Flight of the Conchords Unplugged

My boyfriends Brett and Jemaine (no 'r' - he isn't African-American) AKA known as the Kiwi duo "The Flight of the Conchords" came to visit and play for me in San Diego tonite at UCSD.

I decided to allow a few hundred of my other friends and a few hundred more of THEIR friends to fill up the Rimac Arena - you know, just so my boyfriends would feel the love even more.

I have written about these boys before. Patrick and I had discovered them on HBO and instantly became fans. (see my previous blog about them here)

Quirky, handsome, deadpan humour - these boys are so funny it hurt. But as good as they are comically playing off each other, and with such an intelligent wit -that is so sexy to me - so much more than most stand up comediennes - I also want to point out that they really are pretty darn good musicians. Playing several different instruments and singing - Jemaine, especially - with his natural bass low speaking voice can sing all the way to a high falsetto range that is so good and believable it's funny. Think Prince - Prince does that too. (But he black).

Opening with "Too many dicks on the dance floor" the crowd went crazy - - and ending with me and several others yelling in request the Bowie song - the night was fantastic and well-worth it.

Cheers, boys -

I leave the rest of you with their show-stopping "Sugar Lumps" much different played acoustically in concert - but you catch their drift. The boys lost it on stage - going nuts, jumping into the crowd, and pointing and gyrating to their sugarlumps - some woman lost it and took her top off exposing herself and running to Brett onstage - - (er umm.. she was one of my friends' friends)... ;P

Brother Gabe's Bday shout-out!

Today is my big brother's 43rd bday - - (as well as my sweet nephew, Isaiah) - love to both of them - - here is a funny short video I found of Gabe fooling around with the camera when he had lost his voice - but is CLEARLY stating to his adoring nephews and nieces, "Tio Gabe is #1" - - priceless!

Dove Street years

I've got to get rid of old folders containing pics on my laptop as my new camera takes us so much space with it's large megapixel format. So, I am posting onto picassa web album old pics from another time in my life.

Ha ha ha - knock yourselves out - it's the Past, not the Present - and I always have chosen to remember the good memories :)

Click on slideshow below:
table style="width:194px;">Dove St. years

MEXX band

MEXX AKA "The Mario Escovedo Experience" plays my fave Bar Pink in North Park on Cinco De Mayo. Just down the street from my pad, I reach for my camera and saunter over after my modeling gig. Click on slideshow below and check out the many facial expressions of Chuck - hehehe

5deMayo

I90 Band

Chuck's 90s grunge band, Interstate 90 (I90) played in April at the SurfnSaddle in Solana Beach. I was coming from a party and had my new camera in the car, took it out spontaneously and voila - my first live band, low-light shoot -

click below for slideshow:

I90

E has a New Love -

dark, sleek, - a total Rebel - he shoots things like a Canon firing from my hands...

Creativity

Happiness

Joy Joy Joy!

Click below for my first pictures I ran out and took once the battery was charged - hehehe

New Canon Camera

Day After Araiza Wedding photos

I just came across photos I didn't have ready until now to post. They are from November, the day after my cousin Matt and Heather's wedding (see blog here). They are beautiful photos and worth posting, even late :)

Click on slideshow below:

Heather and Matt Day After Wedding Party

L'Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio

ahhhh - I just watched one of my new favorite foreign films from Italy, "L'Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio." I am on a high right now, feeling the music of this Roman Orchestra made up immigrants from Tunisia, India, Romania, Egypt, Hungary, Cuba, Argentina, Ecuador, Senegal, North America..to name a few...

The film is a low budget, perfect documentary shot over a couple years in Rome when the founder, former Italian pop musician Mario Tronca was the brainchild and leader in finding immigrant professional musicians as a challenge to the post 9/11 government and it's sudden, radical anti-immigration laws and protests. Overcoming financial, language and ego boundaries it is just an amazing story and if you are a world music lover, a musician, or just love people uniting (something that happens much more in the Arts than anywhere) then this movies is a must-see! By the time they put on their first concert in November of 2002, (with only 1 week of group rehearsals) I am willing to bet you will be so happy and amazed at their success - I was literally clapping and dancing on the couch with Fred-the-Basset at the gorgeous and lively music. The story is just amazing and inspiring - - not only were they able to track down topnotch musicians barely surviving in Rome working in kitchens, etc. but to write an orchestral score including all those different kinds of world instruments is a feat in itself. The collaboration is something to put the UN to shame.

I am ill that only a few short weeks ago my friend Heidi invited me to a performance of them (they now have 2 CDs out and are touring the USA in conjunction with the film) - - neither of us could make it at the time and I deeply regret experiencing that ... That said: the film is in my heart and their multi-cultural plethora of music will soon be purchased and supported by me! :) Simply wonderful stuff...

