The Outsiders

            I'm a little on edge while in my neighborhood. With gentrification came conflict. The old doesn't like the new, and the new doesn't seem to care one way or another. I have mixed feelings about gentrification. On one hand the beer and the fences have improved tremendously, yet on the other hand, prices have ballooned to the point of people being evicted. I'm not in favor of eviction. I blame the false economy and make believe prices.
            This is the story of my life; I get confused for Caucasian, which I technically am, mixed in with Indian blood which defines me as a Mexican, which in a general sense makes me an outsider. But because I look like an insider (Caucasian) I get hard looks from the outsiders who are my own people. The outsiders are mad at the insiders in my neighborhood, because the insiders came late to the party and didn't bring any beer. But they did bring beer. Good beer, kind of hoppy, but good.
            Nowadays when I'm in public, I wonder if the outsiders think I'm insider and stealing their beer. I'm waiting for the day when someone says something to me, to question my station in life. I'd like to have a card or a badge to display for such an occasion, to present as evidence to the amount of time I've accumulated in the neighborhood. To prove my insider status. Or is it my outsider status? I may have crossed the line somewhere with regard to that. None of it makes much sense. The outsiders are the insiders and insiders are the outsiders. It's a game we play to keep things simple. 

Throat Update

            I fixed my throat. I can fix anything! Almost. I don't want to get too cocky, but the throat is nearly  healed. I used turmeric, ginger and habanero peppers as mentioned in a previous blog. I figure if I stick to my regimen I'll be completely healed by next week sometime. On day two of my treatment I blew my nose and a cylindrical mass of mucus was expelled. I was relieved by the sight of it. No cancer I surmised. Since then I've been diligently battling whatever virus I contracted. There's still a trace of discomfort in my throat, but it's relatively minor. The pain on the left side of my neck has eased and I'm feeling much stronger. It seems like the kind of virus that can come back at anytime, so I'll have to be persistent with my remedies. Thanks for listening. And hopefully this helps somebody out there with the same problem. 

Sore Throat

            I've had a sore throat for about a month and a half. I finally made up my mind to get rid of it. A sore throat is the first sign of throat cancer so I was a little, well, very concerned about it. What made it worse was researching it online. I thought for sure I had cancer until I found a thread of people complaining about the same symptoms I have. I saw a doctor, but all he did was give me a prescription for antibiotics. I took them but they didn't work. 
            I did some research on herbal cures. My herb friends online suggested a variety of remedies. I chose turmeric root, garlic, ginger, habanero chili, apple cider vinegar, honey, lemon, and and for good measure jaiogulan tea. I haven't tried the jiaogulan yet, but after just one day of treatment I feel  much better. I ate the turmeric and ginger root raw and made a tea with the habanero, lemon, honey and more turmeric. Oh yeah, I did a hot compress on my throat as well. I'm not healed completely yet, but I think I'm on the right track. 
            I went to the local Indian spice store for the fresh turmeric root. And to Chinatown for the jiaogulan tea. The herb store in Chinatown was amazing. They had giant jars of teas from all over the world. I was on a walk the other day when it occurred to me that every plant has a purpose, and that there is no such thing as a weed. The term weed is American for messing up the grass. If I don't get better in a week I'll go back to the doctor. 

The Animals

            I figured out how to attract animals to my BBQ. Just pour a little sardine juice onto some leaves. I ate a can of sardines and I wasn't sure what to do with the juice. I didn't want to trash it in my cabin. I figured the smell would be unpleasant.
            I'm not sure what kind of animal it was. A clumsy animal, I know that. I heard a ruckus on my deck. I looked outside but I didn't see anything. It was too dark. The leaves were rustling in the distance. I could tell the animal was looking at me, and that he was frightened. I think he felt bad for knocking things over. Wild animals are sensitive creatures. If it weren't for the kill, and the food chain thing, they'd be more lovable.     
            Some people become friends with wild animals. I've never had that talent. I leave them alone. I've thought about becoming friends with the raccoons and the skunks, but deep down, I don't trust them. There's nothing comforting about a squirrel. I'm trying to become friends with a woodpecker. He's in the tree now. I realized that woodpeckers don't like to work alone. They like a little company. But you can't look at them while they work. They'll fly away then. It's best if you work while they work. I think they're community oriented. 
            Later that night I dreamt of coyotes. The coyotes were friendly in my dream. They showed me their den, and they were running about excitedly. I was honored to be their guest. I felt a vortex of energy that I defined as coyote consciousness shooting through me. I could see it in the sky too. It was shaped like a tornado. The energy was swirling upwards until it reached the widest point. At the moment the energy peaked, I understood that I was one with the coyotes. As the realization came to me in my dream, in reality, the coyotes that live on the hill across the way started to howl. Yip, yip, yip. It was a frenzied sound that woke me from a dead sleep. A smile came to my face. "That was cool."

It's Not Easy

            I spent a day at the Desert Hot Springs Inn. It was seven dollars to get in. There's a bunch of pools with mineral water from an hot springs aquafier. The water comes up at a hundred and forty degrees, but they cool it down to a hundred and five. It's a good place for a soak. The clientele is usually older. I noticed a lot of skinny thighs. I'm not sure why there were so many skinny thighs, or how, but there were and I found that interesting.
            There's a diner and bar, should you have the urge to eat or drink. The waitresses at the diner were the salt of the earth. I'm amazed when people are so nice. It makes me feel good. But I do wonder how they manage to keep so even-keeled. It's something I aspire to, but have difficulty with. I'm quick to react to imbecilic behavior. It messes up my moods. Any mention of Congress and my blood starts to boil. If you really want to get to me say, "citizens united." Or stick me in a car and ask me to drive. I turn mean as a matter of survival then. So when I saw those sweet ladies working behind the counter, it was a stark reminder of how things are supposed to be. 

Victoria No Secret

            I was waiting for an order of fish tacos. There were a few of us waiting. I saw a heavy set woman pick up her phone. She talked into it. I'm pretty sure she was talking to Siri. I heard her say, "Victoria's Secret," in a loud voice as people tend to do when they talk to their phones.
            My first thought was, eew. But then I changed my mind. Oh that's cool, she wants to look sexy. Nothing wrong with that. Her man was sitting across from her. He looked disinterested. I took another look at her and imagined her in panties. I was making it hard on myself.
            I picked up a bottle of salsa that was sitting on the table and read the ingredients. It was a simple recipe. I'm not sure they're going to have her size, it occurred to me. I thought about how big the panties would be. Think of something else Anthony. You're being mean and judgmental. I couldn't do it. I kept looking at the woman. She looked nice enough. Maybe a tinge depressed. She had droopy cheeks. She was getting old. Why? Why am I thinking about this? Why did she have to talk to her phone? Now her business is my business, and don't want her business to be my business. Go away lady, leave me alone! 

The Gift

            I saw a neighbor I've never seen before. He was a husky man in his forties, with long salt and pepper hair. Is that the wizard, I wondered? I wanted to walk up to him and ask, but I couldn't rightfully do that. "Are you the wizard?" Awkward silence.
            I'm convinced the wizard is a mature man on account of his repertoire. Although, the thought of the wizard being a young kid has crossed my mind. I'm looking for somebody slightly overweight, with chubby fingers. It's been my experience that those are the best guitar players in the world. They seldom become famous outside of their hometown. But it's usually the oddly shaped fellows that have the gift. They're the kids you ignored in school. The nondescript. The invisible. It's part of being a wizard I think. You can't be a wizard if people are hounding you. Wizards are sensitive and need a lot of space. This man fit the bill. He looked like a wizard, but for his worn t-shirt and oversized Bermuda shorts.