Plastic Mermaids and Pastrami

Saturday we went to Culver City Skate park for an afternoon session, then couldn't resist going to Johnnie's Pastrami for lunch, since they are the BEST!

I brought the mermaids with me for tagging- Culver City needs mermaids too after all!
I placed one in the star Jasmine plant:
One on the light cord:

Then I got an onion ring shaped like the universal sign for "NO!" It must be a sign from the greasy spoon gods-
So I decided it was time to stop mermaid tagging the restaurant:

Magical Mermaids

I have been leaving little mermaids all over town. There is one next to the light in the bathroom of my favorite coffee shop:

Today I was at my favorite coffee shop hang out and one of my "little friends" came with her Mom and Dad. I had plastic mermaids in my purse. Every time my little friend would leave her seat to go inside for something, I would place another toy on her chair. We began to think the chair was magic and my little friend was quite excited at that prospect.

I like that 4 out of 5 of her fingers have Hello Kitty band aids on them. Super cute. That alone must make her magical!

The little Mermaids

More Not So Random Acts of Fun-Ness

So, for a while we were toy tagging, and that was lots of fun, but eventually we ran out of toys.
So I purchased little plastic animals and began using them; hiding them in purses, in bar bathrooms, in cars- everywhere and anywhere. When you listen to the recording of "All the Grown ups" at the Good Hurt, you can hear people in the background saying "I got a chicken, I got a Pig!" I hid them in the ice cream section of the grocery store. The joy of secretly giving; My Not so random acts of kindness. But eventually we ran out of the little plastic animals.
We also had lots of fun with John McCain, and many of you enjoyed checking in to see where he showed up. But people didn't get to keep John, they just got to live vicariously through him so it wasn't like sharing little gifts with the world....we were just sharing bits of our world with others.
So- I got mermaids. Little plastic mermaids. They are to assist in identifying drinks when you have more than 2 people in a room drinking (like those clever little wine charms) but these are clever little mermaids.

So far the mermaids have come with me to see the Meat Puppets:

(That little orange speck on the mike stand is a mermaid.)
And this little green mermaid got left on the toilet seat covers at the L.A. Zoo:

I had 60 mermaids to share with the world, I'm down to less than a dozen. Let us know if you find one.

The Meat Puppets

I like this interview and I don't know how to "follow" this blog- so I will post a link here:
http://decemberschildren.blogspot.com/2009/05/meat-puppets-have-seen-and-been-through.html

Here is a photo of Chris and the Kirkwood brothers:

May 6 2009 -

This time last year I was chalk tagging Nancy's house. I still managed to tag Doreen's for her birthday, but I didn't even take a photo.

17 years ago today my Mom died. Her death was sudden and I was left alone to take care of everything- from identifying her body to planning the funeral.

I found out 2 nights ago that my friend commit suicide. He left behind 2 young boys and his high school sweetheart. I've been his friend since we were in my very early 20's- I first remember watching him skate down my hill when I was 11 or 12. We first spoke when I was that age- he had the first backyard ramp I ever attempted to skate at that age.

I was angry about his death for a while and then finally sad and now just really missing my Mom on the anniversary of her death. I feel like I am walking through quicksand today. My body is heavy. My heart is heavy. My life is heavy. Duke stayed with me today and for that I am grateful. But- he can't be my Mom.

I need so badly to have a Mom figure in my life. My Mom did not lie, or gossip or manipulate. She did not diet or discuss her weight. She was an amazing cook and seamstress and business woman. She did not take any crap, but she could take honesty. She dealt with everyone on a professional, considerate, human level. I do not have any grown women in my life like that. I feel a huge deficit in my life right now.

I am 41 years old and the thought going through my mind and heart today is I WANT MY MOMMY.