I got a very nice email from Colin’s mom & dad tonight saying that he was feeling better, and was even able to go to his school’s Christmas party today (thought he still on a congee diet). He had a blast at his party, and I know his friends were happy to see him. His mom wants to thank everyone for their concern.
Carey Anthony
<careygly@gmail.com>
“Merry Xmas from Colin”
1 message
Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 1:42 AM
To:
careygly@gmail.com
Dear Uncle Carey,
Wish you and your family a merry Xmas and have a happy holiday!
Colin
Here’s a video for you Colin. It’s a song I loved as a kid. Merry Christmas!
Lisa had a rough day today, so a movie was in order. We went to see “Atonement“. It was a good film. The early Oscar buzz is all about James McAvoy and Keira Knightley and I must say I enjoyed their performances. The cinematography was breathtaking, though the film could have been edited better in my opinion.
Without giving too much away, let me just say that Lisa wanted to strangle the little sister in the movie. So we let her take some anger out on the movie display:
Why don’t any of my friends want to go see Sweeney Todd?? I admit, it’s not my idea of a Christmassy movie, and Johnny Depp looks even creepier than he did in Willy Wonka, but it does look like a good move, right? Does anyone want to go tomorrow?
This is my friend Colin (the boy on the right in the first video). He’s been sick and was in the hospital. There’s nothing worse than a sick kid at Christmas. His mother tells me he’s feeling a little better, but here’s hoping the little guy feels a lot better and is back to his incredibly cute self in time for Santa to bring him all that he deserves. He is truly a light in this world. I could watch this video FOREVER and ever.
Speaking of cute kids!!! (I’m shameless). My Dad has been scanning some old slides this week. Actually, my brother’s the cute one. I just got better looking as I grew into my ears and lips. LOL.
David, Dad, Mom & Me, Christmas 1969 (4)
Fashion forward at four
That robot was my favorite toy of all time. There’s a story behind it, but it’s for another blog entry. I’m tired.
Bassam had a conference at CalTech today, so rather than driving back to Santa Barbara tonight, he called to check availability at the Hotel Careyfornia. Luckily, Posh & Becks had just canceled a reservation and we had an opening. Bassam is a regular visitor at the HC this time of year, and now that he’s graced us with his presence, it really seems like Christmas time is here again.
We had tapas for dinner and afterwards Bassam needed a new cord for his iPhone, so we ran by Target. He spent $20 on his cord, and I got myself my own Christmas present. I justified it, because it came with a $30 gift card. (I really only got it because I’m sure Jennifer, Lisa & Dar will all get one soon, and I wanted to be first for once!)
I also got a new Dirt Devil broom, but the iTouch is more fun. Short entry tonight…I’m going to go play with my new toy. Remember, Christmastime is for everyone…even the Jews! Enjoy the video! Night night. (P.S. Thanks to Ryan for the fabulous graphic design!!)
As any regular reader of this space knows, I despise paper. I think it is a completely useless 21st century product. If a service provider requires paper in order for me to do business with them, I’d rather not do business. At Christmas time however, I have a dilemma. I’ve always sent a lot of Christmas cards. My travels have afforded me good friends all over the world, and long before email, Christmas was always a great time to catch up with people I rarely got to see or talk to.
I know it’s hard for you “young’ins” to imagine a time before email, but believe it or not it’s only been in general use about 13 years. Even before computers and the Internet, I was always very organized regarding my Christmas cards. In the height of my traveling in the early 90′s my Christmas card list topped over 250. I kept meticulous records (and still do) about who I sent cards to and who I received cards from.
I have codes and everything! Some people come and go over they years and there are others who are always on the list. It’s tradition, whether I receive a card from them or not. There are some people I’ve been sending cards to since 1983. Some of my friends may even be able to pick out their names on these photos!
The hand written lists go back to 1983 the year I started college. Back then, I kept the list in my yearly planner. Starting in 1991 (the list below right), the real fun began. The more countries I visited, the more people I sent cards to. There are 5 people on this year’s list that I’ve only met once in my life. There are kids I used to babysit for, who now have kids of their own. It’s fun to receive cards too. My favorites are always the ones with pictures of the kids. I save all of my cards from past years, and it’s great to look back and see how the children have grown!
