From the Mixed-up Files of the Siegels

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

We had a super-great day today. Started with some orange juice, fresh squeezed by my hubby. Then, we piled #TheTeen and @kelseythedog into the Swaggerwagon and headed for Placerita Canyon... but not without a stop at Starbucks for my mama's day mocha!

It was a ridiculously gorgeous day at Placerita. Lots of wildflowers, and -- at the risk of sounding too poetic -- the rich scent of sage in the air!

A lovely Mother's Day. :-D

17 Years!

2011-04-16T21:27:00.000-07:00

It's our anniversary!!!

Yes, seventeen years ago today, Mr. Siegel and I took our vows to love, honor, and cherish. IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE IT'S BEEN THAT LONG!!! How can we be this OLD?! HA!

We planned a super-fun day, including visits to Starbucks and the puppeh park. Since it was Record Store Day, we made sure to hit Freakbeat Records, one of the best (if not THE best) independent record stores in the Valley. Ironically, we purchased a bunch of DVDs, and no records.

Next, we headed for our dinner destination: Valley landmark Vitello's, where we've always wanted to go! It was absolutely LOVELY, on a charming little stretch of Tujunga Avenue in Studio City. The food, ambience, and service were all terrific. Even The Boy found a dish to his liking! (Who can resist a restaurant that has a dish named for Steve Lukather, I ASK YOU!!!)

It was a wonderful day. I think we should start planning NOW for our 20th!

BRAINZ! We haz dem.

2011-04-09T23:32:00.000-07:00

::sigh::

My beautiful boy has received yet another stellar report card.

I am SO proud of him... I could BUST!

He is also thrilled by these grades... especially the "A" in math.

He's having such a great middle-school experience... I feel very lucky. And grateful.

Hiking Eaton Canyon

2011-04-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

One of our very favorite places to hike is Eaton Canyon, out in Altadena. This is the perfect time of year to go, as spring wildflowers are beginning to emerge and the stream is full with mountain-snow runoff!

We also love it because it's dog-friendly! So few places welcome puppehs, which is a real shame...

For the more ambitious hikers, there is a beautiful waterfall you can hike to as well.

Please note that if the water level is high in the stream, as it is now, you might fall in trying to cross like I did. :-D

Westwood Village Memorial Park

2011-03-31T19:21:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to squeeze in as many cemetery visits as I can right now, before it gets too hot! My girlfriend D'Meaux and I decided on Cesar Chavez day to head down to Westwood Village Memorial Park -- she had never been there, and I am always delighted to go to this beautiful cemetery.

I was super-thrilled that D'Meaux had done some internet research and found the exact location of Sebastian Cabot. I had not been able to find him for at least a decade! We also got to see a few relatively new tenants of the park, including Alexander Courage and Jonathan Harris.

Someone told us that Elizabeth Taylor will indeed end up here, and there was an empty crypt next to her parents, which would seem to support that theory... I guess time will tell!

Post-rain Trek through Aliso Canyon

2011-03-27T16:48:00.001-07:00

We're fortunate to have several nature walks, not too far from our home. One of them is located at Aliso Canyon Park, which you may recall reading about in a previous post.

Kelsey loves this walk, but we have to watch her to make sure she doesn't jump in the stream. Today she tried, nearly taking her daddy with her!

The rain has wreaked havoc on the trails. They quite clearly turned into streams during the recent heavy rains. But we braved them anyway!

It looks like we weren't the ONLY ones... check below for a photo of the wild-animal tracks we saw. Not sure if they're from coyotes or mountian lions. Seemed too small for a mountain lion, but the claws look sharp enough... :-\

Jury Duty

2011-03-24T13:44:00.001-07:00

This week, I had jury duty at the Van Nuys courthouse.

I LOVE jury duty. I think it's absolutely FASCINATING. I've served on 3 juries: 2 civil and one criminal. The criminal cases are certainly the more unsettling ones, and introduce you to people and walks of life that you might not normally encounter. Even the witnesses can be pretty dicey. But that in itself is fascinating.

When I was among 85 jurors summoned to a courtroom on Tuesday, I was pretty sure we were looking at a criminal case. I have never been on a case where that many potential jurors were called. I discovered why soon enough: The charges in this case were multiple counts of child sexual abuse, along with other related charges. The child in question was expected to testify.

As you might imagine, no one wants to sit on a jury like this. No one wants to hear this case. I certainly did not. But as voir dire progressed (the questioning of the jurors by the judge and attorneys), I was amazed and saddened to learn how many of my fellow jury-duty peeps were abuse victims themselves. I was impressed by their candor and composure. After the first day, I decided that I WOULD do my best to buck-up and serve on this case if they wanted me, because I knew that with all these abuse victims in the prospective pool, they'd need me.

As it happened, we all lucked out, and the case settled the next day. ::whew::

Wow. What a nightmare case THAT woulda been.

We don't know what happened to the accused. I don't know how you "plea-bargain" on a charge like this...

I'm glad I was available to serve, and a little disappointed that I didn't get the opportunity to see a case thru to its conclusion.

If YOU get the chance to serve on jury duty, I recommend you take it. It's an experience you'll never forget, and you'll be the better for it

p.s.: I "live-tweeted" what info I could at: #K8sJuryDuty2011 ! It was fun!

Great Big Sea!

2011-03-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

Some years ago, when I was in a heavy celtic-music phase, I was introduced to several awesome bands by my music peep and then-coworker Rusty. One of those bands was Newfoundland's own Great Big Sea. They are among Newfoundland's best-known (and most handsome) musical exports.

Great Big Sea is different from your run-of-the-mill Irish, Scottish, or general celtic music. It's alot more in the folk-rock vein... And boy, can these fellas ROCK! Check out one of their music videos here.

ANYhoo, last fall I learned that Great Big Sea would be playing a show at the Carpenter Center in Long Beach at CSULB. I knew then and there I had to go. I bought tickets immediately! Usually, when GBS plays around here, they play little clubs like the El Rey. I am not a fan of said clubs. I require the comfort provided by a cushy seat, and maybe some wine in the concession area.

One thing I did not consider, though, is that Great Big Sea's music lends itself to STANDING UP. And, quite often, JUMPING AROUND. So, you can give these people as many cushy chairs as you want, and they are still gonna be up and jumping! And indeed they were. I didn't blame them one bit, but it did make it tough for me and my family to see the stage. I got up a few times, but I didn't want to stand the whole time, as previously indicated.

Be that as it may, let me tell you that it was a FANTASTIC show. These boys are professional, charming, and fabulous musicians. Their music is GORGEOUS and fun! I would highly recommend catching a show of theirs if you ever have a chance. Also, the Carpenter Center is a lovely venue. I would go there again in a heartbeat.

Thank you kindly, lads, for a lovely evening!

Me

2011-03-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about me. :-D

I have had a rough ... month, I guess I'd say. Unemployment mind-fuck, kitten death, aunt-in-law death, other stuff... Doing better now, but still feeling kind of like I'm in an emotional cocoon. Not sure when I will come out. But I wanted to say something, because there are several people I feel like I should e-mail and say, "Sorry I haven't been in touch, but I'm just not myself right now." I know I won't send those e-mails, so this blog post will have to serve. ;-) I appreciate those of you who opt to bear with me in life. You are the pier that survives the tsunami; I am the unmoored boat that is always floppin' around and crashin' into stuff. :-D

Speaking of tsunamis: Let's talk about this motherfucking earthquake in Japan. This has JARRED. MY. PEACHES. Y'all know we live in NORTHRIDGE, pretty much ON THE FAULT that blew in '94. It's been eeeeeerily quiet since then, so I think it's safe to say everyone here in the SoCal is on edge because of what's happening in Japan. When I'm not fretting about those poor people, I'm fretting about what ultimately awaits us here in SoCal... I hope everyone in a quake zone has an up-to-date earthquake kit. I do not. But I WILL.

That is all I have for you at this juncture. I hope everyone is well. xoxoxoxo

Stowaway!

2011-03-14T19:40:00.000-07:00

Do you see her there on the left?! She's in there! Then she pops her little head out! She almost turned herself into a Goodwill donation!

