Taking Time to Unwind...

Valentines Day In The City

2009-02-16T22:29:00.000-08:00

We went to a drive-in showing of Harold & Maude. That's enough, right there: best way to spend Valentine's Day, period. It was held atop a parking structure in downtown LA, hosted by Angel City Drive-In. There was a fella in a cute little candy striper outfit roller skating around, delivering hot dogs, soda pop and popcorn, and dudes with all kinds of holes in their faces, drinking bottles of bud and directing cars on where to park. Everyone was happy that it was Valentines Day, for nothing other than the sake of celebrating... anything. It was nostalgic and romantic and engaging and new (and much cheaper than the 3D animated movie I saw this afternoon). Oh, AND there was a short film that ran before the feature began, entitled Big Pussy. Yep, stricty the facts here, folks. It was pretty funny. And it was a fantastic night of good people & great movie viewing. I intend to continue attending this splendid gathering.

Time Stands Still

2009-02-16T20:06:00.000-08:00

John & I went to a play at the Geffen Playhouse last week, called Time Stands Still (clever title for this blog entry, no?). Metromix, the wonderful guide to local entertainment that it is, awarded me tickets to the play during the week of dress rehearsal. I hadn't intended to write a full review, so I won't :). I will say that it was a lovely yet raw play about human life & the various courses it can take, earthly suffering, and all the beauty that can be found in & between (I charge 10 cents/word). I highly recommend attending a showing if you get the chance.

Book Review: Breakfast of Champions

2008-06-25T10:43:00.001-07:00

I finally finished reading Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions after about two and a half months. It should have been a very quick read, but the book just didn't command my attention. I've never read any Vonnegut before, so naturally I was excited to see what was in store for me. I was rather disappointed, I must say. I will offer that this could be partly attributable to the fact that the book I read immediately prior to this one, Jitterbug Perfume, instantly assumed the title of "best book I've ever read"; it's hard to follow that up. Sure, B-fast of Champs had me laughing at times, wincing at others, and occasionally admiring Vonnegut's boldness of statements and strange plot twists (for example, he writes himself into the book, as himself, the author amidst the story he is telling) - which, to be fair, are reactions that are better than apathy. But all in all, this book of alleged profound social commentary just wasn't all that engaging; it wasn't until the very end that anything interesting started happening.

All that being said, I'm not going to give up on Vonnegut. I've never read his more famous books, so I'll give him another chance. But for now, next up in my queue is Voltiare's Candide. John recommended/lent this one to me as it is one of his favorite books and, due my my fondness of Jitterbug Perfume, he thought Candide would offer similarly exciting adventures. I'll let you know how it goes!

2008-06-17T20:28:00.000-07:00

In the seventh grade Sister Viviana resentfully called me a "simpleton" in front of the whole class because my boisterous laughter had disrupted her lesson. When she asked me what was so funny I claimed that there was no reason for my noticeably amused reaction, so she implied that I must be dimwitted.

She taught me the meaning of the word that day and for some reason I've never forgotten it. Whenever I think of that term, I think of that experience.

Someone may think me a simpleton now as I sit on my balcony, staring at the sky, with seemingly no reason for the huge grin that is plastered across my face.

I'm just so incredibly content with everything right now - you could call me whatever you want and I wouldn't care.

The BBQ Tragedy

2008-06-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

The night had settled into the bosom of comfortable intent;
As one wall of barriers descended,
another wall, strong and sturdy as ever, was forgotten.
The cement was still warm under the roots of our seats
but a chill floated through the air and about our bodies,
as Apollo died behind the hills of afternoon heat.
The feast fueled on and the guests laughed merrily,
drinking of juices aged in wooden barrels,
liquids that had lived a full lifetime already.
This was the afterlife - a confused limbo,
awaiting the fates of condemnation or exaltation.
As people sang and swayed into lush gardens of the night,
others sat and stewed, unlearning what they knew to be true.
With bursts of noise the friends banded together,
remembering the reasons for their loyal companionship,
while Dionysus smiled upon them.
Among the others, silent as regret,
enemies were secretly pledged;
as guests filtered out and the laughter abruptly died,
demons began to writhe.

I wonder if eternity exists and if fates can be changed,
or if this life is just one long delay.

More letters from my senators

2008-05-31T17:36:00.001-07:00

I'm really glad Diane and I are together in this crazy thing called life; she really seems like a loyal comrade to have on my side. Today I received the following letter from her. Must go write a personal thank you note now for keeping me abreast of the current happenings and to invite her and Babs to my BBQ tomorrow. Hope they can make it.

--------------------------------------

Dear Ms. Gocke:

Thank you for writing with your support for H.R. 2831, the "Ledbetter Fair Pay Act." I appreciate hearing from you.

