My Favorite Easter Moment

  Here is a picture of me crying happy tears and my Irishman grinning like I've never seen him before (isn't he just purty? - sigh) whilst my mom and dad give us their blessing...

Ironically, as the day-after Araiza family get-together emails and pictures began today, my mother mentioned her favorite moment at easter was the singing together and the good food.

I wrote back and I qoute, "umm: the real best part about Easter was my dad announcing to the family Patrick and Elsa's ENGAGEMENT!!! helllooooo!! (See how it stinks to be the baby of a huge family?? By now the novelty has worn off). Well, I ain't no spring chicken but at least I am not going to be a crazy old maid with cats any longer.....!!!"

Enough said!

Feliz Easter!!

 It was a lovely and very warm San Diego Easter Sunday in Kensington at my sister Sylvia's house.
 



After over a week of being very sick it was lovely to get out and see the familia and...oh eat a lot.
 
 
Much fun was hiding the 500 or so candy-filled Easter eggs..!!?? I just don't get it - there are only 7 kids nowadays in our huge family - and we had THAT many eggs to hide??? Holy cow! It was a lot of fun and as usual I did some tricky hiding places (including laying down and putting them on my eyeballs). The kids have got to be on sugar over-load by now...



But the best part was having my dad announce after the prayer that Patrick and I are engaged. I give my Dad so little to brag about, unfortunately, in my life - it meant a lot to me for him to say it to the Family. It was short, sincere and - bam! made me cry tears of happiness into Patrick's shoulder. For I am happy, ya'll - I am HAPPY!!

Birthday Shout Out: Heather - 36!!

One of my best friends and roommates from college, Heather - is celebrating a birthday!! I highly recommend clicking on her link on the right side of my blog to check out her blog H1West (the freeway in Honolulu where she resides with her marine lawyer hubby Noel and their 2 photogenic children). Heather sports fabulous thick tresses of hair, a long hobby of photography and a writer's kinship of having a funny knack at blogging about everyday things... Best wishes and mucho love!

Alleluyah...!!!

 After 2 decades of not even wanting to ever marry (or feeling I deserved to marry or anyone deserved me he he he) E has grown up a bit, been around the block a couple times and made some decisions about Life.

With not much fanfare she has talked it out with her Irishman and emerged this weekend wearing that traditional Irish promise ring, The Claddah Ring, on that left hand. At nearly 36, and a couple proposals later, all I can say is that in my humble but vocal opinion - marriage is not based on romance, sex, a diamond ring, or a pretty house together, but rather the commitment to be together and see each other at our best and worst and through it all be willing to take each other's hand and still keep walking forward. I know P has already seen me at my ugliest and my worst, thank God there won't be any surprises in THAT department he he he.

Jokes aside, my wise mother, a marriage counselor, once told me, "Marriage is a decision made, Elsa." I am so truly blessed and happy to announce that my Patrick and I came to that exact conclusion together. God is Great!

E is MIA

 Yawwnnn.. I am exhausted! Alas, I remember the days when no matter how tired I was or how painful my chronic dry eye condition is that I have (especially when staring at a computer screen for more than 5 minutes) - that I would blog almost daily.

Well, my dears - in case you haven't noticed I've been Missing In Action a bit. I have been so busy working since December that I am very backlogged in getting blogs out. And elsamart has so much to say!!!

Put it this way: I've been painfully limping on a badly injured knee for almost a month now that I haven't even had time to go to the doctor to check out - that is how busy and working I am lately.

But no fears: I file away my juicy stories and thoughts in the files of my wonderfully functioning memory. There will be more to come, cats and kittens (just not tonight or tomorrow)..

It's no Trick...Just CLICK!

Some of you observant readers of 'elsamart' might have noticed those google ads and other ad links on top, bottom and sides of my articles. Well, shameless plug here - those generate income for yours truly and since the incarnation of my journal blog about a year and a half ago I have generated roughly $240.00 in google ad sales from those very links being clicked on once in a while (mostly by me and my man).

Be a pal, it's harmless: give one a click here and there - even if you stay on the page for 1/2 a second I get the income from it and any effort is, as always, greatly appreciated... :)
Gracias, danke, grazie and thank you!

CLICK!