2011: The Year of Losses

2011-03-10T12:53:00.001-08:00

We just found out that my husband's beloved aunt Lois passed away.

We lost her husband Marshall just a few months ago, and she was in failing health, so it was not a surprise, but, still... These things are never easy, are they. You're never as ready as you think you are...

Lois was a lovely person and I feel so lucky to have known her.

I'm especially grateful that Ev got to meet both her and Uncle Marshall.

We'll miss them so, so much...

Being 45 is AWESOME!

2011-03-08T16:42:00.001-08:00

Can I just tell you people how much I'm *loving* being 45?! OMG, it is SO awesome.

I think my favorite thing is the proliferation of liver spots on my body. Oh, yeah. They're EVERYWHERE! My hands, my arms, my thighs, my FACE! Where's my Esoterica?! Do they still make that?! ::cry::

I also have developed a WADDLE! You know, that poochy skin that hangs right beneath your chin! But it's different from a double-chin -- it's a WADDLE! AAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!

And finally... Abe Vigoda eyebrow hairs. Yup, Even if you've had normal eyebrows your whole life, all of a sudden, you hit a certain age, and BAM! Abe Vigoda eyebrows! The hairs are twice as long as normal hairs, wavy, and often gray. Oh yeah, Baby -- they are HOTT!

Srsly. I had adjusted to the gray pube hairs and the belly pooch that my late 30s had brought me.

But this shit is JUST. TOO. MUCH.

This gave me a chuckle...

2011-03-04T13:43:00.000-08:00

Healthcare Clusterf*ck, Cont'd...

2011-03-02T12:22:00.000-08:00

Oooh, you guys! I have another lame-ass health-care story! Check this out:

Last week, I called my GYN's office to get him to switch my birth control. As I may have lamented previously, my NuvaRing Rx had gone up to $50/month under my Aetna health insurance. So, okay, fine, I thought. I'll just have him switch me to a pill, and that'll be cheaper. Insurance companies always seem to charge alot for NuvaRing (probably because it is easy and convenient for women).

First of all, I had to wait 48 hours for someone from my GYN's office to call me back. By this time, I had already refilled the NuvaRing and shelled out the $50, because it was obvious this would not be the quick & easy switch I'd hoped for. Secondly, the nurse I ended up talking to was giving me attitude over the phone. She's all, "Well, what do you want to be switched to, exactly?" and I said, "Just something other than NuvaRing, which is really expensive under my insurance." Her reply: "It's not OUR job to know what your healthcare does and does not cover." (Did I say it was? No.) I say, that's fine, just call in an Rx for a pill. "What pill? I don't know what pill to give you." (For crying out loud! Do I need to go down there and do her freakin' job for her?!) I politely say, "Whatever pill has a dosage comparable to NuvaRing will be fine" (thinking, naively, that any standard birth-control pill will have a comparable generic). She agrees to call something in to my pharmacy.

Alrighty. Half an hour later, my pharmacy peep Teresa calls (I'm the Walgreens mayor on Foursquare, so Teresa *tewtally* knows me, LOLz), and says, "Your GYN's office just called in a $50 birth-control Rx for you. Do you want that?!" BWAHHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAH! I love it. They managed to find the one pill for which there is no generic. I thank Teresa for calling and let her know that I do not want the $50/month BC pills.

Welp, you bet your sweet bippy I'm not dealing with the office girls anymore. I'm gonna go down there and talk to the doc himself, tell him exactly what I need, and get him to write it out for me then and there.

But srsly. This should NOT be this hard, people. And there is no need to talk to me like I'm an idiot.

::sigh::

Furthermore: Why on EARTH, under ANY health plan, is birth control for women $50/month?! Do they WANT this 45-year-old woman to get knocked up so they can pay for THAT instead?!?! ARRRRRGGGGHH!!!

/ rant

Luna Siegel, 6/13/10 -2/26/11

2011-02-26T12:08:00.000-08:00

Goodbye, sweet baby Loonz.

We loved you so much.

Vazquez Rocks

2011-02-22T10:14:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, it was a beautiful if chilly day here in the SoCal, so we opted to take Miss Pupps & The Tween out to Vazquez Rocks for a hike. This is a beautiful park about an hour north of the San Fernando Valley, featuring unusual rock formations caused by its proximity to the San Andreas fault. So unusual is the terrain, the park is often used as a stand-in for other planets in movies and TV shows -- most famously, Star Trek. (See: Kirk v. Gorn.)

It made for a lovely morning outing.

Please enjoy these snaps!

More Healthcare Clusterf*ck

2011-02-16T11:51:00.000-08:00

So, as most of y'all know by now, we had to switch health-insurance companies at the end of last year, moving from Blue Shield to Aetna. We've had Aetna before and were pretty happy with them -- as happy as one can ever be with an HMO. We were all able to keep our old doctors, so that was a relief. The costs of everything went up, but that's okay -- we expected that. No more cushy state-subsidized healthcare for us. ;-)

One of my first orders of business was to switch my prescriptions to the new plan. Since the cost of everything had gone way up (can you say $50 for a Nuvaring?), I was motivated to set everything up via their mail-order pharmacy. I went to my doc, got the scripts, and submitted everything, easy-peasy.

After awhile, I received a letter from Aetna, saying there was a problem with one Rx, and it had been delayed. I knew which one it was -- my anxiety med. A very basic med, I'm on a low-dosage, and there is a generic available. But I had requested to have the dosage reduced by half, in the hopes of eventually weaning myself off of it. I would, however, need to continue to take 2 per day, until my body adjusted to the lower dosage.

Aetna didn't like this. To them, on paper, it looks like I'm just taking double the number of pills for no reason. Their costs go up, so they put the kibosh on it.

From what I can piece together, they tried to talk to my doc about this; I dunno whether he talked to them or not. He hates HMOs and has advised me that he will soon be affiliated with none of them. I don't blame him! Who wants to have your every move questioned by a paper-pusher?! The order was cancelled altogether.

This leaves me running low on this medication that I've been on for years, and which has a NOTORIOUSLY bad cold-turkey withdrawal. Now, I will have to go BACK to my doc, and get ANOTHER Rx that won't be questioned by Aetna. I guess I'll ask for the half-dosage, once a day. That should fly. And if I have to take extra to combat side effects... Well, I dunno what will happen then, because I know they won't like that. Their rules don't allow for people's differing reactions to medications, or the lack thereof. Their rules aren't about PEOPLE. They're about MONEY.

Good thing I'm unemployed and have time for this bullshit, huh.

But seriously. This is insanity.

I'd like to see ALL state/federal/government/military workers -- but most especially POLITICIANS -- have to deal with these HMOs. Because only then will "certain people" in power recognize that this is ridiculous, embarrassing for America, bad for society, bad for people's health, and COSTS MORE IN THE LONG RUN.

I will also point out to Aetna... when your customers are social-media whores, this stuff IS NOT GOOD FOR YOUR PR. #sorry

Lunch at a cemetery?! I'm SO there!

2011-02-09T15:49:00.001-08:00

Today, I went over to Westwood to have lunch with my delicious girlfriend Jessica. We decided to meet at the cemetery that's just off Wilshire. Most people don't even realize it's there! Jessica brought us some yummy Thai food and we sat on a bench in the shade.

I made sure to get a pic of Jessica with the cemetery's most well-known occupant.

I was especially happy to see that Don Knotts has gotten a new grave marker! It's gorgeous! For comparison, I've included a photo of Mr. Siegel with Don's previous marker -- that photo was taken in 2009.

I love Jessica. I love cemeteries. I love beautiful southern California days. I love Thai food.

So, I guess it goes without saying that I loved today. :-D

Simi Puppeh Park

2011-01-22T12:26:00.001-08:00

Every now and again, we like to change-up our dog park routine. Today, we went out to Simi Valley (the Birthplace of The Katerz) to take advantage of THEIR lovely dog park.

It was a GORGEOUS morning! Kelsey loved it!

Thank you, Simi!

My Minnesotans (and a Monrovian)

2011-01-21T13:31:00.000-08:00

Some years ago, I picked up a bunch of bizarre women on the internet. Most of them turned out to be from Minnesota -- go figure! Anyhoo, I've had the pleasure of meeting a few of them in person, and this past weekend, I got the pleasure of meeting TWO MORE! And their creepy spawn!

