Waiting is the hardest part…

I would like to say we are good at being patient…. yeah, I would like to… but I can not tell a lie.

Everything feels like it’s in black and white… We want some RED!!

REDdragon that is!!

All I have to say is; I never in a million years thought I would know so much about a “Backwater Valve”!

theREDdragon Cafe

If there is no “box”, then where would we that think “outside” it be?

I live on a street called “Normal”; and from what I can tell after 13years, it really is pretty much just that. Which may be why anyone who has ever known me for more than about 3minutes may very well chuckle at the irony of my address.

In all the years I recall searching… searching for something; something to make me feel, make me feel purpose and meaning (BTW: knowing and feeling it are two very different experiences as far as i can tell), I have never felt so clear that the search is about finding wholeness, internal and externally. In other words UNITY.

theREDdragon Cafe is the start of bringing together the drinks and snacks that have been for me most fondly associated with my story so far. Our customers will have the chance to experience the warmth and hug in a cup that is a true chai, the decadent & arousing sip of our specialty hot-chocolates, a simple solid kick in the ass from our favorite cup of locally roasted coffee; or let me brew you a cup of what I hope you will consider to be the cup of tea turns our place into your place.

Opening SOON!! AND YES… THERE WILL BE A PARTY!

Keep your eye here or there:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Red-Dragon/451910284902409?ref=hl

TUTU 4U2

Check out these great shots in Tinsel Tokyo Magazine

The new issue is live! See pg. 202-211! Congrats!!!

http://www.tinseltokyo.com/winter12/index.html

Even in this; I don’t do things by halves!

OK folks here’s the story:
(Spare your jokes about my driving, they will be covered by the cops later in the story!)

Driving along Fountain (Hollywood) yesterday I was hit in the rear-end (T-boned) by an elderly gentleman in a heavy-ass-old-pimp style car!

The impact of his misjudged distance and speed causing me in my light-as-air Prius to spin out of control. After ricocheting off a taxi driving in the opposite direction, I crash into one parked car launching it onto the sidewalk and rendering it un-drivable.

Swerving to avoid oncoming traffic, I end up on the sidewalk taking DOWN two trees and the sides of parked cars, then to avoid the WALL swerved into another couple trees; yeah they’re all fire wood today! Ending all smashed up on every side sitting halfway across the road blocking one lane of traffic!
Before I even realized I’m now stopped, there’s a bunch of faces in my window all staring at me “SHIT lady!!! That was CRAZY!! Are you OK??!!” “Are you OK?”
“Yeah! I’m fine!!” Like it was no big deal, you know, like I’m in a multi-car-accident involving city property and shrubbery everyday!
“Yeah I’m fine” as I try to open my door… Um…

Cut to: a few stronger-men-than-me and my adrenaline-superpowers wrenching my drivers side door open in its crumpled state!

Scanning the scene, checking I didn’t hit anyone else, looking for the “blind” man that hit me and getting a first impression of the chaos created.
A gang of young men have run after the car that hit me preventing him from driving away… OK that’s that sorted… First crowd of do-gooders and lookyloos move on as the phone calls start up and the parked car owners start to appear.
I call 911. This is a fucking mess and I don’t want any doubt as to what happened. The 911 woman properly pisses me off with her rudeness and bedside manner; after I tell her I was involved in an accident, she asks

“is anyone hurt”

“not that I can tell”

“then why did you call 911?”

um…”I need the police to come as I’ve hit several cars and its a big mess blocking the road… ”

“is any city property damaged?”

“Well, I’ve knocked down a few trees, they might be city trees I guess…”

“OK, I’ll send someone right away!”

What?! Really?!! The city trees are what tipped it for you? The lovely 911 lady is asking me something but I am distracted by the appearance of the “escorted” driver that hit me… because I don’t answer right away, she starts yelling at me! Yep! She’s angry with me saying

“Ma’am!!! YOU CALLED 911!! ANSWER MY QUESTIONS!!”

“UH!!! Yeah! I called 911 cuz I was just launched across a busy road and I thought maybe you were meant to HELP us??!! Didn’t realize I was supposed to be your new best-friend first!” (yep! I really said that).

Unmoved and unimpressed the 911 wicked-witch-of-the-west informs me that the police will be there sometime before the end of the next century but if we all leave before they arrive I must call 911 again… “will you one answering?” I ask.
The old boy who hit me starts off with his attempt to defend his responsibility… Oh no! You are not trying to blame the victim sir?! I clearly have enough presence of mind to NOT punch him straight between the eyes… But, I DO let rip and tell him to:

“check yourself Mr!!! I’m not trying to be angry at you!! Accidents happen and we all make bad calls sometimes… But you better not be trying to say this is my fault!!??? Really??!”

