Art...

I need it my life. I always have had it there and I will always have it there. When I was a little girl I loved to perform in front of everyone. I loved to play dress up with my cousin. I loved to color. I loved to take my dolls and stuffed animals and reenact plays or shows or make up my own. I used to write stories. Pages and pages of stories. I have a zillion unfinished journals. I fell into theatre in college and I never stopped. I ran a theater for a couple of years, served on the board of another, acted mostly, sometimes stage managed, directed a couple, helped with costumes, lighting, building sets, sound design down to cleaning toilets at no financial gain to me. But just to do it. I’ve dabbled in photography. I still write in unfinished journals. And now I blog my thoughts out to the cyber universe. Funny thing? I still do all of these things I just listed. I haven’t stopped and I never will. Music to me is another form of art. I used to play drums and piano and someday want to learn the harmonica and ukulele. I’m a tireless music fan. Will always love watching concerts, listening to music, listening to people sing, watching people dance. I love it all. All forms of art. My love for it has grown as I’ve gotten older. I never thought of myself as a painter, but not I consider it. I picked up a sketch pad and some pencils. I also bought some new colored pencils to continue coloring as I always have. Although I realize this can be an expensive art! Eeeesh, we’ll start small. I read a book by Christopher Moore called Sacra Blue. It was an odd comedy as his books are, but it followed the lives of famous artists and I found myself researching their work again and realizing I never appreciated art as much as I should have. Now I find myself wanting to attend art shows and really see what people have done. See if I can see their thoughts and dreams and emotions on a canvas. Since my life as an actor has slowed down a bit I have more time for other aspects of art and I’m loving it. I will still act – no worries there my diehard fans – but just not back to back to back like I used to. I used to do it sometimes because I felt like I HAD to. If I didn’t I would fall off the face of the earth. But I don’t feel that way anymore. I feel that art is already running through my blood and my soul and it’s just there. It will always be there. Hell. I’m an artist. So – I wanted to touch on a few things I have seen as of late. I saw The Balcony at Stages, put on my fellow MWC folks. It was a play I was in in college, but was pulled after only 2 rehearsals. It’s a play I’ve read a few times and love and is a play I was planning on auditioning for this time around, but when Papas health took a bad turn, my stage time will have to be put on hold for a bit. Theatre isn’t something you can just pull out of at a moment’s notice. You commit to the whole thing, so I was not able to do that. But – I went to see it last week and I have to say, I was a little disappointed. I realized that this is one of those productions that just don’t translate as well to stage from the text. I thought the costumes were over the top spectacular as the show calls for. Beautiful and fun. I thought Cynthia and Rick were fantastic. They are two actors who always blow me away. I enjoyed Jack and Robert’s performances and I thought Sean, Austin and Adam were the perfect amount of over the top and comedic. But it felt the long 3 hours it was. It just felt to me that it was always taking a bit too long to get to the point. I didn’t feel that way when I read it, but as I said, just didn’t translate well. I defiantly wouldn’t say it was a bad show though. I did enjoy it for the most part! The next day I went and saw War Horse at OCPAC. Now, I wouldn’t normally see this because I knew it was going to be sad, but I was dying to see the theatrics of the show. I had heard about the puppets and these shows always are so cool! So – a co-worker/friend and I went. Tissue in hand. Thank GAWD because oh did we cry. In fact, I think I was actually sobbing at a few points. That aside the play was visually spectacular. There were 3 people to a horse. To underneath and one next to the head. I was sure I was going to be distracted at the fact you can see them standing right there but somehow they disappear when performing. The subtle movements of the horse, the noises, everything was amazing. I mean after a vigorous scene the horse would be standing there BREATHING! The heaved it up and down as if it was out of breath. There were images on the backdrop that were gorgeous. One moment after a very harsh war scene it looked like blood was oozing through the backdrop and they turned into beautiful red flowers. Spectacular. There was a hilarious goose that made appearances and the man who played the German deserter was brilliant. That was another thing I really liked – I do not watch war movies/plays usually due to how upset it makes me with my antiwar hippie mentality, and this was no exception to the tragedy of war – BUT they didn’t make either side look like the “good guys”. It was just sad. Period. And you felt for all of the soldiers. There was also this awesome moment where this big metal thing that symbolized a tank was moving around the stage operated by men, so ominous and cool! I loved it. I don’t know if I could watch it again but I am so glad I went and was able to see how brilliant the special effects were! Also earlier this month my dad treated us to Tower of Power playing at Coach House early January. You want to see music at perfection? Watch Tower of Power perform. These guys have been at it for 40 some years. The horns are the tightest you will ever here. I guarantee it. They are all having so much fun up there you can’t help but jump on the ride with them. Every single musician is fucking amazing at their craft. They also had an opening band that was a blast, but I of course lost the paper I wrote their name down on. So when I hear back from Coach House hopefully I will add it in here. They were a bunch of hipster looking kids that started out a little rough but once they got comfortable – nailed it. It was as usual an amazing night of music. So January has been full of some damn good art. I will hopefully be putting more of my own out there but plan to share more that I see. Keep on making art my friends!!! I mean the earth needs it! Without it it’s just EH! ;)

Dating...or lack there of...