Another tradition I’ve had since 1988, is that my best friend Daniel has always drawn a picture of Oreo to put in my cards. For example, the year Oreo was shot, Dan drew a picture of Santa going up the chimney and leaving Oreo a bullet-proof vest.
After Oreo died (many years after the shooting), the drawings became the template for my annual Christmas message (not your typical cheesy Christmas letter, I might add!).
I have friends with kids who have all of these drawings from over the
years hanging in their rooms! So you see, as much as I’d like to sever
my ties to paper 100%, this is the one time of year I don’t think I
can. Talk to me in 3 hours though, once the writer’s cramp has settled
in, and I may be singing a different tune! Finally, even though I
despise snail mail. It it nice to have decorations for my bookshelves
at Christmas. Good night…I have a lot of cards to write.
Long Day! Ben & Missy were in town, but I only got to spend an hour tonight with them. Will hopefully see them for brunch tomorrow. I took the kids to see Enchanted tonight. They loved it. I have to admit, so did I. Afterwards we went to a cookie exchange, and had a spaghetti dinner too. It’s 2 AM and I’m still full. I goofed around with a few of these pictures just for effect. I’m just going to post these because I’m exhausted. Nighty night!
What a difference nine years doesn’t make! One interesting effect that this writer’s strike has had, is that all of the normal late night talk shows are all playing reruns from much older shows. Last night I watched a David Letterman show from 1998. What struck me was how many things are still the same.
Thinking about all of this reminded me of where I was 9 years ago today. It was a year after I had moved from Chicago, had sold everything and was just traveling. I was in Cape Town, South Africa that month. Since I’m such a packrat, I dug up an old email and some scanned photos I sent while I was there. Admittedly there have been a few changess in the past 9 years. I did not own a digital camera in 1998. There was one Internet cafe in Cape Town that I could use to send this email. I had just set up my first website, a crude Geocities site as a tribute to my dog Oreo, who had just died, and I had just purchased my first cell phone!
From: Carey Sent: Friday, December 11, 1998 10:48:15 AM -0800 GMT To: Undisclosed Recipients
Subject: Merry Christmas From Africa
Hello everyone, and Happy Holidays from Cape Town, South Africa. I
arrived in Africa over two weeks ago, not knowing what to
expect, and as my time remaining here is now less than a week, I find
myself not wanting to leave.
Cape Town alone is one of the most beautiful cities on the planet. It
rivals Rio de Janeiro in natural beauty, and Sydney, Paris and even
Chicago(!) in urban splendor. Though it is a small city (the second
largest in South Africa at about 4 million) it has all of the amenities
of the great western cities of the world.
I have traveled extensively during my time here, from the very
southern tip of the continent at Cape Agulhas, to the fabled Cape of
Good Hope, where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic, to the lush wine
country of Stellenbosch, home to some of the finest wines on the
planet. I have toured Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent 18
years of his nearly 30 year prison sentence. I have photographed
stunning sunsets from the slopes of the most famous landmark in the
country, Table Mountain, whose flat “table top peak” is often covered
with a thin layer of clouds the locals refer to as the “tablecloth”.
I have encountered penguin, baboon, springbok, ewald, zebra, dassy
(related to the elephant), tortoise, and many strange birds and
insects. I even went whale watching in Hermanus, the best place in
the world for land based whale watching, but alas it was too windy the
day I was there to see any Southern Right whales.
A friend of mine from Switzerland was staying with me here for a week,
and then some friends from Johannesburg came down to revel in the
glorious beaches of the Western Cape for five days. I have made many
wonderful new friends, as all of the people here are extremely
friendly and love to hear what it’s like to live in America.
This country is startlingly “new” to democracy. Their constitution
and bill of rights is not even two years old. They have been
struggling with the demons of years of apartheid since 1990, and will
unfortunately never be able to undo much of its damage.
This is a country wrought with paradox. People who live in the cities
shop in huge Western style malls, with all of the latest fashions and
designer names. Everyone, young and old (as in Brazil, Australia,
Japan, and Europe) has a cell phone. They watch the latest Hollywood
movies in large 14 screen cineplexes, yet they only have four
television stations, and there’s no such thing as cable. They watch
Seinfeld, Friends and of course Oprah (everyone knows about Chicago!!
Thanks Oprah!)