“Well you were driving too fast…” Lamely trying to hold his ground.

“What?! NOT fast enough since you hit me in the back end of my car!! Either that or you were driving faster!!”

“I didn’t see you…”

“You did see me… You hesitated when you saw me coming then just didn’t wait long enough for me pass… Please stop trying to BS this… YOU hit ME!!”

Now I would like to say, for the record, that after the initial BS attitude this geezer turned into a bit of an OK guy who was showing some signs of feeling bad about it all, after seeing person after person (including the other car owners) come and check if I was alright.

There’s a moment when the adrenaline rush dips for the first time and anger rages, tears start flowing uncontrollably in pure anger and frustration. Of course for someone like me with an aversion to people “crrryyyinnn” over spilled-milk; i carry on as if my face isn’t being soaked by salty drops falling from my eyes… this is maybe a little disconcerting to the onlookers as I continue to navigate the situation buzzed, dazed and confused and now blubbering too! Crazy lady with “Joker” mad-face killing trees at 4-oclock!

The owner of the the first parked car shows up with the spirit of a Zen master! He sees the crushed metal that once was his shiny new car and come over to see who did it… meets me and asks

“are you OK?”

” I am so sorry about your car!” I reply through Lips now covered in snot and mascara.

This bloke is a beacon of calm though out the next couple hours, every now and again commenting “at least no one was hurt” and “it will all be taken care of by the insurance” and “next time I hope we get to meet under better circumstances”.

The taxi driver whose vehicle I skimmed (and when I say “skimmed” I mean in comparison to the other car), exchanges information with me, telling me he saw the whole thing; so he is going to stick around and make sure the police get his statement too. His eyewitness account is the mirror of mine and so I am genuinely grateful for this man’s mega coolness.

The owner of the second parked car turns out to be ultra cool by the end too… I was lucky! My belief in the fact that basically human-beings are essentially “good” was re-enforced interacting with these characters. We are pretty much bonded by the time the police show up… an hour later.

Mad amounts of people stopped to stare at the carnage, as if the traffic wasn’t slowed down enough, as it was, by my car blocking the one lane!

The first police-officers arrive on the scene serious and ready to get to business… doesn’t take long for that thin veneer to be wiped away. As they hear the account of what happened and see the strewn debris and chaos, there are the indications of slight smirks and smiles starting to show.

The male officer asks me if I was walking along the sidewalk when it happened, I start laughing, the female officer who is taking my information at that point tells him

“she’s the one who did all this” pointing to the fallen trees and smashed cars.

“Oh! WOW! You the Hulk’s sister? Smashing up the place”

“Really?! I was driving that car; NOT walking!”

now they’re laughing “You should get a picture of this whole thing! Still pretty impressive… for a Brit in a Prius”

the other one adds “You must be a good driver now that I see what you MiSSed by your course”

… now, wait a minute, are they still joking with that last bit? Apparently not, since I avoided pedestrians, moving traffic AND a mega HARD WALL!

Then the next two partners arrive from North Wilshire Traffic division, one of these officer is clearly now in charge of the report and documenting; he is VERRRRIEEE serrrriousssss!

“Stick to the FACTS” I hear him tell one of the car owners, he is clearly not interested in the dramatic value of what happened.

As I walk through my account of the accident with this primary officer, he is abrupt and loud and obviously not inclined towards monkey business… well… um… that is until I decide to lighten him up a little (unintentionally at first).

“I’m not deaf you know, do you think the accident impaired my hearing?” I ask.

“What?” he YELLS back.

“There’s no need to SHOUT at me… I can hear you fine”

“I’m not shouting” he SHOUTS back

“Oh I’m sorry, is this just your usual volume of normal speech?” I backtrack (obviously I don’t really want to piss-off the policeman who’s writing the report, duh!)

“Maybe you are just a bit sensitive with your delicate British ears?” the partner officer joins in.

” What makes you think I’m from the UK?” as I speak I realize how every accessory I am wearing is sporting the Union-Jack!

“Bet your underwear has the British flag on it too” continues the policeman.

The crowd has been watching and listening since the awkward “what’s going to happen next” moment of me telling the lead-officer to shut up, basically. Now there’s a snicker and giggle from the crowd…

“Please tell me you were driving on the RIGHT side of the road ma’am…”

“I was till the old-man hit me!”

The crowd liked that one!

