Evilchavo Out. (apphy ! neewhaoll) click on the Halloween label on the left hand side for my Halloween post.
Friday, October 31, 2008
One of my Favorite Movies:Born Losers
Evilchavo Out. (apphy ! neewhaoll) click on the Halloween label on the left hand side for my Halloween post.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
My first ditching party| Cheetos and Colt 45 do not mix well.
I was a really nerdy kid....I thought I would be a biologist when I grew up.
I was really good at math and science and felt that I would have no problem being a biologist....It was years and years of elementary that made me feel that I could be anything that I put my mind to.
I did not realize that reality is a whole different thing....I knew as I was on my way out of Junior High on my way To High School (Woodrow Wilson High School) that my dreams would not become a reality.
I knew that it would cost money and that my Mom would never be able to afford to pay for my education once I entered college...so I made the decision...No College...
No one in my family went past 1st or 2nd grade in Mexico, I knew that they stopped going to school because there was no money...and they had to work.
I had really good grades going into High School regardless of all the tardies and days that I missed in Junior High...I did not even go for the last quarter in Junior High school.
I entered Woodrow Wilson with really good grades...I , up to the 8th grade had never missed a day of school except for when I had an eye operation.
I met my friend Greg in Science class, I would help him whenever he had problems with our experiments or with the calculations needed for an exam.
I was trying to be good and stay in school, but one day my friend Greg asked me if I wanted to go to a ditching party....I said yes....we walked somewhere to El Sereno and picked up his friend Frank....We went to a liquor store and bought some colt 45's 40's cause they were on sale(it was so easy, my friends already knew where to go) and I bought a bag of cheetos.
We entered the ditching party and there was a punk band playing (in the middle of the day!)...I was nervous I had never been around this type of crowd before...I was a skater and that is who I hung out with...so I made a decision to down 2 36 oncers in a row after I ate a whole bag of cheetos....my friend and I did some shooters and I was having a great time....the band was playing.....people were forming a small pit in someones back yard.
Then all I remember is that the world started turning...I was in the pit....when all of a sudden people started looking at me funny....they kept asking me if I was sick and I told them I was fine...then all of a sudden......like in one of those movies.......I started projectile vomiting (I have not done that since that day) everyone got hit with Cheetos and Colt 45 and whatever else I drank before I went into that pit....
Everyone was looking at me.....My two friends picked me up and took me home....I don't remember how I made it home....I blanked out...I just remember holding onto my friends shoulders and they just kept telling me to keep walking...and I did....and we walked and walked and walked and I don't remember how I got home....last thing I remember is getting my docs off and going to sleep in my bed...I woke up the next day and my mom did not even notice that I came home drunk....
It was a very odd day....
After that I made a decision to keep ditching...was way too much fun...but no more cheetos and no more colt 45s or at least not combined...and not all at once....and never to let myself be in a situation I could not control. (Was lucky my friends were there to take me home that day)
Evilchavo Out.
Arizona State Fair| $10 dollar Corn Dogs
So, Me and the little pumpkin went to Arizona State Fair this last Sunday.
It was free, hard to pass up free....We parked in the $5 dollar lot...They had a free shuttle from the Capitol Building in Downtown....but after seeing all the lines waiting for the bus, made the decision to pay for parking instead....parking was from 5-20 dollars and we parked in the $5 dollar lot....that was just a short distance away....and walked there...less than a block and the lot was secure.
The Little Pumpkin kept talking about how the fair seemed so much cooler when we were young and how it is not as cool as other fairs she has been to, I told her I did not really go to the fairs in our area except for the one at St. Lucy's and that this fair was Huge compared to the ones at St. Lucy's Church.
But the animals were nowhere to be found.....I would of settled for some chivos or chickens at that point....
Overall the Arizona State Fair was alot of fun. $5 dollars for parking, $5 dollars for a Lemonade and $10 dollars for a huge corn dog...that could of fed a family of five, not a bad day for $20 dollars.
We did find more animals on the way out...it was called the Banana race...they have a track where monkeys chase a banana...I felt bad for the monkeys..so did not take a look.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Working at the Movie Theatre: Monterey Mall Cinemas
I worked at the $1 and $3 Movie Theatre in Monterey Park....called Monterey Mall Cinemas owned by Edwards Cinemas.
It is no longer there...it has been torn down.
I would walk by there all the time , I would walk to Cal State, then down to Atlantic ave to Atlantic Square then to Tower Records....and walk back home thru East Los Angeles College to City Terrace park then walk home thru there....I liked to walk ...I was alone alot of the time so did not have anything to do at home...so would kill time by walking....I only worked on the weekend so I would have all week off.