I do not know what I did in life to deserve friends like these... but whatever it was, I'm so glad I did it. These ladies have changed my life. They are so kind and loving and supportive! What a difference it makes, in the life of a parent, to have other like-minded parents (and/or professional nannies) to talk to.

Oh, and Kelsey likes 'em, too. :-D

My Top 25 Songs of the Decade

2011-01-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

For reasons unbeknownst to me, out of the clear blue sky, I recently decided that I simply HAD to craft a list of my Top 25 Songs of the Decade. (This is what happens to you when you're unemployed.) I further decided that this list would encompass the years 2000-2009, as the 2010 songs have not had a chance to gel with me yet. And so, I sat down and started compiling.

This was no easy task. It wasn't easy to remember all the songs that have grabbed me over the years; I studied "Hot 100" lists for each year to help jog my memory. (Not a GREAT method with my personal taste, but a method, nonetheless.) My criteria for inclusion was simple: These are songs that GRABBED ME BY THE THROAT and would not let go. Songs that affected me viscerally. Songs that I really, REALLY loved, and in many cases, STILL love.

Some of these songs, I love simply because they're good, or great, or fantastic, or amazing. In other cases, I love them not only because they're good, but because they spoke to me at a particular time in my life, or they remind me of a great moment in time. (The inclusion of the Donald Fagen song is an example of the latter, as it reminds me of one of the best concert experiences of my life -- the "Morph the Cat" tour in 2006 at Santa Barbara's Arlington Theatre.)

If you think I've forgotten something, please, mention it in the comments! Even as I was typing this up, another song occurred to me, and I had to bump something off the list.

And so, I give you, in no particular order, THE SONGS!

(Please let me know if you encounter bad links.)

1. Linkin Park, "In The End" *

2. Evanescence, "Bring Me To Life"

3. Eliane Elias, "Running" *

4. Toto, "Falling In Between"

5. Simply Red, "Sunrise"

6. Death Cab for Cutie, "What Sarah Said"

7. Keane, "Bend and Break"

8. Drive-by Truckers, "Puttin' People on the Moon"

9. Michael Penn, "Walter Reed"

10. Dixie Chicks, "Not Ready To Make Nice"

11. Death Cab for Cutie, "Brothers on a Hotel Bed"

12. Coldplay, "Lost"

13. Iron & Wine, "Flightless Bird, American Mouth"

14. Liz Phair, "Extraordinary"

15. James Blunt, "1973"

16. Duncan Sheik, "Days Go By"

17. Art Garfunkel, "The Thread"

18. Sun Kil Moon, "Lost Verses" (possibly the most beautiful song on the list)

19. Midlake, "Branches"

20. Coldplay, "Fix You"

21. Death Cab for Cutie, "I Will Follow You Into the Dark"

22. Donald Fagen, "H Gang"

23. Sara Evans, "Born to Fly" (a holdover from my hardcore C&W days)

24. Vienna Teng, "Whatever You Want"

25. U2, "Beautiful Day"

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Maia Sharp, "Home";

Taylor Swift, "Love Story" (if you heard my child sing this at the top of his lungs, you'd love it too);

Jem, "They";

Duffy, "Mercy";

Midlake, "Roscoe";

The Ting-Tings, "Shut Up and Let Me Go"

* These might be my theme songs for 2010.

Placerita Canyon

2011-01-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

Today we decided to head up to Placerita Canyon. It's been a long time since we were there! They've been working on some improvements, and the place is really looking great.

Sadly, the recent rains have rendered the main trail from the Nature Center to Walker Ranch impassable, so we were not able to hike that route. Out of necessity, we discovered a new, beautiful trail and hiked it instead. As an added bonus, the local firemen were also hiking this trail. HA!

It was a great morning! I can't wait to return in spring and see all the wildflowers which will undoubtedly have sprouted.

This red-tailed hawk is just one of the creatures that lives at the Placerita Canyon nature center. There's also an owl, some tortoises, and more! This fella is a real beauty, as you can see.

Euro-visitors

2011-01-06T11:44:00.001-08:00

I was excited to see I had a whole mess o'new Euro blog hits! Then I realized people were landing on my blog when they searched the late Gerry Rafferty. ::sadz::

Hopefully people weren't too terribly disappointed in my flimsy little blog post which did not remotely begin to do Gerry justice... :-\

Another interesting tidbit: as you can see at the bottom right in this image from Feedijt, 47% of my blog visitors in the countries shown were visiting expressly for the Gerry Rafferty post. In the U.S., only 8% visited for that post. #TheMoreYouKnow

Wine

2011-01-05T12:10:00.000-08:00

For many years, the words "Katerz" and "wine" were virtually synonymous. I LOVED wine and everyone knew it. I drank it; I talked about it; I studied it; I read about it. For YEARS, I did this. It was my second biggest hobby, after voracious music consumption. I visited wineries all up and down California. I subscribed to Wine Spectator, and was not remotely intimidated by what I read there. (Now THAT's hardcore.)

Then one day... it just stopped.

About a year ago, I realized that I was just not feeling well after having wine, or alchohol of any kind. It was as if my body couldn't process it anymore. It made me feel ever-so-vaguely sick, like I had a touch of the flu.

Undaunted, I kept trying. I was NOT giving up without a fight! HA! I'm IRISH, for Pete's sake! My BLOOD is 10 proof! :-D For a time, I was still able to drink white wine, but I was definitely off the reds. But that didn't last. Eventually, I had to admit that I just could not drink wine anymore.

I'm used to it now. But it still makes me sad... It's like I lost a part of myself. That probably sounds silly to people, or overdramatic. To those people I say: YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVED WINE!

I still hope that one day, I'll be able to enjoy it again. Especially because I'd still like to crack open the 16-year-old BV Georges Latour Private Reserve cab I've been saving for a special occasion...

Blogger is Buggin' Me

2011-01-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

I am struggling so much to get Blogger to post stuff the way I want it to post (see my last blog entry) that I'm considering bailing on this blog. The fact is, I don't have as much to say as I used to cuz I get everything outta my system via social media.

But at this point I'm not WANTING to post here at The Siegel Files because every post is a struggle.

I guess I'll consider whether I have enough to say to warrant a new blog. Or maybe I should just start a Tumblr or something...

I dunno. ::shrugs::

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

2011-01-01T15:49:00.000-08:00

One of our many winter-break activities was paying a visit to the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park. They recently opened an "Age of Mammals" exhibit, featuring a full mastodon skeleton found just a few years ago nearby in Simi Valley! They also have a cool new DinoLab exhibit, which allows you to watch scientists while they work on items in the collection. And of course there are the old favorites, like the dated but specimen-packed Gem & Mineral Hall.

But one of my VERY favorite things about this museum is the architecture. The original center-section of the building was constructed in 1913, and is GORGEOUS. It's the kind of place where you're missing out if you don't take the time to study ceilings, tiles, and wainscotting.

And once you're done there, you can visit the Rose Garden, or take in an IMAX over at the nearby ScienCenter.

Exposition Park definitely makes for a great family outing for LA peeps and visitors.

Bullies

2010-12-17T21:04:00.000-08:00

Can I just tell y'all how frakking SICK AND TIRED I am of BULLIES frakking up other people's lives?!?!

You encounter these asshats in elementary, junior high, and high school, and you think: That's it. I'll never have to deal with these people again once I'm out of school. Once I'm in college. Once I get a full-time job.

But it's not true. They appear and re-appear, again and again, everywhere you go, throughout your whole damn life. AND I AM SICK OF IT.

Whatever your PROBLEM is that makes you behave this way, whatever it is that makes you talk down to me, whatever it is that makes you verbally attack me out of the clear blue sky when I least expect/deserve it, GET OVER IT.

Whatever it is that makes you set people up to fail, whatever it is that drives you to undermine people at every turn, whatever it is that makes you want to publicly humiliate and invalidate others: KNOCK IT THE HELL OFF.

