October 11: Chicano satirists get locked up! The Puro Pedo Magazine staff got together in Oxnard at our usual meeting place in the area, Rusty’s Pizza. The restaurant was recently remodeled and now features several theme rooms, including the Alcatraz room.
Later, I’d use this picture to back up a friend’s joke. He told his family I’d just been released from prison after a 9 year stint.
October 12: I went home to watch Game 3 of the NLCS with my brother and sister. Adrian didn’t knock out after the game, he just hammed it up when I pointed the camera at him.
October 13: I’m usually late to Dodgers game and thus miss the national anthem. No biggie for me, since the national anthem makes me feel awkward. This time around, I was on time and got to hear Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo, Cesar Rojas and Louie Pérez sing.
October 14: My mom sent me back to LA with yummy food she made after Sunday’s Dodger game: sopa de albóndigas (meatball soup) and a few gorditas.
October 15: Sunset over Downtown LA as seen from Dodger Stadium, Section 33, Row HH at 6:14 pm.
October 16: I like window seats, especially when I have long flights. It’s not that I need to lean against something for a nap. I rarely sleep in planes. Rather, staring out at the sky and land below makes me feel less trapped and antsy about the crowded plane.
October 17: On the train with DB.
October 18: Tianguis was one of 38 galleries, shops, cafés and restaurants hosting artists during Open Studio 2008 (October 18-19th). DB and I wandered around Pilsen checking out various galleries and snapping pictures of the murals decorating the 18th Street pink line station.
October 19: Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán performed an excellent show at Symphony Center. I was impressed by them and gasped when they played some of my favorites (“El Cascabel,” “Hay Unos Ojos”). I was thoroughly impressed by their adaptation of “Huapangos” by Mexican composer José Pablo Moncayo. I also loved the falsettos sung Arturo Vargas, one of the younger members of the group. Some in the lively crowd seemed disappointed that Mariachi Vargas didn’t play “Guadalajara.” I guess they weren’t satisfied with mere shout outs to Chivas fans.
October 20: I spent my last day in Chicago getting soaked in the rain while trying to find a Bears claw for the roommate. I finally found one at a shop on the Magnificent Mile, but first I stopped by the Legos store to admire the creations.
Lotería Chicana 
there’s a Legos store????
It’s like my childhood dream come true!
Now all i need is to make out with the Childlike Empress from ‘The Neverending Story’!! I mean, be 12 and make out with her! because now that would be gross!
woah@the sunset, that looks wonderful, makes me miss so. cal.
you never told me youve been to prison!
keep up the good work. hollerz.
Damnit, I miss reading your blog!
And damnit, I’m going to one day get a chance to visit ms. chanclita and tanguis, haber si en February during AWP.
¡Vargas! I’m glad you caught the concert. Vargas doesn’t play a lot of standards in their concerts, so you’d be hard pressed to find them playing “Guadalajara” in their concerts. They do a lot of popurris, which is more common for show mariachis (like Vargas, América, Camperos).
Here’s a video of Arturo Vargas from the late-80s/early-90s. Even then, when he started to win competitions, he had a great voice. He should have been a soloist, but something kept him down… I think it was the rise of mediocre singers (Alejandro Fernandez in particular) supported by money and changing tastes towards pop music.
He’s in Vargas and adores by all.
my home….oxnard!
GD,
Yeah, it was in a mall on the Magnificent Mile. They had some cool Lego versions of Star Wars characters, animals and scenes of Chicago.
Alan,
I keep some things hidden from the blog.
César,
I miss reading your blog. Hope the program is going well. I didn’t get much time to talk to la Chanclita. The store was really busy.
Soledadenmasa,
I didn’t expect them to play many standards, but it seemed like others did. There were people getting up and leaving early (maybe they would have preferred an intermission?). Thanks for the video link. Dude is impressive, to say the least.
Sin Fronteras,
It takes so long to get there!
holy crap.
i just realized who db is. and why you were in chicago, which he totally does not have my authorization to be polluting.
DUDE.
(that’s kind of awesome.)
(i’m not saying anything else.)
I would have loved to hit up the Legos store… (*is so envious*) The prison theme photo is hilarious too, and your mother makes me miss Mexican|Spanish authentic cooking… *pats belly in reminiscence*
Cindy,
I’m slowly catching up with all my favorites on bloglines and as I was scrolling down seeing your lovely pics I was stunned to see the pic of me and Tianguis–I guess it caught me off guard. That place is gone for now… Thank you for stopping by when you were in Chicago. It was nice to get to meet you and share it with you. I’m sorry it will not be here when Cesar visits in February. But I’m sure there will be a next time. 🙂
*sniffle* *sniffle*
Irasema