Let Me Take You Down 2

The Pepper Pot

So, several weekends ago I showed my dad all the pictures from our holiday, and he quite literally was falling asleep. I can only imagine the boredom my little travel anecdotes create. I shall persevere in the knowledge that no one has to read this. They can look at the pictures and then move on. I totally understand.

By the way, I know there are riots in London and Liverpool. And I know that Morrissey made some controversial statements (again). But I have a blog to write. I know it should seemingly be about Morrissey, but I reserve the right not to write about him. Besides, he seems to have effectively defended his statements. I am not trying to make light of the seriousness by seemingly brushing it aside.

Isle of Wight Continued
Above you see the photo of the Pepper Pot. This was originally a beacon used like a lighthouse might be used and part of a monastery. A monastery that was dissolved due to Henry VIIIs dissolving relationship with the Catholic Church. We walked up the hill and had a fantastic view of the island as you can kind of make out in the photo. My camera and I are not able to take pictures like Ansel Adams but I think you get the idea,

It was near a place called Blackgang Chine, which was a place where pirates would hide their booty. I asked Roland about seeing it and it is falling into the sea. Although it is falling into the sea, there is a roller coaster that is near the edge somewhere. So as I was taking pictures of the Pepper Pot, I was hearing the terrifying screams from the roller coaster. 

St. Catharine's Lighthouse

St. Catharine's Lighthouse
Roland made us go to the lighthouse. It sounded okay to me, I have to admit. But it turned out to be one of the best things we did on the Isle of Wight. They conduct free tours of the lighthouse. Our guide was excellent. We climbed all the way to the top which was a little unnerving, but satisfying in the end.  He told us about the lighthouse being bombed in WW2 and the fact that the keepers died. There is a photograph taken by the German pilot who bombed it seconds before it hit. This intrigued the boys and began a conversation about WW2 on the walk back to the car.

Peace at Quarr Abby

Quarr Abbey
Quarr Abbey is an interesting place. But I simply do not want to bore you with too many details. The abbey is in Binstead, where Roland's parents live and we were able to walk there very easily. It is near the site of the old abbey in which our dear King Henry VIII tore down. The original site is now a farm house with sheep and cows but a new one has been built nearby. Basically, monks fled to France and then came back in the 1920s to rebuild. They did and it is a lovely place. We had tea and coffee there after our walk and then browsed the bookstore.

Debs, Stu, and Zara at the Castle

A Night Out
Roland and I were lucky enough to go out one night in Newport and see Duncan play music at the Castle pub. Thanks to Charlie and the boys' good behaviour, we were able to steal away for a few hours. Duncan quite often posts invitations to gigs that we cannot attend for obvious reasons. So it was a special treat to see him in person. By the way, Roland used to play in a band with Duncan (that is how we met).  We went out with Debs, Stu and Zara and met some very nice people including a friend named Vicky and another named Ben.

Bembridge Mill

Bembridge Windmill
The Isle of Wight is home to an old windmill and we decided to have a close look at this landmark. Not much to tell but we had a nice picnic lunch beforehand and took the boys in to see what a windmill actually does besides turn in the wind.

Happy Anniversary
So one of the main reasons we came to old blighty in the first place was to attend Roland's parents Golden Wedding Anniversary.It was on Patsy's birthday, July 4. If you look at the table setting you will see American flags. This was a great night out. It was at a place called Albert Cottage which is very near Osborne House and was once used by Victoria's royal family. This was a wonderful time spent with family and friends of the family, including David and Diana who we stayed with later on our trip.

Isle of Wight spook

Ghost Walk
One of the last things we did on the Isle of Wight was a ghost walk in Newport. I wasn't really sure about it, to be honest. I thought it would be really lame with fake ghosts and so on. We thought Oliver might be too young for this and I am glad he did not go, so he stayed at Debs and Stu's and Roland came round to visit Duncan and Libby. Zara and Charlie came along and it made it more fun for me, Enrique and Miguel. There was a lot of history included of course. And the ghost stories were great. But our guide, Marc, had obviously hired some kids to act out the parts of ghosts. They were extremely funny. Seriously, one of them was in the midst of trying to scare people and he got up and walked into a wall probably because he couldn't see because of his outfit. It was kind of a mixture of laughter and screaming for about two hours. Very Monty Python.

It was also interesting for us since Zara had a personal experience with one of the ghosts mentioned on the tour. Francesca.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge under menacing sky

So we left the IOW after two great weeks and headed for the North. On our way to Liverpool we stopped off at Stonehenge. It was raining off and on and a little bit cold but it was the perfect way to see it. I mean, it was so Druid-like.  
 
