Sweet Home...

So after a week or so without internet, not to mention being busy with the start of school, I've finally found the time to post to the matt-itat. I don't think I'm ever going to get a book deal from this thing. But maybe a movie (?)

These are some pictures from my semi-annual Trailer Trash Bash. I say semi-annual because some years I do it and some years I don't. It's a really easy party to throw (at least for me). I just pull out the most embarrassing music I have, throw on some clothes that are usually in the back of the closet, and then buy some of the cheapest beer and snacks available. But this year, we did get some posters, fake mustaches, and temporary tattoos.

I think it was pretty successful.

In other news, there is no news.

By Popular Demand...

In an informal poll, a full one-third of my loyal readers have asked for a video of the pups (that's you Jenny). I've said that I didn't want to be a full-time dog blogger (dogger?), but with this kind of public response, what can I do? I have to keep the fan happy!



In this video, you can see some of the typical wrastlin' they do. Samson may seem to have the upper hand because of his size, but Lila gives back pretty good. She is also faster and more agile (not to mention more clever and, well, bitchy), so once she gets on her feet, the race is on. The end of the video catches just the beginning of what I like to call the Basenji 500. They'll do laps and laps at top speed.

And yes, we are on the roof, but they are not typical Mexican roof dogs. a) they get to come down. b) they are never there alone, and c) they also go other places. You'll notice on the roof some of the garbage they prefer to expensive toys. They love, LOVE, the paint rollers, but the empty plant pot is also fun too. And no, that is not a pup tent (har har). It's a skylight covered with a shower curtain. My neighbors think it leaks. I reserve comment.

Other than dog stuff, everything in my life is pretty much the same. I've been spending a lot of time at home, partly because I have hermit tendencies, but also because the dogs can't go out much yet (vaccinations) and I feel guilty if I leave them alone too long. I only have a few more weeks until summer vacation (!). I'll be in Alabama and Atlanta for the month of July. I had thought about driving up with the dogs, but three days (and two nights in a hotel) with them might be more than I could stand. Probably not very much fun for them either. So Fernando is going to stay in my apartment for the month, and take care of the kids and I'll fly into Pensacola.

Other good news: when the kids turn four months old (on June 5th), they 'll be able to go to puppy kindergarten! This guy Miguel comes to your house three times a week while you're at work, picks them up and takes them to play with other pups the same age. I don't know if they do arts and crafts or music, but they do get to socialize with other dogs and learn some training basics (sit, stay, bring daddy a beer, etc.) That will be great! (P.S. I shouldn't refer to Miguel as 'this guy'. He's actually a professional dog trainer with lots of experience and references).

If you want to see all the dog pictures, you can look at my web album: http://picasaweb.google.com/the.matt.itat/Dogs

Christmas in Alabama

Well, even though I don't have much to say, I have these pictures. Christmas in Alabama was pretty good. It was nice to be with the family, and do hang out with the nieces and nephews. We also played video games.

This is Jenny rockin' the house on Guitar Hero.

Independence Day

Yes, in case you didn't know, this past weekend was Mexican Independence Day. And how did I celebrate? Good question! Because our school was one of the only to give Friday off (hardly anyone else was on holiday), I decided to go with a couple of girlfriends to Guadalajara. They stayed in Tlaquepaque, and I went on in to Guadalajara to visit MPM and his roommate. The first day, when I was dropping them off, we shopped a little bit around Tlaquepaque, but found the prices a bit too high. Friday evening, I hung out with MPM and his roommate, then on Saturday went back to meet the girls in Tonala for more shopping. That was it. We bought the place out. We had so much, I had to tie crap on the top of my car. They had a lot of stuff, but I had some big stuff--mirrors and such. Then Saturday afternoon I went back and met the boys for lunch and free time, then later we went down to the centro for the Grito.

If I were a good blogger, I'd explain all of this, but I think for now I'll just put the pictures, with a little explanation.... (That first picture up there is of some masks in the girls' Tlaquepaque hotel.)

We got lost on the way there (a 2-hour detour), but found the Alabama Restaurant somewhere. I asked the guy why he called his place the Alabama Restaurant, and he told me that he had lived in Birmingham (Pelham, actually) for over 8 years! We were neighbors of a sort. He also had the cleanest bathrooms we saw anywhere on the road.