Be My Valentine

  Well, shoot - P put his foot down and, although without any romantic fanfare (or even presented on V day, itself): went conventional on me and bought his gal a heart-shaped box of chocolates and a single rose after all.... :)

**Editor's Note - of course the gesture was sweet and appreciated (he he he I woulda killed him had he spent more on me). But perhaps he was also making up for my UTTER DISAPPOINTEMENT from the night before when he and I, accompanied by his Irish guest, Billy, and my friend (and sometimes blog-subject) Richele went to the club "Shooters" in North Park for 80s Night to find it gutted and closed!!! Absolutely shocked and saddened am I - can't a mid-30s broad just get her 80s 'skank' dancing on???? :(

Thanks for being my Valentine, P. Love you...

Valentine's Day of Love, Friendship (and SKAKEDOWN)

Hee hee hee. If you don't know what I mean by the term "shakedown" please refer to this previous blog here.

 





So tomorrow is Valentine's Day. It will be my 2nd with Patrick. And for the 2nd year we will be doing nothing to celebrate it. Last year we had his daughter Ciara that night. This year we have his childhood friend, Billy, visiting from Ireland - whew hew - I get to hear P's Irish accent come out (he only uses it with his Irish 'peeps').

I read that the average amount of money that men spend on their women on V Day is $122.79. Holy frijoles! Our plan tomorrow night is to go to 80s Night (loyal elsamart readers know I just LOVE my 80s music) up the street at the North Park bar/disco "Shooters". Totally radical - I can't wait to put my dancing shoes on! Shoot - maybe I will make P pay my $5 cover charge - he he he.

That said: I'm in love, I love my God, family and cat, too. In fact I love many things in this life and world and I am appreciative of the friends and family I have - including you: my readers around the world - so consider yourself all my Valentines ... and none of you have to buy me dinner! Hugs and Kisses!!!

"Donna Marsh" Grand Opening

This short runway model with Mexican hips blissfully still finds herself working in her mid 30s at some of San Diego's top fashion events. One of my latest was the Grand Opening of the Donna Marsh store in La Jolla on January 22.


More than 150 'must have' designers are featured in the store including: Badgley Mischka, Trina Turk, Tag Jeans, Marc Bower Glamit, Marissa Bartelli, and a mind boggling spread of unique jewelry, purses and more.
  It rained but it did not damper anyone's spirits. They actually closed the street of Fay Avenue for 1 block and set up a large white tent a la Fashion Week. With great lighting, a great runway, great food and cocktails - a party of 200 invitees was ready to start!
  Already culling a lot of fashionista buzz with her store in Palm Desert, this evening sealed the deal marking Donna Marsh as the 'go to' place to shop for San Diego's well dressed (especially since Saks Fifth Avenue closed in La Jolla).


  I loved the set-up for the evening and was pleased to 'walk' with some fellow model gal friends from my agency. I still do not know how it is that I work, and if you saw me in college at a size 12, with unplucked eyebrows you'd understand more. But I have learned how to walk well and how to present clothes and my biggest compliments at the end of the show was from Donna, herself, who said that I was her husband's favorite model since I danced and had the most fun up there.

  Good times, great store - not that I could afford to shop in it... :P

He purty but he MY man!!!

 Okay, okay folks - I got one thing to say: Foreign does NOT equal = GAY!

Now, this is coming from an expert: MOI. I am highly versed in dating foreign men and being a "fa- hag". Yes, I admit to believing that my previous ex Italian, Mik, was gay for the first 2 weeks of meeting him as my next door neighbor - but that was partly because of the extremely tight Italian pants and T shirts he wore, the fact that we lived in Hillcrest (the gay part of town). Also, I already knew for sure 1 roommate of the 3 was gay, and Mik and Danny were constantly together and going out together and going to soccer together - I thought they might be a couple. Lastly, his northern Italian accented English was also a bit fay-sounding. See picture below of Mik, my old roommates Caren and Kim, and Danny at the ultra fay Hillcrest GAY PRIDE PARADE.
That said - I hear a lot of Americans (ignorant ones) bellow out that foreign guys are a bunch of 'fa-s'. (Personally, I just think they are jealous since it is widely known that American women LOVE foreign accents and foreign men.) *sigh*

Well, my current handsome beau of almost 2 years, Patrick, is from Ireland -- although he's been here long enough now to only use the accent when he wants to (too bad for E!!). And, yes, people throughout the years have also pinned him for being gay. When he lived in the USA in his 20s, he hung around a small group of straight guys, but were all into alternative music and that look - pegging them as 'gay' to the socially unaware American. (Puleease - those boys had plenty of female company back then...)

