Seagulls

Today, for the first time in my life I met three wild seagulls up close, very close, perhaps only 6 feet separated us. These seagulls were very large, much bigger than I ever would have expected. I had stopped the car to watch them wrestle with a take-out bag from McDonald's. All that was left were french fries. Oh how they hungered for those fries! They took turns shaking the bag with their beaks, sharp yanking as well, till the fries spilled out to be immediately gobbled. Several minutes elapsed during this episode, time for me to marvel how they seemed to respond to my attempt at loving bird talk. They seemed calmed somehow. They were thrilling company in their white finery so proud and strong; They must be smart too; they'd flown inland from San Pedro at least eight miles to a large parking lot in South Los Angeles. Every day, in Winter especially, fog rolls in from the ocean, fog formed by cold ocean air meeting air going south from the desert on the other side of the San Gabriel mountains. I'm so happy guessing nobody hunts them, or chases them, or tries to trap them, or poison them. The only violence in south LA is gang related, and gangs mostly kill each other not birds they may not almost literally ever actually see, let alone watch and thank God for.

Barry

 

Decorations Seasonal

(excerpt from my email)

There have been numerous times I've wanted to chat with you in response to one or another of your writings but sloth overtook me, I guess. Or, the little nasty voice that mutters, 'She doesn't care what you think.'  Ha ha ha ha.

I sort of miss a few of the absentees who've fled to Blogspot whatever. How could they, some of them, have been so chatty and personable, and now they're 'The Disappeared'? I feel quite cynical about it, almost to the point of going into attack mode. I'll try to restrain myself.

Happy New Year! There's a most odd, rich-looking two-storey home in Hancock Park, LA (Near the La Brea tar pits) that has the number(s) 2006 seven feet high on the lawn, beside which is a Black couple in a reindeer-drawn sled dressed as Santa. The place is all white 'snow' and 'ice.' All the lights are white. On the roof are three giant letters F  M  P and in small writing within the border of each letter are words spelling out
                      

                             FEED      MY    PEOPLE     

In daylight the rest of the year the only decorations are twelve, lifesize, statues (reproductions) of Michaelangelo's David, nude, spaced along and around the driveway. Some of those figures, today and for weeks, are, have been, wearing Santa hats. (Could it be the home of Larry Flynt?  ( Ha ha ha ha ha)

Barry

 

Presents, Surprises, CHRISTMAS!

The tiny gold chain with a tiny pearl circled in gold looked almost invisible in the box I bought it in as a gift for my wife. Yet, when my wife emerged from the bedroom wearing her Christmas present along with a glorious smile, chain and pearl looked utterly perfect.

On the 24th, earlier, we took the three kids to Knott's Berry farm, for their amusements, rides, Disneyland competition, and took a ton of pictures  even ended up with a polaroid of us underground in a mine traversing rapids in a log boat, for which they charged us plenty. But the shot is precious as we're all lined up in the boat looking oh so pleased with ourselves risking life and limb in an underground gold mine.

Today our 5 year old rode his bike excellently, but we had less luck with the 3 1/2 year old on his bike which we'd assembled from a kit that came in a long box. It was hell to assemble; we'd weakened when we bought it because at the time our waggon was so crammed full of presents, including the middle boy's bike fully assembled, that the slim, long, boxed bike parts was irresistible. The whole bike might work if I tip the seat a bit more backwards so the peddles are more in front of him to push on.  Or, we could pretty much give up for a few months and force feed him.

What my oldest son sees in having an iPod with video beats me. But upon opening the present, and he found it had video, I feared he'd have a heart attack brought on by bold prayers answered. I don't get it. He'll no doubt elucidate me.

Other presents included truffles, ham, money, surprise greeting cards, and endearments long hungered for. Christmas can be the season for what's longed for and finally delivered; Or, for stretching our miserliness even as far as loving everyone even if only for a day. Enough Christmassess, and therefore enough practice, one just might become fully human. I can dream can't I?

Love to all,

Barry

 

Voting

Yesterday morning I experienced a flood of emotion watching and hearing the news of Iraqi voting progessing well with a comparatively low level of violence. Polling places in America for Iraqis reported on television featured speeches of gratitude for American sacrifices spoken by exiled Iraqis. If this bloody war could end with us being able to say the phrase, "Democratic Iraq" without exaggeration, a catastrophe might be turned into a splendid victory.

Barry

Attempting to 'enter' Photos

I'm trying to enter Thanksgiving pictures but all the clicking required defeats me. The picture that might show up is my wife and son, the latter now nearly four.

Barry

Later Gator.....If you can get the photo bigger,

as invited by AOL, you're a better clicker than I am.... 

Cell Phone Advertising

They can advertise, T-Mobile and so on, Cingularity etcetera, but the fact remains that by far the best Cell Phone, Wireless company, is Verizon. Verizon Wireless. My family has three phones, one a camera phone. We chatter away all month, all three of us, and I'm delighted to report that each month we fall 100 minutes short of our Hours allotted. Another thing I like is how quickly our phones recharge. The camera phone takes a bit longer of course.

My wife looks so cute on her camera phone. She took some photos of the giant freeways of LA, took them through our windshield. I sent copies to my daughter marked, "LA cement," and "More LA Cement." What else could I do? She asked, after asking me to be Best Man at her wedding some time in the next year, to call her on the phone and to NOT write a letter. The list of people not crazy about my serpentine writing is getting longer and longer. Shuuuush, writing should pack a punch.

Barry

P.S. When she asked me if I would be Best Man I thought for a nano second then replied, "Sure, that's a leading role."

 

Semi-retractions

"Ads are not an endorsement by the blog author."                             - Aol banner disclaimer.  

 

I'm impressed. You?    Barry