5

 

 

  

3:25 AM, Thursday, December 28th, 2019:   Oh my GOD that fucking game, those fucking calls. I don't want to do anything right now but well happy anniversary Talya FUCK.   Here's the new list for new restaurant every anniversary:   2010 - Pitfire Pizza (5211 Lankershim Blvd, NoHo, CA 91601) - Facebook Official 2011 - Braemar Country Club (4001 Reseda Blvd, Tarzana, CA 91356) - Wedding Night 2012 - Maximillian's (closed) - Incredible Hungarian Food in NoHo off Lankershim 2013 - Tasty Burger (12525 Vanowen St, North Hollywood, CA 91605) - Take Out 1st night with Cam 2014 - Kahuna Tiki (11026 W Magnolia Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 91601) - Awesome Hawaiin place 2015 - The Sushi House (11388 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604) - Starting a Diet 2016 - Sushi Nishi-Ya (1712 Victory Blvd, Glendale, CA 91201) - Literally went to a 2nd Dinner after 2017 - The Sherman (14633, Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403) - Cool eatery on Ventura 2018 - Bareburger (4560 N High St, Columbus, OH 43214) - Different state! Yum. 2019 - Wood & Water (13359 Ventura Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 91423) - awesome food, too expensive   We ran around town trying to find a place that was open at 4pm because the game started at 5 and "Wood & Water" was the winner. It was really, really good... but still seemed pricey. I had a burger with short-ribs in the meat (yum), Talya had halibut tacos (awesome) but with 2 beers holy fuck $80? Just seemed excessive. Very good though. Then the game and CAN WE JUST TALK ABOUT SEA WORLD ALREADY.   Today we just got back from Sea World. We had a blast:     But I do probably need to address the title of the entry. There's just no denying what this was and why we needed to do this before the year ended. In June we went at someone else's suggestion not really being too keen on the whole "Sea World" animal treatment angle but knowing the kids would have fun. They did, but it was marred by the people we were with and someone in particular being even more needy than a 5 and 6 year old. It was tough. It unfortunately lead to a letter that lead to our complete erasure from their lives without even a response. That was the start of the second half of 2019 and it got worse from there. Crazy.   So Sea World, at least to me and Talya meant THAT. It was an awful memory and we thought we could go this time and, you know... do what the kids want? Call me crazy, that's kinda how things should be. And yay they got to see the dolphins and in fact everyone behaved amazingly and we stayed at that park for over 10 hours. TEN HOURS and saw freaking everything. Last time we could barely mate it a few hours before Talya and I just lost patience as we were all on edge because we had to tiptoe over the eggshells of someone else. SUCKED.   The animal treatment thing also felt different. For whatever reason, I had forgotten my experience with Sea Lions on the Channel Islands. Thanks to the magic of The Journey, you don't have to:     I think what I forgot is that we really romanticize the "life in the wild" for these creatures. Other than the big fuckers like lions and whales? It ain't great. It's survival. They don't eat all the time. Their skin is beaten to hell. They get eaten. It's like Hunger Games out there. I'm fairly certain if they saw what their Sea World counterparts were doing for fish they'd be like "Oh yeah, that's some bullshit. How do I get THAT job." Freedom isn't really free for all animals. Unless you're the king shit owning the jungle or the ocean your life bloooooooooooooooooows. Remembering that made it make a lot more sense.   But more than anything, we got to move as a family throughout the park. We even had Talya's mom and Aunt with us and it was fine! Why? Because they were focused on what the kids wanted to see and got joy from seeing them happy. When you're not doing that it gets difficult. Whew, I'm just remembering that day.   I've been heartbroken about the falling out for 6 months now. I've written repeatedly, texted, called... not a peep. I was in love with the idea of someone who I thought always wanted the truth. He said he did. We talked about how other family members didn't. I held off as long as I could until finally I broke down and wrote an email that was painful as fuck for everyone involved. I had other family members read it and make sure I was being fair... but we had reached the point of no return. I expected him to be angry and hurt. I would be too. I didn't expect erasure. Not even knowing there was a receipt of the communication. That's this new millenial ghosting shit that is about as weak as it gets. Even babies communicate. Holding your eyes and ears and running from a conflict with someone who put his life in your hands is unforgiveable. I think. I still want to forgive. But I'm realizing he wasn't half the man I thought he was and it breaks my heart to put that in writing. I love you man. I always will.   GoBucks.   Adam