Seriously, man. I HAVE HAD ENOUGH. I'm sick of it happening to me, I'm sick of it happening to my friends and former co-workers, and I'm sick of it happening to my husband. I'm sick of workplaces that harbor, encourage, and promote bullies.

This has GOT to stop. But it won't until everyone agrees to call it out.

We, as a society of grownups, cannot let this behavior continue.

Thank you.

< /rant >

Time

2010-12-16T17:10:00.000-08:00

Time.

Time. Flowin' like a river, to the sea.

Time keeps on slippin'... slippin'... slippin'... into the future.

No time for a summer friend;
No time for the love you send;
Seasons change, and so did I...
You need not wonder why
You need not wonder why
There's no time left for you
No time left for you.

This is a post about... TIME.

This year, I, like many people, find myself unemployed at the holidays. This is the first time in my adult life that I have experienced this! I’m finding it to be a VERY eye-opening experience…

My employment ended in October, and my husband and I decided I should just relax through the holidays; I needed some time to recover from the loss of my job, which I held for the past 16 years. I am enjoying this time off more than I could possibly have imagined!

There’s the predictable stuff:

* Having time to actually SHOP in a leisurely fashion, rather than just grabbing the first thing I see;

* Being able to lovingly WRAP and PACK gifts for far-away peeps, rather than having Amazon do it;

* Not RUSHING everywhere!

But the most interesting thing I’m experiencing – and the most surprising to me – is how differently I’m moving through the world.

I’m not gonna lie. After trying to work full-time AND manage a household AND look after my son for the past twelve years, I. WAS. A. MESS. Emotions I experienced daily included but were not limited to: anger, disgust, resentment, frustration, mind-numbing sadness, loneliness, and self-loathing. But it had gotten to where I just didn’t know any other way. This was just the way life was, I told myself. It was just the way *I* was. Life is hard, right? Suck it up.

So, when I found myself unexpectedly freed from my life in the Hamster Wheel of the Full-time Working Mom, I was absolutely amazed at the effect it had on me. I literally TRANSFORMED. After about the first week, I felt noticeably lighter! The tension and anxiety I’ve struggled with for years has VANISHED. I move through the world differently. Interact with my friends, family, and even strangers differently. I’m warmer, kinder, more forgiving, more relaxed. No more anger toward everyone in my way (and believe me when I tell you, EVERYONE WAS IN MY WAY). No more anger at the slow barista/driver/grocery checker. All of a sudden, everything is like water off a duck’s back! AMAZING!

So… Am I enjoying the holidays? I can answer that with a resounding YES! For what may well be the first time in my son’s 12 years, I am indeed enjoying the holidays. Again I say: AMAZING.

While I don’t wish unexpected unemployment on anyone, as it is quite traumatic, I DO wish that all moms could take a nice, long break from the Hamster Wheel. I wish all moms could experience the transformative power of TIME, and PEACE. I’m not overstating it when I say: It will change your life, and that of the people around you, for the better.

Best holiday wishes to you. I hope the new year finds us all slowing down just a bit, so that we can enjoy the things that really matter.

Daytrip: Los Feliz & Silver Lake

2010-11-28T15:04:00.000-08:00

We had a SUPER-nice day yesterday in the Los Feliz/Silver Lake area! I thought I'd share our activities, as it would make a great outing for local families.

We wanted to do something outdoorsy, but The Tween is not a big fan of our usual hikes (Placerita Canyon, Eaton Canyon, Topanga State Park)... So this time we opted for the Fern Dell area of Griffith Park. The base of this trail weaves along amidst a beautiful canopy of trees, ferns, and streams. (I'd love to know the history of Fern Dell; I found nothing online. If you keep going up the trail, it becomes more strenuous and ultimately leads up to the Observatory.) Dogs are allowed on-leash, so next time we'll definitely bring Kelsey!

After the stroll, we drove in toward Silver Lake for lunch. There are some wonderful eateries here, but we opted for Wendy's (again, looking to appease The Tween).

Next up, one of our favorite stores: WACKO! Mr. Siegel and I have frequented this place since before we were married, when it was located on Melrose. I ADORE this shop. Stop in and you'll encounter bacon-strip band-aids; Absinthe dental floss; tons of Dover clip-art books; wind-up toys; and some of the most unusual art and pop-culture books you can find under one roof. In the back corner lies La Luz de Jesus Gallery, often displaying super-rad art that you won't find anywhere else (altho not always kid-friendly, so scope it out before you drag Junior back there).

A GREAT daytrip for Angelenos. I hope you'll give it a go!

Here's a great article about the Fern Dell area from examiner.com, and here's another from guidespot.com.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2010-11-25T08:50:00.001-08:00

Warmest Thanksgiving wishes from all of us here at The Siegel Files!!!

This year, it's JUST US in our OWN HOUSE for the holiday! We're very excited! The last time we did this was in 2001... (Gee, I'm glad we got rid of that paneling...and those drapes...)

So, wherever you are, whomever you're with... enjoy the holiday and count your mitzvahs!

Zinfandel Cranberries

2010-11-24T15:48:00.000-08:00

I only make one thing at Thanksgiving: Cranberries.

This is from a recipe we encountered years ago in Bon Appetit magazine. Basically, you make a mulled syrup with red zinfandel wine, sugars, and spices, then cook the cranberries in that.

IT. IS. DELICIOUS.

Brian makes everything else. :-)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! xoxoxoox

::yawn::

2010-11-13T14:05:00.001-08:00

::yawn:: ::strayche::

Yup.

I'm boring as SPIT now that I'm so goddamn happy.

BWHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHAH

w00t!

:-D

Helping The Boy's School Via Your Online Shopping!

2010-11-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

Public schools aren't the only ones that suffer when the economy is bad; private schools need all the help they can get in these scary times, when enrollments are down and donations are few and far between.

If you'd like your online holiday shopping to make a difference this year, click thru to Amazon via the link on Ev's school's homepage! A percentage of all sales benefit his school. Pretty cool, huh!? And it could NOT be easier.

Everyone who knows us knows that Pinecrest has been indispensable to us as a family. Not having much outside help, we truly could not be raising the child without them. So any little thing I can do to help, I will do.

Thanks so much for considering this, and for sharing the link with your friends and family. We're all in this together!

Wishing you and yours the happiest of holiday seasons.

The Kittens

2010-11-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

We continue to be delighted by these awesome little additions to our family.

They have CRAZY personalities... not at all like the late Miss Tabitha. Full of surprises! Some better than others! ;-)

I had no idea how much I would love these little buggers, and how much joy they'd add to our household... despite the food stealing, litter tracking, paper shredding and furniture scratching. :-D

Stuff I Will Try Not To Buy Now That I Am Unemployed

2010-10-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

I think I will succeed at resisting most of these.

Except the Starbucks.

How I spend my days...

2010-10-21T19:46:00.001-07:00

Me & mah babies, originally uploaded by katerz1.

Yup. This is pretty much it.

Today was a really nice day.

2010-10-11T21:13:00.001-07:00

View of LA from Runyon, originally uploaded by katerz1.

Me and the hubs took Kelsey up to Runyon Canyon bright and early.

We had a really nice walk.

I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying just relaxing and clearing my head! Not sure how I was living in such a wound-up state for so long...

A job and state pension don't do ya any good IF YER DEAD.

New Blog!

2010-10-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

Rather than chronicle my newfound unemployment here at The Siegel Files, I thought a separate blog was in order. Join us, won't we?!

Here, you will find me Barfing Up Daisies! It's not all that interesting yet... but something tells me it may GET interesting. >:-0

Tattoo #4!

2010-10-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

I have several tattoo ideas lined up, and decided that on my 45th b-day last week I'd go and get one of 'em. I opted for the one that's been brewing the longest: a crescent moon with nautical star. I'd sketched up a rough draft and sent it to mah girl Julie at Yoni Tattoo. She took my idea and made it look 10,000 times more awesome, as always.

I'm thrilled with how it came out!

p.s. Because I know people are curious: The shoulder hurt more than I thought it would. Not as bad as the ankle, but not as easy as the upper arm.

p.p.s. The earrings in the last photo were a b-day gift from my friend Kendra. :-)

The Fool.

