There And Back Again…

Well, kiddies, I just made it back from that glorious Golden State, and it was fabulous.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at Xmass 05. That’s the complete shebang.

But here come the stories. The full monty. (It's seven days in five posts). Enjoy.

Day 1.

Took an annoying flight.

Landed at the gate hub of my youth, Delta LAX.

The fam picked me up.

Went shopping at The Grove.

And ate at the old farmer’s market next door, with carolers behind.

We shopped at the Mac Store.

And did some multimedia posing at the Sony Store.

 

Guitars.

KFC and  jack In The Box for the hour and a half drive up the coast to gorgeous Santa Barbara.

Checked out Luis Jose’s digs.

And finally arrived at the Montecito Inn with all our Luggage.

Not a bad suite with the toilet paper like French fries.

Day 2.

Met up with Hickserino. Took a walk through Montecito and ate at Panino.

And looked upon the ostrich farms car.

Oh State Street (santa barabara’s main downtown drag).

The glorious shops of Paseo Nuevo, where we consumed like good holiday economy boosters.

And hit the amazing Galanga Thai (or thy, if you’re LJ).

With headbands, of course.

Ending the night with a wondrous SB Pastoral.

Day 3

Morning shopping makes you crazy.

So does Xmass trees and ice creams.

But it prepares you for the annual Hicks party which began with Brazier and Cristina.

And look at that Patsy Hicks,

It turns out Criessen’s now engaged. Look at that rock, not to mention
the fact that our generation is getting older, this will be our fourth
marriage (all girls, though, who will be the first '98 Cate Guy to marry?)

Young sister Katy hosted well.

Look at that showing of the younger generation.

And Mr Hicks.

Rachel nee Pigeon and Kristin.

The glorious Weiss.

The unstoppable She-na-nay.

A pitstop of annual corralling.

One Sassy Caitlin.

Four Hicks-a-singing.

Five Stephens’ posing.

Ashlyn and Kristi.

Kristi really excited.

Hanna and Olivia (who was once my student in Soph Sem).

Julian playing piano.

And we’re off for a night on the town.

To the James Joyce, where Brad Devo and Georgia joined us, with her husband Josh.

Straight chillin’.

With more unexpected guests, Catrine and Duncan avec buxom girlfriend
(I had not seen him in six years, and he pulled the metamorphosis of
the century, from skinny little sophomore, to Santa Barbara Bob Loblaw
(ashlyn coined that one)).

We closed the bar down with peanuts, so we headed to Brad’s place.

I played a four way poker tourney, where I made it to the final two the
under dog by about 80% of chips, only to tie it up and make ten dollars
with good one play against a sugar deprived Josh.

Seamus rocked it, while sleepovers occurred, Andrew, Brazier, and I shared a cab home.

A small moment to document the amount of accoutrements I carry on a regular basis.

 Day 4

Early wake up.

Because we were on a mission to check out our old School Grounds. Frosh dorm, aptly named Savage House.
 

Dinning Hall Maduka Steady Trophy pose.

The incredible hillside view I took for granted on most sunsets.

Enjoying it with the fellow alums.

Aptly named sophomore and junior dorm, Long House.

Senior year dorm Cook House. That’s right, this one’s not aptly named.

Stained glass windowed Chapel.

Sometimes aptly named High House, where I never lived.

Senior lawn and the scenic path.

Weird new statues at the Hitchcock Theatre, where i performed a fare share of thesbian rites.

Brazier’s created Paden Ross hole.

Thanks for the memories Cate School.

A goodbye to Brazier at Rincon Beach.

Feo and Molly (we miss you Ralph).

And King Kong, which was too long by about an hour, but okay for some of its jaw dropping moments.

This is what people thought.

Italian Dinner.

Posing at the mall.

And Back home to wrap my presents.

Day 5.

Xmass! Yay!

Presents.

My presents.

LJ’s ecstatic receival(sp!) of his new MiniDV camcorder.

More gifts, including my Gambler sweatshirt.

Among other hoodies.

Then the evening arrival of the LA Stephens’s, Uncle James, Aunt Lolly, and grandma Laney.

Tay and Nick, Aunt Pril, Uncle Steve, and cousing Louie.

Classic (half) Jewish Xmass dinner: Chinese. Chinese Chillin’.

Posing for Outlines.

Moxie!

Like father, like son.

And the other 25th Surprise, Luis Jose’s 30th Birthday!

Happy birthday! Presents (for birthday).

And for everyone.

End of the night at chez-hicks with their cousins Kathy and Will.

And of course, duckman.

Day 6

Skipped breakfast at the Hicks’.

To attend Suite breakfast with the Fam.

Stories were told, and laughs were had.

And before the goodbye, the full attendance picture.

Plus the young ‘uns version.

Good seeing y’all.

Video tape confessionals pools side followed. (now that Luis Jo has a camcorder,
he’s more annoying than I am with my, constantly shooting. But I
believe moving picture cams change the reality a bit more, everyone
acts different).

Aviator cruisin’.

Charlie Chaplin kissing.

Into the enchanting California sunset.

Before attending The Family Stone, which turned out to be a sleeper
charmer hit. Go in with low expectations and it might surprise you. And
you know I’m a sucker for Claire Danes.

Popcorn powders in the States? Incredible.

Weird place final dinner.