Pride 2008

 
I noticed while perusing my photos on picassa stored on my laptop that I have pictures and memories that I still have yet to blog about. I kind of would like to get them up and stored on my picassa google web albums so that I can delete them off my hard drive where they take up space and memory. So, please excuse the tardiness - here goes:

 








This was from Gay Pride parade in Hillcrest from last July. I was working like a fool last summer and pretty much went out twice all summer - I am not exaggerating. So this was a beautiful, warm day for me to have fun with my galpal Richele. We ended up not watching the entire parade as it nears 3-4 hours in length nowadays and I had to go back to work that afternoon. So we ducked in to our fun and fabulous Baja Betty's gay bar - the one-time site of major mischief back in the day - - including a very inebriated Richele once trying to pay for a whole round of drinks on her Banana Republic card. Or our friend Joanna who was 9 sheets to the wind and her boob kept popping out of her spaghetti strap tank top. But nothing tops the memory of when our old friend Bubbachunk, Danny, my ex Mik with Richele and I stole a pinata and a huge punch bowl FULL of margarita from the back patio where we crashed the thank you party for the volunteers for the Rock and Roll Marathon. Bubba got his bright obvious yellow Xterra car, pulled into the alley behind the patio and the rest of grabbed and went out the emergency exit fence and sped off with the booze jostling and spilling everywhere. We were laughing so hard I am surprised we did not crash and although Richele and I have both moved on for personal and sanity reasons from that group I have no problem acknowledging how funny that incident was. (and oh yes, the manager of Baja Bettys vaguely knew T and recognized his big head and tracked him down calling him the next day telling him to bring it all back...) HAHA HA - busted!

That said - Richele and I found ourselves much more composed, sharing the huge plate of nachos there and enjoying a couple of their 'Kick-ass Margaritas' -that is really the name, when we were eventually joined by Shannon and another friend.

There is so much fun in people watching and support - always a good, colorful time - plus it's nice to see the community and families come out and support. Tolerance must be taught and exemplified.

Hopefully next year I won't be working that day at all so I can enjoy it more... :)
Click on slideshow below!

Pride08

New Years Blessings 2008

Tonight is New Year's Eve 2008. In true Elsa-fashion my mind is going a mile-a-minute reflecting on all that has happened this past year and my dreams for the rest of my life.

I have so much to write about in my heart that it is overwhelming and I am just going to say that I remain exceedingly grateful for any positivity, goodness, health and love in my life.

May God grant me the strength and Grace to be an even better person this year to come...

Retro Elsa

Modeling for quite a few years now I've had my hair and makeup done in many ways. Not all of it works well with my ethnic features (read: my Basque nose and big bedroom eyes). But once in a while the stars align and voila! I come out with something that tickles me pink!

 

This video was shot after modeling bridal gowns all weekend in Orange County. I returned to have dinner at my parents and where I am caught on camera (oh man - I didn't mean to sound bossy - I was being silly) modeling my 1920s 'do and makeup.

Upon returning home to Patrick he broke out his camera like he usually does when I come home full of hair and makeup to shoot some impromptu shots. I love these shots as they remind me of an old picture I've seen of my grandmother Araiza looking as glamorous as possible in the heat and dirt of Mexico posing Hollywood style for the camera = = I obviously got a little bit of flair from her - amidst the modesty we were brought up with heheheh :) I'd also like to thank Patrick for his shots of me - they are fun and show a bright side of me that doesn't shine as often as it used to..
Click on slideshow below for more!

RetroElsa

Holiday Goodies!

 
  I would like to thank the very playful and talented Shannon and Richele who spend about 20 hours and a couple hundred bucks baking an assortment of 13 (yes! 13!!) cookies, fudge, peanut brittle... dare I go on??? They annually make it and give deliver a big tin to I'm thinking around 30 friends(?)! I am very lucky to be on their friend list and Patrick is very lucky to be dating me as he helped me the very first night to 1/3 of it! UMMMMMM....!!

*editor's note - oh, don't let the pictures fool you - that was from one of my old house parties years ago - they've grown up nicely since then :P

A Bonitacasa Christmas

Again, this video is from last year (2007) but I barely got it off my folks' camcorder in September and now onto Youtube - it took over 2 hours to load 8 minutes onto Youtube - so slllooowww!

That said: this video is quite amusing. You see a typical day at my mom's house - a lot of people talking at once (there is a reason why I speak so loudly, ya'll - - it is just to be heard!!); kids playing and running around, animals running around, and my mom's ever-present knack of shooting the ground when using the camera.

If you can stick watching it though, it's pretty funny. Starting with my mom's opener: "It's Christmas 207," and brother Gabe corrects her, "2007, mom..." - priceless.

Then if you can look out the window you see Patrick's dog, Fred-the-Basset chasing me and the kids around randomly while my niece recounts Fred visiting her dog, Lucy.

