Friday, March 13, 2009
News Flash: Andre has his driver's license
February 11, 2009 was the 11th anniversary of the finalization of Maya's adoption. It was also the second anniversary of her memorial party. And it's also the day that Andre got his driver's license. Mostly he still drives with me because generally we go together when we're taking the car. But in case it's raining, he can now drive himself to Adult School for ESL class. Or he can drive up to UCSC at night to work out in the gym by himself if I can't go.
So, WATCH OUT WORLD! There's another Haitian behind the wheel.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
February 2009
We had a really mild winter this year -- until February. Then it rained and rained. Andre finally got a taste of cold, wet weather. Between storms, we rode bikes along West Cliff Drive, one of our favorite things to do together.
Feb. 1 was Xochiquetzal's first birthday. She's Sergio and Griselda's fourth child.
Here's Xochi getting a birthday kiss from their new pup Carmelita. One of the neighbors brought her little baby boy over. Andre couldn't resist asking to hold him.
I spotted their hands together and couldn't resist getting a close-up. We celebrated Valentine's Day by taking Andre bowling for the first time. He scored a decent 79 and 75, with several strikes and gutter balls. I hadn't bowled in a long time either and scored 87 and 96, but I used to average about 120.
Anyone who knows me, knows that Luis Valdez, director of Zoot Suit and La Bamba, is one of my heroes. He's teaching a class at UCSC on Chicano theater with his son Kinan who now runs El Teatro Campesino. The Chicano Latino Resource Center sponsored an informal talk with Luis and Kinan. That's Luis with his wife Lupe and Rosie Cabrera, the director of the Chicano Center.
I've been friends with Erica (above right) since we were housemates in the mid-1980s. She invited Andre and me to watch her hula group, which participated in the Dance Around the World show. I didn't get any photos of Erica's hula dance because I was videotaping, but I did get a few shots of other performers.
Feb. 1 was Xochiquetzal's first birthday. She's Sergio and Griselda's fourth child.
Here's Xochi getting a birthday kiss from their new pup Carmelita. One of the neighbors brought her little baby boy over. Andre couldn't resist asking to hold him.
I spotted their hands together and couldn't resist getting a close-up. We celebrated Valentine's Day by taking Andre bowling for the first time. He scored a decent 79 and 75, with several strikes and gutter balls. I hadn't bowled in a long time either and scored 87 and 96, but I used to average about 120.
Anyone who knows me, knows that Luis Valdez, director of Zoot Suit and La Bamba, is one of my heroes. He's teaching a class at UCSC on Chicano theater with his son Kinan who now runs El Teatro Campesino. The Chicano Latino Resource Center sponsored an informal talk with Luis and Kinan. That's Luis with his wife Lupe and Rosie Cabrera, the director of the Chicano Center.
I've been friends with Erica (above right) since we were housemates in the mid-1980s. She invited Andre and me to watch her hula group, which participated in the Dance Around the World show. I didn't get any photos of Erica's hula dance because I was videotaping, but I did get a few shots of other performers.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
January 2009
Leaving Las Vegas on New Year's Day, we drove through miles of desert, hung a left into Death Valley, came out alive, then turned north towards Snow Country. As night fell, we splurged on a nice hotel in Bishop with an indoor heated pool, jacuzzi, and big TV with all the channels. Naively, I had thought we would cut home through Yosemite, not realizing that they close the pass as soon as the first snow falls. The hotel clerk told us we had two choices: go south, back the way we'd come and head home through Bakersfield, or risk going north through Reno, possibly getting snowed in.
The next morning we decided to go north. Andre had never seen snow before this trip, so we wanted to be sure he got a good taste of it. The scenery was gorgeous and the little towns adorable. Not only did Andre get to see snow, he drove in it for a while, until it got too heavy. Then Daniel or I took turns, as if we're experts at driving in snow storms. We kept hearing rumors that they'd closed I-80 or that chains were required. So we charged forward without stopping except for gas and food. I called a childhood friend in Tahoe, but all roads off the interstate were closed. Besides, we didn't want to get stranded for days until they plowed our car out.
By the way, for you young'uns, that's an outhouse -- or outdoor bathroom -- on the left. I'm glad I don't have to get up at night and trudge through the snow to go pee!
Daniel and Andre had stopped at an Army surplus store in San Diego before the new year. Somehow I don't think their camouflage worked well in this weather. They should have been wearing white like me and the snow bunnies, so they could blend in.
