While much of America digs out from record snowfall from a storm that originated as 6 days of rare rain here in California; we ended up having a pretty beautiful Christmas Day.  I am very glad that I did not fly anywhere for the holidays.  The rain we had most of last week was complete with mudslides, hail and the now obligatory double rainbow.  The week of crazy weather didn’t phase Santa however, and the kids in our family (including me) had a wonderful Christmas.  It was certainly better than last Christmas, when 2 of us ended up in the emergency room and 9 of us came down with the stomach flu!  Here are some images and videos from the week, including my favorite Christmas present:

If you’d like to know the story behind this, click here!  Thanks Lisa & Joel!

What does it mean??

December 22 was a crazy weather day!  More photos here.

Video of the rainbow from my roof

 
T’was the Night Before Christmas…

Andy, excited for Santa’s arrival.  Much more so than last Christmas:

What a difference a year makes!!


It was a very dino Christmas as Andy opened his stocking Christmas morning

I rest my case!

My how they’re growing!  Look at them just two years ago!

Tressa, Cody & Andy

An epic family Christmas picture!

A dinosaur snuggie!

Lisa loved her presents from her boys!

My gift to Andy was a hit, despite its questionable packaging!

We missed Grandma this year!

Even Sadie & Roxy were in the Christmas spirit!


Best of the rest…click here
Happy New Year!

I have mixed emotions about the events of this past weekend.  As most people know by now, the draconian ban on homosexuality in the United States military has been repealed.  Tomorrow President Obama will sign the repeal, paving the way for the inevitable Supreme Court ruling on Proposition 8 and gay marriage finally becoming the law of the land.  That’s all great news.  But on Saturday, as my friends and I stood in line at a movie theater and heard the buzz of cell phones and twitter feeds announcing the DADT repeal, I actually felt guilty about another far reaching piece of legislation that didn’t pass.  The DREAM Act “would have created a path to citizenship for certain young illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children, completed two years of college or military service and met other requirements, including passing a criminal background check.”  “Two Dreams, One Dead“, as Time magazine opined.  That dream is dead, at least for now.  But I for one am glad to know people like David Cho, whose tireless efforts on behalf of the DREAM Act have raised awareness worldwide, and caused him to be named one of the Top Ten Game Changers in education today (along with heavyweights like Michelle Rhee and Jill Biden)!  People like David Cho are the leaders of tomorrow.  Just watch:

He is American in every way, but on paper.  The arguments against the DREAM Act are nothing but shameful propaganda spread by ignorant neophytes like Sarah Palin.  I urge every American to educate themselves about this important legislation.  David can take solace in Dan Choi’s struggle to repeal DADT.  Don’t be disillusioned by this temporary setback. 

The DREAM Act is the right thing to do!  I’m glad there are people like David Cho and Dan Choi who fight tirelessly for what’s right, to make this country a better place for all of us.  Keep up the good fight gentlemen!

Lt. Dan Choi, an American hero and an eloquent voice in this struggle, and I at at Prop 8 rally

Dinner with David is always a treat. He’s such a bright light in this world. I can’t say enough about this guy!

Hanging out in MacArthur Park and having Korean food with David

In other news, my friend Sabine made her 5th trip to The Hotel Careyfornia in the past year.  Eva joined us and we had a pre New Year’s GLY reunion.  Luci & Mateus are also here from Brazil and Tim flew in from Switzerland.  I’ve lost track of how many trips to the airport I’ve taken in the past 72 hours.  Lots of fun and very little sleep.  Ho Ho Ho!  Here are the week’s photos:

Bine’s welcoming party and the first of many trips to the airport this weekend!

Sushi on a rainy night in LA

Platinum Guests of The Hotel Careyfornia

Breakfast at The Griddle

Claudio, Eva & Bine.  More photos here…

Claudio sneering at LAX before heading to Brazil

Bine and Eva proclaiming “The King’s Speech” the best movie of the year so far!

Even Spiderman tried to get out of the rain on Hollywood Blvd.


