Thursday Portrait

Yeah, yeah, you've all seen it before, but I think it's time for a flashback to the first time I ever came to India. Here I am in a rickshaw in Bangalore, as happy as a clam. But it wasn't all happy the first year, no siree. Let me tell you, I was ready to have my head examined after my first 24 hours in Bangalore! Talk about culture shock. The smells, the traffic, the strange foods, the cows! I am so glad I didn't go home.

So, if you wanna see the post from whence this photo came, go to Horn OK Please .

I am completely excited about going to India next Friday, and happy to report that my neck feels, well, mostly better. I guess that's as good as it's gonna get for now, but I'm banking on that nice sunshine, heat and humidity (oh and a little Vat 69) to loosen me up just fine! OK I can hardly contain myself, do you think I'm gonna get in trouble with crazy Russians this year? Why not?
You know, I usually don't post pictures that I take while on my trip until I get back because I don't want to leave my photos all over India in various internet cafe computers, so I wanted you to see who I am traveling with this year.

Meet the supercool, and totally fabulous Eileen. Eileen and I met in 1986 when I went back to New York to snatch the soon to be Mr. Susie's the Boss up and bring him back to Venice Beach where he belonged.
Eileen and Mr Ratburn actually went to the same high school, only by the time she got there, Gary had graduated already. Then in 1987, when Gary and I decided to drive to Alaska for something to do, Eileen and her boyfriend moved into our Venice Beach apartment for the summer. When we returned from Alaska, Eileen got her own place not far away, and we have been pals ever since.

Now, I want to point out that the reason that we are only going to India for 17 days is because Eileen has informed me that she "has a real job." When I argued that she was the boss at her job and should therefor be able to take as many days or weeks off as her girlfriend, Susie would like her to, Eileen wasn't buying it. Seems she's a bit of the boss too. This could get interesting.

Ok I have to get back to my faux job, or as I have lately heard it called, my JOBBY. LMAO

Have a beautiful day, people!

7India