cover home and return the pitch to the pitcher, you don't have to crouch down or wear protective gear. So, she borrowed socks, tennis shoes and an extra glove from the other girls on our team and filled in like a trooper.

The catch though, no pun intended, was that my mom had never played softball before. So when I wasn't in the field or up at bat, I'd be showing her how to swing, the umpire also kept explaining that in our legue if the ball hits the base it's a strike and two strikes you were out and not three etc. The best is when I was out in Right Field I'd see her behind the plate rolling back the softball to our pitcher like she was bowling. It was great. Everyone was really supportive that she was helping us out, even the other team. 

We lost the game, but I got a double, one RBI and my mom hit the ball at her last at bat. She just stayed at home plate too long admiring her hit and watching where it went and if it was going fall, so by the time she ran to first base she was out. hehe oh well. It was so cool having her play with us though.