Liverpool
Liverpool was a great visit for a few reasons. Firstly, we stayed at a self-catering farm called The Barn. And indeed, our little place was a renovated barn. We even had chickens and sheep at the barn. The toilet was not easy to flush so that created a problem-embarrassing for some. Secondly, we were able to see my friends Andy and Moe. I have known Moe for a number of years. She is from Wisconsin originally and then moved to California like fifteen years ago. We pretty much clicked from the word go and had many funny times together at The Harp in Costa Mesa back in the day. Andy is from Liverpool and they decided to settle there for a while with Henry, their newest addition. I did not get any pictures of Henry, I am sorry to say. He was so adorable I only wanted to hold him, not take his picture. Plus, he was in various stages of sleep whenever I saw him.Thirdly, if you know me at all you know that while I am a Smiths/Morrissey fan, I am also a Beatle fan. Many years ago I went to Liverpool and did the Magical Mystery Beatle Tour and saw the homes, etc. of the Beatles. When I returned home, my mother infamously opened her camera that I had borrowed to remove the film (you know how long ago this took place now) and destoyed all my photographs from Liverpool. Hilariously, she took a last photo of me to finish off the film and that survived. So somewhere there is a sweaty picture of me fresh off a twelve hour flight looking impatient because I most likely wanted to go to bed before starting work the next day.

So, yeah. I did drag the kids to see the Magical Mystery Tour but I don't think it was any less boring for them than a Medieval castle or an art gallery. It was very detailed, yes. But it simply had to be done. The best thing was that Moe came along and we had some time to chat in the bus.

During our stay, Oliver got very into Superlambananas, which are these artistic creatures desgined by a Japanese artist and only found in Liverpool. Whenever we encountered one, Oliver had to take his picture with it and he was constantly looking for new ones. I got him a book which kept him occupied for hours.

Oliver and Superlambanana

Andy's mom bravely watched all the kids, including Henry, and Roland and I were able to have a beer or two with Andy, Moe and Sally, Andy's sister at a pub on Penny Lane. (Very strange). But fun! I miss Moe and Andy.

Edinburgh
So, the next day we drove up to Edinburgh, Scotland. It was about a four hour drive-you know, just long enough to hear choruses of, "Are we almost there yet?" repeated for two hours of the journey. Hilariously, as we passed the border into Scotland, it began to rain-a lot!

Edinburgh when the sun was shining

It rained all the way into Edinburgh and while we arrived and then even when we were searching for a place to eat dinner. We settled on an warm Italian restaurant with kind of slow service-but what did it matter? We got to eat. Because service was so slow, Roland stayed in the restaurant until the bill came and I went for a stroll with the boys. We walked to the corner facing Edinburgh Castle and suddenly the rain stopped and the sun was shining on the city. It was lovely.

We did in Edinburgh what we did in London-we took an open top bus tour to get an overview of the city. After the tour, we lunched at a place called The Elephant Cafe (or something like that). This is where JK Rowling wrote some of the first Harry Potter books. I could see how it would be a great place to write as it overlooks the castle and has that warm, coffeehouse feel. We also went to Edinburgh Castle which was enormous and wonderful as you would probably expect. Looking back, we should have done the castle first thing because it was crowded by the time we got there.We ended our first day with a tour of Holyrood House which is where the queen stays when in Edinburgh. It was the end of the day so we were pretty tired when we got there, we had about an hour left before it closed. We kind of hurried through it but it was good because when you have kids you just don't have the attention span you might have had otherwise.

Salisbury Crags

The second day in Edinburgh we climbed Salisbury Crag and I think Arthur's Seat which are hills in Edinburgh. We wanted to burn some calories and also to experience a bit of nature. We were treated to some beautiful scenery and fantastic views of the city. The hill was really wet though, and Enrique had zero traction on his sneakers so he fell about seven times-I fell once and I was wearing my sandals. My theory is that the Romans climbed those hills in sandals and they did fairly well, so why not me?

Royal Britannia

We were kind of tired but still went to the geological museum which had a great interactive exhibit called Mother Earth. I was on the war path for any kind of seating but the kids were interested in the exhibit so it was kind of relaxing. We had lunch and then we trekked to the Royal Britannia-the Queen's former yacht. I have to admit that by the time we got to the Royal Brittania, we were kind of blase about seeing royal thngs. We had seen so much and it was interesting, but it loses its affect after a while. Still, I look back on it now and am glad that we saw it.

Durham
We drove up to Durham after leaving Scotland. It was not too far-not as far as we had been traveling. Durham was special because it is where Roland went to University. He has always said he wanted to take me to see it and we finally had our chance. Our first day there we only had time to have dinner. Oddly enough we ended up eating at a Tex Mexican Restaurant. I found that quite often in Britain, that they could not simply have a Mexican restaurant-it had to be Tex Mex-which is code word for "we don't really know how to make true Mexican food, so we added some spice and rice and beans" restaurant. However, I cannot complain. I had mac and cheese and it was awesome. It was spicey and not at all like any Mexican food I have ever had but it was excellent. The boys and Roland would say the same, I am sure. The proprietor was pleased that Enrique and Miguel enjoyed it since they actually are Mexican.

