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August 19, 2004

She Sells Seashells by the Seashore

The clean smell of the ocean air, the whirling of the prize wheels along the boardwalk, the calling of the seagulls, the boards creaking beneath my feet.

Tossing notes in bottles into the sea...hope this gets to you.

Home.

You know what I mean.

Posted by Veronica at 07:44 PM

Calling Me Home...

My Childhood Home

There has been something that has been calling me to this house for the last two months. Dreams, stories in books, and old pictures I found. The urge to just jump in the car and drive there was overwhelming.

It has been waiting for me for a long time, and the time had come to say hello again.

I hesitated for a second before I walked up to it. Because now, it's owned by someone else, and well, maybe that would be weird. But before I knew it my feet were in the grass, one foot in front of the other to sit under my favorite little tree. This is mine. This grass. This front lawn. This tree. These are all mine. And whoever lives there now will just have to accept it.

It all belongs to me forever.

"Home" is such a powerful word. When I think of what it means to me, I think of the boardwalk in Seaside Heights, the smell of the ocean, the creaking of the boardwalk, the rides on the pier, skeeball and the signs all lit up at night. I have a bunch of pictures to share with you tomorrow.

This house is all connected to that for me. It was such a beautiful time in my life. It was a time when everything felt right, and I felt safe and happy. Both my sets of Grandparents lived minutes away. There were tons of kids in my neighborhood and everybody got along. We organized "Junior Olympics" and sold lemonade and roller skated. I loved biking everywhere, going to the woods that we made dirt hills to jump our bikes off of. We built a three tier tree fort in one of the woods nearby and collected pinecones to throw at each other for fights. We played under the shade of the tree in my front yard, making pot holders on those little plastic red square looms and we wrote poetry and songs and sketched out routines. I played with my first dog, Sneaky in this yard (the dog that taught me how to walk by holding onto her collar.)

I used to sing in the chorus, played flute in the band and was a halfback in soccer. It was elementary school so it was before any stupid cliques were happening. I remember everyone being friends and having lots of fun just being a kid. I try to emulate a lot of that as the grown up me, just doing the creative fun stuff I love, making new friends and most importantly, always looking to adventure!

It really touched me seeing that house again for the first time since I was 12. There is such a happy innocence that lives in me still from that time. Shortly after, we moved to a new place where I felt like I didn't fit in, and a series of tragedies happened, that all provided valuable lessons, but changed my life. You know, those things that make you stronger, but are really devastating at the time.

For all of its simple happy times, I hold this place close to my heart. Returning there made me feel as if no time had passed. I wanted to ride my bike all over and explore. I wanted to run all over the place with nowhere in particular to go.

It brought back memories of my family and it made me smile. It made me think of all the happy times and brought me close to all of them again, those that are living and those that have passed on. Visiting there made me realize that world has been living in my heart since the day I left, and will be forever. My wonderful family, the house, the woods across the street, and the seashore are the foundation of who I am and where I come from. And how proud and lucky I feel to have them in my life.

Under the Shady Tree Where I Used To Play

Posted by Veronica at 01:22 PM

August 15, 2004

Dames and Hot Rods

I feel like I'm gonna get in trouble by just looking at this car.

I can't help it...I love old cars.

They spell danger for me, freedom and danger. Like when you're 16 and you get to take the car out alone for the first time. Then the thought crosses your mind several times a week, anytime you're filling your gas tank...'if I just threw my belongings in the back, I could go anywhere.'

In all those visions of that for me, it's in one of those old cars.

Revolver was definitely influenced by that longing - pick up a suitcase of clothes and get on the road to new adventures kind of attitude. And it's feeling like a lucky day....

I set up camp with a Danger Dame booth at the Rumblers 4th annual Kustom Kills and Hot Rod Thrills show. And damn, the girls are just fierce. That's all I've got to say. The girls that hang out in that whole 50s scene are like the Pink Ladies, but better. All of them seem really confident to me. Confident, sweet and tough. You know, just like Rosie the Riveter, the 'we can do it' girl. The "I'll fix your car, make the meanest cupcakes you've ever had, wear 4" heels and a flower in my hair, but you better not cross me or somebody's gonna get hurt" kind of girls.