On my first date with Patrick, we ended latter evening for a drink at the gay bar, "Bourbon Street" - partly because we both lived nearby and I also wanted to see if he was comfortable in his skin and not anti-gay. Well, all eyes were on my date, I can tell you - and gay men usually love ME - calling me "Penelope Cruz", etc etc. When one of us would go to the restroom he'd be singled out and hit on immediately hehehe. That's my Irish straight man.

Well, today I got a call from P stating that he has a secret admirer. "Whose arse am I gonna have to kick, now?" I commented dramatically - for P has plenty of admirers and exes and full-bussomed girly friends that I have to keep in check - shoot. P went on to say there was a note, a business card rather, left on his car this morning. It said on the back, "I lost your number, call me and let's go have some wine together.."

Ummm-huh.

"Well.." I said dramatically again in order to get a rouse from him, "somebody probably sees your handsome face coming and going and then they see me looking all homely and ugly cleaning your house, taking out the trash (next to the car) and walking the dog and they said to themselves, "shoot - that girl of his ain't NOTHING, I am going after that Leprechuan and we can go have an Irish Spring shower together!!'"

There was just one thing, though. P told me the name on the card.

It belonged to a man.

HAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH mwuah haa haaa hahaha!

Maybe it's the Banana Republic metrosexual dark T shirts he always wears.....:P

Copy Cat

 

Fred-the-Bassett tries out my 'money shot' laughing pose with considerably good imitation...

Lose yourself in "Lost"

Think what you want but people are not talking about the Superbowl this week - - they are talking about the new season of the TV show "Lost" on ABC. (!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Now, I am a stickler for good acting and even better writing - if you have both (especially the latter) you can have a show about any kind of subject or story line and it will go well. But, LOST not only has the above going for it but it has the most insane, mind-boggling, scary, suspenseful, mysterious, inexplicable and exciting storyline all in one! It is simply unbelievable what this show has - - advenutre, romance, sex(iness), humour, tragedy (death - YES - they even KILL off main characters to keep it realistic - how ballsy is that!?). Wait I am not done: it also has an amazing ensemble cast repesenting all minorities - Korean, Mexican, a pregnant lady, a parapalegic, a psycho, murderers, criminals, doctors, an alcoholic, a druggie, an Iraqi torturer from the Rebel army, Causcasian-American, African-American, African, senior citizens, kids, a cute baby, Australian, British, the sexiest southerner you ever did see, a Brazilian, a musician, a priest, a lesbian (Michele Rodriguez - who was killed off probably cus she was not believable playing a straight woman); an Irishman, a cuban-american, a monster to scare you and even a labrador dog for animal lovers..can't think of any more at the moment but you get the gist.

Every episode is like a mini-movie and the cliff-hangers are nail-biting. I still think the best one was end of season 1 with the boy Walt - being kidnapped at sea by some perverse-looking trailer trash old man with a whiskey voice - and screaming for help at his helpless father who they shot and fell overboard (and we all know that african-americans don't, uh, tend to swim well).

Everyone has hopped on the LOST train and I know of several who seem to do it to be cool because their friends watch it, but I am OG - baby - been there since Day 1. Being somewhat still in the Industry, I had heard about it while in pre-production and that it was amazing and different than anything else on TV. Also, I was familiar already with its creator JJ Abrahms (I was already a fan of his "Alias"- which proved to show major promise for such a young, newbie in Hollywood).

I will never forget watching that first episode alone in my room and being absolutely TERRIFIED at the plane crash and drawn immediately to the main characters. GREAT STUFF and if you want to get into it now - I highly suggest watching the 8 minute catchup (fun, creative and funny) video on ABC.com.

Luckily, the show was able to shoot 8 episodes (half a season) before the devastating writer's strike - making it virtually the only new show on TV right now - besides game and reality shows. Thank goodness! I canNOT wait!!

A`Flickr' of Natural Talent..

