Free Fallin': 5 (BIG) Things I Miss About the Valley

So many of you probably gather I no longer live in my beloved San Fernando Valley. I move to Colorado when I was 18. However, I have a lot of great memories of my old stomping grounds. My little family visits at least once a year...in fact, we will be traveling back shortly. Things are pretty different from when I used to live there and in some ways that is a bummer. Perhaps being removed from it for long periods of time changes your perspective a bit. Looking through rose shaded glasses and all that jazz. But it still moves me. The streets. The sights. The signs. The smells. I miss it terribly...and these are the top 5 reasons why.

1. The food. PUH-LEEZ, as if you din't know Los Angeles has amazing food. And not just amazing food, but special to L.A. proper. In n Out and Tommy's are completely unique --- as was Law Dogs and Shoestrings. But I think my favorite place to visit is the Farmer's Market which a huge diverse selection of food rich in culture and flavor. And watching the old timers chat it out or play chess is just a bonus. I feel like I am stepping back in time. LOVE IT.

2. The ocean. Now notice I did not say "the beach". Don't get me wrong, it is beautiful but I am not a big fan of the sand. Or the cold water. Or getting any of that business in my swimsuit thankyouverymuch. What I do love is how it sounds. And how it smells. And how it feels on you skin early in the morning before the sun burns it way. And how it looks when you crest over that last hill and see its gorgeousness spread out before you like diamonds twinkling on an endless canvas. It takes my breath away every single time...and I miss it terribly.

3. My friends. I have spent all of my adult life in Colorado. Which means I have left all of my childhood memories in California - along with my friends. Oh, I stay in touch with many of them - through the miracle that is the internet and the creation of social websites. But I miss being able to meet them at the mall. Or having a drink on Friday night with my BFF. Or when I really need someone to talk to, to lean on, to support - I am just too far away. I have missed important events such as weddings, birthdays, funerals. Things that if I had remained in California I would not missed for the world. Those who I have been able to keep in touch with I love dearly and my heart would break if I lost them in any capacity. I am forever grateful for those who have remained in my lives for this long. They make my infrequent visits to Cali all the more sweeter.

4. Theme parks. I am not gonna lie. I totally took living in a state with several theme parks as a given growing up. We (our family) spent A LOT of time going to Disneyland and Universal Studios. At the time, we were lucky because my mom worked for this cool company that gave tickets away for free periodically. We must have gone to each of them twice a year - AT LEAST. And let's not forget Magic Mountain. I am pretty sure I spent a large portion of my teenage years riding on Jet Stream or eating french fries after getting off Gold Rush for the 10th time. Dude, we even went to Magic Mountain in the RAIN! Of course I want to go back when I am in town, but good God - prices are outrageous! It isn't easy to scrape that $400.00 to walk in the gate, let alone set aside funds for food and anything else we might to pick up. So, *if* we make it to a theme park, I am completely giddy and excited and act like I am 10 years old. Miss it bunches...

5. The old stomping grounds. Sounds weird, but I have no problem playing tourist when we go out to California to visit. Everything not covered in the previous four entries fall under number five. We hit them up: Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach, Hollywood, Universal City Walk. We cruise Ventura Blvd and drive through Rodeo Drive (we even saw Paris Hilton once - we almost hit her!). I think a lot of it has to do with sharing. Our kids are old enough now where we can show them where we enjoyed hanging out growing up, what we did for fun, and where we used to go with our parents. I think my favorite trip was last year. We spent the day at the Natural History Museum, followed by a short walk to the Coliseum, them a quick skip over to the Museum of Science and Technology. A stroll through the Rose Garden ended just as the sun began to set. It was magical and I was blessed to be able to experience it with my family.

So, there is tons more I could mention. Los Angeles is so full - I could go on forever. I guess what I hope is that my children (who were both born in Colorado) understand how important that time in our lives was and how important it is that they know it and are part of it. Wouldn't you do the same?

In the World of Sports...Dodger Blue

Yeah, that's right. I am Dodger fan. I am REAAAL proud of it too. Growing up in Los Angeles, all I have ever known of baseball is the LA Dodgers. Sure, I have roots in San Diego and there is that other flaky team called the Angels, but there has always been the Dodgers. Now, don't give me all that mumbo jumbo about, "Yeah, but the REAL Dodgers are from New York and you better recognize." To which I respond, "Pshaw!" Alright? I will not justify such nonsense with anything else. Moving on...