The next day we went in to explore the cathedral and the universtity-although we did not see too much of the university. We saw a lot of the huge, impressive cathedral and saw the final resting place for the Venerable Bede. We spent about a morning there before heading off to David and Diana's house in Buntingford.

Buntingford and More of London
Buntingford was awesome mainly because we stayed with David and Diana, Roland's godparents, who are the among the best hosts anyone could ever hope to meet. Diana served chocolate with every meal, which certainly edeared her to the hearts of the kids. Really. Where could you go wrong?


We spent about four days there and during that time went into London at least twice. We drove to Cockfosters and then took the tube into London. Its actually a lot harder than it sounds when someone gets in the train tracks and causes bus routes to get rerouted and its hot and muggy. Ugh! On the day we met Duncs, Zara, Charlie and Libby, we did not meet up with them until midday at the Tower of London. So we did a whirlwind tour of the tour seeing the jewels and a few other things like the Bloody Tower and the rack and other various instruments of torture.

Smth-Joneses on the Eye

The highlight of that day, however, was the London Eye. We waited a long time-nearly two hours-but the view was spectacular and it gave us a lot of time to take lots of pictures.

I have yet to make a T-shirt for Duncan as we came up the idea of making one that says, "I Survived the London Eye Queue!"

We had a bite to eat at a nice place nearby before we had to part ways knowing we will not see each other for a very long time.

London Again, and Finally
We went back to London the next day and visited Trafalgar Square, Hamley's and The Globe Theatre-although we did not go into the Globe or see a play there-not a good idea with tired pre-teens and children under 11. Not good when you are tired and above the age of 40 either. We went  back to David and Diana's and were spoiled with a wonderfully huge meal and dessert.

Bridge to the Globe, and St. Paul's

Duxford

Duxford American Hangar

While at David and Diana's, we were taken to Duxford where David is a volunteer and therefore knows many details about the many fighter planes at this air museum. There are many different hangars filled with various planes from everywhere. The most noticeable and impressive to me (and I may be biased here) was the American hangar. This featured many planes and memorabilia from World War II fighter planes. My other favorite was a World War II hangar. The reason it was my favorite was not because of what was in it so much as the memories it brought back to David and Diana who were both children living in the London area during the time period. They were able to share their experiences and make the time period come alive for all of us. The two older boys were bored up until that time. Oliver loves planes but perhaps overwhelmed at a certain point. Its just one of those experiences that I am sure they will look upon later as most impressive as time passes.

Saying Good-bye
David and Diana went out of their way to make us feel totally at home. It was lovely just to hang around Buntingford and spend time together. They also took me to my new favorite store called John Lewis. I know, as an American when I hear that name I think of a civil rights activist from the 1960s but its actually an awesome store I became acquainted with in Liverpool and then David and Diana drove me to the one in Cambridge so that I could purchase some tea spoons. We just don't seem to have them around here so much although since that time, I have seen them at Ikea.

Anyway, they took us bowling and for Mexican food with their daughter and her family just before we left. We had a nice time and the boys enjoyed playing with other kids who are not related to them.

Then we left for our hotel room near the airport at Heathrow to meet up with Nana and Pops before our departure.

Heathrow
We met up with Nana and Pops and had dinner in the evening and some wine to celebrate a great visit.

Our last moments with Nana and Pops in Windsor

The next morning Roland and the boys had to leave. The took an earlier flight because when we booked the flights, we did not have the necessary permission to take the boys yet. So Roland ended up purchasing tickets for just Oliver and me until that paper work came through. By that time, he could not get us all on the same flight home.

Nana and Pops drove us to Windsor for the afternoon and dropped us off at the airport. It was interesting because Oliver really did not want to go anywhere with Nana and Pops or without them. Then when we waved good-bye he became very emotional and said that he missed them. Yet, he hardly said anything the entire afternoon.

York
I forgot to mention our trip to York. I believe we were there after Edinburgh or Durham. I  cannot remember. Anyway, we went to the National Train Museum-which was awesome for Oliver. And we did a couple of walking tours. The first one was a ghost tour, which paled in comparison to the one in Newport. The only thing I actually remember is some American or Aussie girl telling her traveling companion, " . . . and for my birthday he gave me gonorrhea." A very odd thing to say on a ghost tour!

So here I am several months later. I have neglected this blog due to work and familial obligations. However, the good news is that Roland and I have tickets to see Morrissey in November. I shall try to be better about updating from now on!

Let Me Take You Down

Me at Strawberry Fields (in case you hadn't guessed)

Trying to squeeze detail in describing our month long holiday is like trying to eat a seven layer sandwich. It looks and sounds really good but impossible to actually eat. So you have to break it apart.

During our eleven hour plane ride home, I gave it a lot of thought-about how I was going to organize my blog. I thought that sections would be good because I have this theory that people don't really like reading long blogs. So if I were to break it up into sections, readers could just find the section they are interested in and skip or skim the rest.

