Last year at this time i was here with mom, Madeline wanted to have a party and miss Root went balistic!!! so miss partier of all time decided dieing was of her top priority, and Bill stayed with mom while i went out to trick or treat with the crew.. it was a great night actually, and the homes here on the streets, we were on, were all decorated, to the 9's and everyone on the streets were all dressed up in costume. Kinda reminded me of east stroudsberg pa, so many years ago.. for about 3 years we spent halloween there, and thousands of residents came out in full costume, with their kids, and went from house to house.. the year of 9/11 i dressed as a patriot, in a heavy ecridorian wool itchy sweater, and jeans and carried a flag!!! a BIG flag.. that year madeline was a cat, and she was about 3, and everytime we went to the door she'd hiss at the person who was handing out the candy, it was hillarious.. in her black alfit and make shift tail, she had to carry!!

back to Hollywood.. i dressed up friday for the carnival at school and evidently i looked like a gypsy from another planet.. that's original!!! hahahaha.. look i had to wing it with what i had.. madeline was a hippy, and andres a cowboy.. all make shift.. but we pulled it off.. quite well i might add.. Saturday Madeline had a party with a few of her closest friends.. 22 of them, 4 or so showed up early around 3:30, and the kids went down to the pool, i said they could sit there but not to go in the pool..of course that was an opportunity for the first infraction.. right as i still had a few things to put together .. snacks and things.. by 5-5:30 the rest of the unexpected guests, on my part anyway.. arrived and the Wild Things began to party!!! consitering their were ultimately 22 12-14yr olds i think the party turned out ok, kids in costume, all laughing and acting their ages, but relatively good.. had to rhien them in a few times, the party was quite the hit.. glad it was because were not doing that again, ever.. too bad but it was too much evidently on the neighbor who has been busily complaining at just about everything.. and we surely wouldn't want to disturb him, god forbid.. the party was finished by 9pm and all the kids went home..

and if that were not enough, there was sunday, actual halloween, where tricker treating was on the agenda.. what, i have to dress up again.. oh no.. i decided to pull out another alfit in my closet and turned my self into a magicians assistant!! red top hat, long midnight blue gown and a cape in burgandy.. and hideous silver sparkly wedge shoes!!! and off the cowboy and the hippy, we went to madeline's friend house where we'd been the year before, sadly the adults evidently had plans and i was not invited with madeline's friends so.. there i was like a little kid left out, just Andres and i to fend for ourselves.. it's just more fun when ur in a group, walking down the street all together laughing .. well that was not to be, we also, andres and i, had been invited to stop at someones house that was having a little kid party but i had all these things to do sunday like laundry, that we ran a little late.. and didn't hit the party early enough.. so that was disappointment 2.. walked around the nieghborhood and at 7:30 called it quits.. time to go home.. pooped.. and my phone battery was dieing.. ugg..so home we went 2 disgruntled children and myself.. to tired to care.. off with the top hat, off with the cape, my magic has expired!!!

Monday.. an all new day, new week and the routine is getting to be one, in just a weeks time.. seems like i have been here a month.. It is truly amazing my mother lived with so many people.. i honestly do not know how she did it... I had a change of heart the other night and thought it might be ok with Mable and her daughter mj..staying on as i will be traveling to florida and wont be here mid dec-mid jan.. over the winter break.. so we only have to manage at the moment 6 weeks.. and i could use the $$ what can i say.. ah but no, more chaos would prevail..issues with Madeline came up which needed to be addressed then Mable had issues with MJ and on the day went.. not work wise productive.. but personally i think i have all my complaints and problems in order now and can address each one.. it is hard to solve problems u cant put ur finger on but the straight forward in ur face ones can be addressed!! is all i can conclude.. so i will write a list and see how each thing can be addressed, as their are too many people in a space to handle things as they r.. HOW DID MY MOTHER DO THIS.. well for one she didn't have kids .. and she loved many times the company.. i personally could do with out.. i have absolutely no problem being alone. in fact crave it..unlike last year when i really did need company after mom had passed.. Bill was kind enough to come by a few nights a week, and give me some adult time.. having been on the road for so many months in such a small space my only escape was the texting of friends, a great relief...The writing of this blog..another room to go to if u will, both by far better than the tv with ridiculous programing i could no more pay attention to than the man in the moon.. and i had the kids to take out when we got a chance.. That feels like plenty.. Now all this.. interruption after interruption.. complaints from neighbor(s) and a threat from the "manager" of the building.. just great.. A why did i move here? oh yeah mom was sick .. why did i stay? well, where else was i to go? back to florida? might be an option though i hate to say it, i wouldn't have a clue where there i'd like to live.. i just don't love it there.. and i don't want to be where it is cold, which begins to knock this state out as it has been chilly here, until today.. i'm at last in shorts and a t-shirt..sandals, This has reminded me over these last few days like the ride at the carnival that u stand against the wall, in a circle and the thing starts going round and round, and u get pushed up against the walls the floor drops out and centrifugal< (love the definition of this word) force holds u there, then when the friggin thing stops and the floor meets back up with ur feet, ur expected to get off and walk away, and ur so dizzy, and light headed u can't stand, much less walk..

but somehow not to long a stretch later, u gather urself up and the dizziness goes away and u find ur self like an ass standing in yet another line for another ride.. life goes on...

andrea d. and crew