Galaxy

Me, Roland and Dolphin pillow pets at the Home Depot Center

Its about 11 PM and I can't sleep so I figure I may as well write my blog.

The Mexican people who live behind us are having a party and are blaring Ranchero music and somebody over there laughs like one of the witches from "Macbeth." Then, Moz started barking at the automatic self-cleaning cat box. Sleep is kind of a lost cause right now.

The Galaxy

We just returned from seeing a soccer game (football for everyone other than Americans). We watched the LA Galaxy play Dallas.

The highlight for me was seeing Beckham play. I know its nothing to British people and I know he isn't thought to be as good as he once was, but it was still a pleasure to see him. He nearly made a goal. Well, he made one but it didn't count.

In the end LA Galaxy drew with Dallas. Dallas was one up most of the second half and then in the last four minutes we scored. Games like that can be quite an emotional rollercoaster. But cathartic.

Smiths/Morrissey Convention

Although I have not written this blog for over a week, I have been spending time watching videos, reading tweets about Morrissey, and making plans to meet up with two new Morrissey friends who live in LA-Krystal and Jazmine.

Tomorrow is the Smiths/Morrissey Convention in Los Angeles. We are planning to meet up there. I really don't know what to expect from this event, but its exciting that I am going and I will write about it in my next blog.

Meanwhile, Morrissey is playing in Japan. A few videos have surfaced on You Tube. It's just adding to my excitment at seeing him in San Diego in several weeks.

Sunday Morning
It's now Sunday morning. I just came back from giving Moz a long walk-I think we walked for about one and a half hours. Later I am walking again in an event called The Crop Walk. My church and other churches participate in this event in order to raise awareness and funds to end hunger around the world.

After that, I will be driving to Los Angeles. 

Considering wearing a blue rose-or any rose for that matter.

Moz in Ruff

Moz sporting his post-operational fashion

Apparently Moz has been crooning again.

When Roland and I came back from our stroll with Moz after dinner, our downstairs neighbor said, "Oh. Hello. Aren't you the little howler?" He said it in a nice voice  (and he said it to the dog, of course) but I was not sure if there was a bit of annoyance in his tone.

Of course, I expected Moz to have a little separation anxiety for the first few weeks he was with us, but I was kind of worried when I was told that he howls as soon as we leave for an hour or more.

I know I am being petty and perhaps biased when I say our neighbor's Yorkie barks a lot more than Moz probably howls and we at least take him for walks.

Suddenly, our part of our complex has been quite loud with small dogs. Our other downstairs neighbor has two small dogs and then next door we also have two Daschsunds who bark quite a bit.

All this barking and howling has made one of our elderly neighbors quite upset. So upset she notiified our Home Owners Association and filed a complaint. All our surrounding neighbors with dogs received a letter notifying them that if their dogs bark too much they will be fined. If it continues after being fined, a lien may be placed on their property and they will have to move out!

As of yet, we have not received such a letter.

I am hoping we don't get this dreaded letter. If we don't I am sure our neighbor's downstairs (The Yorkies) will be upset.

Since we did not get the letter perhaps we need not worry about Moz (the dog) and his howling.

Hopefully this is what Moz does while we are not home

Moz (the human)
I am very pleased to announce that I was able to purchase tickets to Morrissey's birthday gig in San Diego! Sadly, I will not be able to sing Happy Birthday whilst starring into his deep blue eyes from the front row.

Purchasing tickets was rather frustrating and I don't want to bore you with the details but suffice it to say that I ended up having to register at least three different credit/debit cards on Ticketmaster for various reasons and by the time I actually completed a transaction, there were only terrace seats available (nosebleed again).

Couldn't I have gotten just a little bit closer? Even one section closer?

I will have to fight my way somehow to the front. I may have to employ the efforts of Krystal aka @Its_Only_Me_K from Twitter. We were hoping to meet up.

Roland will be going, but you must understand that my husband is A Rule Follower!! He will not do anything like try to get closer to the stage to see Morrissey with me because it would most likely be against some rules about seats and tickets, etc.

I'll just have to tell him that I am going to get a drink or go to the loo  and then bulldoze my way through the crowd.

Luckily, he does not read my blog so he may not discover my plan. He may not know he is going to see Morrissey on his own for a portion of the concert.

Unlike my Roland, I enjoy breaking rules!!

And Now My Lung is Full

Pool

I write to you as a survivor. Yes, indeed. I survived not one, not two, but three days swimming as part of the masters (older folk) program for Oliver's swim team!

You can't really imagine what swimming is REALLY like until you actually do it. You can watch all the old video footage of the likes of Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps, and they are so graceful in the water, you think, That looks like fun! But the reality is far different, my friend.

The first question I was asked when I arrived was, "Did you swim in high school?" And the answer is no. I had to make a choice, drama or sports. I obviously chose drama but had I decided to take up a sport, it would have been swimming.

The person who asked me that quesion was Coach Ben who is probably about twenty-two years old. Nice guy who shows up at 5:45 AM four days a week to dish out a workout for people who are, in general, two to three times his age.