Silly antics on the plane

A Very Good Place to Start
Let's start with the plane ride to London. Not much to tell except that Oliver and I had to fly separately from Roland and the boys. We got kind of lucky. We flew on Virgin Airlines in their 747 which has an upstairs economy area (just behind the envious first class). This meant several things: we were served food more quickly, it was warmer than the rest of the plane (which could be good or bad, depending on your personal needs) and this also meant that Oliver was excited simply because we were higher up. He also got a window seat thanks to a lady that was in our row of three seats. She could just see that Oliver wanted the window so she sat in the aisle and Oliver had a window.

I was able to read virtually more than half of Patti Smith's Just Kids while Oliver watched videos and cartoons. This book is an extremely well-written account of Patti's relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. I have to admire her artistic spirit. I mean, it takes a lot to believe in your craft so much that you are willing to sacrifice so much for it. Food, shelter, etc. It appears she has a supportive family though. That's got to help.The book also won the National Book Award so I am not the only one to sing its praises.

Jet Lagged Boys

                                 

Wightlink car ferry

Isle of Wight
We hired an estate car (a bigger car) at Heathrow and made our way to Portsmouth in order to catch the ferry to the island. If it doesn't sound exciting imagine you are a seven or twelve year old child. Its pretty cool. Even more cool was that Roland's parents, Nana and Pops, were at Portsmouth waiting for us and took the same ferry back to the island with us.

It took us a few days to get in the swing of things, so we had a day of rest and then Roland's sister, Debs, and her family, and Duncs, his brother and his family came over to Nana and Pops' (where we were staying) for a nice BBQ dinner. We had the chance to catch up and anticipate all the fun things we could do while we were there. I have to say that I love spending time with Roland's family. I know there are many people in the world who could not say that they enjoy their significant other's family. But its just like having friends round and you don't really want the evening to end-they are funny, cool and entertaining.

Oliver had not seen Libby, his cousin who is close in age, for a few years so they ran around like crazy and it was also a chance for  Miguel and Enrique to meet their new cousins, Charlie and Ben. In other words, it was an important evening that turned out to be a good time.

Brading Roman Villa
The first place we visited on the island was Brading Roman Villa. It was most likely the home of a wealthy farmer who lived on the Isle of Wight (the Romans called it Vectis) and who adopted much of the Roman style and way of life back in the day.

I think the most striking thing about it is the state of the mosaic tiles. They are still quite beautiful although they were constructed back around the second century AD. It had been discovered in 1879 and you may now visit the site and learn more about the British-Romano way of life.

Roman Tiles

I think the thing we enjoyed most however, was having a Minghella ice cream from the Minghella ice cream truck on the way to Brading. If you think you recognize the name-it may be that you remember a great movie director by the name of Anthony Minghella (Grange Hill, Inspector Morse, The English Patient, Talented Mr. Ripley). Well, he was from the island and it is his family who run the ice cream business. Fame and talent aside, they serve excellent ice cream in unusual flavors. For example, I had coconut (I know it isn't that unusual) and Roland had ginger flavor. I think the boys had something boring like chocolate but they raved about how good it was and every time we saw the truck they would longingly gaze at the little ice cream truck.

You scream I scream

Osborne House and Carisbrooke Castle

Osborne

Two other places we visited with significant historical value were Osborne House and Carisbrooke Castle. Osborne House was the vacation home of Queen Victoria and her family. In fact, she died there in 1902. I don't want to bore you with a lot of historical detail  but the grounds were beautiful and it has been lovingly cared for by English Heritage. It was a great opportunity for the boys to learn more about Queen Victoria.

Carisbrooke Castle was one of the boy's favorite places we visited. We walked to the castle from Duncan and Zara's house. It is an enjoyable, scenic ten minute stroll to the top of the hill where the castle is. Enrique managed to fall into the moat but luckily it has been dried up for at least a hundred years.

This castle is where Charles I was held before he was executed (beheaded). While imprisoned there the king tried to escape but got stuck in the window. That had to be pretty humiliating.

Carisbrooke Castle

Another interesting tidbit is that the castle has a working well operated by donkey power. Very cute and sweet donkeys.

Island Games Parade and Compton Bay
We happened to be on the island during the Island Games which is an athletic event kind of like a mini Olympics between different island nations all over the world. The parade featured children and some adults dressed up in clothing themed to cover the history of the Isle of Wight. For example,Romans and pirates were some of the historical peoples represented. It ended with the athletes from each island marching past for them to receive a warm welcome.

Fun digging at Compton Bay

We also managed to go to Compton. Now, if you live in the Los Angeles area, you probably think of drive-by shootings, houses with bars on windows and liquor stores-places you don't want to be after dark when you are lost trying to find the 91 freeway. However, since my first visit to the IOW, Compton has retained a much more positive image for me. Its a cliffy, sandy beach with lovely water and fun people. I don't personally know all the fun people but Zara does and she is the one to go to the beach with if you want to meet the cool people. I got to be cool by association. We actually got a bit sunburned one of the three days we went.