Ok.Here’s a rare blog on dating, because I worry someone will read this and think I’m silly. Or weak. Or dumb. Or desperate. I have been watching a lot of SATC lately. Carrie put it out there in her column all the time! Why can’t I? People do enjoy my honesty right? Well here it is:I’m putting it out there again.They say when you really want something you put it out into the universe right? I think I wrote a letter on here a few years back asking for my ideal man, but I wasn’t ready then. I admit it. I haven’t been ready until now. My marriage ended in 2004. I was jaded. Hurt. Bent. I didn’t want to get into a relationship ever again. Trust was a huge issue. Well – Obviously right? Then I fooled around. I don’t even know if I can call it dating, more like having fun. But I suppose it was a form of dating. Then I tried online dating. Not much, I didn’t make it very far. It’s very weird and foreign to me and the types of people that emailed me were awful and weird. I went on one date only for practice. To try it out, see if I could do it. I wasn’t that interested in the fellow, but he was persistent and seemed nice enough. Let’s just say it didn’t go well. I felt like I was on an interview. It was awkward. I promptly cancelled my online profile after that. At the same time I was going to therapy, thinking that if I bettered myself as a person – maybe I could put a more positive vibe out there and be more attractive to people. I don’t know, I was grasping. I had also made the decision to not have sex unless I met someone serious. Maybe that was my problem? I was sleeping with the person too soon. Well, this made for the longest drought in Jami history. Then my head exploded. Well – we all know that story. Back on the mend, I went out with a friend of a friend. He was nice. Not much chemistry but I was willing to give it a bit more dates to see if it would go anywhere. He apparently wasn’t. He went out of state then totally blew me off. After a few weeks of wondering, I decided to ask. WTF. He was the type of person I expected an honest answer from and figured we had developed a good camaraderie of sorts. I flat out asked him – why did you blow me off? I also asked him if I did anything specific that may have turned him off. He answered very honestly, no chemistry, he apologized for blowing me off and I did nothing wrong. We are friends now. Then I went out with another fellow near the end of last year that did have a lot of baggage and holding onto some anger and I pretty much knew it wouldn’t go anywhere but I still started falling for him then - again – got totally blown off. This time I didnt bother following up. Stung a bit.
I’m a horrible dater. I have no game. I really don’t. I need help. So – here I am. Still single. I’m surrounded by people getting engaged, getting married, having babies, buying houses, starting lives together, etc. Even my go to boys have all settled into apparent actual real relationships. I’m not saying this is the reason I want to meet someone, but it certainly makes it difficult.SO I’m ready universe! I really am this time. My cookies are baked. 40 is looming. I’m in a totally new place in my life. I’m happy. I’m in my own pad. I’m happy with my job. I am totally enjoying life as much as I can. I am grateful for every second that I am alive and well. I’m not looking to get married or even live with someone, but I would love – absolutely love – to have a boyfriend. Someone who I can count on, who I can snuggle with, who I can act like a total dork with, who I can share my hopes and dreams and fears with, who is a constant in my life. I don’t know if I want to get married again. I don’t know if I want to have a child or two or none. But what I do know is I want to share my life with someone again. So here it is updated:
Dear Universe: I would love for you to please send me my man. The man who will love me and I will love so fiercely. A man who is single. A man who is straight. A man who loves animals and won’t mind my furry children. A man who can financially take care of himself. A man who politically swings to the left. A man who is active. A man who loves life. A man who will love an independent woman with the mouth of a sailor who rambles on about nothing most of the time who is a peace loving hippie who loves her friends and family and cats and who loves to laugh and write rambling blogs that some people actually read. I would love to meet this man and we fall madly in love with each other. I’m ready. Thanks so very much!Love and kisses, JamiPS – To my readers – if you know of this man, please send him my way!

Cold, the tumor, some art and activity...