When I was a 9th grader at Bonita Vista Jr. High School here in San Diego, I was on the school newspaper and yearbook staff - huh...and you possibly thought this little writing hobby I do on this blog was only something I partake in as an adult? NOPE.

I was a Page Editor as well as writer for the Newspaper and I was solely responsible for the 2 pages dedicated to school dances in our yearbook. Hey, school dances are of HUGE social importance when you are a teen - haven't you seen those 80s movies like "Pretty in Pink" or "16 Candles"???

Anyhow -I was not a photographer for either of the publications as I had had no experience before in my life taking pictures. That said, one of my friends was on the staff and if you were you could 'check out' and carry around with you for the day one of the 3 expensive school cameras. (**This would NEVER happen with todays' hoodlums...er students by the way: they'd be robbing it and selling it on the streets or selling it on ebay - shoot). We are talking pre-digital circa 1986 here, folks. Nonetheless, it was a good Canon camera with a zoom lens and everything.

So my friend had checked out the camera and me being such a goody-goody and trustworthy and all, I was able to borrow it from her for about 2 hours of her day. I remember clearly it was the first time I had ever held a camera that large and with a lens that moved focusing in and out. I had no idea what I was doing - but I looked through that lens and immediately noticed that framing the subject matter should be important and shot with care. I also saw through that black lens the contrasts between the subject facing into the light as opposed to being backlit. this could drastically alter the quality of a photo. I continued to shoot a few pics at the end of one class and during lunch break before returning the camera.

Later that week the film was developed and Miss Johnson, our teacher, asked, "Who took these pictures? These are pretty good - we will definitely use them." I was shocked and so pleased with myself as I shyly raised my hand to take due credit. In the span of only using the camera for 2 hours and not even being on the photography staff - a few of my photos were selected and published over the work of regular photo staffers whose sole purpose the entire year was to take and supply photographs to the newspaper and yearbook.

I can honestly say that since that age of 14 something in me clicked (no pun intended) as far as loving and appreciating good and creative photographs. It is of no importance the subject matter - nature, people, places, architecture, animals, abstract, colors, models, nudes - as long as it's well done, I will gladly look at it and appreciate it. Now, over 20 years later I still love taking pictures although for money and time reasons was never was able to invest in a good camera or to take a class. And now with digital - it's all mind-blowing that one can take a decent photo even with a $100 pocket camera! Patrick, a year and a half ago when we first vacationed together turned up his nose at my still using my film camera held together by tape that I had been using over 10 years since college and had traveled with me to South America and to Europe several times! He insisted upon gifting me a new digital pocket camera (against my wishes) - but I admit I love the ease of its usage - no doubt.

You know when you have someone borrow your camera to take a picture of you and your friends, or you and your man on vacation and they cut off your feet or there is way too much sky, etc? That lack of basic 'eye' for photography drives me bonkers! To this day friends and coworkers have complimented my always getting a good photo when I use their camera - -too bad the favor, most of the time, cannot be returned when I ask them to take one with mine - drat! My man, Patrick, meanwhile, also has a love and talent for photography. But he actually does his research and reads online programs, and magazines, learning photoshop, tips on lighting, etc. He also has invested some serious money in various lens and cameras - something I have not. I have really enjoyed seeing him improve IMMENSELY within just the last year. And one of our favorite things to do together is travel or even take day trips to some place where we both can shoot - him with all his gadgets and me with my little camera he gave me. :)

If you are an 'elsamart' reader you obviously have or can see my work posted under the titles on my blogs and especially when you click on my 'web albums' that accompany some of my blogs. I also have a free and public account on the very cool website, "Flickr" from Yahoo. Go to my page here http://flickr.com/photos/elsamart/. I don't have that many posted as I prefer to use any time with my blog instead but feel free to check it out and leave a comment. Also, may I suggest looking at some of P's fine work at http://flickr.com/photos/padraigmerr/. I am really impressed with the talent of people on this site - one can spend much time just browsing and looking at pictures. Fabulous, indeed...

Unexpected...

...was your finding me in the first place right when I was about to disappear. Unexpected was also what you expressed to me late yesterday on a rainy night...
I love you, P.

