Mar Vista Mom

Changes Coming Soon

Mar Vista Mom will be undergoing a few modifications, both cosmetic and in substance. Please stay tuned.

Mar Vista Makeover: Update October 19, 2008

Progress is being made, people. Slowly but surely.

Pacific Avenue is being paved between Centinela and Inglewood.

Or at least it's been torn up in preparation for paving. Hope phase 2 comes soon!

And the building next to the library is zooming up. Here it is on September 19th 

and today.

And Tacqueria Chihuahua is all gone -- now it's becoming a deli -- very fancy interior:

Check out the floor tiles!  I hear they may have online ordering and curbside pickup -- does it get any cooler? Fingers crossed, everyone.

Mar Vista Makeover: Update September 19, 2008

Big changes going on here in MV. Lots of fixing up, like this building on the corner of Grand View and Venice -- new paint job and now awnings!

Plus rumors of a new restaurant coming to the old Venus of Venice location (more recently Taqueria Chihuahua). I heard maybe a deli? We'll see.

A new building going up next to the library. What will it be?

Then something new coming into this spot, which used to be a thrift store. Looks like a bike shop? Just spit-ballin'.

And then here's the downside to gentrification: some stores will have to go. 

Rock'er, a surf shop and one of the pioneers of the changeover of the area, is closing its doors at the end of the month and going 100% virtual. So you can keep shopping online, but until the end of September you can stop by in person and get a fantastic bargain as they sell off some inventory. Don't wait! Go soon!

Time For External Change

New Hair!

Old Hair:

Politics Unusual

 

I am a Democrat, always have been. And I have been dismayed at my party so often in the past few years, it's ridiculous. THEY'RE so often ridiculous.

The abuse of power, the affairs, the squandering of an election that was IN THE BAG, the unwillingness to stand up and not be ashamed of our party's core values, the inability to GET ORGANIZED. Oy! The list goes on.

But NOW! Now things have changed! I am excited once again about the party.

I'm excited to see the muscle, the creative outreach, the use of 21st century technology, the powerful image-making machinery working for my side for a change.

Because I believe in everything Obama spoke about Thursday night. I believe we have a responsibility to help people in this country, I believe that THAT is the job of our government. I do!

Of course I get that that means it's really OUR job. That it means that whether we pay more taxes or do the volunteer work ourselves -- it's OUR JOB. 

I also believe that we could spend less on the horrible war in Iraq and spend more of it here in the US, and that maybe that might not even mean an increase in taxes at all!

So you have to know how thrilled I was to hear Barack Obama speak to me that night -- to speak to my hopes and dreams for this country -- to say them out loud -- in front of the world -- a Black Man holding the attention of the whole world -- it was (and I mean this in its true sense) AWESOME.

I am in awe of this man, and this society, that finally has the courage to let him stand in front of us, and to say the words I have longed to hear. Ever since 4 years ago, when I heard his speech and told all my friends I had just heard the future President speak -- ever since then I have been thrilled, excited, awed, and called to action.

I've wanted to express this is a personal way, in a public way, since my fellow LA Moms Blogger, Jessica Gottlieb, expressed herself and her politics to me. I had to ask her to weigh-in on Sarah Palin, since she's the only Republican -- and certainly the only thinking one -- I know. Maybe that's crazy and narrow-minded on my part. To only surround myself with like-minded people, was it on purpose or did it happen organically? I can't say, but I can tell you my world has expanded since I started blogging, and that can only be good.

Photo credit the DNC website. Photo used with fingers crossed...

Big Changes, Big Challenges

I found out today that the Principal of our school is leaving for a new job closer to his home. Just to be perfectly clear, school starts next Wednesday, and his last day is this Friday. Have you done the math?

Well, I have. We're starting the school year a man down.

The Principal lives really far away from our school and has always had a super long commute, so I don't begrudge him a job he can get to in 20 minutes. He's a good man and has been a great Principal. I've come to respect him and call him a friend. So I celebrate this move for him and his family.

And at the same time, I am sad for us here at the school. And I'm worried about what all my PTA members are going to think and do. I have friends here who've said before that they don't know if they'd stay at Grand View without the Principal we've had. Who knows what they'll do now?

And what about our PTA? Much of what we've been able to do has been facilitated by this man. He often let little regulations slide in the interest of achieving the greater good. And there were countless times he helped us work out ideas for organizing our community and moving it forward.

He will be missed.