Our Bus Around the Island

Yarmouth and the Needles
We decided that sitting on top of a double-decker bus would be a great way to see part of the island. The bus has a recorded narration as you cruise the island. It was kind of rainy that day so we couldn't take advantage of the open top part of the bus so much. But it was fun all the same.

The Needles

Driving up to the Needles atop a double-decker bus is kind of scary. There were some twists and turns that were quite impressive. In case you were wondering why these cliffs are called The Needles, you should know that there was once a long, needle-shaped rock out there which was destroyed in a storm back in 1769.

Entrance to the castle

Near the Needles are the Old Battery which was used during war time as a watch to protect from enemy ships. There was a display of its usage during the wars which was very informative. The New Battery houses rocket displays regarding The Black Knight which was tested but never launched from The Needles. It was successfully launched in Australia. Oddly enough, the British government did not think that rockets and satilliates were a good investment and abandoned the project.

Yarmouth Castle was next. Compared to Carisbrooke, it was not as popular with the boys. It was built by Henry VIII to guard Yarmouth Harbour most likely against the French. Henry VIII, we discovered, figured prominantly in many of the historic sights. As Miguel stated, "He must have been a powerful and important king."

Appuldurcombe
Appuldurcombe is very deceiving. I thought it was a furnished  house much like Osborne. But instead, it is a shell. It has a beautiful exterior with lovely grounds perfect for taking photographs. In fact, I took quite a few shots of this house. It was a livable house back in 1100 AD as a priory until 1943. During World War 2, it had been used as a hospital. Supposedly it is the most haunted place on the island. And there are many haunted places on the Isle of Wight. The thing that lends to its creepiness factor is that it is in ruins and because it is deceiving. Its kind of like a scene from a horror movie where you hear beautiful organ music. You draw closer into a room where you see the back of  a womanly figure with long, blonde, beautiful hair playing the organ in the candlelight. The music stops. The figure turns around. It is a living skeleton. You scream in terror.

Appuldurcombe House

I think this house is that way. It looks so beautiful and lived in but as you get closer you discover it is only a skeleton of a building.

A Day Out in London
We took the ferry and train into London with Deb's and Stu. We just wanted the boys to get an overview of London.On my very first trip to London a hundred years ago, my friend, John, took me out atop a double decker bus tour and it has been something I do in a new town ever since. We thought (wisely) that when we returned to London later on our holiday, we could take them back to the places they wanted to see more of. They decided they like Trafalgar Square and The Globe. Oliver simply wanted to shop at Hamley's.

At Victoria Station, we saw the huge advertisement for the Hop Farm event. I know I had made my peace with the fact that I was not going to see Morrissey this trip. Yet seeing the sign was a cruel twist of fate.

So close, yet so far away

Hilariously, I also missed Morrissey televised live at the Glastonbury Festival.Stu told me about it. And then once I arrived back here in the US, I found it on YouTube.

I was just thinking that Morrissey is probably having a successful tour. But is he having as much fun without me?

Our Next Journey Begins

Jealousy in the eyes of the one who stayed behind

Overwhelmed
 I am feeling kind of overwhemlmed. The five of us leave tomorrow for the UK. A twelve hour plane journey awaits us and there is still so much to do before 2 PM tomorrow when we leave for LAX. I won't bore you with my To Do list, but let's just say that I like to come home to a clean house and we will  be gone for a month.

Today is Father's Day as well. That just adds to the overwhelming feeling. The pressure of gift giving combined with getting ready to travel can add to the anxiety.

Bonnie the Cat
I am also kind of concerned for Bonnie the Cat. She is going to miss us. Some people think that cats are easy because you can do things like go on long trips and they are easily cared for. Its true. You can easily feed and water a cat, but they too get lonely. Just like a dog, cats sense your impending trip as they sniff luggage and suspiciously peer behind stacks of clothes and shoes.

Bonnie further concerns me because she has not taken to her new automatic self-cleaning kitty box. We thought it would be more appealing for someone to look after her if they did not have to clean a cat box out every single day. I think it has kind of worked. My sisters and mom are going to take care of Bonnie.Its great someone will be there to feed her but she will get lonely.

Dad
Another thing on my mind is that my dad is not well. He has had a rough year with medical problems and he has been in the hospital since he had some problems with a pacemaker. I was going to visit him this week but he knew he would not be feeling well so he suggested that we get together when we get back from our trip.

Violin
I felt badly today because I forgot to take Oliver to his violin lesson with his awesome teacher, Miguel. We had rescheduled the lesson and I told everyone to remind me but everyone forgot. I remembered at 4:23 and his lesson was at 4. I just hate to miss appointments. No lessons for a month and a half as Miguel is going to the Philippines for vacation. Oliver has to take his violin to the UK to practice!

Yuck
Needless to say, I feel pretty yucky.  Roland thinks its just pre-holiday sludge. Maybe it is. I am sure it is. I like to get everything right and nothing that concerns me has any certainty.

Now, as I have purged myself in this confessional blog, I feel much better suddenly.Overwhelmingness, be damned! How can I not have a great time with three excited kids who can't wait to have adventures?