ANYWAYS - yes, the Dodgers. As a kid I practically lived at Dodger Stadium. If I wasn't there with my mom and step dad, I was there with my Dad and brother on the weekends. We watched it on television when we couldn't make it to a game. I remember seeing those bright white, crisp Home Team uniforms move around the field, almost close enough to touch. Sitting above the bull pen made my heart race in the hopes of grabbing a pop fly ball. Racing to the player's exit, new ball in hand hoping for a signature. Standing on shoulders - on heads - to get my ball signed by the likes of Orel Hershiser, Dave Anderson, Pedro Guerrero - Kirk Gibson. We lived it, we breathed it, we loved it.

I was a Band Geek (I capitalize that because we are deserving of it) and I spent many years in Junior High and High School sweating my ASS off in the black top parking lot in my polyester jacket and jeans. We would practice with thousands of other school bands in preparation of us all walking on that lush, green - PERFECT - grass. And proceed to play the National Anthem in front of an undoubtedly sold out crowd. That was an incredible feeling... I also spent the weekends and all of my Winter Break during Senior year in High School along with hundreds of others like myself preparing to march in Pasadena Rose Parade with the LAUSD All City Honor Drum and Bugle Corps at Dodger Stadium. Getting up at the butt-crack hour of dawn to pick kids up all over the city to practice for HOURS on that hot, unforgiving Dodger Stadium black top. One of my personal highlights of my young life was also my own personal Hell for the same amount of time. I ended up getting the flu the day before the parade - and chose to march it anyhow. All seven and a half miles of it.

I remember very clearly standing in the Thompson's living room in Canyon Country, watching Kirk Gibson limp to the plate. I remember him hitting that ball. I remember him rounding those bases pumping his arm.The year was 1988. And I remember the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the World Series that year.

I remember.

Dodger Blue.

What's on T.V. :COPS

So, last night the fam was gathered around the television at our customary 7pm to watch our favorite Saturday night show. Yes. We watch COPS. As a family. Don't judge - I know you all are guilty of sitting in front of the television at some point in you life watching this show.
COPS came around in 1989. And America was hooked. There was some thing about watching these police men and women driving around with lights and cameras shining in the back seat - probably these huge over the shoulder things, chasing around crackheads and car thieves. High paced and entertaining, COPS was the ultimate reality - and perhaps leader of such television that come dime a dozen these days. It is interesting - COPS (followed by America's Most Wanted (for another day, another blog entry) still hold their original time slot and are still ran on their own original channel - FOX. Never strayed far and perhaps that is why it has become so iconic and a fixture in 80s/90s pop culture. COPS is always there.

We watch new and old episodes - they are a few cable channels other than the FOX network - and sometimes it is funny to see how law enforcement behave/react/follow through on situations they come across now and 30 years ago. An older episode is not short of brute force and aggressive tactics when dealing with criminals or potential criminals. I can remember a few instances where a foot chase ends with a camera man collaring the guy, camera in hand. Good stuff. That doesn't happen so much anymore. I am sure there are things that have happened behind the scenes that have caused the need to restrict the t.v. crew to being JUST a t.v. crew. But it is still great to see. And I am not going to lie. I have my favorites, like the naked man in the barbershop who has been shot multiple times and is so high on something it takes 5 or 6 policemen to pin him down because he is covered in blood (YIKES). Or the man pulled over by a cop wearing a D.A.R.E. shirt and gets busted for having drugs in his truck (bwahahahaha...). Oh then there is time my family and I were watching COPS and my dad says, "Oh my God, I know him." Yeah, reality bites. And is entertaining as heck...

Let's Dance.

OK. If you know me AT ALL, you know I am absolutely a music junkie. Yes, junkie. I am not going to sugar coat it. Music - it moves me. More than almost anything. I am not real sure when I realized it was something that had to have all the time. My parents were (and still are) very musically knowledgeable. Not just music of their time, but incredibly resourceful when trying to remember an artist or year a song came out or lyrics to a song. Music was always on - new, old, classic. Sunday mornings were for marathon music - usually played from a 45 or LP. Played full blast and the sound is unlike anything - even the HD stuff going around now. Fabulousness.