Travel just outside the cities however, and it’s a completely
different story. When apartheid was first introduced, blacks in the
cities were sent to “townships” to live. These shantytowns, with no
electricity or plumbing, are still homes to millions of “Africaans”,
and they are indeed appalling.
On a drive home from the southern coast, I stopped for gas at a Shell
station. The gentleman who pumped my gas, asked me in very broken
English if I could give him a ride home, as his shift was over. I
agreed, as he had already won me over with his friendly (though
toothless) smile when I pulled up. As I was unsure about what type of
gas my rental car took, he was very helpful, and extremely polite. As
he directed me towards his home, I soon found myself entering a
foreign world like no other, only a few hundred yards off the main
highway. Fires burning in barrels, chickens, goats and dogs running
wild, naked children playing with tin foil balls, and thousands of
make shift “homes” made with whatever material was available.
I have seen slums before. The favelas of Brazil, the projects of
American cities, but nothing I have ever seen was like this. As
impoverished as it was, it was a vibrant community. A community of
people, all of whom have a distinct role. A community full of pride,
from the elaborate colored headdresses worn by the women, to the
impromptu artwork painted with whatever colored material was
available. As I dropped my new friend off, he simply said, “God Bless
you, Merry Christmas.”
There is a huge movement underway to register people to vote in next
years presidential election. Unfortunately the drive is so
unorganized that even President Mandela went to the wrong place to
register. The result is record low registration, and it is feared that
the election will be fixed by the African National Congress, and that
an unpopular and bitter candidate will win the majority.
Though there is much respect for President Mandela, there is great
rift between the the black, “coloured” (a term describing those
Africaans who are mixed with the large number of Malay and
Eastern/Indian people who populated this land when it was originally a
colony of the Dutch East India Company in the 1600′s) and white
population. I have spoken with many people, black, white and
coloured, and there is a huge fear among the white minority (the
country is 75% black) that a huge “reverse discrimination” movement is
underway.
What happens in next year’s election will be integral to the future of
this country. There is so much potential here, it is mind boggling.
A wise investor, could do quite well in almost any city in South
Africa. I look forward to returning in the future to see the growth
and change of this infant democracy.
Next week, I depart for Madrid Spain, to meet my friends who are
converging from all over the world. I will be spending New Years in
Seville, with many of the people I spent Christmas with last year in
Brazil. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone.
It won’t be easy however, to leave “Mama Africa”. Table Mountain has
cast its spell on me. The crystal blue (though cold!) Atlantic
beaches will surely be missed. The climate here is incredible. No
humidity, and about 83 degrees every day. There has only been one stormy day
since I arrived. (But what a storm it was. There were devastating
tornados in the Western Cape that nearly killed the President!)
I watch CNN every morning at 5:00 (when I get in!) and am following
the latest news from Iraq, as is everyone here. Despite the modest
Muslim population here in South Africa, (75% of the population is
Christian) everyone I have met, is very much in favor of the United
States action against Iraq. They do however, laugh at the fact
that we are impeaching our president over something so silly.
I was thrilled to see how many people have logged on to the “Oreo“
website after receiving my Christmas card before I left the States.
It is indeed amazing how our ability to communicate has changed so
vastly in just a few short years.
I trust this message finds you all happy and healthy. I wish you all
a blessed holiday season, and am sending warm thoughts to all of you
Had my normal Thursday night dinner with the family tonight. Dar & I went to Lisa’s and I took some pictures of the kids with the Christmas decorations. It’s harder to get into the Christmas spirit when it’s 80° outside (26° C), but Lisa & Joel’s beautiful yard helped. After that, I went over to Aunty LuLu and Uncle George’s for cherry pie! Their tree was beautiful too, and we dug out the old pictures from the 30′s and 40′s and they told me lots of stories, which I always love. I’ll be off for a few days, so I hope everyone has a nice weekend. Ho Ho Ho.
I told Andy & Tommy that I was sending these pictures to Santa, and if he thought that they looked handsome, he just might visit their house first on Christmas Eve.
Lisa and I in our dunce cap!
Aunty LuLu is my Dad’s 2nd oldest sister
That’s my Aunt in the second row with the pom poms on her shirt. circa: 1934
That’s my Dad, center picture on the right, and last picture on the left, with his twin sister, my Aunty PeeWee
This is my Aunty GeeGee, my Dad’s oldest sister around 1940. Yes, I have an Aunty LuLu, PeeWee and GeeGee Long story!