In that order: SO - was ready to jump back into activity and smack. Cold/Flu. Had that for a week. Cold also meaning the place I live in now has no insalation and we have had the coldest cold snap I think SoCal has ever seen. Really?! It was 30 degrees a few mornings. Ice on my windshield. ICE!!!!! I feel like I'm camping when I sleep because I have about 10 blakents piled up on me and the little piece of flesh that may peer out freezes. In the mornings have this awesome dance of plugging the heater in the living room area as to not blow a breaker, shut the door part way so the heat can get in, turn on the fan to suck up the steam so the smoke alarm doesnt go off and dance around my scalding hot shower trying to warm up but any part of me not in the water gets cold. This has been my mornings as of late. I long for summer. But I love my new place! Yes it's cold and yes the power is a little iffy but it's mine and it's cute and I'm happy. :) The tumor. I had my follow up with tumor doctor. He showed it to dad and I on the MRI. So weird. It's sitting on the lower balance nerve in my brain/ear canal it looks like. There is a high chance I will lose my hearing in my right hear should it grow/move/hiccup. He tells me I have 2 choices. Take the fucker out now or MRI it in a year and see if it has grown. It hasnt grown since the found the thing in ICU in June so that's good. If I remove it now there is a 70% chance of hearing preservation which is apparently very good. Of course there is a risk of me losing my hearing with they take it out. As the doctor begins to tell dad and I what the 5 HOUR SURGERY entails as if he's describing a ball game (involving peeling back my scalp, removing bone, taking fat from my stomach to cushion it when they close it cuz my BRAIN IS EXPOSED) and my dad and I's chins on the floor I decide to wait. He assumes the tumor is fucking up my balance/dizzys but isnt positive. My hearing is awesome right now so - since it isnt ruining my lifestyle at the moment we wait. If the thing has grown even a tiny bit when we MRI it again next January it most likely is scalp peel back time. If I notice any change in balance/dizzy or my hearing this year I'm to immediatly have an MRI. SO, here's to hoping I dont lose my hearing and the little bastard doesnt grow. Some art! I took an art class tonite with an amazon coupon deal Ber and I got and although the man was a little odd, we had fun! Ber is already quite the artist but I have never drawn. I've sort of tried, got annoyed and quit. I've never been good at it nor had the patience to try. Well, since I'm not doing as much theatre as I usually do, I have found myself drawn to doing crafty stuff or at least exploring it a bit. Like the mini alter I blogged about. I was so surprised that I actually did pretty good. Well tonite the man said I was quite good and he was surprised I have never drawn before. Ber also told me I did a good job so this gives me a bit of hope that maybe I dont suck as much as I thought :) I'd like to dabble in this a bit more, so maybe next paycheck I'll pick up a sketch pad or something. I also want to try to make fun little things for co-workers and friends and am finding a lot of cute things on Pintrest so we'll see where that goes as well. I'm really enjoying this new found longing to do more of a variety of things! I want to blog more, but the computer I'm currently using isnt the best so I have stopped the Writers Book of Day blog as you probably have noticed but I was pretty much done anyway. I really did enjoy what it got me to do and when I have the time I plan on going through all of the blogs I wrote and highlighting some stand outs for sure! I'm pretty excited to do this! Here's my start at drawing. Not totally lame right?

Activity! I signed back up with Boxing Burn!!!!! It felt great! They were happy to see me back and I havent really lost my strength which is great. I find I dont hit as hard though since I dont have frustration I feel I need to get out. Since I'm a bit chiller now I'm not looking to beat the hell out of the bags anymore. I do notice a difference for sure. When the hit racks the body like they do it's tough, so that's also why I'm not going as nuts as I previously did. I did have a moment on Monday night after a really vigorous portion that the blood was rushing through my body and my face and my head like it does and I stood there. Scared. A woman who knows me asked if I was ok. "I'm scared" I said. She smiled and said "Hell I would be terrified!". The moment past as I talked myself down but it's going to be a little scary at 1st I know. I'm sore but the good sore. I went again last nite and am so so very happy to be at this again. I also cancelled my membership to Fitness 19. Walking into the place made me break out into a cold sweat and I did my best to keep it together as I signed the cancellation slip. It may be silly but I just dont want to go there anymore. It's fine too, because I dont really plan on getting back into the weight training I was doing since I cant really lift alot and I'd much rather do my cardio outside. Walking or riding my bike so no regrets there. I've also started up another bowling league that's on Tuesdays and is just two person teams. I adore my teamate so we'll have fun I think. The Thursday one was just a little too serious for me. So there it is, my little update. I'm learning to budget a bit now that I"m back out and still a bit buried in loans. I'm getting active again which is awesome. I'm getting more into artsy crafty stuff and looking forward to my new adventure in my little pad.

