So I take back what I said about my brother being the town drunk. He has been Very Sober and helpful. When he is in his element, my brother Nathaniel is pretty much a consumate craftsman. I might even go so far as to say superb. I have seen it with my own eyes. He can sink an eight penny nail with 2 whacks of his hammer, perfect depth with no pecker marks. I have seen him walk the top of a wall, saw in hand and almost lose his balance only to gracefully correct himself and walk on. He got shot by a freakin nailgun in the heartsack and lived to tell about it. Plus he's been taught by our dad, so there you go. Well then, you can imagine my surprise when the old man whose patio extension we had just worked on called to say that his son told him what we had done out there was CRAP and that he didn't want me to finish the job. Huh?! What?!? Exactly his son thought was crap, he wouldn't specify...But I was not to come back. Well shit, before I got all indignant, I actually felt a little relieved. This son of his did not want me there in the first place. I could tell from the bad vibe and the way he threw his weight around. And he was supposed to be the masonry guy, so why was I out there with my head 2 inches away from his crotch while he steadied the pole (so to speak). I drove away proud of myself that even though I was put in that pervy position I was able to get a good swing in and hit the nail. On the Head. Maybe it was the way the old man wheeled up to me and said he wanted my brother to mark the spot where the post holder would go. "No, I want him to do it." not even giving a shit that he sounded all mean and petulant. I bet you it really pissed him off when I had to look him in the eye and say, truthfully: "I can mark it." Then made a big X with my lumber pencil. Huh. Oh Well, I've been fired by worse. I'm not gonna let it get me down, although I have been a little stymied.

This is Nat & me putting an arch in my mom's house. I designed it (hah! stenciled Happy's wrought iron daybed right onto the plyboard, more like) and he built it.

The good news it that I got to work (construction!) out in the sun for 2 days with my brother who loves me more than Rice and Beans (when he's tuned in) And he was so sober and his real self. And I got a $600 check fer my trouble.

We're EveryWhere!!! Proud Mothers of their sons (&daughters)

I was a full on proud mom & So happy to go w/G. to Gay Pride Day @ the Mission San Luis Obispo....We had a gay old time. For real. There were booths with really good food, a jumping house and bubbles, free stuff like water bottles for bikes and rainbow colored pens, and rainbow colored lolipops, rainbow colored People, it was pretty much All rainbowed Out. I won a CD from a radio station (the wheel landed on my lucky #6). It's called "The Defenition of an Ese" & Pop-pops new favourite dance craze: Lean like a Cholo (elbows out side to side). I also saw something so cool and sweet I felt like cryin'. A hippie chick w/light brown dreadlocks and her very slender Latina girlfriend, were sitting on the stairs of the mission, holding hands and waiting for the drag queen entertainment to start. I could tell that they really dig each other by the way they are draped into one another, practically embracing but in a nonchalont kinda way. I smiled at them and they were all happy and smiling right back. It struck me as evolved. Nobody would be doing that 50 years ago and Here they are just being themselves while the whole Plaza is roped off and having a Celebration about it. Right on. And anywayze, it was just a really fun day and we had a real good time.

Happy Tuesdays
are on
Hiatus

In case you haven't noticed already: Me & Happy have been laggin' on the dressing up and photo shootings of late....She's still a very serious young girl who wants to be a pin-up model and/or tattooed make-up artist, a musicians little sister and baby watching big sister. Very good at sleeping in very late (very early afternoon) grocery shopping for me with her little boyfriend in his truck(!) and going to the movies and beach on the bus. Self-posessed is my Happy (singin' along w/Al Green in her room) and that's just the way I like her.

Out in the backyard, cowlick & all

Pop-pops contemplates a haircut....

Nah!

Changapeluda and The Art of Second Guessing

While I haven't gotten back into the swing of things as nimbly as I would like, I haven't been fired as of yet....The night before I started this side job of mine, I was plotting out how I'd get things level and plumb and angled....That's a Lot to think about....and then to think I might not be right about how I'm going about getting these angles and measurements and whatnot...

So I asked my brother Nat to come to the house and walk me through it. Kinda lame and little sisterly of me but I don't care. Anywayze - come to find out...my dad taught us both the same tricks!...only my brother is WAY better at it then I am. So far I've only cut One ten foot pole a little too short but I can use it later on kinda thing....it's gonna turn out tits. I can tell.

Here's G. Levitatin'