dear oldsame,

I call to you across the waters, across the farawaylands, as my dragon self breathes fire. It stretches itself on the beach and lances lychees with each talon and orders rum with coffee and hurumphs and sighs with no other dragons at all to play with. It snorts as it lifts its head to the breeze, knowing that even though it's the last place on earth it would want to be- dubbed a 'hedonistic beach party' by LP, it is in some sort of paradise. It is reminded that though it's alone it has some sort of larger purpose, and doesn't want to be ungrateful for the places it's got to fly and see- even if it longs to be in the mountains or at a different beach... or not be a lone dragon anymore, like something mythical and extinct.

The lunar new year dawned as I slept in my cave at the perfume grass hotel. A much better place if I'm going to be made to pay $20 a night. (up from $11). Roused only briefly to hear the dissonance of all the noise being made- deliberately to chase the bad spirits and luck of the old year away. And invite the new. I went back to bed as the fan circled overhead and the old tile and wood stood solid against time.

Yesterday I drove myself a little crazy- I had the joy of seeing my 2 paychecks +flight come in. Paid. And finished with the workplace.  I paid off a creditcard and some bills, with money to spare--I was excited to start executing and accomplishing. I then descended into internet scheduling hell of coming and going from laos. Which I still haven't figured out. And coming and going from here. Which I still haven't figured out. And even though there's an immediacy I suppose I have time and i'm going to have to leave it to God to determine when I get to Saigon and to Cathy on the 15th. And of course it's His business why i'm here even if it's not exactly mine. The only 2 things besides that was washing my face and looking up to see a lychee fruit stuck in my hair. (Which mildly amused me and perhaps made God laugh outright.)And finding no satisfactory postcards to send to anyone. I guess there's no point in trying to move in such a time of transition from the dragon to the snake. My year is over and Cathy's begins. Apparently without a spring. They call it a blind year. I got two. Yours is coming old same. One more year. Trod and gallop on.

Anyway I've meandered away a good couple hours here. It's time to stretch the legs and move even if i can't quite leave yet. I'm excited for you and your puppy. What's with the name? And the car- what are you going to call it? I can't even believe the louse situation. Pretty outrageous. Did you watch the SP episode yet, or at least have jlo watch it... I don't sound outraged on your behalf but I am. I blame the calming effects of the rum and the sensory pleasing effects of the coffee. Self medicating one step at a time. Though the music has been much too loud. I need a break.

Huff. Black streams snake into the air and are pulled apart. And up I go.
My love, M.

my dear pendant,

a webcam is going on in the background and my left eye is developing some sort of sympathy twitch to my moms though i'm sure for different reasons. its making focusing on writing you and watching murdershewrote a bit difficult. so i paused it.

we had to get creative with firewood yesterday as you can maybe makeout in the photo. the chopsaw being at the new place. we haven't broken up the furniture yet but are running low on wood supplies. what happened to the days when somebody who knew somebody had a stack and just let you take it? maybe there were never those days. i'm going to try not to think about the fact that fireplaces are now illegal in southern california. just writing that made me a little outraged. i flicked on drudge report and it said "happy new year california enacts 700 something new laws and i had to shut my eyes just like i'm doing right now and click off the page. (luckiluy i can type with my eyes shut).

but nevermind. yesterday was a proper holiday. thanks to amber and sarah who complimented and enabled the feasting. as i got to play clue- as you know, angela in the annex with the rabid bat. and we played video games too and they put up with my gluten free pancakes. but i didn't really think through lunch plans properly. my thoughts just arrived at pancakes and stopped. it happens to the best of us.

and as yesterday was sunny and cold, today was cloudfilled and then rainy. gas is $3.29, but mom is making turkey meatballs so it all evens out. i've decided i don't have to productive for the next 5 or 6 hours until tomorrow anyway. though i did pick last night to pay my car insurance. i don't think the fund transfer will bounce. ;) oh and i have to pick up callie from burbank. i set my alarm and everything.