Hello 2013!

Recap time. It's weird. I always go back and read my last years recap blog and the whole time I was reading it kept thinking..."Little did I know 2012 was going to try to kill me." Man. It's still bizarre as all hell to think - June 2012 I should have died. Makes for an interesting life turn I'll tell you that. So here's my recap on a year none of us will ever forget. I was rolling into 2012 hoping my lifestyle change and road to positivity and being a better person all around, etc etc was going to continue to move forward. I realized I was not as far along as I actually I thought I was this time last year. I did improve quite a bit yes, but it's just different now. It's so hard to explain. But anywhoo - here we go. I brought in the New Year with a couple of friends at the Bistro. I wanted some of us single folk to get together and have each other. We had a wonderful evening as always and I was excited for the year to begin. January also brought my appointment with a Buddhist therapist. I saw her until May. She was teaching me some good techniques, working on changing my way of thinking, starting to teach me some meditations, etc. Then she started talking to me about medication. I was crushed. I had told her how against it I was and she knew this. We argued, she eventually withdrew but that was it. I dropped her. Jan/Feb/March was filled with many fitness classes, photo classes, shows, dinners, etc. I was still on quite the Groupon kick. End of March I was in the Post Mortem Political Burlesque show. I wasn’t too thrilled with the show, but it was fun and I was funny :). April was a great month. I saw April Foolishness which I blogged earlier about and I took an amazing road trip with my best friend to San Francisco for another dear friends wedding. Blogged about that as well, but that was truly a highlight of my year. This was my official favorite month of 2012. May brought the dreaded colonoscopy. I know, who blogs about this shit right? Pun intended. I mention this because I find it ironic that amidst all this fitness and the few races I did make it too earlier in the year I was getting Physical Therapy for a hip injury that was looking like surgery was in my future and was seeing a specialist and going through hell with gut issues. Then came June 6th. We all know what happened then. I still remember that moment in Fitness 19 standing up after doing my 3 sets of 12 bicep curls on the machine and having the most gnarliest headache of my life. I still have not been able to return to the gym. I know it's not why it happened, but I think I may have to cancel the membership. I just don’t think I can return. It always takes me awhile for things to sink in. When I was in ICU I refused to believe I could have died. When I was in recovery I was so impatient and annoyed that I was in so much fucking pain. And was I. I thought I knew pain but man was I mistaken. When I was starting to feel better and I started researching the statistics on how low the survival rate is for my SAH I still had a hard time processing it. When people ask me "Is your life changed?" I hesitated thinking "I guess?" Well, it's here now. I'm a changed person. I am officially clique. Yes ladies and gentleman - I almost died - this has made me look at life completly differently. I can sum up the rest of the year pretty much as surviving and recovering and accepting things the way they are. My medical bills were enormous. Thank GAWD for insurance. My dad helped me with some of them. I made it through. My mom took care of me. My friends wouldn’t let me push it. I'm here. I'm alive. And I'm different. Summer was a blur, obviously. I've been easing back into life. Walking, cycling, and taking it easy. Halloween wasn’t as "Halloweeny" as I'm used to. Jay did throw a lovely party though. Thanksgiving was bitter sweet as you see in my last blog and the holidays have been filled with my heart breaking as my Papa is withering away and me moving into the little caboose I now reside in. I did briefly date a boy for a little over a month here at the end of 2012, somewhat hoping it would turn into something special but alas no. I’ve also been through an array of awful and weird tests as the lovely specialist people try to figure out what to do with the tumor in my brain, or schwanoma as I have found it’s called, so I’m dealing with that and the nice fucked up motion sick turned weird since the SAH situation. They have said when you have an “event” in your brain it jacks you up. “Event”. Seriously. That’s what they call it. It’s weird to be careful now. Although it was fun directing my lovely strong friends who came out and moved me instead of me lifting anything. New Years Eve was spent unpacking, drinking wine, watching my Sex and the City DVD and trying to help my kitties adjust to the new pad. Quiet. Alone. But not sad. I fell asleep before midnight but woke up a few minutes before. I walked outside and heard the world celebrate. It was a very interesting moment. I heard so many cheers and horns and singing but in the distance, like I was in a bubble and the world was celebrating around me. It was nice. I was glad to see 2012 go. Very glad. I enter 2013 alive. Grateful. Starting over in a way. New place. Happy at my job. I'm hoping to sign back up with my boxing burn class next week. Bowling starts up again. I want my active life back. I fought to survive and now it's time to live. No resolutions this year. No expectations. Just hopes and dreams. May this year bring you all the happiness you can stand. The love that engulfs you. The adventures that inspire you. Live life. I am. (Oh, and PS, I was going to add a few photos but I need a new laptop. Sort of havent been able to purchase that yet....)