On January 16, 2009, the 2nd anniversary of Maya's death, I played in the National Women's Seniors/Masters Racquetball Championships, in Canoga Park near L.A. I had never played against women in my age group before, but I was optimistic after beating most of the men up at the university racquetball courts in Santa Cruz. Boy, was I in for a surprise! The winner of my division (50-54 years old), Debbie Tisinger-Moore, is a 20-time national champion and finished undefeated. Check out Reta on the left in the photo below. At 80 years old, she's still competing. Her good friend and opponent Mary Low Acuff made the patchwork quilt that I won in a silent auction, pictured below. It's pieced together from some interesting tournament t-shirts. Mary Low died a few years ago and Reta says the tournaments haven't been the same since. Can you find me in the group shot? Good luck. I'm the brown-haired spot near the top right.
Here I am in my fluffy pink tournament vest with Nidia from the 55+ division. Doesn't she look fabulous. This was the 20th annual Seniors/Masters nationals, but only my first. I'll definitely be back for more next year -- and hopefully better prepared.
The organizers of the tournament were very thoughtful and scheduled all the matches in the mornings and evenings, giving us the afternoons to go out and do other things. In 80-degree sunshine, Andre and I headed down Topanga Canyon Road to Santa Monica Beach. It was a day that Maya definitely would have loved. I bought California license-plate key chains with all our names on them: Andre, Chelsea, Daniel, Dany (his son), and Maya (our daughter).
On Saturday, the second day of the tournament, we headed down to Hollywood between matches. Andre had been to Venice Beach before on one of our trips to San Diego, but Santa Monica and Hollywood were both new for him. I hadn't been to Hollywood since it became such an amusement park. I looked and looked for my footprints in the sidewalk, but couldn't find them.
On January 20, 2009 we inaugurated a new president, Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the U.S. -- and the city of Santa Cruz went crazy (well, what's new?). While thousands huddled in the freezing DC weather to hear him speak, dozens of Obama fans gathered in downtown Santa Cruz to sing songs of peace and hope and celebration. We watched the speech later on YouTube.
The next morning we decided to go north. Andre had never seen snow before this trip, so we wanted to be sure he got a good taste of it. The scenery was gorgeous and the little towns adorable. Not only did Andre get to see snow, he drove in it for a while, until it got too heavy. Then Daniel or I took turns, as if we're experts at driving in snow storms. We kept hearing rumors that they'd closed I-80 or that chains were required. So we charged forward without stopping except for gas and food. I called a childhood friend in Tahoe, but all roads off the interstate were closed. Besides, we didn't want to get stranded for days until they plowed our car out.
By the way, for you young'uns, that's an outhouse -- or outdoor bathroom -- on the left. I'm glad I don't have to get up at night and trudge through the snow to go pee!
Daniel and Andre had stopped at an Army surplus store in San Diego before the new year. Somehow I don't think their camouflage worked well in this weather. They should have been wearing white like me and the snow bunnies, so they could blend in.
On January 16, 2009, the 2nd anniversary of Maya's death, I played in the National Women's Seniors/Masters Racquetball Championships, in Canoga Park near L.A. I had never played against women in my age group before, but I was optimistic after beating most of the men up at the university racquetball courts in Santa Cruz. Boy, was I in for a surprise! The winner of my division (50-54 years old), Debbie Tisinger-Moore, is a 20-time national champion and finished undefeated. Check out Reta on the left in the photo below. At 80 years old, she's still competing. Her good friend and opponent Mary Low Acuff made the patchwork quilt that I won in a silent auction, pictured below. It's pieced together from some interesting tournament t-shirts. Mary Low died a few years ago and Reta says the tournaments haven't been the same since. Can you find me in the group shot? Good luck. I'm the brown-haired spot near the top right.
Here I am in my fluffy pink tournament vest with Nidia from the 55+ division. Doesn't she look fabulous. This was the 20th annual Seniors/Masters nationals, but only my first. I'll definitely be back for more next year -- and hopefully better prepared.
The organizers of the tournament were very thoughtful and scheduled all the matches in the mornings and evenings, giving us the afternoons to go out and do other things. In 80-degree sunshine, Andre and I headed down Topanga Canyon Road to Santa Monica Beach. It was a day that Maya definitely would have loved. I bought California license-plate key chains with all our names on them: Andre, Chelsea, Daniel, Dany (his son), and Maya (our daughter).
On Saturday, the second day of the tournament, we headed down to Hollywood between matches. Andre had been to Venice Beach before on one of our trips to San Diego, but Santa Monica and Hollywood were both new for him. I hadn't been to Hollywood since it became such an amusement park. I looked and looked for my footprints in the sidewalk, but couldn't find them.
On January 20, 2009 we inaugurated a new president, Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the U.S. -- and the city of Santa Cruz went crazy (well, what's new?). While thousands huddled in the freezing DC weather to hear him speak, dozens of Obama fans gathered in downtown Santa Cruz to sing songs of peace and hope and celebration. We watched the speech later on YouTube.
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