Somehow this little comedy act continues back and forth for a few minutes between me and two of LAPD’s finest for a receptive audience made up of people who hit me, who I hit and who’s shit I smashed, their friends and family and a bunch of random joiner-inners. Ah, Hollywood, you have your good days.

The policeman gives me the all clear to leave and I am relieved because my adrenaline is seriously lagging now and the pain is starting to kick in… “You are a really good driver” says the lead-officer “you really handled it with the best possible outcome”.

“try telling the trees that” is my reply as I climb into the tow-truck and exit stage-left.

I was NOT cut out for THIS!

Waking up one day with the realization that I am a fucking genius who doesn’t know how to tie her own shoelaces; it occurred to me that perhaps I was not cut out for this thing called life.

Cunning plans to take over the world, yes! Grandiose schemes of transforming dull copper into gold, yes! BUT, getting my kids to school on time with teeth brushed, hair brushed, shoes and coats on, haven eaten a “healthy” breakfast… uh yeah, not so much!

In a truly self-deprecating style so intrinsic to my overcompensating British background; I enjoy a good laugh at my own flaws and downfall. I mean, really; what can be more refreshing and relieving than a good stomach-hardy-laugh at yourself?

SO, from time to time I will be looking at practical tools to help with the more mundane day-to-day routine; which in turn should help get you back into the mindset of theWOWfactor that much sooner than without such tools. You know, like the Filofax was supposed to do in the ’80s… just saying ha ha.

One of my favorite uses of my iPhone is the Reminder thingy. However, basically all that happens is the little alarm goes off and I hit the “OK” or even sometimes “remind me again in  10 minutes”… then forget all about it again!

I am pretty sure if the reminder came with an electric shock component that zapped me till I actually DID the thing I’m reminding myself to do; I would still find the loophole, or should I say “wormhole” to forgetfulness.

Remedy: Do it RIGHT AWAY! The minute you think about it, DO IT. Don’t even wait 10 minutes… seriously, a lot can happen in 10 minutes. The best part of this tactic is that not only do you have one less thing to do; you also have one less thing to THINK about.

I happen to think that, more than time even, my brain “space” is very precious and easily clogged up with itty-bitty bullshit that really doesn’t need more than a second thought ever spent on it. JUST DO IT, be in and out and ON WITH YOUR LIFE!

Either that, OR forget about it till it has sat in a pile long enough that by the time you even notice it again it is completely irrelevant, redundant or so past-due that it has turned into a much bigger item on your “toDO” list!

Oh yes, I’m pretty sure there’s an Aesop’s Fable or/and an ancient Chinese proverb that says all this in a a much more poetic and metaphorical way. I just like putting it in my own words… maybe then I might actually internalize it.

With or without the moral to the story, I was SO NOT cut out for THIS!

Happy Halloween Poem Fun

Dance around the cauldron sing
For this spell a gift I bring

Eye of newt and ear of frog
Guts of boar and snout of hog
Tear of babe ne’er been born
Kiss from lips thrice foresworn
Venom of asp and human faith
A drop of blood to keep it safe

Dance around the cauldron sing
For this spell a gift I bring

Have a safe and fun Halloween!!

THANKS

Before I jump right into my next post; I would first like to say a BIG THANK-YOU to all the wonderful support and encouragement I received in getting this whole shebang up and running!
AND, yesterday, I had so much fun, reading all the messages and feedback to my announcing the launch of this site.

THANKS GUYS!!

Let’s see if I can help YOU find your own WOW-factor and embrace it.

Hi! I’m Krista; I invite you to follow along as I explore life, love, meaning and whatever else pops up along the way (ooh err misses).

Hold on to some magic, with me, let it put a little spring in your step as you walk through the bland and the grey.

My friends call me the eternal optimist; and trust me when I say, that statement has been rigorously tested for quality control over the years.
In my experience the light is so much brighter and warmer after a dance in the dark, cold and shadows.

My eyes see one thing and my heart, looking at the same thing, can see something totally different.

Out of this juxtaposed condition, comes my love of whimsy and imagination set against cold hard reality.

This will be the place to find incredibly special one of a kind items, clothing and trinkets.

COME ON! Use your imagination for just a moment, let your dreams soar… be whatever it is you want to be in the second before you bring yourself back to reality.

Let’s just see what happens shall we?

Co-op Handmade and Vintage

Urban Fairies are hanging around at Co-op Handmade & Vintage, a unisex handmade boutique representing over 115 local, national and international artisans.

Store located at:
1728 N. Vermont Ave.
Los Angeles, California 90027