Morning Beauty

Lately it's been raining - thank goodness, because we need it. It's been less than 3 months since we had the fires burn and ravage thousands of miles in San Diego and Southern CA last October (see some of my blogs on it here and here). Since then, one of morning rituals is to get up and say my morning prayers and ask to be blessed in the coming day in front of the window that faces Mt. San Miguel and Sweetwater - where fires came dangerously close (within 8 miles of my home) forcing me to pack up Jordy-the-cat and leave at 2am.

In the morning the mountain and view is always beautiful - sometimes it is shrouded with fog, sometimes the sky is cloudy with gray texture and other times it's already blue with the promise of a clear day. But my greatest curiosity and joy is that every single day I see green grass and nature beginning to sprout through all the charred blackness. It truly makes me smile and I always give it some mental encouragement. With the rains this week, the green growth has rapidly spread and increased - and with it so does my strength and belief in myself and my little problems and worries that, no matter what, as long as I have Faith in God and myself - Life goes on and new beauty is born and will always continue to grow... :)

Next time I'll just have some Vodka

So the other night I went out to dinner with a few people to a fabulous Georgian (as in south of Russia, not OUR South) restaurant in North Park, San Diego called "Pomegranate". In one aspect I had no idea what I was getting myself into as I don't eat meat and had no idea what the menu would be like besides vodka.

Anyhow, it was a pleasant time out at a very cool place (but extremely loud), complete with real Russian (hey can I call the migra on them, too???) waiter and waitress (man, her voice was so low and sexy) and an old, grumpy Russian man who sat in a corner by a bunch of wine and glared at all of us as he opened any bottles of wine as anyone would order some. We never really knew what his deal was - he looked like he hated us and he didn't move from there - maybe he was the owner??

There was an old piano in the middle of the restaurant that some of us tinkered on - it was so loud in this small place that it actually didn't even bother the tables right next to us who were yelling to be heard anyway. The decor was very interesting - a combination of cool Russian artwork and trinkets but then set off by mood lighting created by (a la trailer park) a hung light string of plastic jalapeno different colored lights. Also, one was able to write and scribble on pen ANYWHERE in the restaurant - walls, the ceiling fan, (gasp!) the wooden grey upright piano - some of the writing was in Russian, we saw Chinese characters, Spanish, English - some were jokes, some were crude, some were complimentary. Favorite examples: by the metal rooster artwork someone commented, "Nice Cock!" Also, "Stomach full, everyone's happy, now time to go home and take a Nappy". There also was a dare I say - worn - pair of tighty whiteys pinned up on the wall and scribbled on but being a lady I diverted my eyes, of course.

I had never had Russian wine before and, in fact, don't really like wine at all. But the group, of course, ordered a bottle and I was obliged at the toast to try a little bit. It was... utterly DELICIOUS!! Sweet, dark cherry and grape juice-tasting - I had never had anything like it. Everyone was impressed and another bottle was promptly ordered by someone with a big mouth and opened by the Grumpy man in the corner. The downside of it being so juice-like and sweet was that it was a quick drink - like punch - and then it crept on you since it is alcohol after all. I had only about 2 real swallows of it and was decidedly more relaxed after a rough week. But then of course the bill came. Hence the title of this blog. Why the heck is it that when you go out with a group of people you get stuck putting in a crap load of money when you just had the equivalent of a salad and water??? Sheet!!!

God Bless them - but some people had an appetizer or 2 and an entree. I had an appetizer only. Now, even though I only had a couple sips of wine compared to others who had 2 small tumblers of it, I wasn't NOT going to put in for the wine. Well, my appetizer was $9.50, tip it 2 more bucks is plenty, right? I'm thinking I'll be a big spender and put in the whole $20 dollar bill I just got out of the ATM earlier that day. Meanwhile, one gal got up and left early to 'get to her dog' and threw an indeterminate couple bills down. (When I saw her leave, I knew what what up - the sneaky devil). Translate: she probably got off not paying what she should - oldest trick in the book..

Meanwhile, everyone else is digging in pockets and then we count up. We are, OF COURSE, totally short. I ain't budging. I put in plenty and I had nothing else on me, truthfully. That is when it happened, and I saw it coming a mile away: someone suggested easily, "Well, there were 8 of us, divide it and everyone owes 40 bucks."