Also note that when Aunty Elsa takes over the Big Wheel Green Machines that Santa brought the kids for Xmas - I always liked those things as a kid - I am out for blood - - when you see me crash, I really am in pain landing on my tailbone... and what is funny is that no one pays attention to me but skips my injured body face down on the concrete to pay attention to the escaped Chihuahua named "Weeny" that ran into our yard from the neighbors to play with Fred...

Total pandemonium - that is why we are a lively bunch in our family! :)

Holiday Fashion

  This was actually a show from last December (2007) - - I only got the pictures 6 months ago, though hehehe. I will indulge myself posting them as this was such a fun show (although I can't remember who it was for). Partly it was fun because I got to open it (!) and also because fashion guru and the shows producer Leonard Simpson had the sense (ha ha!) to let me walk alone for most of it - which is infinitely easier to work the garments and have less stress than matching strides and turns with a walking partner(s) who are taller than giraffes...

He he it ain't brain surgery but I suppose there is some need for it to be done:)

Click on Slideshow below!

December 2007 Runway

Christmastime is Near

 

I have in my head right now the Harlem boys chorus' recording of "Christmastime is Here" on the famous Charlie Brown Christmas TV special. I love how the boys, although blessed with lovely, angelic voices (that only kids can have) still don't quite always make it to the pitch of the notes they are singing. It comes off as flawed, and slightly out-of-tune - - and, yet: it is perfect in its warmth and intention - out-of-tune notes and all :)

 

I am posting these pictures from last December of us decorating at P's house with his daughter and dog. It's a year late, but I actually never even saw these photos until about 2 months ago as Patrick has so many pictures now that he never gets around to showing anyone. I think they are lovely and worth posting.

 

We were fooling around with one of P's cameras (perhaps it was new, I don't remember). My man had on his pea coat that showcased his rugged handsomeness and I managed to get some photos of him that I thought really captured a lot going on behind his dark eyes and demeanor - something that every photographer should aspire to, I think.... :) Happy Holidays for now!
Click on slideshow below!

Xmastime 2007

Xmastime at Bonitacasa

It's quickly approaching Christmas 2008. I seem to be stuck in a rut about not getting done all I want to write about. But I will try to segue my blog subjects into the holidays a little bit more. Here is video from Xmas Day 2006 at my parents' home. It is late in the day, and almost eerie how everyone is so quiet and low-key in my family which is usually at least 50 in the house and the decibel level is great. I am fooling around with my Dad's new camcorder and am such a spaz, but it's fun...

Mow-weeee

Definitely back-blogged, I do not have the time or strength to fully detail our Thanksgiving trip to Maui a couple weeks ago. (he he I know some of you are sighing a breath of relief). Essentially this was it: we did a lot of driving and sight-seeing all around the island where we found a great hidden away beach spot on the northern side with a place to camp should we ever return; had our own special sunset pullout beach spot that we stopped to on 2 different days. We loved the old whaling town of Lahaina and its huge twisted trees offering shade in the center square. We also took a fun whale-watching trip from there our last afternoon.


We got a flat tire at dark (a little scary) after I suggested we go off-roading to the lava fields to see the sunset - past cell phone or electricity coverage. Thank God, P knows how to change a tire in the dark - we were both a little wary at our predicament and he came through like my Knight in Shining Armour on that one - phew! Unfortunately, P had the bad luck of losing his wallet on the last day - within 2 hours of our returning to the airport for our redeye flight. We figured it dropped out of his baggy cargo short pockets on our final sunset at a roadside beach where he was crouching taking long-exposure pictures of the sunset. Other than that - we did the freezing early morning drive up to the crater Haleakala where Patrick insisted it couldn't be as cold as I remembered it - - at 40 degrees and biting winds that almost made picture-taking impossible - yes... it WAS . :P

Then there was Turkey Day dinner down the street at Fred's Mexican Cafe (the chain has 2 locations in San Diego that we are familiar with). Yup, we opted out of a restaurant with an overpriced turkey flown in from the mainland and had some tacos and margaritas instead - not too shabby, indeed :P



Since I had been to Maui previously (see blog here)- I wasn't in major picture-taking mode. P took his real equipment with 2 different cameras and will post at least a couple on his flickr account when he gets around to working on them. In the meantime you can see mine on the slideshow below:

Maui2008

"Get out of the way, Tourists!"

shouts Patrick the Photographer as he prepares for some shots at Ke'anae Bay. It is our first day in Maui and we spent the day doing the drive to Hana Bay, stopping at various trails, waterfalls, and beaches.

Aloha and Happy Thanksgiving!

Alas, P and I are off today to Maui (my 2nd time, his first). I am very excited and look forward to such gorgeous beauty of plantlife, trees and the beaches. We won't be having Turkey on Thursday, but I will miss my family's huge get-together and am thankful for all those in my life that better it in some way. I hope to do the same.. :)