a pretty ridiculous friday

The day had started off well considering all the stress ive been under. I went to school on time, checked out a potential space to move into, and had a nice lunch at Famima. But as i drove to pick the children up for a fun day of swimming, something seriously changed. While i went to sign the 3yr old out of preschool i was robbed. My car door opened and my ipod, purse and wallet stolen. 

At first i couldnt believe it. I stood there looking around expecting to still see the thief running away. A beautiful day ruined by some petty theft. (the only cash i had was a measly 7 dollars) In front of an elementary school someone had the nerve to steal from a beat up old saturn with a child's seat in the back...like...really? There are children everywhere. Its a small neighborhood. Broad daylight.

Disgusting. People disgust me and while i suffered no major loses (as my ipod was circa 2003 anyways and pretty broken at times) im hoping these people will understand that what they did was small and inconsequential to my life. Of course at first i was upset...but no serious items were taken and it just felt more personal as my ties to my things were purely emotional. 

The first thing people seem to say in these situations is that "karma" will come back around to them. Or "things happen for a reason". While ive tried to accept these terms over the years i just feel as though these cliches are simply not the case. I did nothing in the past month to have deserved this to happen to me. So wheres my good karma? Why do good people get cancer? Why do people die in car crashes? i suppose its simply the unknown that causes this stuff to happen. I cant write it away that these people will chronically have "bad karma". But i will come to the conclusion that they will probably eventually go to prison at some point in their lives. None of this will be resulting from them stealing my purse.

Ive had to just realize that ive made more than enough money this week to replace everything ive lost...so those people can have my 7 bucks, dinners on me tonight losers. Its too bad they gave me the excuse to go buy a nice new ipod touch and my weekend can only get better from here since i have reason to celebrate tonight with bike rides, drinks, and the best friends that anyone could ever ask for.

its about time.

Wow. So here i am, reading my last posts and realizing that it has been almost 10 months since i last wrote anything simply for fun. I went away to AEI. I lived on and off a bus for 3 months. I slept outdoors every night, i was lucky to get a shower, and i experienced true, untampered, and sober life. I broke my veganism (as it was very cold in the sierra nevadas and i lacked body heat) and learned that it was okay to live life in moderation. A "choosetarian" as one of my classmates had said. Im still vegetarian, i couldn't bring myself to bridge that one. 

The whole experience was absolutely amazing. We began in the Sierra Nevadas amongst the giant redwoods and sequoias and worked our way down into Mexico. We worked and presented at the annual BIONEERS environmental festival in San Rafael and volunteered our time on organic farms. I spent a couple weeks in San Francisco during our break and did an amazing internship at rainforest action network where i learned all about the ways in which a non profit organization works. In mexico we spoke spanish, ate beans and rice...a lot, and backpacked through the Arroyo Grandes. I cant really fully describe how much i learned about myself and the natural world. I connected.  Come late December upon my return I felt a little weird that it was almost christmas.

Many didnt understand my distance. I felt odd...i had been cut off from the world for a while. I was awkward. My structured days were now loose and open. I began riding again, and fell back into a good group of people that i had barely gotten to know before leaving.

Fully adjusted and motivated on life, i have been loving the norms of public community college. SMC is amazing, and im grateful to be living and working in west la again. Ive got great friends now, who really appreciate me, and i love when things work out.

Looking towards the near future...

-having my own space to live in? since ive been couch surfing now for 4 months.

-learning film photography

-finishing my general education and transferring to a Cal State.

-saving up the $$$

so happy to be back with my family.

ahgg

Things have been quite hectic lately. Ive been reading a lot, working on my school stuff, and trying to get as much time as i can with my friends before i leave. I hadn't ridden my bike in days just because i hate riding in the south bay. People just dont know how to drive around bikers here, so i try to avoid it. Plus there are a lot of hills..and no one to ride with. Luckily Zac came up today and we rode to Sand Dune park. It was nice to sit somewhere with trees and grass.. I even make a piece of art. I definitely copied an idea of Andy Goldsworthy's..but i thought it was pretty cool.

This friday Pineapple Express comes out in theatres...and CRANK mob is on Saturday!! Sounds like a weekend of perfection to me. Thats all for now, i have things to read and work to do.

This Weekend..