2010-09-30T00:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to me, I'm a damn fool.

Guess I should be proud. I made it farther than I thought I would before going stark-raving batshit crazy.

::sigh::

Wish I weren't starting my 45th year in such a state of... chaos. Uncertainty. Maudlinity. Un-moored-ness. (I don't know if those last two are words.)

But, as my father once told me, "You made your bed; now you can lay in it." And as my (living) sister once told me, "You lack coping skills."

Beautiful artwork of 'The Fool' Tarot card courtesy of hellobaby on deviantart.

Birthdays.

2010-09-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

I have a birthday next week! I will be 45 years old.

I'm not sure how I feel about that.

I guess I'm kind of baffled. How can *I* be 45?! ::shrugs:: Wasn't I JUST running around with feathered hair, in Dolfin shorts and dangly day-glo plastic earrings, listening to Men Without Hats?! I dunno. I don't think I FEEL 45, but how is one supposed to feel at this age?

Time just flies. I look in the mirror, and I still see that young, generally happy, somewhat daffy young woman, struggling to make sense of the world. Trying -- and often failing -- to make sense of the people around her. But then I look at photos of myself, and I think, "Who is THAT?! She looks OLD and EXHAUSTED. Girlfriend need to CHILLAX."

I guess if you'd asked me 20 years ago, "How do you think you'll feel at 45?", I would not have expected the answer to be "powerless, ineffectual, disconnected, lost, perplexed, tired, worried." I used to think, as you get older, stuff just gets better and better, easier and easier, right?! While that's true in many ways (I like myself more now than ever, curiously; I'm so proud to be a parent; I am more wise about life and people; I have some financial security), in other ways, I have become a slave of sorts... a slave to responsibility. A slave to getting through each day while keeping my head above water. It is, in fact, my only goal each day. (Not very lofty, is it?) So, yeah, I guess I would have thought I'd be more "together" by now. I did not factor in how exhausting life is, and how it kinda wears one down. I would have thought I'd be in a better place mentally and emotionally, and thus able to accomplish more for myself, my family, and my friends on a daily basis.

But alas. This is all I have to offer at this point in time. Head above water? Check.

I hate for this to sound depressing. I don't mean it to be. I'm more just... musing to myself. I'm hopeful that things will improve for me, and I really am grateful for what I DO have: a stable job with good benefits (as of this moment, anyway); my boys and I have our health (kenahora); I have truly lovely, amazing friends who overlook my many shortcomings and help me get through my days. I feel so lucky to have these things. So very lucky...

And so, next week, when I turn 45, I will do as I always have: Just keep swimming. And when life perplexes me, I'll write about it. ;-)

(The image I used for this post is "The Star" tarot card, art by Thalia Took. The image upside down, or reversed, represents hopelessness. Look here for a more complete description.)

The Circle Game by Joni Mitchell

Yesterday a child came out to wonder
Caught a dragonfly inside a jar
Fearful when the sky was full of thunder
And tearful at the falling of a star

Then the child moved ten times round the seasons
Skated over ten clear frozen streams
Words like when you're older must appease him
And promises of someday make his dreams

And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look
Behind from where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

Sixteen springs and sixteen summers gone now
Cartwheels turn to car wheels thru the town
And they tell him take your time it won't be long now
Till you drag your feet to slow the circles down

And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look
Behind from where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

So the years spin by and now the boy is twenty
Though his dreams have lost some grandeur coming true
There'll be new dreams maybe better dreams and plenty
Before the last revolving year is through

And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look
Behind from where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

© Siquomb Publishing Company

Make your fun where you can, People!

2010-09-22T07:36:00.000-07:00

LISTEN to the Katerz! The Katerz KNOWS! We must all make our fun where we can. We must LAUGH in the face of despair! HAHA!

Thank you, foursquare, for being a fun-enabler.

Larry & Joe's Plumbing Supply

2010-09-01T19:47:00.001-07:00

I am a *huge* fan of weird old hardware/electronics/plumbing stores. The kind where there's probably asbestos in the flooring, the ceiling tiles are stained from leaks, there's a big ol' fan running in the corner cuz there's no A/C, and behind the counter sits a proprietor aged anywhere from 65-85, eager to help you with your household repair dilemma.

These places are few & far between, but my town has one, in the form of Larry & Joe's Plumbing Supply on Corbin Avenue in Northridge.*

If you need a plumbing part, I strongly encourage you to give these folks your business. If they don't have what you need, they will tell you how you can get it.

And, they have phone cords! And a Bag O' Nails! And a RainJet elbow assembly dated 1984!

*please note that Larry & Joe's does indeed have A/C!

KITTEHS! We haz dem.

2010-08-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

We'd like to give a warm Siegel Files welcome to Lily & Luna, the latest additions to the Siegel family! These little loves come to us from the awesome East Valley Animal Shelter in beautiful Van Nuys, California.

This here is Lily; she is obviously a calico, and, yes, a Tabitha Doppelganger. It's kinda freakin' us out. LOL

More pix here! And when I say "more pix," I mean... MORE. PIX.

Sabotage.

2010-08-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

Having heard yet ANOTHER story of a gal being unceremoniously dumped -- via FB no less -- by a man she thought she loved... Well, I got to thinkin'.

What in the HOLY HELL is UP with people sabotaging other people?!?!

I'm not just talking about romantic sabotage, although there's plenty of THAT to be sure. I'm talking about LIFE sabotage. Sisters sabotaging sisters; mothers sabotaging sons; friends sabotaging friends.

Now, if you have a legitimate beef with someone, that's fine. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about people who create issues out of thin air, then use these issues to upset YOUR apple cart. People who sabotage YOUR life, for no apparent reason and when you least expect it.

As you may have gathered by now, I have been on the receiving end of this sort of behavior from time to time. Well, okay -- more times than I care to count. And, like my various lady friends and their dead-end love affairs, I NEVER see it coming. EVER. At age 44, I hafta say, I don't think I ever will.

Why IS that? Why do we not see it coming? Well, if you're a saboteur, you're gonna keep it pretty well hidden, right? Otherwise, you won't have anyone to pull the proverbial rug out from UNDER, as it were. So, you're prolly good at masking whatever it is that's gonna make you do this. Which is... what, exactly? What makes people DO this to people they supposedly love? Sometimes after years and years of friendship, or a life-long familial connection?

My hunch? Self loathing. Self-loathers are, almost by definition, self absorbed. They can't be depended on for much, but they CAN be depended on to make everything about THEMSELVES. They are experts at setting OTHER people up to make some sort of "mistake". Then, they can get mad/hurt/offended, and feel superior/victimized/appalled. I guarantee you, they don't even know they're DOIN' it, so they won't be able to stop themselves, and there you'll be, sabotaged once again, feelin' like a damn fool for the eleventy-squillionth time.

You might be wondering about the curious image I chose for this post. It's a tarot card! Although I don't believe in prophecy of any kind, I DO think tarot cards are super-rad lookin'. This one is called a "Five of Swords". Some think that getting this card, in the "reversed" (upside-down) position, is a harbinger of destructive meddling, malicious gossip, and, yes, sabotage. (I musta been dealt a whole deck o' these bad-boys at BIRTH. BWHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHA)

So anyhoo... Does any of this help you? Does it help ME? No. I'm really just thinkin' out loud here. Trying desperately to figure out WHY I keep seeing this pattern of behavior repeat, in my own life and in the lives of others. Trying to make sense of something that makes no sense.

All I can say to you peeps who are enduring this type of nonsense is: It's NOT you. It's NOT your fault. You are not alone. Don't let the asshats get you down.

I turn now, as I often do, to the lyrics of Ms. Janis Ian, from her song "From Me to You":

Those people who surround you
Only want to see you weak enough to crawl
They'll lie for you
Decide for you
And buy up all your rights and all your wrongs
And they'll try to stop your singing
In the middle of your song
For they do not want you free
And they will not keep you strong
But only drag you down in the hole they're coming from

Foursquare!

2010-08-02T07:46:00.001-07:00

Still lovin' me some geolocation...

Apparently I've been too busy checking in at various Starbucks to actually BLOG... :-\

I love my new iPhone!