Bitter sweet Thanksgiving...

The holidays are getting tougher every year as my grandparents are ailing and such is the way life is. We have been prepared for this particular year to be extra rough due to the fact that hospice has been brought into their home and they now have 24 hour care. Most of the time 2 people at a time. Someone to care for my Papa who is pretty much bed ridden and one for my grandma. We usually have Thanksgiving over at my brother and his wife's place since she loves to host this particular holiday. This year mom was planning on being with the grandparents all day to take care of them (along with our male day nurse) and make them a turkey dinner. My brother and his wife still planned on having it at their house. I planned on hopping back and forth. Usually we have a larger crowd, but this year it was just us and my dad and his wife and D's father is in town so a total of 6. Since my mom usually brings over a lot of the food for Thanksgiving, she had still planned to make stuffing and send it over with me. I of course was bringing my usual bottle or two of wine. Mom and I were awoken to a 4am phone call. The paramedics had been called on my grandma. I got up with mom as she dressed to head over and my heart broke when she realized she wasn’t going to be able to now work the extra Black Friday job she had signed up for at the Disney Store to make some extra money. As I returned to bed I lay awake tears running down my face wishing I could do something. Anything to help her out, but I'm doing what I can. She knows it. I know it. But my heart breaks for what she is trying to juggle right now. I take a deep breath and think positive. I will keep my chin up. She pops back over around 8 saying grandma will be ok and released if the x-ray on her tummy comes back ok. She then broke it to me that I had to make the stuffing. Oh lord. Now for the comic part of my blog. So mom started to explain what I needed to do why I whined that something had to be open that I could just go buy some stuffing. She laughed and said it will fine and to use a casserole dish. When I asked what a casserole dish was she just laughed and lowered her head, pausing realizing how sad her daughter really was when it came to cooking. As she left to return to the hospital I puffed up my chest and thought "I can fucking do this." I laid everything out, glanced at the time and decided to get in a morning walk. It was beautiful out. I worked up my heart rate and returned sweaty and amped. "I can make stuffing." After my shower mom called and informed me they were coming home and if I could bring a change of clothes for her when I came by. I turned on my "Happy" playlist and started in. I was singing along and cutting celery when "slice". One of the celery sticks filled with blood. Yup. Cut my pinky. Shit. Tossed that celery piece, washed and bandaged my finger. This will not deter me. I then began cutting the onion. OH MY GOD. How do you people do it!!!! My eyes were pouring with tears. I kept walking into the other room trying to clear the air. I finally text my friend who is a ridiculously talented cook and asked her WTF. She told me to stick my head in the freezer. And no shit - it totally worked. She also said she wears goggles when she cuts onions so I felt a little less of a wussy. I turned to put the giant knife in the sink when Tweaks ran between my legs and I tripped almost impaling myself. Awesome. I learned what a chicken bouillon is and started to make broth. Who knew these ugly little squares can make a broth. As I was stirring them and trying to mix it up I started to smoosh them with a spoon since they werent dissolving as quickly as I hoped. Sploosh!! Bouillon broth in the eye. FYI - this does NOT feel good. Ok done. Melted the butter. Burnt it. Fuck. Melted another bowl of butter. Success. I mixed everything together with a mix, sprayed the casserole dish and read the directions to put it in covered. This is the one time I had to call my mother. "Can you put foil in an oven?" I asked. "Of course you can, why on earth would you think not?" mom asks. "Well you can’t put foil in a microwave!". I hear her sigh and I stick the stuffing in the oven covered in foil. Who knew? As I finished getting ready the house began to smell like stuffing. Real stuffing! Not burnt food! The buzzer rang and I took off the foil for it to cook a little longer. When it was supposed to be done I kept taking it out and putting it back in. I did this about 5 times. One time actually turning the oven off and back on again. Did it look right?! Was it cooked right?! How do you people tell these things. It tasted ok. Dammit. I crossed myself even though I'm not Catholic and packed it up. Off to grammas I go. I brought in the stuffing for mom to taste and she said it was just fine! Yay!!! That prompted this photo:

