And it wasn't only the Council meetings; but committee meetings; neighborhood planning meetings; plus a lot of blogging and time spent on the phone with people and reading emails about the issues concerning the city that fuel my public comments.
And, I speak throughout the Council meeting (I don't just give "general" public comment at the beginning of the meeting then skip out. I stay until all my time has expired which many times is on the last item for the meeting, which means I am sitting through some pretty long and boring meetings. The whole ordeal between getting there, going over the agenda, filling out cards, keeping an eye on everything to make sure they aren't pulling anything shady (which they often do by mistake or on purpose); so there is a lot of running around just making sure nothing slips through the cracks.
All the while, I'm not eating nearly enough (bad nutrition), have slept in my car since the day I returned four months ago (sleep deprived) -- and in between meetings, I'm so stressed out over day-to-day functioning -- I haven't had a moment of relief or a stress-free moment in four months. (You know how depressing it is sleeping in a Downtown parking lot between the Tuesday and Wednesday Council meetings. Give me a call around 4am. Not very peachy.)
I've said all along, there is a non-material "energy" pulling me all over the place and somehow I end up at the meetings no matter how much the walls are caving in around me all the while. Well, luckily for me...if feels like the energy has wound itself out, for now...AND I think I will be able to stay in my neck of the woods in the Santa Monica, Malibu, Agoura Hills area I like to stay around (all about the zoning) -- and not be compelled to uproot myself and burn off all that time and energy hustling down to skid row adjacent (city hall) for the meetings.
It's that August, summer-vacation feeling our bodies are all so used to -- and luckily that energy is taking over. And council will be on vacation at the end of August. So maybe I'll take advantage of the round-trip airline ticket someone gave me last week who knew I was beyond burnt toast.
It's not about me showing up to every single council meeting for the rest of my life. It's about the fact that I just burned more rubber and squeezed as much "activist juice" out of myself that I possibly could each day, given the daily circumstances. And it's my own fault, but I couldn't break out of the energy pattern that kept my focus on City business 24/7 for the past four months, and besides unsuccessful attempts at Venice Beach, I wasn't able to balance out the activism with income.
So HOPEFULLY, you will not see me at the Council meeting on Tuesday -- and if I'm lucky you won't see me (much) until September.
The people on the streets of Los Angeles County who continue to provide inspirational feedback that they value and appreciate the time and effort I spend that continues to send me back to city hall for "one more meeting."
.jpg)
Pictured: Food Mart cashier takes picture to prove ZD was there and to complain about the one-way corridor plan that would hurt his business. But again, I can't attend every Council meeting for the rest of my life under these circumstances. And I think most people reading this realize I push hard with the pedal to the metal, but I am beyond burnt. And all I have done since last Friday's meeting is think about what to say at today's (Tuesday's) meeting -- and I have to add some balance to my life. I've just become a one-dimensional machine that looks good on TV but I can barely even move anymore because all the lack of sleep has just compounded and compounded. AND AS MUCH AS I WAKE UP EVERY DAY THINKING IT WILL BE THE DAY I DO SOMETHING TO GET MY LIFE IN CHECK, I WAKE UP AND SAY, "Well, there's time for one meeting, then I'll deal with everything afterwards." But like I said, it's just been one continuous four-month day. And luckily, I think the day is winding down.
Remember the Las Villas Press Conference and Home Depot/Sunland Tujunga meeting? Seems like a lifetime ago. That was all part of this four-month round. So instead of feeling like I am going to be letting people down if they tune in and don't see me...or feeling like I am missing opportunities to go on the record and notify the masses on TV 35...I now feel like a band that toured and toured and toured and can now come off the road to record the next album with the satisfaction of a feeling that everyone was aware of new album and saw the tour and will be singing the songs in their head until next time.
Bon Jovi may have said, "I've seen a million faces and I rocked them all." Zuma Dogg says, "I've seen a bunch of shady things happening at City Hall and feel that City Council and the mayor are really f*cing up the region and it's a matter of public safety and a whole bunch of people making these decisions belong in jail and many of them are probably going to hell for what they are doing. AND ZD says in the next two years, we are going to see a reaction on the streets from the people who are on the losing end of their policy. (Aka: Call in the National Guard for riot control.)
READ THE POSTS ON THIS BLOG TO SEE WHY.
Not on vacation from blogging though...hoping less meetings means more blogging. Have TONS to catch up on. Lots of un-posted YouTube videos and pictures and stories. Stay tuned.
Pictured: ZD' Zuma Beach Annex. Zuma says, It sure beats the vibe at the public comment podium in council chambers. This is what I have been leaving to drive down to skid row adjacent/city hall. I must be as crazy as my opponents claim."
Posts
