It’s a brisk October day and I like the feel of the cold breeze on me.

This weekend I watched my younger sister Vick run a half-marathon in Staten Island. She ran 13.1 miles in 2 hours 12 minutes (official time). Hoo-Rah!! She was up by 4 am getting ready for her race and I followed soon after by getting up at 4:30 am.

The day was cold and by the time she finished it had started to rain.

And with the rain came a full blown migraine on me. Ergh! It just sucked! I’d been doing so well managing these migraines. I’ve only had mild ones lately, the kind where I can still function. With the new healthy diet, losing weight and the vitamins I’ve been taking…I thought they were FINALLY starting to subside. But this migraine laid me out. We arrived back at the apartment by 2 pm and all I could do was go to my room, draw the shades and sleep. I was back to the nausea, light sensitivity and the right side of my brain on fire. *sigh *

Today, the cold outside feels good but I feel sluggish and low energy with the remnants of a mild migraine. I am trying not to sink into my usual pity party. It’s difficult not to when dealing with a long term health issue. Anyway, it’s time to get my day started.

Today I’m listening to Blue October. Love the raspy voice of lead singer Justin Furstenfeld. I’m putting up a 2011 video, THE FEEL AGAIN (STAY)

It’s a Blue October day.  Peace, L~

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2012 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Esta Noche

It’s Friday…and it’s slightly past the middle of the day and I can barely keep my eyes open. Feeling a bit low-energy. I’m on my second 12-oz of cold water to try to shake me awake. It’s not working. Instead, it just makes me want to pee often. I’m grumbly and moody. I ate a healthy veggie chili with a spicy kick that I made last night. It was yummy. But I’m feeling high-strung and upset today. I reached out to a friend and we kvetched about writing and it made me laugh at that moment. But now I’m back with chin in hand wanting to connect with my sci-fi novel. The one that’s not working. I’m frustrated. So I work on other things but the other projects don’t leave me satisfied. Instead, it heightens my frustration. Ergh!
Anyway, I wrote the following passage on the train home after Heart’s concert on Wednesday. It’s a pretty rough first draft….

Afterwards

In darkness love could be wrong

legs cross away, we do no speak clearly

bottles left uncovered, spilling over.

I am lost on First Avenue at midnight

bags lean against my thigh

she leaves me, reading a book.

My music consists of guitar players,

quiet vocals singing my lost poetry

We don’t speak, we squeeze into tight

subway spaces reminded that we loved

each other once. My watch has stopped,

your time is wrong and neither figure

on being right for a change. Wait,

while I write complicated prose

on my back teeth, past Cypress Avenue

at half past midnight and limp away

on blistered knees and bleeding feet.

Open my eyes and you have left me

again. Black kohl smudge the page

from stained fingertips. Inverted

phrases say nothing and tease me

that I was once a poet who wore

a black trench on a humid October

night and the rains have kept away.

You love me, especially at night

alone, keeping company with memories.

Ignite the corrections and a foot stamps

against the train floor. Pack a layer

of the past, the mewling cat demands

to be fed as Ann Wilson sings my path

home when uncovered bottles tip over.

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2012 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

HEART Rocked My World

Last night at the Beacon Theater…Ann Wilson rocked my world! She is the reason why I love the sound of rocker women! And she wailed last night up to the rafters and I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!! The show was truly amazing. She started the gig with a couple of songs from her new album which were reminiscent of early Heart music. And then the third song started as a tender version of What About Love, which crescendo-ed with the chorus and big soppy tears began to roll down my face and she had me hooked from that point on.

I know there is this amazing band that is playing alongside of Ann Wilson so big props to them for playing their hearts out (no pun intended). Nancy Wilson on her guitars, both electric and acoustic, was PHENOMENAL!! True blue rock music filled the space up.

I grew up listening to HEART and to hear them now live after all these years made me lose my mind. Ann Wilson still has such a powerful voice and I could not get enough of it. I was thrashing and singing and howling along with them and I was loving every minute of it. They sang ALONE, THESE DREAMS, CRAZY ON YOU, MAGIC MAN and my all time favorite BARRACUDA. I could not stop screaming and by the end of the night I had very little voice left but who needs to talk. Heart played a two-hour show and god-oh-god-oh-god were they worth it!! I am so VERY FUCKING GLAD that this is how I’m ending my concert season. Hoo-RAH! Rocker Chicks Rule!!

Peace,

L~

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2012 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.