Hey, the boys have their club, and we have ours...you wanna come along or what? It makes me smile thinking about when Selina and I started our girl gang, The Dead End Dolls. I've always loved the spirit of the women of WWII, because before then, what was showcased was the lone femme fatale in films. After that, there was a bonding of kick-ass women, gangs of them helping each other - and that was inspired by the desperation and drive of the WWII era in America. The Dead End Dolls was our answer to that. The inspiration for this site and the birth of the Danger Dames - was all about how powerful women can be together. How we can encourage each other and make a difference.

It's always good to know that someone's got your back. And not only that, but she's pretty damn good with eyeliner, too.

The two Veronicas...

Posted by Veronica at 08:27 PM

August 09, 2004

Introducing....

Heya, Little Cutie!

Miss Margaret Elizabeth! My new lil' niece. Miss Maggie Beth was born this past week to my brother, Brian and sister-in-law, Maryanne. She was going to be born when I was visiting, but always the lady, she wanted to arrive fashionably late.

How cute is this picture?? She's such a little sweetheart. I can't wait to meet her and sing her songs and talk silly baby-talk to her. All she's missing is the cute little punk rock "anarchy" baby tee. You can tell she's a fighter, she's got the fists ready to go, and the squint going on.

Little girls are so much fun, because they really dig my closet. I have the best picture of their older daughter, Kayla, after she raided my closet clomping around in my black heels, a big white feather boa and huge cateye sunglasses with rhinestones. Yeah, I make kids look like circus freaks, that's why I'm only mature enough to have pets.

Ahhh, it seems like yesterday when Brian and I were racing down I-95 going nine million miles an hour screaming the Blur's Song Number Two (the whoo hoo song) at the top of our lungs. Now we've got a little one to join in the tradition, too.

Congrats to Brian and Maryanne... now Maggie Beth, get in your carseat and sing it with us...."Whoo- HOO!"

Posted by Veronica at 06:22 PM

August 05, 2004

Ride the Mindway

I just got back from a beautiful vacation visiting my Mom in Florida. I'll post tons of pictures as soon as I get them developed and scanned. Lots of great stories of capturing old drive-in movie screens before they fall forever, saving urchins of the sea, dreaming of starry nights, and wooden flying creatures.

In the meantime, I give you a beautiful cartoon doll that my friend, Leslie, in West Virginia made of me. I love cartoons, don't you? She looks really sweet, but just wait til she pulls out her switchblade hula hoop of death. Hey...Wonder Woman gets a golden lasso, I get a switchblade hula.

Tonight, I just spent an amazing hour at a new yoga class. My Mom also goes on Thursday nights at the same exact time. At the end, when you do that lying down meditation and you're just supposed to breathe and think happy thoughts, I thought about how my Mom was doing the same thing hundreds of miles away.

I thought about how nice the imagination is, and how I could just close my eyes and imagine being right there with her. Then I also thought about the rest of my family far away, and my friends that are scattered all over the world.

It's nice to just be able to close my eyes, think of them, and say hello.

Ready?

Close your eyes.

I'm right here.

Always.

...**Hello.**

PS...my email is also working again, too...in case you're not into the closing your eyes thing.

Posted by Veronica at 11:23 PM

August 01, 2004

Go-Go Licious with The Devilettes!

Feast your eyes on these Dangerous Dames.
Behold San Francisco's Go-Go Sweethearts.... the Devil-ettes!

The vampy campy vixen in the top row middle is none other than my San Fran Sis, Miss Alex. This lil' siren is a ball of fire and I'm proud to know her! I mean, look at this picture, will ya?

Synchronized shimmying at its finest.

Pictures like the above one makes me have faith in humanity again. And fills me with delight that firecracker girls like these exist. Alex is a super doll, and her journal cracks me up. Reading it is addictive, and she sometimes updates more frequently than me. So the days that I don't update, you're allowed to cheat on me with her. Go ahead. Indulge.

Miss Alex if you're reading...rockstar hugs to you for hooking me up with my lil' sassy Devilettes tee.

Sending you lotsa love and I'm proud to REPRESENT the girls over here in Brooklyn!

Posted by Veronica at 10:59 AM