Enrique's Turn

Lady Gaga, Morrissey, Justin Tranter

Let me introduce you to Enrique. He is an incredibly talented, motivated and intelligent fourteen year old who has survived some indescribably unimaginable circumstances which brought him and his younger brother Miguel into our home nearly six months ago.

This last week, for one of his classes, he was required to write an essay about himself and to describe an incident that has a lasting effect on who he has become. He chose to write about Lady Gaga and how her songs have helped him deal with bullying when he first came here (U.S.). I have never seen him so eager to communicate his ideas. He was actually excited about the topic because it truly interested him. However, his teacher did not agree with the topic since she felt it did not answer the prompt.

I was reminded of an interview with Morrissey in which he spoke about his school experience. One time a teacher asked the class to write about the most influential book and he decided to write about the dictionary. His teacher did not like it and put up a big fuss.

I am not meaning to say that his teacher is anything like Morrissey's. But I will say that format isn't everything. Content is far more important. As an English teacher,  I can tell you with honesty that it is easy to forget what is most important for students to gain from a lesson or assignment.

From what I have observed, he has gained a love of writing and expressing emotions, some confidence and empowerment. Not to mention the value of self expression. Clearly this exceeds the objectives of the assignment!

I am including his essay in my blog since the way Enrique identifies with Lady Gaga is so similar to how many fans identify with Morrissy and his music.

Despite his seemingly angelic attributes, I am sure that Enrique will only be happy once he has killed his brother Miguel!

Lady GaGa and Me
When I first got here to the U.S. I was a joyful six grader just looking for friends. But it did not work that way. I was bullied, physically, and mentally everyday during P.E. and internalized my fear. Mother Monster’s (Lady GaGa) lyrics have value for me to uproar to bullies, and Lady GaGa went through the same hell as me. She has made me feel that I was not alone in this incident. Lady GaGa and I have so much in common, we both like to express ourselves in ways that people, just like us, don't understand. I, just like her, know who Judas is, I, just like her will be Bloody Mary, I, just like her love my Hair, and we were Born This Way. The essence of Lady GaGa and I are so much alike in ways that encourage both of us to finally be ourselves in the alienated world around us. And since both of us have been bullied, we really want to put a stop to it. That is why I choose to write about us.
What does not kill you makes you stronger. Lady GaGa has taught me that by facing my fears it will make me stronger and persevere. And that is what Judas is all about. Judas is an allusion for the Judas Iscariot in the Bible. He symbolizes betrayal, and fear. In her song Judas Lady GaGa says,” When he comes to me, I am ready” her message is to accept the fear and try to dominate it. Therefore my life relates so much with these lyrics that not even my atheist god can help me understand how Lady GaGa is "the one I cling to". And "I've learned love is like a brick, you can build a house or sink a dead body" there are so many ways to understand this, but my interpretation is that it is necessary to experience new things, and give them a positive perspective, rather than a negative perspective. Judas will always find his ways to betray Jesus, when "Judas kiss[es] me if offensed, Or wear[s] ear condom next time," it is necessary to block all the negative comments in life, which encourages me to be who I want to be, without Judas.
From Lady GaGa I have learned that once I have conquered my fears they are insignificant to look at them. And as these fears come along we see that they will always bring judgment with them."[I'll] dance, dance, dance With my hands, hands/Hands above my head/Dance together/Forgive him before he's dead/Because I won't cry for you I won't crucify the things you do" let fears see that they don't affect us in our lives. No matter how much fears hurt they are insignificant, but always with us, and this is why Bloody Mary, the song means so much in my life. In Bloody Mary the lyrics start by saying that Mary loves her fiancé, but by the end Mary says she is not in love with him. This "love" that we think is for us, might not be for us, because love is just like a mirror -- fix it if it is broken, but the crack in that reflection is still perceptible. The sculptor Michelangelo is mentioned in Bloody Mary because, "We are not just art for Michelangelo to carve. He can't rewrite the agro of my furied/Heart." For sculptors it is hard to avoid mistakes, as it is for us the mistakes come as commonly as the sculptors’ mistakes, but just try to live with joy, and be one with yourself.
Mothers teach their young to be strong, but Mother Monster has shown me how to physically stand up for myself. So many people like to look glamorous, and to express themselves with a hair style. In her song Hair, Mother Monster explains to her Little Monsters that we need to “…die as free as [our] hair”. There are so many judicious people out there that we want to show them that they are judgmental, and that they need to allow differences. "I’ve had enough/This is my prayer/That I’ll die living just as free as my hair I’ve had enough I’m not a freak I must keep fighting to stay cool on the streets" this phrase truly relates to me. I have been judged and bullied-and I just want to make an uproar to the bullies saying let karma do its job!! I remember when I had no friends at all and "Sometimes I want[ed] to rock on some highlights/Just because I want my friend[s] to think that I am dynamite. . ./I just want to be free, I just want to be me, And I want lots of friends that invite me to their parties" with boundless freedom to finally trust myself and have fun, with no prejudice. And this song is leading me to express my life by giving my hair some life -- some color -- and be myself.
Even though changing my hair color will not stop the bullies, it will help me gain confidence to stand up for myself. And no matter how I try to stop these bullies I will not be able to because they are cowards; they do not care how much agony they cause to so many individuals. I stand up for anyone, "No matter gay, straight or bi Lesbian, transgendered life I'm on the right track, baby I was born to survive/No matter black, white or beige/Chola or orient made I'm on the right track, baby I was born to be brave" this is why every person is Born This Way, because nobody should be offended by the actions and comments of others, because "god makes no mistakes". Lady GaGa tells us to "[Not] hide yourself in regret, Just love yourself and you're set" this is an exemplary example to not believe what others say, this also is another excellent example to be ourselves. The lyrics have so much influence on me that I believe in Her, Mother Monster, Lady GaGa. Shame does not terrorize me anymore.