I can’t believe I actually made something. And no, this does not mean I like it or want to do it again. It took way too long and was way too much work. I'm just not a cook. I really need to marry someone who does :) I sat and tried to visit with Papa. He was pretty out of his mind today. But we had moments of clarity. He was proud I made stuffing. Gramma was sleeping so I headed out. Shane and D's Thanksgiving was lovely. We of course ate 2 hours later than we planned. This has become quite a tradition. D said every year they say "Maybe we should put the turkey in earlier this year". Every year. But the food was fantastic, Shane loved my stuffing - he was the main test - and we drank and ate like gluttons. It was nice but we missed mom. I only snapped one photo this year, I know I'll regret that one but I did get the usual shot of Shane and dad battling cutting the turkey:

My mind was elsewhere this year though. MRI's and doctor visits for me have my thoughts, I worry about my mom, I'm sad about my grandparents, so much going on it seems. I deal with things much differently now, but I still have moments of drifting. I said my goodbyes and headed back over to gramma's. It's a good thing I did. Mom was feeding Papa and I tended to gramma. Our man had left early and our other gal wasn’t coming until 6. Mom ate her dinner in between running around and we switched grandparents throughout the night. When I was visiting with Papa he looked at me. Really looked at me and said your mother is amazing you know. I said I know she is. We had a wonderful conversation that was real. I told him about moving out and he knew Shane was working on the place. We talked a bit about Chapman. And he asked about my dating life and told me that he really wanted me to find a man who would treat me right. Then he looked away and when he turned back I knew he was gone again. Back came the talks of people trying to steal trees and things being torn up and a park being built. I swear one of the hardest things I have ever had to deal with in my entire life is watching someone you love lose the mind. My Papa looks so meak in his hospital bed and I know he hates it and when he's with us he wants to be. I know it's life. I know the man is 97 years old and I savor every single second he's with me. But it's hard. As he drifted off again I thought to myself how grateful I am for so many things in my life. Yes, we have struggles and yes my family is going through a hell of a time right now with many things, but we have each other. Shane showed up a while later (I think my dad guilted him into coming) and Papa's eyes lit up. I am thankful for my life. I am thankful that the staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital helped save my dumb ass. I am thankful for my grandparents love and especially my Papa who has taught me how to love. I am thankful for my mother who is a survivor and a fighter. I am thankful for my dad and his wife who help when then can. I am thankful for my brother and his wife and that they have and love each other. I am a lucky girl. I have a brilliant family, wonderful friends, a roof over my head, health insurance, 2 precious kitties, a fantastic job and my creative and humor. I am thankful. I am grateful. So very much so. I wish nothing but peace and love to all of my readers and remember to always be grateful for moments. Hold on to them. Remember them. Write about them. Share them. Thank you .

OC Chocolate Festival...

A festival. Of chocolate. How can you go wrong? I had seen this advertised last year and thought how cool it would be to go, but as usual just never got around to buying tickets or even researching it much more than a glance. Well, this year, my best friend emailed me the link on Facebook and said "We have to go!". I'm in. There were multiple options of ticket packages, so we opted for the $35 for 8 tastes and 4 spirit/beverage tastes. I mean if there's wine I HAVE to taste it. After watching the zillions of mouthwatering posts from the OC Chocolate's FB page we were excited to attend this past Saturday. It was held at the Hyatt Regency in Garden Grove. We were stoked when we drove past it and saw street parking just a few blocks down from the hotel. I had planned on driving around looking for free parking and there it was. We parked, excitedly got out of my truck and started speed walking toward the hotel. We were told the doors opened at 11am and we were walking up about quarter after. When we walked in there was a mob of people and lots of confused faces. Oh lord. I can tell you right now the organization in the front was disastrous. We asked the random guy asking people if they wanted to attend where we went if we already had tickets. He pointed to a table where frantic volunteers were trying to figure things out. There was no line, so we sort of guessed are way up to the table. A woman scanned our tickets then handed us wristbands. She said she'd cut them but didn’t put them on. Um. Ok. So Lib and I attached our own wristbands and joined the sort of mob that looked like a line. The doors weren’t open yet, so it was a bit chaotic. Along the left side was what looked like an auction table. I walked up and realized it was opportunity drawings. I told Lib I'll buy tix why we wait. The women said it supports the OC Boys and Girls Club so why not! The woman told me I had to buy the tickets where I checked in. Oh lord. I told the girl I wanted the 12 tickets for $20 and the 1 ticket for $5 (this was for a bigger prize). "That will be $46" she said. I picked up the little sign and pointed to what I wanted. "$31" she said. "Is there a lot of tax or something?" I asked. "I know I have an issue with math, but isn’t 20 plus 5 25?" Well apparently the machine said it was 12 tickets for $26. Ok forget it. I bought 5 tickets for $10. Well this started a war, because all the signage was wrong and the basket lady started yelling at the machine lady and a man joined in the yelling. The doors open and everyone vanished into the room of chocolate and there I stood with my tickets wanting to cry. I quickly filled them out, threw them in some baskets and ran inside. Good lord. Lib and I walked in and did a scan. It was much smaller than we anticipated. But we were still excited. There was this massive cake as you walked in and the banners introducing the place so I snapped these:

The first table we hit was this woman. Her business was called Le Dolce Vida and 100% of their proceeds went to an animal shelter! Oh my God I'm in!!! She was very sweet and explained what she had. "I have sweet and savory and wine!" she exclaimed. And you only had to use a taste ticket not a wine ticket. The wine was just a bonus. I started falling in love with her right then. The savory taste was a garlic/onion spread. OMG so good. The sweet was a hazelnut spread. Tasty! And the wine was divine!

Next we spotted cupcakes and Lib went in for a mint one. That's when we realized we could share our tastes and get even more! (This idea was regretted later). The mint cupcakes were soooooooooooooo good. The baker was called Bubba Sweets. They also had little cupcakes with bacon on the top! WTF?

We now decided we should survey the area and then come back around deciding what we wanted to taste. It didn’t take us long to circle the venue, but all the vendors had really great displays! Here is what it sort of looked like:

Lib had been dying to try this chocolate wine that was advertised. I knew I wouldn’t like it since I'm not a sweet alcohol type person - especially sweet wine, but Lib was game. The ticket got you 3 tastes!

I tasted one of the 3 that Lib said wasn’t too sweet. I didn’t like it too much, but it was a trip because it tasted like a normal red wine but then left this trippy chocolaty aftertaste in your mouth! Lib didn’t care for the other one too much, but did like the one that looked like a milkshake!

Next stop was Marco Paolo Chocolates. I was told it was hand painted chocolate. They were absolutely gorgeous, but I think they looked better than they tasted.

We then spotted the chocolate covered strawberries and ran that way but were told they were actually for sale for $5!!!! Down from $11!!!! For a strawberry! Um, we passed but look how good they looked!

We then chatted with this fellow. He had a trippy set up. We didn’t taste his chocolate because it was made with some really weird vitamany stuff but he had this chocolate truffle thing floating here. He had the personality of a weird mad scientist.

Then we smelled BBQ. Chocolate BBQ. What?! They were cooking pulled pork and had this chocolate BBQ sauce. It was soooooooooooooooooo good!!!!!!! It didn’t tasted like chocolate which I thought would be weird, but had kind of a smoky flavor to it.

Then we hit up Lovely Sweets. Lib bought Hailey a couple of cake pops and tried a chocolate peanut butter crunch covered pretzel. Very tasty!

Now we wanted some wine. So we wandered over to BBG Wines-King Frosch. Now, this vendor was a mess. They didn’t have a line, or really any sort of organization. They were packed and there was a man and a woman frantically pouring wine. We wandered up with a group and the woman ran over asking if we all wanted to try wine. Of course we did. So she gave us all glasses and started pouring. I opted out of the whites but Lib tasted those and I tasted the reds. Lib fell in love with a Chardonnay and I fell in love with one of their blends. The woman said we get to keep our glasses (awesome) and never took a taste ticket. Lib and I did each buy a bottle of the wine we liked, and I have to admit, part of my buying the bottle was I felt bad for the woman. One of the chocolate festival volunteers started helping and bitching at people who were trying to get more tastes and Lib and I realized we sort of scored. Whoohooo! But we did buy some of their wine so I don’t feel totally guilty.

We then found a woman who hand painted glass stuff from wine glasses to pitchers to carafes. So beautiful. I think Lib may order from her later. She was called Barbara's Delight. And I have to say - the woman was absolutely delightful!

Then I hit up Xan Confections and had a chocolate covered Carmel candy called Fleur something. Sooooo very good!!! I didn’t take a picture of it, but did take a photo of the adorable gingerbread candy next to it!

Libby and I were now starting to feel the angst of too much chocolate. Our tummies were starting to churn and I a slight buzz and a huge sugar high. We sat down for a spell and I spotted this:

I mean what’s a Chocolate Festival without a chocolate fountain right? I grabbed a pumpkin bread and doused it. She didn’t take a ticket. I tried to force it upon her but she laughed and said no need. We tried to get our wits about us and moved on. We came across this table where you could log onto your Facebook and write a review and get a free goodie. Um of course we'll take free stuff! Lib and I both opted for the giant coffee mug that says chocolate on it.

