Today Was A Good Day

So I actually had a really great day today. I feel so much better and so much more normal. I've been getting more rest since I've been offtrack, things with Diego are more "calm," and I've been going out more with different people.

I went to the gym today, for the second time this week! Hooray for me!! This doesn't sound like much, but believe me, it is. I haven't gone in three months, so this is a milestone event.

After I got back, I went to Beth's house. On the way there, since she gave me bad directions, I ended up being stopped in the middle of the street in an adjoining neighborhood. There was this old Japanese man in the street with a lawnmower. I initially thought that he was transporting it from one place to another. However, this was not the case. He was literally mowing the street. It was the weirdest and most surreal thing I have ever seen. Well, until later on in the evening, that is. He was smack dab in the middle of the road, and I had to idle my car for like a full minute. Then the man looks up and stares at me like I'm some sort of weirdo. Go figure!!! In a little bit he sort of moves to the side to run over a leaf that has fallen into the street, and I take off.

Beth and I went to the Pasadena Museum of Art. I wanted to see these paintings by Mark Ryden. They looked really interesting. On the way there, we saw a large crow eating a dead squirrel on the sidewalk near Mike's seminary school. ?? So strange. They we saw more roadkill by the school. Actually, Beth saw many many many many instances of roadkill on the way back.

When we got the museum, the lady said it was free, because they were sort of empty. We were like "ok," so we went in. And the pictures were gone!!! I was sad. We both were. Well, there was one left hanging on the wall. I guess the exhibit ended last weekend, but neither of us got that memo. So we looked at the pictures in a book they were selling in the gift shop.

We didn't know what to do with ourselves afterwards. We thought about going to the Asian Art Museum a few yards away, but neither of us are too into Asian art. So we went to Colorado (?) and went shopping. We spent an hour in Urban Outfitters, and then Beth got some cute earrings on sale at Banana.

We were stuck in traffic for awhile, so when I got home I had to haul @$$. Diego was supposed to be at my house in 10 minutes and I had to change, etc.

We drove to Cinespace. I really like this place. I've only been there once, to see Garden State, but it left a really great impression on me. Last time it was totally packed. This time, we were the first ones there practically. We were watching House of Flying Daggers. I guess it wasn't a very popular movie? Or maybe people don't like eating and reading subtitles? It was a bit difficult, admittedly. It was cool though, because we got the best seat in the house. Totally at eye level with the screen and right in the center. :)


Best seat in da house

We ordered spinach dip and chips, I got the rosemary chicken (which was HUGE), and Diego got some shrimp chipotle pizza. I think mine was better. At the end of the evening, $9 was missing from our bill, which was totally awesome. Dinner and movie and dancing was only $41. Not bad!


Fresh mouth

As always, Diego and I took our couple headshots. We have a zillion of these. A fact that was causing me distress when we weren't together, because I literally have ten thousand pictures of us. *sigh*


Diego and me take 1


Diego and me take 2


Diego and me take 3


Kissy face...ugh, I know, I know...

Kissy picture is actually a new thing. This is our third one. Dunno....

So afterwards, the place turns into a dance club. Last time it was PACKED, but they were playing weird music and we just left. This time, there was NO ONE there. I was sad, because I wanted to dance, and that doesn't happen very often. We decided to wait awhile, so we took a seat in the lounge. That's when the surreal part of the evening took place.

We were sitting in the lounge. Everything was normal. Then, the pirates showed up.

Like ten people came in at the same time wearing pirate outfits. It was the weirdest thing. And over the course of maybe 20 minutes, like 30 more pirates showed up.


Pirates


More pirates

I felt like I was in a dream or something. It really was the weirdest thing. Diego and I were just staring and laughing. It was so weird, but in a good way! I am glad that we were there for this, because when is this ever going to happen again? I actually felt like I was on one of those comedy shows where a couple walks into a bar, and it ends up being a pirate bar, and a whole bunch of weird things happen.

So all the pirates started drinking and mingling and running around. One guy had a fake/dead bird on his shoulder. Some of the pirates were having sword fights. It was awesome. Then the DJ put on this weird pirate song, and I felt like I was at Disneyland. So strange, but cool.

The pirates started dancing to '80's music. The songs were good, and Diego said we should dance. I didn't want to at first, but went after a bit of coaxing. He said, and he was right, that we may never again get the chance to dance with pirates. I usually get self-conscious about dancing and it takes me awhile to warm up. However, surrounded by pirates, I was totally at ease, and was letting loose like I haven't in some time. It was so much fun!! If only there were pirates everywhere!!! :)


Pirate dancing


Pirate party

Grunion Run!!!

Tonight Emily, Natsuka, and I went to Cabrillo Marine Museum in San Pedro to watch the grunion run. I've always heard about this, but have never actually seen it. I talk about it in class, because I teach Farewell to Manzanar, and Jeanne's family catches and cooks the fish. Also, I think I saw it happen on Dawson's Creek. Even my grandma has witnessed the event, though not on purpose, as she is scared to death of fish. She said that she rented a house on the beach, went for a walk, and was attacked by fish that jumped under her wrap skirt and into her crotch!! Well, the fish that we saw were not this active. They were less concerned with jumping than with burrowing themselves into the sand.