2010-07-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

AND I LOVE FOURSQUARE!

Other times...

2010-07-01T09:39:00.001-07:00

People make me happy.

THIS kind of thing... this is why I blog.

THANK YOU, faceless blog commenter.

Sometimes...

2010-06-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

People just make me sad.

The Pony Wall.

2010-06-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

The Pony Wall. Is it real? Does it exist? Or is it folktale, myth, urban legend?

Those who have been in my house -- all 5 of you -- have heard tales of a "pony wall". But no one has ever seen it. Normally, people just see a big pile of Stuff, rising up out of nowhere.

Until now.

Ladies & gentlemen, I give you, the Siegel House Pony Wall. Never before viewed by the naked eye.

Father's Day in Leona Valley

2010-06-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

It has been a longstanding Siegel-family tradition to go cherry picking on Father's day. Local cherries generally ripen right around mid-June, and only last a few weeks, so the timing is often perfect! We have (non-digitized) photos of a tiny 2-month old Ev sleeping in his baby carrier underneath a cherry tree from Bri's FIRST Father's day outing.

Our favorite place to go is the Leona Valley, near Palmdale. There are MANY farms, so if you go, don't stop at that first big GIANT place you see when you drive into town. Instead, explore the little side streets. Here, you'll find the small family farms. They'll hand you a bucket and tell you to have at it!

We chose Bright Ranch this year. It was LOVELY. Everyone was so nice, and the fruit is the most delicious we've had in YEARS.

GET THEE OUT TO THE LEONA VALLEY and pick yerselves some cherries!

View more pix here.

Starbucks VIA® Iced Coffee

2010-06-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

The nice folks at Starbucks provided me with some free samples of their new Starbucks VIA® Iced Coffee! Great way to build buzz you guys -- hand out free samples! I love free stuff. (I actually got it VIA this promotion, which is now over.)

ANYhoo, I'm sippin' it right now, and I'm happy to report that it is a VERY satisfying glass of coffee. It's pre-sweetened and made to be used "on-the-go", so it blends easily with cold water. Preparing it as they recommend would work great for most fans of Starbucks drip. But I'm one of those people who needs ALOT OF SUGAR AND MILK in her Starbucks -- otherwise, it's a little strong for me. Okay, it's ALOT strong. So I added 2 sugars to mine, as well as a generous splash or 3 of half-and-half. :-)

These small adjustments made it pretty much the best iced-coffee I've ever prepared in my own kitchen.

Promotional consideration provided by Starbucks Corp.

Loss.

2010-06-14T11:57:00.001-07:00

We lost another co-worker last week.

What is this – the 10^th in the past 15 years? Or is it a dozen? I’ve lost count.

I don’t know what to make of loss anymore.

It used to be, I’d experience a loss – even a catastrophic one like when my Mom died – and I would move through it, and years would pass, and the hole would get a little smaller, and the sadness would lessen. I was able to reason it out. It’s just part of life. I was even kind of proud of my ability to survive and thrive after loss. What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger, right?

But I dunno anymore. I don’t feel like I’m processing losses properly. Stuff just kind of… happens. And it hits me, and I take the hit. I feel like I’ve been hit, but it doesn’t hurt. I just add it to the various facts stored in my head. “It’s 2010. The sky is blue. I live in California. I am alive. Karin Duran is dead. Karen Berkeland is dead. Joe Dabbour is dead. Antonio Calvo is dead. KC Sluter is dead. My mother is dead. My sister is dead.” And I just… keep moving forward, to quote “Meet the Robinsons”.

Hopefully, as long as I do that – as long as I keep moving forward – I’ll be okay.

But I do grow so, so weary of the losses…

Furlough Friday activities!

2010-05-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

I'm fast runnin' out of Furlough Fridays to document! This one was the last one I'll be spending in which I enjoy Mommy Free Time, as the youngster is conveniently OFF during my next 2 scheduled Fridays off. This is both awesomely convenient, and a bit of a bummer. ;-)

Anyhoo, this past Furlough Friday, I was joined by Mr. Siegel. We started the day at The Boy's school awards ceremony, then headed up into the Hollywood Hills to check out Runyon Canyon. We've heard alot about it as a nice place to hike... plus it has an off-leash dog park within. So we thought we'd drag Kelsey up there and check it out.

It's rather unconventional as off-leash dog parks go. It's not fenced, so if you had, say, a crazy Siberian Husky you were particularly fond of, you would not want to bring him here. But our pup was fine and stayed pretty close while still enjoying the steep hillsides.

On the way out, we ran into Reese Witherspoon in the parking lot. In my effort to "look natural," I slammed my finger in the van door. #CelebrityEncounterFail

Hope you enjoyed your hike, Reese.

CONGRATULATIONS are in order...

2010-05-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

It's an exciting day here at The Siegel Files... The Boy won several awards duriing the May awards ceremony at school! One was Student of the Month for Language/Literature, another was Student of the Month in Science, and the last one -- the big surprise -- was that he took 3rd place in the Science Fair in the Physics category! WE HAZ PROUDZ! Plus, they gave the kids TROPHIES! WTF?! How awesome is THAT?!

For more info on his Science Fair project, look here!

Old-age Barnacle!

2010-05-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, Ladies & Gentlemen, first it was shingles, and now I apparently have AN OLD-AGE BARNACLE on my face. Also known as seborrheic keratosis, or "Seb Ker", this is a benign growth commonly affecting us oldsters.

Thankfully, mine is tiny, and easily removable. But, still. Wikipedia calls it a "senile wart".

SUPER. As the kids would say, that's an EPIC WIN.

"Twilight" backlash: Sexism?

2010-05-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

Is the backlash against ‘Twilight’ rooted in sexism?

This was the question that popped into my head recently after watching the movie “Twilight”. (Which is funny, because I watched a RiffTrax of it, and you wouldn’t think I’d be left with such a serious question after viewing THAT little slice of comedy… “LINE?!” But anyhoo, I digress…)

What first struck me was, “JESUS, that was a funny
RiffTrax.” After that, I got to thinking how extremely cool the Twilight STORY is. Seeing the movie actually made me want to read the books. Not because of the vampire romance – I can take or leave vampires. What I loved was the framework of the story – that the vampire “Dad” (who is the town doctor) actually saves people’s lives, in a way, by turning them into vampires when they’re gonna die anyway. So in the story, the Doctor’s family is comprised of these young people that he’s saved (including Edward), and a “Mom”, all of whom have been given eternal life by this vampire/doctor. Oh, and they don’t live on people-blood, these vampires, they live on animal blood, so as not to take innocent human lives. They’re like a band of vampire humanists, I guess.

So now, as the basis for a book series, I ask you… HOW FREAKIN’ GNARLY IS THAT CONCEPT?!

Okay, so then… why all the mockery, and, at times, vitriol? Remember, the anti-Twilight “movement” – if one can call it that – began as a reaction to Stephenie Meyer’s books (which I will NEVER understand, being a big fan of ALL BOOKS and anything that makes someone read). It reached a heightened pitch, certainly, after the release of the movies and the surrounding teen-heartthrob hubbub, marketing blitz, etc., but it was in full-swing before there was even TALK of a movie, before R-Pattz and K-Stew were even CAST! Grown women were forced to cover their Twilight books in their kids’ schoolbook covers in embarrassment, for cryin’ out loud!

Being a library worker, I have lots of literary-snob peeps, bless their hearts, who were among the Twilight haters. I’m not callin’ y’all sexists, so don’t get yer collective academic panty in a bunch. I’m just wondering -- MUSING, if you will -- as to whether, on some subconscious level, a deeply ingrained, societal sexism had something to do with the rather bizarre anti-Twilight backlash. I don’t believe for one minute that a book series aimed at, and appealing to, teenage boys, would have met with such a public flogging and complete dismissiveness. I think it’s full-on, socially ingrained, sexism in action. People who would never think of bashing Harry Potter, for example, bashed Twilight … in many (most?) cases, without ever having cracked even one of the books open.

Interesting, no?

I welcome your thoughts on my hastily fleshed-out theory.

Particularly if you’ve actually read the book(s), which I have not.

More Zany Captchas!