Christmas ice skating at the Spectrum.  More photos here…

Even though I’m an atheist, I’m inclined to agree with the postulate that everyone likes presents, Santa, peace on earth and all the things that come with Christmas and the holiday season.  I mean, what’s not to like?  That said, it’s hard to get into the Christmas spirit here in California when it’s 80° F (27° C) and sunny.  It’s also hard to be optimistic with our country in such a state of shambles; thanks in large part to greedy Republicans and an inherited deficit too big to imagine.  I was reminiscing with friends recently about the first Christmas I spent in Africa twelve years ago this week.  It’s easy to forget that twelve years ago, Bill Clinton was in the midst of an impeachment trial over lying about oral sex.  Despite that theatrical absurdity, our  economy was strong and unemployment was at 4%.  I was struck by the fact that twelve years ago, everyone I met in Africa thought the whole charade was ridiculous.  Of course, Bill Clinton sailed through his impeachment, and 12 years later, he’s still in the White House taking charge.  I was reminded of that fact when I watched President Obama introduce President Clinton during his press conference last week.  Claudio and I were talking about it, and he had mixed emotions seeing Bill Clinton handling the room like always.  He thought it was the most telling political picture of the past two years.  I don’t necessarily agree with that; but it did produce strong and mixed emotions.  Bringing Clinton into the White House was a good move for President Obama.  Bringing him to the podium was a risky move.  Leaving him to go “tend to Michelle” was a horrible move!  (Click the link, it’s hilarious!)  But it sure made for great political theater and a lot of nostalgia.  Especially as Bernie Sanders was filibustering across the mall.  THAT to me, was the contrast.  Now if the president could just find some of Bernie’s zeal.  (Though I thought he did a mostly good job at his press conference the other day, save for the hostage analogy which The Daily Show skewered so well!).  I wish the President well.  He’s in an extremely unenviable position.  In the words of Robert Reich, “I urge congressional Democrats to remember the larger principles — not in order to be purist or make the perfect the enemy of the better, but to move toward an economy and a society that we believe in, that reflects the needs of the vast majority of Americans at this difficult time.”  How I long for the days where all we had to worry about was a blow job in the Oval Office!  That said, here’s how we tried to get into the Christmas spirit here in California this week:

Our Christmas Card, LOL

Chazz and Rio have become inseparable and sometimes hard to tell apart!

Andy, Tommy, Ryan, Chazz & Rio (and me)…Ho Ho Ho

More photos here…

Winter sunset from my front yard

Neon art on Santa Monica Blvd.

The Beatles at sunset

As the sun goes down over Santa Monica Blvd.

More photos here…

Last night we had second row seat for West Side Story at the Pantages!  Thanks Julia!

 
One of the great old Hollywood theaters, the Pantages.

More photos here…

 

Happy Holidays from The Hotel Careyfornia!  4 years ago yesterday I started my humble little blog.  In that time, I’ve written 692 entries and have devoted this space mainly to my photos and random musings.  The Xanga community has been good to me.  And though I micro-blog more often on facebook and Tumblr these days; I still try to come here once a week to summarize my life and write my rants.  As I’ve said before, blogs are like clothes.  Sometimes you look back at them and wonder, “What was I thinking!!??”

Future Xangan CareyGLY

It’s often been suggested that I rename my blog:

When I look at my most common “tags“, this rings somewhat true.  Here’s a look at the highlights of the past year, filled with lots of dogs, kids, sunsets, Xangalebrities and political rants:

• Christmas Eve in the Emergency Room (Twice!)

• Civil Lights? Do Smokers Have a Right to Smoke Outside?

• Dangerous, Delusional and Doltish

• Tonight the Streets are Ours

• ‘Twas the Day After Oscar

• I Married My First Cousin!

• America’s Prettiest City

• My American Idol After Party Photos

• From Germany to Africa to West Hollywood

• The Gandhi of Dogs

• It Was the Summer of ’85 – Xangalebrity Edition

• Viva La Vie Boheme!

• It’s The End Of The World As We Know It

• His Name is Rio…

• Sorry for the Woody in my Pants Officer!

• The Bureaucratization of Terror – Theater of the Absurd

And here are some photos from the past week with links to photos past:

Look how Andy has changed in four years!

Favorite Cousins!

My new family mantra :)

Look at him just a year ago!

He was actually looking in these presents.  LOL

Look Jin!  New snowmen!

Garbo & Ruby met director Michael Bay of Transformers fame, coming out of Starbucks the other day.  He thought they would be great in his next movie with Shia LeBeouf!

And just to make sure I cover all of my bases, here’s tonight’s sunset!

I also went through a devastating breakup this week.  After nearly 30 years of an on again off again relationship; McRib and I are finally finished.  I broke the bad news to him in a “Dear McRib” letter last night. Both McRib and I hope that the media will respect our privacy during this difficult time.

Dear McRib,

I’m writing you to let you know that I can’t see you any longer.  I
couldn’t say it to your face tonight, so I decided to write it down.
Trust me, it’s not you, it’s me.  We’ve known each other since 1981.  I
was only 16 years old, and much skinnier.  Even though we only saw each
other once or twice a year, my friends told me you weren’t good for me.
They called you offal (an admittedly clever pun).  They said you didn’t
have my best interests at heart (your were only interested in clogging
my heart).  I scoffed at them.  I defended our love.  When they called you
“fake”, I called you “new fangled”.  But lately, you’ve been calling more
and more.  I’m no longer the gangly 16 year old who fell in love with
you all those years ago.  It’s a new world McRib.  A world filled with
Tender Greens and Trader Joe’s Pad Thai.  I’ve finally realized this is
not a healthy relationship.  I think we need to see other people (no, not
McNuggets!).  I don’t think we should even be friends any longer.  You’re
too tempting.  It was fun while it lasted.  I will always think of you
fondly and I wish you all the best.

Sincerely,

Carey