First sighting

I got there late, because I was at Diego's house taking care of him. He was sick, and he called me to come over for two days. I was there tending to him, making sure he was comfortable, cooking him food (two kinds of Chinese soup that you eat when you're sick), etc. I'm off track, so it's no biggie. Only, he was burning up, and I didn't want to catch whatever he had.

By the time I got to the beach, there were like NO fish. Emily and Natsuka said they saw alot, but that the fish can sense vibrations, and everyone running around the beach and flashing their lights was scaring them away. :( I was sad...


Finally, fish!

But then, lo and behold, the fish arrived. Emily wanted to leave, because she had class in the morning, but I was staying put, so we stayed longer. And the fish came!!!


Fish and apples


More fish and more apples


Even more fish and even more apples

The weirdest thing was that there were apples everywhere. This is not the same apple in every picture. They are different apples. What the heck? We even saw half a watermelon floating around and what looked like a mango. It was fruit salad! Yummy yummy? Anyone know that song, besides me and Stephanie?


Where are all these apples coming from?


Looking dead


Even closer

One of the dumb things was that the fish would show up where no one was. We're all looking and thinking, "dammit, where are the fish?!" And then they'd be off to the left. So everyone would run to the left to look at the fish. They'd get spooked, and wouldn't come back, and everyone would be thinking, "where are the fish." Then they'd show up on the right. And everyone would run to the right. It was a bit moronic.

Plus, we had lights that were not all that bright. This one guy had a spotlight flashlight, and he could light up the whole length of the beach. That was pretty cool. Emily kept trying to burn out my retna with hers, and she kept on turning on the alarm by accident (it was one of those emergency lights with all the special features). I think she was scaring the fish away. Along with any possible rapists.


Hella fish...


Standing room only


Grape crushing fantasy

By the end, there were a lot of fish, but it was already midnight, and they were closing the beach. I'm sure the fish were happy that we were leaving, because they were being forced to strategize their beaching locations.

Some of the museum people were collecting fish in buckets for research. They had this presentation to show how they "milk" the fish. By "milk" they meant bend the fish in half and squeeze the eggs out of them. They said they were being gentle and weren't holding the fish, but it was appalling. Natsuka and I were totally grossed out with our mouths open and all agape. I swear I saw like three of them bleed from their egg/genital openings. They didn't look like they were being gentle at all. Also, the "milk" was actually from the male grunion. After collecting the eggs in a bucket, they would milk the males for "milk" (aka semen) by bending them in half and squeezing them as well. Poor, poor fish...

New Beginning?

Goodness gracious....

So Saturday, my grandmother invites Diego over to the house. She wants to "talk" to him about things. Of course, she demands that I be present. It was horrible. It was humilitating. Yet, when she was done, Diego and I began to talk. For both of us, it was pretty much the final closing of the relationship.

However, somewhere along the way, we decided to try again. I'm not sure if I am a total idiot, or if I am merely a part idiot. Diego says he is not the guy for me, for many reasons I am not going to relate on my blog. And he may very well be right. A great part of me (my mind, mostly) agrees with this assessment. Yet, all things said, and all things done, I am not ready to give up on this relationship. So many MANY crappy CRAPPY things have happened. !!! It's incredible. And, for all intensive purposes, this relationship is dead in the water. I don't know if this is the right thing, but I feel it is my last effort. It is the only thing left that I can do. Forgive and move on, and try to work things out. It may not be fair, but I'm not sure if I could live with the consequences of not doing so. If things do not work out with my forgiving and attempting to move on, then I think I may be ready to surrender to inevitability. For whatever reason, I love this man. Why me.....??

We went to lunch and actually had a nice day.

Today, Diego took a personal day and we went out. We went to the driving range, which was actually quite enjoyable. It took me 30-40 minutes to warm up to the whole thing. I get embarrassed easily, and it's quite embarrassing when you continuously miss the ball, swing the club idiotically, and/or hit the ground instead. *sigh* However, I improved!!! Towards the end of the first bucket of balls, I was hitting them up in the air and over 160 feet!! Yay!!! :) I found out what I was doing wrong (I realized that I wasn't locking my left hand in place, and this was severely affecting the effectiveness of my swing!!). Hooray! I'm not bad!!! And this was my first time!!

After the range, we went to 3rd street in Santa Monica. We saw a basketball player, a random actor, and Minnie Driver! I like her.... We also saw Kingdom of Heaven, which was a pretty good movie. Not excellent, but good. We went shopping, I bought too many clothes (again...), and we had dinner at Father's Office one more time (I like this place).

I just got home a bit ago. I'm very tired, I ate too much, and need to hit the gym in the "morning." But it was a good day. We've now had two good days in a row. The first of many months.