So i ended up sorting things out with my mother..and it turns out there is enough money for my first semester at AEI...whether or not i'll be able to continue with other semesters and graduate is an issue of how much I am willing to work for scholarships and grants...

i love my best friend and our tardness.

Yesterday i ventured down to the OC for last nights Critical Mass in Costa Mesa which included riding to the premier of the Council of Doom's movie... As some of you may or may not know these boys have been picked up by RVCA and are now on their way towards getting some much needed notoriety by the biking community for their accomplishments in trick riding. The video was more impressive than i expected..and i had a great time.

Before it was shown there was a trick riding competition...these are some of the pictures i accumulated...




It was a great night with good vibes and great spirits. I love the biking community..and im certainly going to miss it when i leave for school on sept 1. Tonight is my good friends moving out partyyy and im beyond stoked. :D

It started off as a fine day...i pulled myself out of that miserable feeling i was having. I read my book, i researched scholarships, and i did what i needed to do. One day at a time you know? So why is it that when i try my hardest i am let down the most? Why are people turning their backs on me?

I am alone. And unless i want to feel completely guilty for the rest of my life...im not going to aei. I dont need to be treated like that..This was supposed to be my future..but i dont want it if im going to be constantly reminded of what a burden i am.

I will leave soon. Its easy enough to find jobs.. It's obvious how unhappy i am here, and the system requires that i pay 80000 dollars to learn, so why? Why do i try hard to be a good person, a smart person, a caring compassionate person...when i just get shit on by those i love the most.

I must be weak. Perhaps i bring it all upon myself. Im running away..and im taking harrington with me. Theres nothing keeping me here.

So much to do...so little time.

These past two weekends have been so very good to me at this point in my life. But now I'm snapping back into reality and realizing I've been doing a little too much of everything and not enough preparation for school. The month of July is coming to a close and I have some serious matters to take care of before departing to the great North West.

Of course being the awesome person I am, I completely forgot to bring my camera to this weekends CRANK MOB. It was amazing nonetheless...even with Zac busting a tube we were able to catch up with the group for a crazy gathering at a VONS. There were fireworks, music and a gas mask dry bong? My friend was amazed we weren't being handcuffed and escorted off the premises. No sir, we are a mob, fear us.

^^Zac and I lurkin on afroman.

Im at a loss of words right now with school tuitions, grant essays, and student loans completely saturating my mind. I need to read two books and write essays on each before sept 3. This is on top of the other mandatory thing I must do before embarking to AEI. So that is all for now. Ill leave you with a picture of some of my new found friends that i had over for a little gathering recently..

Why This?

It comes up often in conversation...Why the environment? You can't save the world..It won't be in your life time anyways..so why even care? I suppose people do what I do because they have yet to lose hope in how things could be. We (humans) have come such a far way and yet haven't begun to switch into the next technological revolution. We are stuck in outdated forms of production although evidence clearly shows the detrimental affect of these processes. But of course people continue to choose monetary status over living, breathing and thinking organisms. We are a miracle planet that was able to evolve into beautiful ecosystems all depending on one another for survival...

I believe environmentalists know that our information is spreading. We continue to learn and teach others of what they can do to positively impact the earth. In this way i feel content knowing that im dedicating my life to the solution of a world that will need help. Enough of us exist so that when things DO begin to go badly on earth they'll know who to turn to. Hopefully by then it won't be too late..

I'm tired of the apathy i've experienced in my generation.. No one asks questions anymore. The "news" media tells us what we need to know and we take it for truth..even though corporations own more than 50% of all of it.. If you haven't checked out the documentary "The Weather Underground" please do so. It basically talks about a whole movement of people in the 70's who actually tried to change what our country was doing. The people involved were all smart, educated college kids who didn't believe war was the answer for Vietnam. You definitely won't ever hear about it in school but they worked along side the black panthers and other revolutionary groups of that time.

I'm helping with getting the word out for a movie called Battle in Seattle and i must say it was completely gripping. A perfect piece of yesteryear (1999) that won't ever make it into history books. It was a true demonstration of the peoples' right to assemble and freedom of thought and speech. Sadly, it is also a reminder of what a tight grip our government keeps us in. Your freedom is given to you in small increments so long as it doesn't cross someone with fiscal power. 

Go see it in september. You wont be disappointed.