I bought coconut with salt, lime, and chile from a little old man in Tonala. It was delicious.

A day of the dead skeleton, decked out for Independence.

The fireworks in the centro for the Grito were really great--sparks fell on my head, on the buildings nearby, on the trees around the plaza, and just about everywhere else. No fires, though.

Road adventure #2--we almost ran out of gas somewhere in Michoacan. Seriously, we were about 40 miles from the nearest gas station (we asked at the tollbooth), and below the red line on the fuel gauge. We thought our luck had changed when we saw one of the Green Angels on the side of the road (you know, the trucks that patrol the highways 'helping' stranded motorists). Well, of course the guy didn't have any gas, but he did direct us to the next little town, where this cool old guy and his grandson (?) sold us some gas out of a bucket. The girls tell me that it was the highlight of their trip. I don't know if I'd go that far, but it was pretty fun. The people at the carport gas station were all really nice, cracking jokes and such.

I guess that's all for now. I need sleep.


Now playing: Billie Holiday - Don't Explain (Dzihan & Kamien remix)
via FoxyTunes

Chapter 2: Meet the Crackers

So after all the fun and multiculturalism (okay, maybe not so evident in the party photos) of Atlanta, I got to take MPM to lower Alabama for a day or so of family fun. Yup, he got to meet the whitey whitersons. Okay, we’re not that bad, but I’m sure it was overwhelming. Mom, Dad, BrotherM, SisterL, SisterJ, S-inLawL, B-inLawC, plus four niece/nephews and an Alzheimer’s-riddled in-law grandmother. AND we were taking family photos. But we weren’t able to get a photographer, so guess who took the whole-group shots? You got it; MPM! But I have to say that the family was very nice, trying to communicate. MPM especially liked my BrotherM, who is very personable. And has a Harley.

That’s me peeking out from the back row. Does this say something about MPM’s attitude toward me? Or more about his photography skills?

Coming soon: Chapter 3—The (really not-so-bad) drive from hell (or Alabama—same thing).

Because Michael asked what Alabama looks like...

Blue skies, puffy clouds, and softly 'ululating' pastures (at least in this part).

"Little Boxes"

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

Notes:
words and music by Malvina Reynolds; copyright 1962 Schroder Music Company, renewed 1990
photo by Robert Isaacs, Ticky Tacky Houses in Daly City, 1968

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If any of you have ever watched the Showtime series "Weeds," you've heard this little ditty of a song during the opening credits. (and if you haven't watched it, you should--it's really funny and good). The song was originally written and sung by Malvina Reynolds, back in the 60s. The song has been remade tons of times, but now it seems that "Weeds" has started inviting guest artists to re-interpret the song for the opening credits. I like the idea, but the song sort of loses its kitsch when put to electric guitars or orchestral accompaniments.

So that is why I've chosen the original version (two verses of which are posted just above here) to be my theme song for the week. Yes, I travel in the land down under (down under I-10, that is), visiting my family in LA (Lower Alabama, for the uninitiated).

My parents are graciously putting me up, and all my stuff, in their ticky-tacky box, which is where they moved after selling the family pecan orchard, aka 'the Pecanderosa'. Well, okay, they moved here because my brother was interested in the investment opportunity and thought they'd be happier and better cared-for closer to him. And I can't say that's not true.

But it is Boring here. All the houses on the cul-de-sac look alike, the neighbors wave, and the next street over, and the street after that, and two more across the road all have cul-de-sacs that look exactly like this one and neighbors that wave exactly like these. I turned into the wrong driveway on the wrong cul-de-sac, and of course....they waved. Sometimes I have to take long drives that leave modest tracker carbon footprints through the farmland that surrounds these housing developments, or along the beach road. I know it's the beach road from memory, and signs, and I think that maybe all of those tall condo towers must be facing something worth looking at. But I don't have a pass, so I can't see the beach.

Maybe I exaggerate. Maybe boredom makes me exaggerate. Maybe boredom makes me exaggerate and repeat myself. Or maybe it's those wonderful blue pills that mom takes for her back pain (or used to) that make me exaggerate. She hasn't noticed that several are missing: she actually prefers the red dolls.