Lots of pictures of my Uncle George in the Navy during WWII
If you want to see or download the rest of the pictures click here. Din Tai Fung tonight!!! Yeah See you guys next week!
Ho Ho Ho and Happy Hollywood Holidays! In honor of Christmas, I’ve decided to go “green” this year and save some paper. If you are viewing this, it is either because you’re already a regular reader of my blog, or because you just received my Christmas card or email. I’ve temporarily “parked” my private website URL on this blog entry page thru Christmas, in lieu of my normal Christmas card insert.
(If you reached this page through my private URL and want to go to the latest entry, click weblog above.)
I’m happy to say that I have virtually erased all vestiges of paper from my life; and my website is now my primary means of communicating with global friends and family in the 21st Century. It’s a great way for me to showcase my photography, my writing, some music & video and the occasional political rant or two. I hope you bookmark this page (or subscribe either via Xanga (it’s free and easy,and you don’t have to have to start a blog yourself) or through my RSS feed), and return regularly to find out what’s going on here at the Hotel Careyfornia!
Navigation around my site is simple; I typically post entries 4-6 times per week. At the end of each entry there is a link that shows the # of “comments”. If you click comments, you can read comments others leave your own. It’s easy to comment if you sign up with Xanga or you can comment “anonymously” by clicking Anonymous, and entering a name & email (real or fake, don’t worry, you won’t get spammed). After you type your comment, don’t forget to enter the letter code (see below), and voila, you’re done. I’ll be able to read your comments along with everyone else. Of course, you can always just email me.
Towards the bottom right of each page you can click “older” to keep scrolling through prior entries. I’ve been blogging for a year now, and really enjoy it. If any of you have your own websites please let me know, it’s a great way for families and friends to keep up with each other.
Rather that write about my year, I’ll let my words and pictures tell the stories. Here’s a link to some of my Picasa albums, click away!
As you can see, I love playing tour guide, so if you’re ever in Southern California, please let me know. It’s a great place to visit and you’re always welcome! Hopefully this website will allow me to catch up with those of you I don’t communicate with as frequently. I look forward to hearing from you and wish you all the happiest of holidays and a healthy new year. Peace –Carey
Eva came this weekend and helped me put up my tree….it’s become somewhat of a tradition, when I’m not out of the country for Christmas. I’m also dog sitting this week…which is good, as we had to put Beast down last week. Terribly sad. Anyway, the house is finally ready for the holidays!
So tonight I went to the Best Buy in West Hollywood to buy a digital camera for my boss for Christmas. I walked out of Best Buy with the camera and receipt in a bag, and walked next door to Target to buy some things. I was in the toothpaste aisle picking out some toothpaste, and when I stood up, my shopping cart with the camera in it, was gone! I ran to security, and the security guard got on his walkie talkie and told all the store managers to be on the lookout for a Best Buy bag with a digital camera and receipt in it. Then I started scouring the checkout lines discreetly looking in peoples carts. I found myself mentally profiling people, which was scary, but the security guard had told me that they had had several incidents like this. A few minutes later, a woman who had actually stopped at the Pizza Hut inside of target to buy pizza, overheard one of the manager’s walkie talkies and threw a Best Buy bag with a camera in it on the counter and ran. Long story short, I got my camera back, but they never caught the woman. Moral of the story (especially for my female friends who leave their purses (and kids) in carts unattended), is don’t!
The day before, I was driving down to a Christmas party in Irvine. I had bought a dozen Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills to take to the party. About 1 mile before my exit on the 5, I got pulled over for going 85 mph. Not needing a 2nd speeding ticket this year, I explained that I was late for a Christmas party, and that I was bringing the “Sprinkles”, at which point I offered the cop a cupcake. You’re not going to believe this, but he let me go with a warning!! He didn’t even take the cupcake. He just told me to slow down! I wished him a Merry Christmas, and went on my way. Suffice it to say, I now drive with cupcakes all the time LOL. Maybe I can do a commercial for Sprinkles to help supplement my ridiculous car insurance bill! Ho Ho Ho!
(I really only got it because I’m sure Jennifer, Lisa & Dar will all get one soon, and I wanted to be first for once!)
I have friends with kids who have all of these drawings from over the
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