2010-05-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

As y'all know, I am a big fan of the zany captchas one sometimes gets when trying to post comments to blogs and Facebook and whatnot.

Here are a couple more particularly awesome ones I recently got:

BEST. MOTHER'S DAY. EVAR.

2010-05-09T19:27:00.001-07:00

Mother’s Day. It’s like Christmas for Moms! At our house it is, anyway. My boys knock themselves out every year to give me everything I want on Mother’s Day. I LOVE it! It’s also one of the few days per year where I fully DEMAND everything I want, and enjoy it all, guilt-free.

This year, I got flowers; breakfast made by The Ev; a trip out to Hollywood Forever cemetery where I have not been in well over a decade; and my favorite dinner of grilled flank steak and potatoes, as expertly prepared by Mr. Siegel. For dessert: brownies! SQUEEEEEEEE! I had a wonderful, wonderful day.

Thanks so much, fellas. Ah *lurrrve* yew. xoxoxoxoox

2-year Anniversary of The Siegel Files!

2010-05-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it! Has it *really* been 2 years since I started this blog?! In some ways, it feels like I just started it, and in others, it feels like a lifetime ago that I met this asshat and his dumb baby who unintentionally dragged me kickin' & screamin' into the blogosphere.

I love blogging. I love having a place where I can share what our family is up to, as well as just random silly thoughts. I used to think in terms of a blog needing to be something others wanted to read; at some point, I made the transition into seeing that it really needed to be... whatever the writer is compelled to express. Because you can't write a blog if you're not somehow driven to do so.

Speaking of compelling... A lovely lady named Virginia Corbett (she of the Roots & Zest blog) apparently finds MY blog compelling, as she presented me with a Stiletto Award a few weeks ago! SQUEEEEEEEEEE! This blog award was created "to salute the women who balance life, family & relationships with style & class ... who share their experiences with us ... who encourage us, inspire us, teach us, make us laugh and basically keep us going!" I am completely tickled to have received this (although I think there are those who would take issue with the "style" and "class" components. HA!). For full into about the Stiletto Award, go here.

Note that I do not require my recipients to pass the award on. I know alot of people just don't do this sorta thing, and I'm totally jiggy with that.

And so, without further ado, here are my Stiletto winners.

A BOY NAMED SEUSS.

Read about the adventures of my friend Jessica: self-proclaimed "aging punk rocker, cat herder, wife & mom". I've never met anyone quite like this platinum-blonde, inked-up Jewess. She'll make you laugh, cry... and wonder how the hell she looks SO. DAMN. GOOD. ALL. THE. TIME.

CIRCUS ACTS.

The unusually introspective Miss K shares the ups & downs of life in the Big Top with her hubby and 2 precious behbehs. You'll feel like she's talkin' directly to you... because, I think she really IS. Go for the prose; stay for the pictures of the *redonk* little girl in the pigtails!

THE ADVENTURES AND MISADVENTURES OF ONE MISS KELLY P. BERGIN.

Go there. Now. Your jaw will drop. Is this chick drunk? Is she ill? Is she completely BATSHIT?! You make the call. One thing's for sure -- you will laugh hysterically, weep unexpectedly, and generally marvel at The Kellinator.

GUST GAB.

My friend Darcie. Like all of us, she's busy with her own shit -- kids, husband, job, household. Yet somehow, she finds time and energy for other people/organizations/causes... you name it, she's helping out. The world needs more Darcies! Follow her antics here at Gust Gab.

INTROVERTED WIFE.

This is my friend Sabrina. She's CRAZY talented. Deadpan sense of humor. Makes wedding-dress paintings, MST3K pendants, and anatomically correct soaps, among other things. Topics on this blog include but are not limited to: couscous, trees, Labrador Retrievers, and eyeballs.

And there you have it.

It feels good to celebrate my blog's 2-year anniversary by honoring other bloggers!

Keep bloggin' everybody! And I hope you'll continue to check in with us from time to time here at The Siegel Files.

Mother's Day Luncheon @ Middle School!

2010-05-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

The Boy's redonkulously awesome Middle School hosted a *lovely* Mother's Day lunch for all us moms ... and even a few grandmas! It was sooooo nice. We had many delicious foods to choose from, and TWO cakes! We all played a rousing game of "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?", in which we all discovered that the middle schoolers ARE, but the moms have forgotten some stuff. :-0

My Last Quad-Venti Mocha

2010-04-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

Ladies & Gentlemen, I give you: my last quad-shot venti mocha. I have never -- and will never again -- pay $5.50 for a coffee. I don't care HOW many shots are in it, or what exotic wild animal pooped out the coffee beans.

At these prices, they should install defibrillators in the stores. I almost had a heart attack when they told me what I owed 'em.

Open House!

2010-04-29T21:00:00.001-07:00

Tonight, we attended our first Open House at Ev's middle school.

It was just LOVELY! We got to see all his teachers, and look at all the great work he's done of late. As usual, we're just exceedingly proud of our little fella, and continue to be delighted with this wonderful school we chose for him. I could not possibly be more thrilled with the education he's getting.

All the Science Fair stuff was up in the cafeteria (you might recall Ev working on his a few weeks ago, as chronicled here) -- so neat to see what everyone's experiments were! One of the older kids had made a hovercraft and was giving people rides!

12th Birthday!

2010-04-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

The Boy seemed to enjoy his birthday...

He got many awesome prezzies from many generous friends & family members, and he got one of Daddy's yummy homemade chocolate cakes!

He also got his dream-gift: The Nintendo DSi-XL. So, yes. He was surprised and happy!

Such an appreciative little fella... He's fun to buy for.

One more year 'til he's officially a teen! Jeebus help me...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EVAN!!!

2010-04-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday

my beautiful boy
my trusty sidekick
my Scooby Doo
my greatest contribution to the world

You make me SO proud, EVERY. DAY.!!!

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

My "baby" turns 12 tomorrow!

2010-04-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

Let's take a stroll down memory lane, shall we?

Here are highlights from Ev's b-days past.

Tomorrow, we celebrate #12!

::sigh::

Can somebody slow this ride down? I think I'm gonna barf if it goes any faster...

More Weird Merchandise

2010-04-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

I like to take snapshots of peculiar merchandise that I encounter in my travels. Here are some recent ones: Baby Charlie's Angels! They go undercover to solve daycare mysteries and child-labor violations.

Canned snails. Tres gros! Ducs de bourgogne! Only $30/can!

Maraschino cherries? That's not weird. But a giant $150 KEG of maraschino cherries? Unusual.

Shmutzy Girl dishes!

Jesus bling!

I dunno what this is. But the box sez: "Batteries are not required as it works battery." Well, that's a relief.

Our Sweet 16

2010-04-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Mr. Siegel and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary! Yay!

We grabbed our trusty sidekick The Ev, and headed down to Sherman Oaks for dinner at Mr. Cecil's Rib Joint. Mainly cuz it had an attractive kids' menu. And indeed, Ev selected the kids' giant beef rib, and ate the whole thing!

After dinner, we bopped across the street to Freakbeat Records. What an awesome store! Fantastic selection of stuff! Plus they give our friend Davie his own section. A sign of an excellent record store. ;-)

Oh -- and that Donny Most album pictured below? Bri got it. ;-)

Novosibirsk

2010-04-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Novosibirskian! I hope you enjoyed your visit to The Siegel Files! Спасибо for visiting!

Do come again, won't you?!

Tabitha Joy Siegel, 1993-2010

2010-04-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

This week, we lost the most beautiful kitteh there ever was.

We miss you so much already, Tabby... We were so lucky to have you in our family.

The Holy Grail of Celebrity Graves

2010-03-31T18:58:00.000-07:00

As one might imagine, for people interested in celebrity graves, the one currently garnering the most lust is that of Michael Jackson. Mainly because it's off-limits to the general public. Those are always the most fun to be able to see!

I happen to have the good fortune to be super-tight buds with a gal who is a property owner, not only at Glendale Forest Lawn... not only in the Great Mausoleum... but actually IN Holly Terrace, which is the precise wing of the Great Mausoleum where MJ is currently interred.