On one of those walks.....while listening to Nine Inch Nails....My favorite band at the time that I would play on a loop in my walkman.
I saw that they had $1 and $3 dollar movies....just within my budget.
I went in and saw a movie...I don't remember the exact one....but I went in and was greeted by a bunch of young adults...just like me.
The enviroment was very cool...I could not buy any food at the snack bar so I just asked for some water and the girl at the concession stand asked me if I wanted some soda and popcorn...I told her I did not have any money and she said that she could give it to me for free.
I said sure...and she gave me a courtesy cup with sprite and a carryout tray with popcorn.....and butter.
It was great, she asked me if I was looking for a job and said that I should apply.
I did....I was working at Thrifty on the weekend only and needed something to do during the week....then she told me I could watch free movies....that was the closer.....I love movies.
I interviewed upstairs in the projection booth...The upstairs projection booth had a toilet....My boss was sitting on it as he interviewed me....the lid was closed so he was sitting on the lid ...but no matter how hard I tried I could not help but think that he was pooping....it was an easy interview ....I was wearing a black suit and tie with wingtips....I got the job.....
On my first day there....I was initiated....I was told to go get ice from upstairs....not sure why but that is where they decided to put the ice machine...so up I went.....with my two buckets ...there they showed me the theatre mascot....a frozen rat underneath the ice machine....scared the daylights out of me....A tradition that I continued for many years :)
It was a dollar movie theatre...so we never got first run movies....the movies that we got had been out in the theatres at least a few months before we got them....It meant that we received all the movies that other projectionists put together and showed.
Because of this...we would get some pretty messed up movies....but watching movies was the perfect escape from reality...I can't even begin to count the many times that I saw Pulp Fiction ......I had all the lines memorized...
I learned how to put movies together and tear them down....I learned to change bulbs and clean projectors, I learned how to deal with irrate customers (Try telling someone that you can't give them their dollar back because the movie broke) and work in a team enviroment.
I became assistant manager (A Key Twirler) and had free run of the place...on Thursday nights we would stay late tearing down movies...Movies come in usually about 6 seperate reels...in two big metal cans...to show a movie we had to use a machine that would feed the reels to a big platter......to tear it down....you would use the machine to put the movie back onto reels.
So anyways ....if we had 6 movies.....it meant that we had to wait until the last movie was finished to tear it down...usually at about midnight...so we very possibly could stay there until 3 in the morning or later.
When we all started to become close...the people that could leave at 10 or 11pm would stay behind to help and hang out.....we would go get food and eat it there....usually after all the work was done....we all were broke so we would pitch in for whoever did not have any money and everyone would eat.
I quit that job eventually...moved on to another Movie Theatre in Pasadena that paid more money...were I got certified as a Real Projectionist and ran first run movies in a 1000 seater movie theatre.....You should of seen the lines for the Star Wars movies...
I definitely recommend that if you have teens that want to work...that they try working at a movie theatre......or if you are looking for a part time job.....free movies...free stuff from the concession....and working with others.
Yes it is usually minimum wage, but can't beat free movies and food.
I don't work in a Movie Theatre anymore ... It has been a while...but I love movies...one thing that I can't stand is the smell of burnt popcorn ..... but I still love Movies and go watch a movie or two as often as possible.
Rip Montery Mall Cinemas 1979 to 2007 (Many good times)
EvilChavo Out.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Lance Mountain| Real Role Models
I was a Sk8er....I skated mostly street.
Lance Mountain lived in Alhambra behind Cal State La.
I did not personally know him, but I knew of him.
When I was a kid in City Terrace, my friends and I would have skate demos in our elementary school....Just and excuse for us kids to get our skate on...and hopefully bring in some people that skated that we did not know about already.
We would get our flyers together and passed them out at school hopeing that we could get some new faces in our neighborhood or maybe even some girls.
Anyways I was thinking about Lance Mountain because when I was young....and we had skate demos.....he actually came to one....that we had in El Sereno...this was in the late 80's when Lance Mountain was in The Bones Brigade and a superstar in everyskaters mind.
He skated for a little while....he gave out stickers....a used board ...some new wheels ....some autographs and left.
No one ever came to our side of the woods...for anything....unless they were looking for a vote or money....so it has remained a very special event in my life.
I found this video on google...that shows the way that he is....
I must give respect...when it is earned.
sk8 or die
He is still skating.....Here is with Grosso and Cab
Evilchavo Out
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The First Ride on a big Bike
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Being a grown up | I can't believe my parents did not tell me about this
I remember wishing that I was a grown up so that I could have my own place.