But I suppose it was Junior High, when I began to really embrace it. You know - listening to lyrics, knowing them word for word, crying over a boyfriend, hating your parents (I mean, I never HATED my parents really. You know what I mean...). What a way to express yourself. I was a "Band Geek" and played an instrument, but not completely dedicated to it. It kept me out of trouble and gave me an appreciation for classic stuff - Broadway mostly. And marches. Gotta love marches.

ANYWHO - I am pretty much across the board with what I like from the time I was a young person. But there are some staples. New Kids on the Block. Still love them. They go by NKOTB now - sooooooo mature, right? Ha. bobby Brown, Boys II Men, Bel Biv Devoe, and Color Me Badd (*groan*). En Vogue, TLC, SWV. R & B had some good stuff in the 90s. Almost all I listened to.


Gangster rap was good too - at the time, the videos and language were a turn off, I suppose I rather not hear all that. But I have great respect and appreciation for it now. For the innovation and creativity those men had to make that music. It is not uncommon to hear me blasting "Nothin'g but a G Thing" in my car with large amounts of bass. Fantastic. For rizzle.

You have your first look at grunge - the Seattle music scene. Full of angst and energy, Nirvana and Pearl Jam top the most notable list. I will be honest, I didn't care for a lot of it. Not my deal. But a lot of people did.


I guess something else I really dug was the soundtracks. Robin Hood, The Bodyguard, The Breakfast Club, Ghostbusters - crazy, but I really identify with movies and their association with particular songs. Stand by Me and The Lost Boys - good examples of how old, classic songs can be brought to the present day - to a new generation.

I want to point out that during this time - many very famous, successful musicians made some really great music in 80s and 90s. Madonna, Janet and Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Bryan Adams, Aerosmith, Metallica...I can go on forever.

The 80s and 90s were special because of the mere VARIETY of music. And I still really dig it all. I am really excited that my children have that bug too. Thomas likes to listen to Metallica and Aerosmith and April is forever taking my iPod to search through my collection of old New Kids on the Block or Wings music. It really warms my heart. Someday, the music I loved growing up will be classics my kids will love and enjoy and hum in the car....

...oh, wait.

In the News: Northridge Quake of '94

"I feel the earth move under my feet,
I feel the sky tumbling down, tumbling down..."

Well, not exactly. I mean I remember where I was when I heard about the earthquake. I was hundreds of miles away - in Vegas. It was the MLK holiday, a long weekend and I was woken up by my best friend, Silvia. I had taken the trip with her family and we had stayed with them at their house. I was 4 weeks shy of my 18th birthday.

What they showed on the television was absolutely terrifying. Buildings crumbled, freeways collapsed, people trapped. It was awful. In a time where cell phones were almost non-existent, I was unable to contact my family for hours. I mean HOURS. Because of everything going on with the earthquake, a trip that should have taken us 6 hours, ended up being 12. The traffic was horrendous. I just remember seeing everything and as we got closer to the Valley and prayed, prayed, prayed that my family was safe.

Thankfully, everyone was. My mom had told me about it - how it happened in the morning while it was still dark. How it felt like someone picking up a box and shaking violently, and about how everything in the kitchen jumped out of the cupboards and broke. She also left my room how it was, so I could see the damage done. Good thing I wasn't in bed, I would have drown. My goldfish that were in the aquarium across from bed - I found them laying in it when I got home.



I suppose the aftermath was the worst of it. The aftershocks, the sleeping in the camper in our front yard, the fires, and the countless families left homeless. School was canceled for a while - could have been a couple of weeks or so...I don't remember. But I do remember the tents. Schools and parks became temporary campsites - and Birmingham High was no exception. They were on the baseball field, the football field, and in our courtyard. I would pass them everyday going to class. That must have lasted a month. I do not remember exactly.



I find it interesting that one of the most significant things that happened in L.A. - I was not in town. Weird. I always think about how different things might have been if that Monday was not a holiday - the countless live that would have been lost in businesses, schools, on the freeways. CRAZY. Anyways, we left L.A. for Colorado soon after that - my mom was seriously and traumatically affected by the earthquake and jumped at the chance to move away. Changed our lives forever.

My kids, born and raised in Colorado, have never experienced. We recently visited the Science and Technology Museum in L.A. (its FREE!) where they have a exhibit where you can experience a rather large earthquake. We took our kids on the exhibit hoping they could gain an appreciation for what it is like to be in one. After we finished the "ride", my son turned to me and said, "Is that it? That was lame."

If he only knew....