**Sound of the needle scratching the record**

"What the???!!!" I am thinking inside to myself. 40 bucks for a small appetizer less than 10 bucks and a couple sips of wine, when others ate their fill - oh hell, no!!!

Alas, and it has always happened in the past, and always will in the future when one goes out in a big group of people to eat - best start asking to try everyone's else food as well cus you gonna end up paying for it!!

It Ain't EVER gonna happen..

 

... Mark my words, folks: E will never...ever....get....m -m -ma-mar.... married in a real wedding dress....heh heh heh!

**But I suppose I don't mind modeling them.... one must put food on the table after all....

English Translation

 Alas, I've been asked twice today to translate my song from yesterday. Usually translating to English from Spanish completely loses its resonance and meaning since Spanish is a romantic language (and a romantic people!) and is full of fluid, flowery phrases and references to nature, beauty and drama. Whereas English is straight forward, boring and we don't speak that lovely way to one another. Nonetheless, I must admit that in this case, even in Spanish, artist Franco de Vita was as straight forward as one can get. So nothing below that makes me ache every single time I still hear it is 'lost in translation'...

A GOOD LOSER

I know that you are thinking of leaving me
I already know it
And I won't stop you:
Do whatever you want to do.

However, remember that I will be
here in the same place.
And if you ever feel like talking,
I'd love to listen.

And if he knows how to give you more love..
knows how to fill you with it better than me:

Then clearly I will know how to lose.
Of course I know how to lose.

There's no need to fall apart.
Those tears are more than enough.
If you need to go:
Go already.

Nonetheless, I was hoping you'd stay
but one must allow running water to flow.
Meanwhile I'm choking on words
that I did not know how to say.

And if the winds blow in your favor
I won't hold any resentment towards you, no.

Of course I know how to lose:
it won't be the first time.
Today you leave,
tomorrow I'll be going myself.

I will be a good loser.
For the World isn't going to change.
Besides, it is without a doubt that
someone will eventually take your place...

Un Buen Perdedor

 Ahhh.. this song by Venezuelan (of Italian parents) superstar (and still going strong) Franco de Vita was one of the first spanish pop ballads I ever learned or heard when I was in my Mexican Identity Crisis stage during my college years in the early 90s and learning most of my spanish through listening to music and translating lyrics. (*note - the song was from the 80s, but I didn't discover it until the summer of 1990).

I even remember about 5 years ago, my previous neighbor, an African American gay man who didn't speak a lick of spanish heard me playing this song and was so moved that he let himself into my house and exclaimed, "Oh my gosh - that song is AMAZING! And I don't understand a thing! It sounds so dramatic!!" I remembering answering with a knowing smile, "And if you knew WHAT he was saying, you'd be even more impressed!"

This song is so inspiring and beautiful, with its driving no-nonsense piano chords and sweeping strings making the music sound almost cinematic. It literally urges its listener to take the higher moral ground that the lyrics encourage. Alas it garners a place on my Top 5 List of (musical and lyrical) Song PERFECTION.

Sé que piensas marcharte, ya lo sé
Y no te detendre
Haz lo que tú quieras

Sin embargo recuerda que
yo estare aquí en el mismo lugar
Y si solo tienes ganas de hablar,
con gusto escucharé

Y si el supo darte más amor
Supo llenarte más que yo...

Claro que sé perder,
Claro que sé perder

No tienes porqué disimular,
esas lágrimas están de más
Si tienes que irte,
véte ya

Sin embargo esparaba que te quedaras
Pero el agua hay que dejarla correr
Mientras yo me tragaba palabras que no pude decir

Y si el viento hoy sopla a tu favor
Yo no te guardaré rencor

No, claro que sé perder
No será la primera vez
Hoy te vas tú,
mañana me iré yo

Seré un buen perdedor
Y el mundo no cambiará
Alguien sin duda ocupara tu lugar...

Love me Love my Cat

Ohhh yeah... I am definitely one of them crazy, cat-owning spinsters. My tabby cat, Jordy, understands me better than anyone. He feels my pain and my excitement. He suffered through relationships with me, being evacuated with the October fires, moving several times like the gypsy I am... and he still loves me. And I love my cat. I decided I really should get him on video cus one day my little Jordino won't be around.

Extra kudos go to anyone who can identify why or from where I get the "shnarf shnarf" talk that I tell him...