Put all my posters up, build a halfpipe in the living room.
Have Gigs every weekend and eat take out all the time.
Fill the fridge with 36 ounce Carta Blancas and just eat, skate, draw and drink all day.
Go to Concerts all the time.
But that is not reality and I can't believe that my parents did not tell me about real life.
I always wonder why I was never forwarned....why my parents did not say...when you grow up ...all you do is work, pay bills and rest when you can.
Life is good now, my family is good and I am happy....
Reality is.....
1) Gotta find deals to sell stuff to make money to pay for bills. (Hustle)
2) Gotta clean the house
3) Gotta do the laundry (Need to look sharp for work)
4) Gotta cook food (Cause eating out everyday gets expensive)
5) Gotta blog (Cause it is as close to being creative as possible without having to pick up a pen and paper to write or draw)
6) Gotta take out the trash (Cause if it piles up you get bugs and other critters and smells that just don't foster a great living enviroment)
Like I said Life is great.
Feels good to do good, feels good to work hard pay bills and do what has to be done.
Maybe I can still build that halfpipe in the living room?
Evilchavo Out.
Friday, October 10, 2008
King Taco Tacos
(Threw this tacos into a microwave for a few minutes on a towel to keep the mess down)
Ate the first two, sorry no pics photographer was occupied eating the first two.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Learning from my Dreams.
When I was a kid , I would make it a point to pose my hands in a way in which it would influence my dream state....
(What I mean is)....that If I wanted to be a boxer in my dreams I would sleep with my fists clenched....if I wanted to be a soldier I would pose my hands as If I was carrying a gun.
It worked most of the time, I would be a boxer in my dreams and control them...I have always been able to control my dreams.
There was a time in my life, when all the friends disappeared and I just did not relate to anyone that I was around.
I needed change and fought so hard with myself in order to stay the same.
I had no one, at this time my mom and Stepdad would take my brother and go to Mexico for months at a time.
I was left alone to fend for myself.
I was in my late teens and ready to go.
I Started working for Thrifty the one off of Whittier Blvd (Next to the Commerce Movie Theatre) as an Ice Cream scooper and was making pretty good money by just working overtime on the weekends.
My hands got so beat up from the ice cream scooping and cold , because there was so much traffic, I did not really have a chance to take breaks or defrost the Ice Cream.
But it felt good to earn that dollar, go home at the end of my weekend and sleep.
Nice and tired , no one to bother me and no one to call me the devil (see evilchavo labeled post)
I would take the bus to work and back and during the week I would just sleep.
I was no longer drinking or partying so had alot of time to write and draw, Friends came around once in a while but always left cause I was just not fully there.
I would go Skating at night, down the hills of City Terrace....no one around....was awesome.
I ate what I bought on the way home and made for myself.
My StepGrandma would come around Twice a month and buy me a case of little juices,....the once that used to cost a .25 cents...the fruit punch or orange ones....and she would bring me a brick of cheese that her daughter would get for her and then she would leave.
I would just sleep all day and in dreams find peace and understanding.
My dreams would show me the way (Sounds weird to me now)
I would go to sleep....after watching tv or skating or drawing or writting or reading all night and .....when I would wake up I would write down my dreams...
Then I would go back to sleep....I would sleep for so many hours............wake up and read my dreams to see if I could understand them....
I finally just got rid of my dream book by burning it in a trash can because I was just wasting so much of my time in fantasy land.
I think I was depressed, but no one was around to be sad to....
I Learned alot those two years from my dreams, I learned that the only way to make them reality is to go out and make them happen......
I Learned that I was no longer a kid and needed to work for a living, I learned that whatever I wanted I had to get for myself.
I started forcing myself to go out , sometimes I would walk to Cal State to get the LA Weekly, sometimes I would just walk to Calvary, or to the City Terrace Library to read.
I Started going to the dollar Movie Theatre in Monterey park(No longer there) to kill time and to keep myself from staying at home and sleeping.
I Started going to Computer school and made a different set of friends, different enviroment....different Evilchavo.
I just needed to change and the timing was right so I did it.
Evilchavo Out.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Sopes from La Estrella in East Los Angeles| How to eat a sope without a fork
A special delivery from La Estrella.
6 Carne Asada Sopes.
Yum....they will be eaten slowly....so that I can maximise my time with them.
(But this is the story of the first two)
Actually the last one, the first one....was too graphic to show....let's just say it was so fast, that it did not even know what was coming.