anyway happy new year you. i'm going to eat dinner and make a list of things about epiphany worth celebrating. which is more my new year then this one. but the happy part still stands.

m.

for ole penelo-mine,

i know. i know. endure the ticking hours. though after knowing you for 11 years! it's like wait what? where did the time go? i mean we're thankful for 2010 to racing toward a conclusion though i felt november and december were long in the tooth but for the most part. snap. for me anyway. snap.snap. i don't understand it. all i can think is that i'm excited for epiphany to arrive. i vaguely know why. but tomorrow IS a new day. and amen to those. to the dawn. to a fresh breath. we need it right. another footing. some direction?

i'm home after a bustling day. i went hiking with danica in the a.m. totally impromptu (it was awesome), lunched with mom (a rare delight), traderjoed , frapp'ed, picked annmarie up athe airport, got kerrys car, went to poquito mas for dinner- and BAM- there went the day. though i averted several car accidents, people collisions and a general air of crazy out and about. You could feel it in the air, people just straining. maybe the year's been on hard on everyone. it probably has. and everyones like, just lets fucking get this done, shall we?

i am totally sad you did not capture pictures- these are mine from the day:

what else, what else. i enjoyed our 2010 rehash. i deposited some checks too and i have enough money to pay for my car insurance. probably not the doublemin's on all my cards but thats a start. ok its huge! lets not take it for granted. but i can only celebrate very quietly. i'm going to make some tea, eat a mango, light the candles and maybe craft? or read to mom or she'll read to me. but right now they're out at bigjims. dad lured mom to go look for a laser level that got stolen and lowes closed 5 min before they got there. anyway i could not agree more about the no-shame of the price club. its a wonderous place. lets be honest. granted not a big a bargain as it used to be but there's good stuff there. nevermind. and they've got a good meat section so sometimes you just have-to.

maybe i can rally the troops to play the officeclue with me on the new year. that sounds a perfect way to begin the day. oh and gluten free pancakes because dad broke the waffle maker. there it went careening to the ground. alas alack.

alright my attention span is totally gone. and ihave cornchip taste in my mouth.

holysnap- the colony just brought over a plate of ribs, another plate of potato salad, doritos and rice. um OMG. totally beats the savory and dessert tamales they sent over for christmas. shizzzz. i've got to go. i have to focus!

xo, to you my dearest pen. may this next year be bright and may it not be from a meteor, oncoming trains or hazard lights or the dying sun, but you know internally bright, not from something going nuclear or super nova, but you know sparkly like stars.

m.

HIATUS

Dear Blog-Nation,

We here at Pen&M want to wish you a happy new year and thank you for your readership because of which our screams, words and chuckles have existed in a non-void like place that is usually filled with fluff and stuff and fuzzy bunnies. As the new year clicks into place with the precision that roman calendars maintain we will be going dark as of right now. Today. Ooo, ominous. Yes, as Bruckner says, this is a stunt, a mere ploy for comments and adulation. We totally want those. There's no denying. But take heart, it's only for a month. We have some uh, things we need to do. It's funny because upon review of the first year it was a struggle to blog. We were always disappearing for scads of time- we actually waited for inspiration to strike, and now you know it comes like everyday. Like magic. And we've never gone dark not like ever. And even as I write this the secret golom part of us is rocking back and forth and saying, no, precious, no. Mainly because the blog is under our skin, is so much a part of how we communicate that without it, i don't know what we'll do with ourselves... okay there's like one thing. But anyway we'll be back in February. And we write this because we need to be held accountable to leaving. Otherwise one of us will be up in a stash writing secret posts about our last nights adventures or that one guy over there, fucking heckling us. Fucker. But look, we're assembling this blog into a book. Ooo, i said that outloud. Fuck. Anyway, wish us luck, take time to stroll through our archives and find the strength to keep blogging without us. We'll be watching. And we want your snark and your verve to get us through the dark nights, and be there when we return. Cuz we're selfish like that. We love you.

Most Sincerely, Your Humble Servants,

Mendacious and Penelope