Merry Christmas

My wife's family celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve, really, so last night my mother, sister, and a cousin came down to San Diego. Today we'll (I, my brother and sister-in-law and wife) will go down Mexico way to spend time with my father-in-law, and then head up to L.A. to kick it with my family for Christmas. I really couldn't eat anything -- whatever illness I had seems to be relapsing -- I was taking NyQuil and DayQuil all day yesterday. The food was freaking great, though - you could just tell. Mole, enchiladas, turkey, two types of dressing, meat pie, yam pie, macaroni and cheese, etc..

My wife rented a car for our trip to L.A., so we should have a lot more mobility -- though I think it may rain a couple of days next week which may dampen (get it?) some of our plans for next week..

Despierta

It's morning in San Diego. Usually we go to In'N'Out immediately upon arrival, but this time we didn't go until the fourth day of the trip. I was hoping to make a trip to the Bay Area, but I think that such a trip is not extremely feasible at this point. The dead prospects of going to Vegas, however, are being . We have done A LOT of shopping, have already gotten bad service by a person we now have determined to be a racist who doesn't know it, and have already pissed off my 10-year old cousin-in-law by evading her desire to see Lemony Snicket for a whole day (my wife and I want to watch the movie, but my brother-in-law doesn't).

What all of this means is that what seems like two weeks is actually not a lot of time to fit in everything we want to do.. I should probably head up to LA today, but if I don't it's partly because of laziness, and partly because I want to watch a movie. Anyway, I am enjoying myself and expect to enjoy myself even more until the fateful day a week and a half from now when I have to return to the bitter cold.. I wonder how it will bode for our decision-making about where we will next land if that contrast is too jarring.

San Diego

So.. I'm in the studio of my brother-in-law, keeping my blog up-to-date.. The vacation so far has been as it usually is -- I always am struck at how bright the sun is out here.. We went shopping in San Ysidro and it felt nice to be close to the border -- on the edge of America, so to speak.. We are doing a lot of Christmas shopping for family.. trying to find tasteful gifts that in the end won't totally bankrupt us when they all add up..

It was weird.. coming back here I didn't go through the really strong emotions as usual.. I kind of just settled back in really easily -- there was no burst of happiness or anything, just "ok.. I'm here.." I wonder how it's going to be like going back.. I think more than anything, the weather will be the hardest to get used to. I don't think there's really any rationalizing you can do -- regardless of how pretty snow is, a sunny, 78 degree day with the sun reflecting off of the water in the middle of December beats that any day.. Winter in Philadelphia is just something that has to be tolerated.. I don't think I could ever enjoy it..

Butanyways, I am being much less profound than I imagine myself capable.. Enough rambling, and on to more shopping, great food, and sun..

Killa Cali here I come..

I'm going back to Cali.. Temporary, limited edition colors (of course, we'll see how thrilled I'll be to change it all back come January -- temporary may end up being several months) to commemmorate my attempt to blog my vacation..
I am very happy to be going home to Southern California - I probably won't get to do 1/4 of the things I want or intend to, but.. it will just be good to be back, especially after hearing last night on the news about the possibility of SNOW.. For the fourth year in a row, we should be leaving just in time to miss it..
Well.. time to wrap up loose ends here -- see you in Cali, my faithful 1, 2, 3 readers? (Zero? Did I include myself?..)

LA Times today

There a few stories that caught my eye int he LA Times today.
One is a story about Flying While Muslim -- not the most harrowing I've heard, but these stories definitely need to be voiced and heard.
The other is about family and moving away from California. Well.. I'm all for that. The more people that make the right decision for their family (heh heh heh) in moving away from California, the easier it becomes for me to move closer to mine by returning.

Academic Bias

It's been said that the dearth of Republicans in the ranks of the nation's faculty is clear evidence of bias. Jonathan Chait agrees that the issue is bias -- the bias of Republicans against the values that academia cherishes.

Ain't he Rich... And Frank..

Frank Rich is on a tear.. For the past three weeks (at least).. or maybe since the election, which is around four weeks, this guy has been slangin' stupid-dope op-ed pieces for the Grey Lady about the media and any cultural change that the election may have or have-not signaled. Here is the latest one.. If you haven't already, do yourself a favor and check them out -- they are seriously right up there with the Boondocks for entertainment value.

LA.'s Latest Architectural Asset

The Grey Lady has an article about the new Caltrans District 7 building in L.A. I remember reading in various places about "why does Caltrans, of all things, need an expensive building". But.. now that I've seen the building (at least on the screen), I think my alignment with the opposition has withered.. What I can't wait to see (in person) when I get back is the "urban lobby" which features neon lights simulating those photos of freeway traffic at night. Pretty clever. Here's a taste, for as long as the link holds up:

Photo credit: Roland Halbe for the New York Times

Shades of Brown

A very interesting article from LA Times today -- I love the things LAT comes up with sometimes -- about social and cultural divides between Mexican-cultured and American-cultured students in a majority Latino high school (Montebello). Though perhaps not as pronounced, this division was kind of matter-of-fact at my high school in the early 90's, something I didn't really reflect on until I started dating my now-wife who often-times feels trapped between these two poles within La Raza, being Chicana and being Mexicana. These days I would say my wife's identity issues go beyond the bi-polar, having to deal with being a non-hyphenated "American", a "Latina" (in which lies a whole swaddle of other issues) and being Mexican -- the influences and pressures of Chicanisma seem to vanish this far from California. That she was an honors student in a majority-white magnet school probably foreshadows her identity-juggling of today, in that her high school peer group was thoroughly American and middle to upper-middle class, to a large part oblivious to her thoroughly Mexican home-life in the barrio. Though I would have figured in Montebello this obliviousness was less pronounced (Montebello is a majority-Latino school after all), at the end of the article, the writer makes the American-born Latinos come off as ignorant or clueless (or both) A-holes (which could be attributable to these kids being young or jocks or American-born).. Finally, I wonder how this this proces compares to anything that is happening or has happened (historically) in Texas, where there are now 10th-generation Mexican-Americans (over whom the border crossed), but also an increasing influx of new immigrants.

Where has the time gone?

A lot has happened.. A lot of time has gone by..
ODB passing.. A bunch of stuff I can't even remember, having ideas here or there.. what have you..
I guess a blog is for jotting that stuff down, not so much holding back because you don't have time to fully develop a thought..
Besides that -- I've been mad busy.. Not getting what I have to get done, barely making in what I need to get done..
Still somewhat behind, but at least I'm moving now..
So.. while I'm here, might as well document some stuff..

* TV show of the moment: Desparate Housewives - how bomb is this show?
* Song of the moment: "Just Be You" by Astrud Gilberto
* Movie of the moment: Not sure.. I saw Ocean's 11 on Thanksgiving, and it actually didn't suck -- I guess I'll look forward to Ocean's 12 in, like, 2 weeks or so?
* Mood swing of the moment: All Thanksgiving Long Weekend really feenin' to get the chance to move back to Cali, and now feeling like "I hope wifey gets the job in Philly".. Which will probably change over the weekend..

Is that it for now? I guess..
Just be you -- that's a bomb song ..