Carne asada....Refried beans....lettuce and Dry white cheese....
(This is what was left of the first victim)
They had sour cream.......yuck....but that was easily resolved by taking a spoon and taking the top part of the lettuce off.....they put all kinds of cheese...so I just shook off the excess...and added it to my sope....
A piece of heaven , not just because of how good they taste....but the memories of a world that not many people know about.....but I miss Los Angeles.....but the sopes just ease the heartache a little one bite at a time.
3/4 's gone (The stuff on the side is Grease (Flavor) and melted styrofoam , Don't eat that stuff no matter how good it looks....you will regret it later.
How to eat a sope without a fork and knife: I did not have a fork today so I had to use my hands to eat these sopes......
1) You wait for the sope to cool off, because you don't want to get Carne Asada burn.
2) Then you take all the extra crap off ....lettuce...cheese...etc...etc....
3) You take the sope and you wrap it in your hand like a taco.
4) Then you drop the extra meat on the plate (Styrofoam) so that you can eat it later.
5)Then you eat it. The Sope will fall apart, so watch you clothes...
Hope you enjoyed this lesson :)
almost gone
All gone
Must find a way to get some Chili Cheese Fries from the Hat....any ideas?
Next lesson....How to eat a burrito from King Taco...my Dad just drove by and hooked it up.....feels like my Birthday.....so many presents.
La Estrella is at 938 s. Lorena Street in East LA....closest intersection is Whittier Blvd and S. Lorena Street.They have good food at good prices.
EvilChavo Out
Saturday, October 4, 2008
My first unofficial Girlfriend
I had just lost all the weight(See my post on this)
And I met this girl by the name of Marie.
She actually approached me.
I was shocked.
I was not very good with girls at that time and was real shy about the whole situation.
I think I went to the movies with her....we held hands.
I just remember having sweaty hands.
I was broke and she paid for everything.
We walked home...from The Commerce Movie theatre.
I wish I remembered the movie but I was way to out of it due to my shyness that I really don't have any idea what movie it was.
We walked home and I wanted to go to the At and T building on the hills by frogland.
The hills by the AT and T building are just drainage away from the AT and T building,I wanted to go climbing so we did.
So we climbed and she was tripping out on me and I was so scared to make a move that I did a whole load of childish things to try and get her attention.
She finally gave up on me and went home.
I think that she was expecting me to be the guy that I looked like then...not a kid trapped in a teenagers body.
I sneaked out of the house to go on this date and did not tell my mom that I was going to be gone.
So I was scared to go back home.
I walked around the at and t building for hours until I could muster up enough courage to go back home.
I went back home and my mom was awake, she asked me where I was and I told her I went out with a girl.
She said that she knew it...and did not say anything else about it.
I think she was happy that I was a normal kid, My mom started giving me money to buy clothes on my own after that.....
Dickies, Vans and skate shirts. (My uniform at that time)
I never talked to Marie again, she ignored me after that.
I had my first official girlfriend shortly after that I did not make the same mistakes I made with Marie again.
My shyness was not all the way gone , just not around when it came to dating.
Evilchavo Out.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Happy Halloween (sorry, I know I am a little early)
In my youth there was something that I always looked forward to.
Halloween, It is magic.
Everyone dresses in costume and has fun.
In City Terrace, we would all gang up and go with our moms to the rich or perceived rich neighborhoods and trick or treat in hopes of getting big ticket items...like Snickers....M and M's or money.
Sometimes we would luck out and get Mcdonalds gift certificates....yum...free fries.
Everyone had a costume, and if they did not ....we would make one up....I was Dracula most of the time......but would change it up sometimes....I was a hobo once....I was Frankenstein....A pirate.....
There were all these rich people that seemed to have alot of money because they always gave us so much.
It's funny how when you are young you see things so much differently that when you are older.
I wonder what they thought we they saw like 5 moms and 10-15 kids walking towards their house....I wonder if they freaked out and wondered if they had enough candy for all of us.
I carry the tradition and now in my older years have learned to prepare for lots of kids , just in case...I have learned that it is so much better to give than to receive.
And now I understand how good those people must of felt when giving all us kids all that candy.
The weather changes and it gets darker earlier, Here in Arizona the weather does not change much (but I can feel it in my bones) Halloween is coming.....woo hoo!
In the bay area....kids did not come trick or treating and that was kind of sad for me...I thought.....too bad all this candy and no one to give it to....
We have had some good showings since we moved to Arizona.....Last year we ran out of candy and had to run to the store to get some more....
This year, we will have plenty...now that we know what kinda traffic we are going to get.....