I disagree with the U.S. Supreme Court's interpretation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in Ledbetter v. Goodyear, and I voted in support of the "Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act." Employers should not be allowed to discriminate in pay indefinitely, without repercussions, simply because an employee does not discover the discrepancy within six months. Discrimination in any form should not be tolerated, and this bill would restore the law to its original intent.

It is very disappointing that some Senate Republicans decided to block the Ledbetter bill from moving forward. However, I am hopeful that we will have another chance to enact the legislation. Please know that I will continue to support this bill if it is brought up for debate again.

Thank you again for writing. I hope you will continue writing on issues important to you. Should you have any further thoughts or comments to share, please feel free to contact my Washington, D.C. staff at (202) 224-3841.

Best regards.

Sincerely yours, Dianne Feinstein

United States Senator

It's Aliiiive!!!

2008-05-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

My blog, that is. It hasn't died. Not without a fight.

I've been very busy lately, what can I say? I go through phases; sometimes I'm hyper creative, other times I'm more into my social life, and still others I am on fitness kicks. Whatever the case, I'm always trying to be active. These days I've been hiking nearly everyday of the week (weekends don't count), which has monopolized my time. Traveling is also a favorite pastime, and although I feel like everyone says that... I really mean it.

So this past Memorial Day weekend I went traveling with my honey, John. For those of you who haven't met him:

The doctors still haven't figured out what's wrong with him... but they're working diligently to determine the source of the problem and they feel confident that, in time, they will find a cure.

We arrived in Cambria late on Friday night and stayed in the most adorable little B&B all weekend. The Bridge Street Inn was incredibly charming, complete with the sweetest Burmese Mountain Dog/teddy bear, Max. All the other travelers who were staying there were friendly and interesting, with plenty of exciting experiences and knowledgeable tips to go around.

On Saturday we had grand plans of going on a hike and visiting some hot springs, but wouldn't you know it, the highway you must take to the hot springs leads straight through Paso Robles wine country... and we never made it out. But that was fine too. So we spent Saturday visiting 4 or 5 wineries before swaggering back to the B&B where John made us dinner.

On Sunday we got to know our vacation base town a little better by walking around and checking out all the local shops. Cambria has plenty of little (and big) antique shops, gardens & galleries to get lost in. We grabbed a beer and caught a performance by the local band of middle aged hippies, Rough House. In the evening we went on a tour of the Hearst Castle. It was amazing, obviously. Afterwards we watched the sun set over ocean (which I took an extensive photo journal of) and went out to a fabulous dinner.

On Monday we headed up to Big Sur for a hike. This leg of the trip really made an impression on me. The scenery was absolutely beautiful and I'm so happy we made it happen (since we had discussed a hike everyday but didn't get around to it until the end of the trip). God, the views were amazing and the hills looked like ones you'd see on a tropical island. On our way back to Cambria we stopped at a resort that had a good vista and noticed that the band playing on the restaurant patio was none other than our old pals, Rough House. On our way out of town we hit up two more wineries, ate dinner in San Luis Obispo, and drove through the Dutch town of Solvang before heading home.

Oh, by the way: I took 400 pictures during this trip - I know, it's pretty ridiculous. Regardless, you can view them here.

I've been a bad, bad blogger

2008-05-12T17:48:00.000-07:00

I've abandoned a blog for a couple weeks now. I've certainly had no shortage of reminders either; I never realize how devout my readers are until I haven't written for while. You know what else? My devout readers are brutal - man do they know how to lay into me. They use a military style of reasoning (if you can call it that), wherein they break me down with criticism about how horrible I am at maintaining my blog, in hopes that motivation will sprout from their rotten, withered seeds. Nah, I'm just messin' with ya, Luie & Juanothan. If it weren't for your harsh reminders, I may have put off writing an entry for another whole day. So thanks.

But in reality, this entry is a total cop-out; I don't have anything in particular to say. Instead, I will post some videos from last weekend, when I babysat my kin. I promised Jonathan that I'd make a video of my nieces for him, since he is always so interested in them (which I love). So that's the explanation for the first one. The explanation for the second one is that Oliver is freakin' adorable, and also that I can't figure out how to turn the video right-side-up. Enjoy:

Are you interested in what I did this weekend?

2008-04-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

Well, it's officially Summer here in Southern California - pay no mind to the fact that it's still April. It's been in the 90's here recently so I'm trading in the jeans for Summer dresses. Summer is definitely my favorite season, being that I hail from a part of a country that celebrates the season so extensively.