I had to assure him that while I did not swim in high school, I can make it across the pool without dying. And in all honesty, that's what I FELT. I have not swum in a big pool for over twenty years. So how would I know?

After I swam the first 50 yards (up and back), I honestly did not KNOW if I was going to make it. I worried a bit about the embarrassment if they had to call an ambulance after I keeled over in my lane, floating face down in the water. Or just as horrifying, they would have to administer CPR. Imagine how awful it would be to be typing my blog from a hospital bed!

The reasons it was so difficult was: a) breathing, b) sheer repetition of movement for a long time, c) my lack of stamina.

Honestly, never underestimate the importance of oxygen. For whatever reasons, there were moments when I became anxious or nervous and felt unbearably desperate for air. It seems so simple to just lift your head up and breathe, but sometimes it just isn't enough. I reached points during my workouts when I just thought that I could never have enough air.

I also imagined that my lung fell out and I kept swimming, because that's what it felt like.

While swimming with good swimmers, I came to realize how very weak I am physically. I realized how much work I need to do to build strength. My arms were so tired from repeatedly moving them in the same direction. My legs felt a bit like jelly the first day.

Perhaps the most humiliating thing was not being able to lift myself out of the pool. I had to swim under the tarp to get to the step ladder.

So you are probably wondering why I continued with it after the first day.

I saw progress. Laughable, silly progress. The first day, I struggled completing 25 yards. The second day I struggled after doing 50s. Today, I was able to do 75s and after 5 seconds complete the last 25 yards to make a 100.

The other thing is that I actually love the water. I love the feel of getting in the water. I love the feel of moving through the water. The blueness and stillness of the water early in the morning attracts me. I like the way the water feels on my skin and how bracing it is when I get out of the pool and find relief in the warmth of the hot showers. I like having wet hair and finding comfort in a hot coffee after my work out.

I like working out in the water because you don't get sweaty and smelly.

Each swimmer pretty much had their own lane so there was less stress about how slowly I moved. Nobody paid any attention to what I was doing. I am sure they were thinking I had to be pretty weak to not be able to lift myself out of the pool but I was glad they didn't offer to help me because that would have been more embarrassing!

Another great thing is that Oliver sweetly offered to help me get improve my strokes and more importantly, he and Jovanny (swimming on high school team) knew that I have at least an inkling of what they endure. I jokingly offered the suggestion to the swim team that participating in the masters should be a prerequisite for the team parents. Just so they know what it feels like. Although I was joking, I like the idea.

The only thing negative about my experience is that I have to start all over again in the summer because whatever progress I made will be difficult to regain.

Moz the Dog
Moz (the dog) is resting as I write this, recovering from his surgery (neutering). Poor baby.

Morrissey the Human
Morrissey tickets for the San Diego show go on sale tomorrow. I am kind of anxious about getting them. I just want to get them in case they sell out and I want better seats than last time.

He has added a date in Bakersfield as well but I just don't think I could deal with the drive in May. Just too busy.

He is also playing a date in Turkey in July.

Morrissey-Loving Ghost?
A strange thing happened earlier today. After texting a friend, I folded a towel and as I was stacking it in the cabinet I heard music. At first I thought Jovanny had left music on but when I listened I could hear Morrissey's voice down the hallway. I followed it and discovered the source was my phone. It had randomly gone to Pandora and to a song by The Smiths. It was very odd.

Jovanny is convinced  we have a Morrissey-loving ghost.

Swimming

Oliver at a recent swim meet

I begin a new adventure tomorrow morning-swimming.

Yeah. I know you are probably thinking that it's no big deal. But I have been somewhat forcing my son, Oliver, to swim on a swim team for almost a year now.

You may be thinking that I am a horrible, silly woman. And you may very well be right!

Because Oliver does not always like going, I told him that I should swim so that its more fair and so that I understand what he is going through. And I stand by those words. I want to make sure what that what I am requiring from him is something I can relate to.

At 5:45 AM I shall be swimming in a pool with some other people my age as part of the masters program on Oliver's team. I get to do this all week since we do not have school all week due to our Spring Break.

After seeing Harold and Maude a few weeks ago, I feel like I should enter the pool in the same manner as Harold's mother-see below. I just need a swim cap like hers!

I read in Mozipedia that Morrissey likes swimming. Kind of hard to imagine, but true.

Speaking of Morrissey, he is supposed to be playing a concert in San Diego in May. It said on his website, True to You, that tickets would be available immediately and so far I have seen nothing. I keep searching though. I even went so far as to book a room for us at the hotel where he is playing. Hopefully, news of ticket sales will materialize soon.

He also added some dates in Italy for July. If only . . .

Moz, the dog is doing well. He has had his shots and has stopped trying to hump the cat. We had to change is "operation" (neutering) date from the 27th to this Wednesday simply because we are off work and it just makes more sense to be able to be around when he is recovering.

I hope to write a few more times this week as I have a little more time.

In the wee hours think of me fondly, not quite suffering.