Having said that, when we set out for Glendale this morning, we were not setting out to see MJ. When Forest Lawn sez something's off limits, it's OFF LIMITS. THEY ARE NOT KIDDING, PEOPLE. So we had no reason to believe that we would be able to find MJ, let alone see his tomb.

So imagine our surprise when, after visiting my friend's dad, we rounded a corner and there it was -- the final resting place of the King of Pop. The only reason we knew this was it was because we'd seen this photo on the internet. Otherwise, near as I could tell, there was no indication that it was him. It was quite dark in there, and if his name was on the sarcophagus, I didn't see it. It was SURROUNDED by prezzies sent in from people, so if you've sent him a prezzie, they do leave it there. For awhile, anyway.

Sadly, I could not photograph this for you folks. Security cameras were EVERYWHERE, and I was afraid of gettin' us kicked out (there are signs everywhere that say "no photographs permitted", and they WERE watching us on the security cams). So what you see below are the few pix I was able to sneak when there WASN'T a security camera trained on me, before I got caught and told to knock it off.

I do not expect to go into the Great Mausoleum again, because it's really NOT friendly to visitors. That kind of takes the fun out of it, feeling vaguely like a criminal. (This is probably why I've only been inside this mausoleum once, like 25 years ago -- that time, I got to see Gable & Lombard!) I will also say this: It is the last place on earth I would want to be laid to rest. It is extremely cold, very dark in places, gothic, foreboding, and depressing. Creepy music is pumped in. It's kind of like a place your 80-year-old parents would bury you, if you were rich like Michael Jackson, but it's not anywhere he would want to be, I'm quite sure, and not anywhere *I* would ever want to be. Don't get me wrong -- it's absolutely beautiful inside, and VERY cool to see... but too creepy for eternity, IMHO.

These are my thoughts, by me.

Kelsey is doing some modeling.

2010-03-30T08:27:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the nice folks at Dirty Dog Wash in Huntington Beach for using Kelsey in their new flyers... and to Chris Adam, the designer, for spotting Kelsey on Flickr! We're so proud of our beautiful girl. We will for sure be taking her in for a bath after our next visit to Huntington Dog Beach!

Ladies & Gentlemen,

2010-03-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

I give you... Mr. Robbie Rist. ::SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE:: I'M NOT WORTHY! I'M NOT WORTHY!

Science Fair!

2010-03-28T16:22:00.001-07:00

The Boy has been workin' all weekend on his Science Fair project! It's related to balloons. And temperature. There is much balloon-popping going on, and data collection, and graph making! It's awesome and I'm glad @mrquizzical handles this stuff soz ah don't hafta.

I DID assist with balloon measurement for a time, as the boy's eardrums were takin' a beating from the really loud popping. And I helped shop for supplies like construction paper and glue sticks. So, y'know, I'm not *completely* useless. :-)

Tour of Cool Valley Haunts, Episode 4: SIERRA'S!

2010-03-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

I needed a central location for a Twitter date recently (thanks, Sheena!), and also required margaritas. Hmmmm... Where to go? I wanted somewhere Woodland-Hillsish. But I didn't feel like Sagebrush, or El Torito, or Acapulco...

Then I remembered Sierra's. We used to eat at Sierra's when I worked at Sebastian! It was yummy! Plus I was thinkin', Sierra's is technically a "cool old valley haunt" now, so I could do a blog post about it -- always a nice bonus. And so, here we are.

Sierra's was started by the same folks who started Mission tortillas! I did not know that 'til now. They also own the Mission Burrito restaurants. Sierra's opened in 1969 at the corner of Vanowen & Canoga.

My photos do not REMOTELY do it justice. The decor inside is just AWESOME. And the food is great! Stick-to-your-ribs mexican. Not to mention the steamiest fajitas I have EVER seen!

What are we waitin' for?! ¡Vamanos!

Ima Superfood!

2010-03-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

This made me LOL.

Sometimes, he goes with the NYT instead.

2010-03-22T08:25:00.001-07:00

My 11-year-old child, readin' the newspaper.

SOMEBODY pinch me!!! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

::proudz::

Another Furlough Friday!

2010-03-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

My furlough days are winding down! Today, after a lovely breakfast out with the hubs, I decided to run over to one of my zen places -- Green Arrow Nursery in Van Nuys.

I dunno what it is about this place. I don't even like working in the yard all that much. Or at all. But walking around here on a cool, quiet morning is one of my favorite things... Peaceful, quiet, smells nice.

I even bought some flowers for our front yard. Planted some of 'em, too! ;-)

On the Edge of Seventeen

2010-03-15T17:35:00.000-07:00

Heck, this kitteh isn't on the EDGE of Seventeen... SHE'S 17 YEARS OLD.

HARD. TO. BELIEVE.!

Click here to see how she celebrated her Sweet 16!

You're Welcome, Burton Cummings!

2010-03-15T10:45:00.001-07:00

Thank YOU for Tweeting, Sir!

Rose Bowl Flea Market

2010-03-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

We've been going to the Rose Bowl Flea Market for, ohhhh... nigh on 20 years now.

But I gotta tell ya: never have I seen more awesome stuff there than we saw today.

I dunno if it's the bad economy, or what, but MAN! The cool-factor of the stuff at the Flea this time was THROUGH THE ROOF! These pix don't remotely do it justice. It's as if every awesome old Hollywood estate sale emptied its contents outside the Rose Bowl.

If you can get over there next month, I recommend it!

More Mamie!

2010-03-11T12:11:00.001-08:00

Ah LOVES me some Mamie!!!

She is a social-media marvel!

She tweets, too!

Tour of Cool Valley Haunts, Episode 3

2010-03-10T09:45:00.001-08:00

I've been trying to visit some of the awesome "old Valley haunts" that surround me, before they're all gone, like the dearly departed Valley Ranch BBQ. I recently had the opportunity to go to 94th Aero Squadron, where I had not been since my 21st birthday! Do not ask me why I haven't been there; just haven't gotten round twit in 20-odd years I guess.

So, I was delighted to drive up and find it just as I remembered it. The restaurant has been beautifully maintained; the old biplane still sits out front, and the grounds are as lovely as ever. I was thrilled to find it looking so beautiful! I entered the establishment and found much the same thing. It does not look dated or run-down in any way. It is still completely charming, featuring the same wonderful view of the runway at Van Nuys airport and the same fabulous collection of aviation memorabilia.

As an added bonus, the food was delicious, and the service was excellent. My lovely companion Donna ordered a vodka gimlet, which was expertly prepared. Our food was nummy. So, BRAVO, 94th Aero Squadron! I'll be back, and it won't be any 20 years from now either!

March 4 "Day of Action"

2010-03-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a "Day of Action" to protest budget cuts to education up and down the state of California.

I was worried that CSUN would be all apathetic and non-participative. But I needn't have worried. There was a FANTASTIC turnout. I was proud of my school!

I wish that staff had been more encouraged to participate. But those of us who wanted to were free to lend our support on our breaks and after work, and people did.

My colleagues and I wore school colors in solidarity with the students!

Lowering the degrees of separation via online connections.

2010-03-04T07:52:00.000-08:00

I love my online peeps. Why? Because if you make enough connections, you can always find someone to appreciate your obscure reference.

Below, I demonstrate that I know I can name-drop a beloved character actor, and know the person will "get" it. In this case, I can also be FB friends with that character actor's daughter. So, see? It's kind of a beautiful tapestry that weaves together our real-life connections, with our cyber-connections, with our favorite old movies and TV shows, to make a big warm trivia blanket!

I am a strange, strange lady.

Elegy for Valley Ranch Barbeque

2010-03-01T19:58:00.001-08:00

Welp, another San Fernando Valley landmark is no more. The delicious and fabulously kitschy Valley Ranch Bar-B-Q, which I'd previously blogged about, has joined the long list of old valley haunts to fade into history. Why it closed seems to be a mystery. The foodies over on Chowhounds are of the mind that the quality had gone down, and the closure is permanent. It certainly LOOKED permanent when I stopped by yesterday to poke around and snap some pix... So sad. I'll miss the waitresses, the plastic horses, and the general mish-mosh of bizarre tchotchkes. Not to mention, the yummy BBQ.