And the quick drop off Hicks Goodbye.

Day 7.

The end is nigh! Crazy packing.

With Italy-like roof box stunt (shipping away fake xmass tree).

IHOP breakfast.
(weirdly unpictured).

And the goodbye to Luis Jose.

More aviator shinanegans on the our and a half back to LAX.

And final goodbye to the fam.

Penis in the LAX bathroom stall.

Sam, my sister’s ex on the airplane TV CNN.

An annoying five hours to arrive and pass the penis head tip of Manhattan.

And the final key maneuver, taking the illegal cab past an unmoving thirty person regular taxi line. Thanks guy.

What a fucking trip. 3000 miles, 13 family members. 17 Friends. 438 Pictures taken, 178 posted Whew.

Happy Christmass, Merry Channukah, and Feliz Kwanza To All…

Yes. Happy Holidays!

I am in sunny Santa Barbara on vaca.

My gifts rock.

And much much more shall come when I return to The City. Have a great one.

26 Holidays Poker Party…

What a week. We begin on Wedenesday, December 15th, the day that John
Fulton Mclane the III went around the sun for the 26th time. And thus
he was celebrated.

And thus the world rejoiced.

And thus, was my present.

And all was well. That was also the night I heard the full story of my
Cousin Stickney almost getting on John Gotti’s jury, in the trial in
the eighties.

Friday PS 260 had a holiday party.

We opened secret santa.

I got a tshirt that is on its way, new hot pink vans, and a photoshoped
picture of me with the famous George R. R. Martin, a fantasy writer I
very much respect.

Then we went out to a wonderful dinner.

I will post most of that on PS 260’s Blog, which I pen for here and there.

Then I gave Jenna her Christmas presents. She gave me hers on another
camera, so we have no visual evidence of my new journal, Mort Goldman
doll, and tickets to see Cake in January. But look at her action.

Saturday was Jenna’s last day before she left on vacation, ten days
back home in Arizona for Xmas. She just got her own blog, too. Check it.

I was very sad to see her go.

But I did get to see Derek and Liz’ new apartment for some good poker action.

It began with a bang, I went all in with two pair on the very first
hand against Derek, who called and beat me with trip queens. Then I
bought back and went all in on the very next hand with two pair and
made my money back against Derek, again, when the two pair held up
against his top pair. Then I cruised  losing here and there but
keeping even, until the end when I hit a string good flops with medium
hands, and took out Aaron (who claimed he had my number up to that
point) and Derek twice. Cashed out thirty up. MattSam took out 15,
matty and aaron evened out, and the two hosts, Derek and Liz lost the
money.

Matty was having a holiday party after, so I helped him buy a tree, and also gave him a hand setting it up.

Good spread and nice Nog.

Judith and I were the first ones there.

And I noticed the N'SYNC bobble head connection.

The lovely hosts, Matty and Mara.

And the friends.

And those of us with facial pubes.

And the baby.

Happy holidays.

Oh The Beauty Of It All...

So work has me busy in the day, and Season 4 of 24 just came out, so that has me busy at night. But i've been getting more of my art on. Check it out, cutesy flowers in original.

And full.

Units Of Parental Consent…

Les parents rolled into town for a bit of museuming and other stuff, like taking Jenna and I out for dinner.

Then I showed them Stickney’s newly painted tuscan wall.

And my dad transformed into a one armed man counting his change.

And the swordmen appeared.

A propo, now that the movie is soon coming, maybe I should mention that pops was a fencer at Munich ’72, crazy huh?

Next day dinner happened with the Linders.

Who are just a total nouveau telephonique couple with the double punch of treo and sidekick.

Is that my dad’s attempt at throwing down gang signs?

Or his belated Halloween… whatever.

Who’s that ball of fur?

Of course I had to check out their new digs. They rented out the top of the house to live in their basement.

And mary.

And sam’s uncle’s beer, decorated with Ralph Stedman drawings.

And then I got roped into another great Linder giveaway. Which of
course meant hamming it up as a model. I had to try it all on to make
sure it fit, right? This is before.

Pimp Suit number One.

Pimp Suit number Two.

Rocking it out casual.

Hipster disaffection? Check.

Concrete jungle explorer? That too.

And finally, British Dandy foh evah.

Oh the memories.

One More Time…

Jenna and I went out for a nice fancy dinner at Italianissimo, a
restaurant right across the street from her apartment. And it was
indeed as italianissimo as it gets. Look at the master flambé artist.

And just when I thought it would never happen, the Wesleyan friends
poker ring went at it. This time we decided for a slightly different
format: high stakes late night action. We started at midnight and went
all the way til four in the morning.

I went up early against a bluffing harris, then lost it all in a
terrible triumvirate: a huge mistake thinking I had a full house when I
really had nothing, getting trips taken down by higher trips, both by
Thayer,  and a hurtful pocket aces crack by dereks two pair.

But then I came back to cash out 50 with small top pair wins, a large
error in judgment by poor althea, thinking I had a flush draw when I
had already flopped the straight, and an incredibly lucky runner runner
full house to double up off thayer’s flush, which he had flopped.
Sometimes its better to be lucky than good. Elevator magic anyone?

As dawn began to settle in, we waded through the first snows of the season and felt poetic.

Hello winter. I wish I could say it's nice to see you again.