Enrique and Miguel

Morrissey Music Minion Out of the Peer Closet

Oliver, my little minion

 My name is Andrea Willoughby-Jones and I am not only a music Nazi but also a Morrissey music minion.

This week on True to You (a Morrissey fan website) Morrissey wrote a short blog about a band he obviously finds exemplary called Young the Giant. Now, I have heard of them but had not heard any tunes by them. I listened to a song called "Apartment'" which I absolutely LOVED! I was proud also that they are from my area of the world-Newport Beach/Irvine, California. Its amazing that anything even slightly original can come from Orange County-especially Newport Beach-the land of boob jobs and cookie cutter blonde bimbos. On the other hand, when you find a real person they are like gold in a sea of lead. Young the Giant shines even more because of this, in my eyes.

I was eager to hear more and then I went to the Facebook page the link was posted to and  Moz fans  had posted comments basically declaring that Morrissey has bad taste in music and that this group was okay.

It was shocking that anyone could listen to Sameer's voice and the harmonies of this band and not at least recognize the beauty in that. And then I began to feel somewhat ashamed and nerdy that I would like something that Morrissey likes for fear of looking like some lame Morrissey minion. I became refamiliarized with peer pressure at that moment. Scared that I might not fit in.Frightened that I may have become a mindless follower-forgetting my own musical tastes.

Then, I considered the fact that it shouldn't be shocking that I would like music that Morrissey likes-after all, I like The Smiths and in all liklihood I might like some of the music that influenced my pop hero. Is it odd that I like many of the bands that have opened for him-even though I have never seen them live? Yet. (Ever?)

Two other bands I like that have opened for Morrissey are Doll and the Kicks who sang such a beautiful version of Throwing My Arms Around Paris, I almost prefer it to the original and The Heartbreaks are another talented band as well.They are opening for Morrissey in some of the gigs "Up North."

In writing this blog, despite how it may appear, I have spent quite some time reading different Morrissey web sites and blogs and have come to the conclusion that the Moz fans who made the comments about Morrissey's musical tastes perhaps want for Morrissey to like a band that sounds much like the Smiths or like him. But when you think about it, why would he do that? Its been done! It was/is still amazing but if you are looking for something new it isn't going to come from the 1980s.

I thereby give myself and anyone else permission to like music that Morrissey likes. He has my permission to be a musical leader.

I leave you with "Apartment" by Young the Giant. They are the kind of band that I fantasize about being when playing guitar and singing with a group of friends (which happens not so often). Why can't pop stars be born at the age of forty-six?

By the way, they are opening at the Hollywood Bowl in October for Incubus.I am not an Incubus fan but Roland would probably dig it. I mean, it is the Hollywood Bowl. I may never see Morrissey but Young the Giant is a possibility.

My UK Tour (Not including Morrissey)

Henry David Thoreau

"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation." Henry David Thoreau

Will I ever get to see Morrissey perform live? It just doesn't seem to be in the cards for me this time. Again.

Tour Dates
Here are our tour dates:

June 21-July 6 ISLE OF WIGHT (Lots of family fun!)
July 7-9 LIVERPOOL (Magical Mystery Tour and we get to see Moe, Andy, and Henry)
July 9-10 EDINBURGH
July 11 DURHAM
July 12 YORK
July 13-17 LONDON AND ENVIRONS (Staying in Buntingford with Roland's godparents)

The only way to see Morrissey would probably be to leave the Isle of Wight some time at the end of June and drive up North. I suppose if I were a truer, more dedicated fan, I would make it happen. However, bear in mind the name of this blog: My Life Without Morrissey!

I may sound apathetic, but to go through such trouble would only inconvenience everyone in my family and cost a lot of money that we are already spending as a family. I can't do that to people that I care about. Decisions like taking off by yourself to see a pop star anywhere in England are for the single and childless. Not for the likes of me. 