There was a long line for the gelato taste but we weren’t in a hurry so we got ourselves some. IT was called Mangiamo's Gelato and it was pretty awesome.

Then I saw this!

You have got to be kidding me! A wine slushy! That can’t be good! But oh was it!!!! They are called D'Marie Gourmet and I plan on ordering some of their stuff next summer!!! Talk about a perfect summer beverage! This was about the time we realized we had still so many taste tickets for food and drink still left and we were dying. Between the sharing and some people not even taking tickets we were hurtin. I was bound to at least use up my taste tickets so we hit another one called Pretzel Sensations. Toffee pretzel crunch things. Amazing. Then I grabbed a chocolate covered Carmel from Amelia Carmel’s. The man started trying to sell me something but my now turning green face turned away. I then grabbed a vegan cupcake. Ok, these won’t be too bad - healthy right? Um nasty.

We were handed a vegan macaroon from another vendor that was equally nasty. I don’t know how you do it vegans, but those were not good at all. We now were done. Both of us felt sick and need to eat a salad or something. So I decided to use my last taste ticket on the first woman who was by far my favorite of the day. So I went back and she gave me an extra wine and I promptly bought a jar of the garlic/onion spread and a bottle of the wine. I gave my last two drink tickets to a man who worked there and told him to give it to someone worthy. Libby gave her remaining tickets to a darling little old couple. We were thrilled when they made an announcement that 10% of all purchases were going to Hurricane Sandy relief. SO all in in all it was an ok festival. There were food demonstrations, but I honestly don’t think anyone was paying attention because you couldn’t really hear anything going on on the stage. They were at least an hour and a half behind schedule so the list of times/events was now void. It seemed a bit of a clusterfuck as a whole. But it was still fun, and Libby and I had a great time. I hope the vendors get some great new business because it really was great for them. We rolled out of the hotel and took one final shot. Chocolate Overdose!!!!

Noches de Altares 2012...

I have started attending this pretty regularly now for a few years. The Dios de Los Muertos Celebration is technically November 1/2 but the 1st Saturday in November, whatever date that may be, they have what is called Noches de Altares in downtown Santa Ana. I am fascinated by this Mexican holiday that celebrates the lives of those passed on. The altars are set up usually with marigolds, flowers, sugar skulls and many many other types of decor. There is usually a few items that the departed enjoyed (booze, items, food) and something for them to wear (perfume, cologne) when they return on this day to celebrate. It's a beautiful celebration with gorgeous altars, the air filled with sage, living flame bringing a spooky beautiful atmosphere to the event. Usually my friend T builds the altar for our friends at Bistro 400 and paints my face. This year she was unable to attend so I attempted to paint my face on my own. My friend Ber joined me and came over a bit early to attempt to paint her own face as well. I think we did pretty good!

This festival co-incides with the Santa Ana Artwalk they have on the first Saturday of every month so it's grown to be quite an event. Parking is always a nightmare and this year was no exception. Ber and I ended up parking across 1st Street in some neighborhood behind Original Mikes. The festival was as usual beautiful. The altars were gorgeous. The festival has seemed to grow though and I would say it was much more crowded this year than years past. We met up with another girlfriend of ours and two of her friends. Then another pair of our friends Petey and Bobby Dean joined us. We had dinner and drinks at Bistro 400 as we always start and end our evening here usually and off we went. This year we had a hard time staying together and ended seeing the festival in different groups. But the crowds were mellow (with the exception of a drunken incident with some dude crashing into Ber) and people for the most part polite. Folks were friendly and happy to share a story about thier loved ones. We looped the entire festival, no merchandise puchases this year but had a lovely evening. After final drinks at Bistro, we didnt stay since we were all a bit worn out and the festival was just a bit to busy this year for us. But I snapped some great shots as you can see below! Enjoy!

This was an altar built for foster children and the woman was having people write notes and messages to the kids. I filled one out "Always love who you are".

More shots

This one made me cry

They always have this cool hearse set up with these guys

There was another car this year...

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This guy was pulling this little gal around with really loud music playing and it seemed they followed us everwhere. It was a bit creepy...

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Here's our rogue crew....

My friend Patrick

Ber & Petey

And my Bobby Dean...

Like I said, we didnt make the Art Walk portion but I'll leave you with this creepy installation we did pass on our way to the car!