Mar Vista Mom

Pressure Post

OK, I thought about posting this, then thought better of it, then got PRESSURE to post it. And I have succumbed. Here goes:

I found my old boyfriend on Facebook. Probably a common story in this day and age. And it turns out we both live in the same town.  Or at least close enough (Santa Monica and Mar Vista). And it's been long enough that it's OK to get together. 20 (freakin) years. Wanna feel old? Try to imagine a relationship that  ENDED 20 years ago. I think you know what I'm saying. It's all water under the bridge at this point. Or else you have an ulcer for holding on to that crap for so long. Get over it!

Anyway, we wrote on each other's walls (21st Century metaphor for something sexual? Maybe, but not in this case), and made plans for coffee. As we approached the actual date, another old friend was going to be in town at the same time, so we all planned to get together.

We met for brunch, something we did as 20-somethings on a daily basis, it seems. And it was fine. A little awkward at first, as you check-in with each other and see where everyone's at -- does he still laugh at this kind of joke? Is he still as liberal as he used to be? How will we all get along? 

Well, we got along great. It was fun. we laughed and talked for hours. HOURS. I can't even tell you the last time I sat and talked with a girlfriend for that long. It was fun.

One of us has more tattoos than he ever did before, and one of us has more gray hair than she did back then. (Who?) Two of us have children, and two of us have gainful employment. Pretty different than 20 years ago. But what could possibly be the same after so long?

My old boyfriend, by the way, is known as OBJ, which stands for Old Boyfriend Jim -- not that he was ever old, just that he was my old boyfriend. Significant because I then had a New Boyfriend Jim, or NBJ, who then became HJ, or Husband Jim. 

And check this out -- honestly, I couldn't make this up: OBJ is currently dating a woman named Sarah. 

Yup, seriously. Honest. 2 couples named Jim and Sarah.

And on top of how nice it was to see my friends from my old (20 years ago) life, they told me this piece of trivia: a movie we all worked on in 1985 or something -- a crazy piece of exploitative crap we cut our teeth on as baby filmmakers -- AND all had parts in -- this piece of shit low-budget trash film had in the cast a young unknown actor who's now quite famous (and rightly so) -- Peter Krause. I never would have remembered him in a million years because it was all a memory I'd have preferred to forget, but there you have it: a Hollywood story, Ladies and Gentlemen. Sarah Auerswald and Peter Krause in the same movie. Look it up on IMDB, I dare you!

UPDATE: OMG! I'm not credited for Blood Harvest!!! Where's my agent????

Let's Clear The Air And My Head With A Meme, Shall We?

This is one of those THINGS I used to hate to see in an email. Used to just delete on sight. But this one is really pretty funny. I have smiled every time I read anyone's answers to this. And I could use a laugh...

My friend and fellow LA Moms Blogger Florinda does a meme right, I guess.  Here goes:

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, current car):  Oscar Camry

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe):  Heath Bar Crunch Croc (SO not a gangsta name, but cracking me up)

3. YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (favorite color, favorite animal): Black Dog (fits)

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born): Jane New York (nope)

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first three letters of your last name, first two of your first name): Auesa (kinda)

6. SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Brown Mojito (ridic)

7. NASCAR NAME (the first names of your grandfathers): Dewey Edgar or Edgar Dewey. (either works)

8. STRIPPER NAME ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy): Lauren Chocolate (works)

9. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your fifth grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): Sarner Seattle (not from 5th grade I can't remember that far back, so I picked another grade, closer to my present)

10. SPY NAME (your favorite season/holiday, flower): Summer Tuberose (kinda stripper-like)

11. CARTOON NAME (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now): Blueberry Skirt (eh)

12. HIPPIE NAME (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree): Cereal Willow

FUN! And a nice diversion.

My kids' hippie names were: Oatmeal Apple Tree and Waffle Peach Tree. LOVE those!

You Gotta Laugh (At Least I Gotta)

It's Parking Day!

Check out this site -- this movement -- whatever it is It's called Parking Day. It's cool! People take over parking spaces for a few hours and make them into parks!

Today it happened here in Mar Vista, right around the corner. Here they are setting up:

And here it is from across the street:

Cool!

Labor Day Celebration

We spent the second-to-last-day of summer enjoying some of the Best of LA. 

Lunch at Pink's.

Free Admission at LACMA thanks to the fantastic Target corporation.

(And believe me, with the amount of money I spend there, I've helped them make the profits they used to make this free day possible.)

And no trip to Hancock Park would be complete without a visit to the Page Museum -- my kids' favorite.

Just beware of the Dreaded Tar Cones!

Block Party Fun!

It's been a week of colds and chilling out and not blogging (obviously). But I'm back in action and I want to start with a re-cap of our FANTASTIC 4th annual block party.

There was the giant food tent:

The giant bouncy (WITH slide):

And of course, the DUNK TANK:

What I don't have pictures of, but were also awesome additions to the block party, were the baking contest, the raffle, the snow cone machine, the margarita machine, the kegs of beer from Angel City (thanks, neighbor Michael!), and the 2 (two? yes, two!) pinatas.

Oh and also the fact that we had a WONDERFUL time hanging out with our neighbors and friends. It's always such a blast. We love our street and we are blessed to know so many of our neighbors. Yay Mar Vista!