Grimsby
If I were able to see Morrissey perform in England on his current tour, I would like to see him in Grimsby. Its the name. I love it! It sounds like the name of an undertaker in a Dickens novel. Is there a more perfect place to see a pop star who is known for his melancholia? I think not. I'd love to be able to say, "I saw Morrissey in Grimsby."

Dublin
The closest I ever came to seeing Morrissey that I am aware of was when I lived in Dublin in 1990. Imagine my disappointment when I met some friends at Temple Bar as they said, "You just missed Morrissey. He was in that record shop about ten minutes ago!" as a huge crowd dispersed.
  
Los Angeles
Heaven only knows how close I have been to bumping into him living here just outside of Los Angeles. But as I have indicated before, I just wouldn't be aware enough to realize that Morrissey was anywhere near me.

Acceptance
Despite the tone in this blog, I am extremely happy and excited to be going to England at all and that we can spend so much time there with family and friends. I think this blog might be more exciting if I were to write about my time on a Smiths tour in Manchester or my experience seeing Moz perform. But I am not that sad for myself-not really.


Sometimes you just have to bask in the beauty and the tragedy of unrequited love.

Happy Unhappy Birthday!

Event Poster

Planning
Planning to go out with your significant other when you have three children requires much more obviously than with just one child who can somewhat easily be carted off to grandmas's for the evening. Its especially difficult if you have school and work the next day and your children start school at different times. Its complicated even further if you, yourself, are a teacher and are expected to greet children or teenagers with  bright smiley faces at 7:45 AM the next day and have an exciting lesson planned.

Despite these obstacles Roland and I were able to make things happen with the help of grandma and my friend Kim. In fact it worked out well because the boys stayed the night with grandma and Kim allowing us to feel tired and run down without any interruptions from younger family members Monday morning..

Cops and Robbers and Jesus, Oh My!
I have to say that our trip to the House of Blues was rather surreal. Honestly, its experiences like ours that deters  Orange County people from ever leaving the Orange Curtain and venturing into Los Angeles. First of all, we got off the 101 freeway and drove down Sunset Boulevard and then had to pull aside for twelve unmarked police cars. We have no idea where they were going but it was extremely noisy and were grew a little concerned about whatever might be the cause of it. I mean, I was concerned that there might be some incident at the House of Blues-perhaps some crazed Morrissey fan got carried away with the whole Unhappy Birthday thing. I was also concerned for a homeless man who was so off his head he walked out into traffic in front of the speeding police cars and waved at them. He was waving at them like, "I'm over here." I was afraid to watch him because he nearly got run over by the cops. I selfishly thought that may ruin my evening.

Next, we passed a parking lot attendant that appeared to be getting attacked by some thugs. He was older and was dodging fists and a lead pipe. We made a U-turn to investigate and when we saw the attendant he was just sitting in a chair in  the parking lot looking relaxed. Like nothing had happened. Perhaps I only imagined it. After all, Roland hadn't seen it.

Finally, what I saw next was not an apparition since  Roland saw it as well. As we approached the Comedy Store we saw Jesus. Yes, indeed! I wish only that I had my camera ready because it was so unbelievable! He was wearing a long robe and sandals and a benevolent expression. Its almost as if he next would most likely outstretch his arms like the giant Jesus statue in Rio De Janiero, Brazil to bless us all. I theorized it was a homeless man while Roland thought it was some actor hired by the Comedy Store. I just don't understand why the Comedy Store would find Jesus funny.

Get Me a Drink
Once inside we beelined it for the bar-obviously.

Not Target. Saxs Fifth Avenue
In my previous post, I said that The Sweet and Tender Hooligans were like the Target version of The Smiths. I have to disagree with that. I expected the show to be kind of hokey-after all, it isn't REALLY The Smiths. But the band were so good that I would say they are more like the Nordstrom of The Smiths or the Saxs Fifth Avenue of The Smiths. Honestly, Jose Maldonado has such a great Morrissey voice.

The musicians were fantastic. They even brought out some string musicians for a few of the numbers.

Something contagious happens when a band looks like they are enjoying themselves-the audience tends to feel that energy and goes with it.

I expected that The Sweet and Tender Hooligans might try to "be" Morrissey and The Smiths. I mean sort of take on the role as actors. I dreaded that possibility. But thankfully the band does not seem to be afraid to take from The Smiths and make it their own. For example when the lead singer sang "Ganglord"with only the stringed instruments, it was refreshing to hear an old favorite presented in a different format. He also sings some of the songs in Spanish.

As I was singing along with perhaps 1500 Smiths and Morrissey fans, I thought about the beauty and strangeness of the fact that probably the vast majority of these people singing together have sat, at some time alone in their rooms or wherever and felt the same gnawing emotions that drew us to words and music that we so identify or identified with. How ironic that we were together in lonely words. You can't reach out to people on Facebook if you feel that way. You can however when you commune with people who know the words to the songs you seemingly claimed as your own.

After that realization, I laughed uncontrollably suddenly remembering that I saw Jesus outside the Comedy Store!

Our Self-portrait at the Bar