I spent the day at the beach yesterday - my first real beach day of the season. I've hung out with my family a few times at the beach already this year, but yesterday was a true beach day: laying out in the sun for hours, playing in the waves, and exploring tide pools. I would do that everyday if I could.

On Saturday was my nieces' fourth birthday party. You guessed correctly: I took a load of pictures, all of which you can view right here. I'm thinking about renaming this blog "Ode to Celeste & Elise" since most of my subject matter focuses on them. Anyway, it was a dinosaur themed birthday party and it was SO MUCH FUN (I mean, for kids, of course...). My sister organized a dinosaur egg hunt, for which she drew huge dinosaur footprints in chalk around the yard and hid eggs with mini dinosaur puzzles inside. My favorite part, however, was watching the children beat the crap out of a T-Rex pinata... but you be the judge:

(I love how when it's Charlie's (in the green shirt) turn, he hands his bag to Elise to hold and she just takes it without asking any questions.)

On Friday night was Mike's birthday (well, at midnight, at least). I had a fabulously fun time and I think he did too. A handful of friends met over at my apartment for a drink before we headed out. The best part about it was that each friend who was there came from a different walk of my life - they each showed up individually but we united to raise hell as one. I had Lyssa, my friend from childhood; Camilla, representing my high school years; Emily, from college in Colorado; Mike, from post-college friend of friends; and John, from LBC and you know what I mean ;). I loved so much to have all these different people convene for a celebratory night. And Mike is probably laughing as he's reading this, because the night was supposed to be about him (and it was!!) but it just happened to be all of MY friends.

So this post wasn't very insightful or anything, but that's what I've been up to! I'm reading Breakfast of Champions by Vonnegut, which hasn't been too inspiring, despite how great I've always heard Vonnegut is. I've also been hiking nearly everyday, which IS inspiring, but renders me too exhausted to apply that inspiration to any form of creativity, go figure. Maybe I'll draw or write something soon that I can post.

Until then, tata!

A Letter to the Senator

2008-04-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

I recently began supporting the ACLU. Sure, it may have been a result of being accosted by volunteers on the street (I'm such a sucker and can never say 'no'). But the fact that I have since actively participated in its pursuit of justice makes the 'how' and 'why' of my membership irrelevant (so I tell myself).

Anyway, I sent an email to Senator Barbara Boxer as part of a petition and I received the following response email today. Am I to assume that this is a generic, mass distributed response? Moreover, is it naive of me to hope that it isn't? Cuz I really want to believe that she actually agrees with me, personally, for some odd reason.

---------------------------------------

Dear Ms. Gocke:

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for legislation to reverse a recent Supreme Court decision on pay discrimination. I appreciate hearing from you, and I agree with you. I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of S.1843, the Fair Pay Restoration Act.

As you may know, on May 29, 2007, the Supreme Court ruled in Ledbetter vs. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Inc. that workers can file suit for wage discrimination only within 180 days of the original discriminatory act. This outrageous decision undermines basic protection for workers against pay discrimination.

S.1843 seeks to correct the Court's decision. This bill would clarify current law by explicitly stating that workers can sue for pay discrimination any time they are issued a paycheck, no matter when the discrimination actually began.

A bill similar to S.1843 recently passed the House of Representatives. Please know that I will work to ensure that this legislation passes Congress and is signed into law.

Again, thank you for writing to me. Rest assured, I will keep fighting to eliminate pay discrimination.

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

Daily Conversations... and the ranting that follows.

2008-04-10T13:32:00.001-07:00

Pet Peeve #147: the expression "it's all in your head"

Sure, I've used the expression. Maybe I only have a problem with certain expressions as a result of having a problem with the people (other than me) who use them. Regardless...

Of course it's "all in your head." This expression does nothing but state the obvious. Everything in existence is "all in your head." That's where thoughts come from. How could a single occurrence in this world be one thing or another if there were no 'heads' to characterize them as such.

I just heard someone say, "I'm hungry," to which another person smugly responded, "it's all in your head," as if that assessment of the situation was rocket science. You're hungry? Well sure, that is in fact "all in your head," because certain biological reactions are sending chemical messages to your brain, telling your brain that it should be experiencing hunger. Couldn't you say that if a person didn't have functionality of the brain, then they'd never be hungry? One's comprehension of any situation is "all in your head." Such an expression, which does nothing but identify a basic understanding, is simply redundant.

So I'm thoroughly unimpressed when one person rudely says to another, "it's all in your head," as though the statement provides some deeply enlightened perspective from which to view a situation (unless, of course, I'm the one saying it) - no shit, thoughts and feelings are "all in your head".

Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race press/practice day

2008-04-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

My PR agency had another press day for the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race yesterday. It was quite a departure from the press weekend we had in Lancaster, being that there were 70 media outlets to manage, as opposed to the 8 or so that we had exclusively covering that first press day. Plus, yesterday's press/practice day actually took place at the Long Beach track where the celebrities will be racing in a week and a half, on Grand Prix weekend. It was a new experience for both the people racing and my PR team, who has never worked this annual event in the past. Here's a picture of me being important:

Yes, I was intentionally posing like that and yes, there is a whole photo shoot of me in various staged positions. However, it really is kind of a power trip to be using a headset all day. I'm not quite sure why, but it made me feel very important and necessary.

The area was swarming with press and everywhere you turned there was a camera (including my own, apparently... pictures are HERE). It was definitely a chaotic environment, but in a good, invigorating way. I was very pleasantly surprised and had a lot of fun, much like a couple weekends ago in Lancaster. It's these on-site, high energy events that make my job worthwhile. We now have two more press days to go, April 18 & 19, for the actual race. Despite what a headache all the prep work has been, I'm really enjoying each time it culminates, and I don't really want it to end in a week and a half.

In the late afternoon, after I was relieved of my duties, I left Long Beach and headed over to my sister's house in Hermosa Beach. She and my bro-in-law, Jimmy, got a puppy on Sunday - her first ever. He's a lab mix and we all agree that there are likely some pit bull genes scattered somewhere throughout that little body. He smells like you would hope every baby animal would smell and has such a sweet disposition. His name is Tiger... after Tiger Woods... because that's how much Jimmy likes golf. (Tiger is Jimmy's ultimate man-crush, with Kobe coming in a close 2nd.)

This little guy really makes me want my own puppy:

La Luz de HeyZues

2008-04-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

I joined Marissa and Ethan at the La Luz de Jesus art gallery on Friday night for a look at the artwork of Yumiko Kayukawa. I took pictures of some of the pieces that I really liked, which you can find HERE. This one might be my favorite, despite it being one of her simplest compositions:

The subject matter of most of Kayukawa's paintings was a young Japanese woman, who bore an uncanny resemblance to the artist, pictured with various animals. It wasn't the type of artwork I would put in my house, for the most part (except for the one pictured above), but I definitely enjoyed viewing it at the gallery.

The gallery was nestled in the nook of a massive art, literature & knickknack gift shop; the inverse of the usual gallery/gift shop spatial realtionship. Being that there was so much to look at in the gift shop and I had very little time to peruse, I probably only got through about 10% of it. I'd like to go back at some point when I have more time to wander around.

Welcome to the Gocke Home

2008-04-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

On a Friday afternoon fourteen years ago, when I was ten years old, my friend DeAna DiMeo and I arrived at my house after getting out of school early for a half day. At St. Brendan's elementary school and junior high, every first Friday of the month was a half day. Naturally, aside from weekends, these Fridays were the most treasured days of the school year. All any kid could ever think about on these days was getting home while the sun was high enough in the sky that they could relish in playing outside all afternoon, as if they had cheated the system or something.

That Friday, however, when I arrived home I saw my father's car in the driveway. Before my father retired he was lawyer and thus worked long hours; he was never home at this time of day, or generally any time before 7pm. But his car wasn't the only strange image that my brain was ambushed by that afternoon. As the carpool driver pulled up to my house, I simultaneously processed the fact that there was a 'for sale' sign on my front lawn.

No mention of this had been made to me, and my father surely knew such a blow would be devastating. I stared in disbelief as we exited the car. DeAna was pretty silent as we walked up my driveway and saw my father emerge from the front door. I think she may have asked, "did you know about this?" Who knows if I responded; my eyes were fixated on my father walking to meet us side by side with the ominous placard.

He explained that he knew this would be hard for me, but the time has come to sell my childhood home. It just didn't make sense to have such a big house for so few people. He could see the upset swallowing my face and escorted us inside, presumably to avoid public embarrassment among neighbors who he assumed were peering through their blinds, hoping to spot a juicy reaction of lament.

Fast forward fourteen years. I have a good job, but a job that doesn't cover my basic cost of living, nonetheless. (Public Relations is the type of job that you have to pay your dues in before you can expect to rake in any real bucks) I found myself in a bind over the weekend, a bind that I hadn't experienced in over two years, since being a poor college student. After some long thought and serious compromising of my pride, I called my father yesterday. I explained to him that I can't make rent this month and will have zero cash to live on for the next two weeks, until I get my next pay check. (This is after applying for a credit card and frantically following the phrase "make money quickly" all over the Internet, wherever it would lead me, mind you)

I took some guff about parking tickets and the irresponsibility of getting my car towed, and then endured some disappointed sentiments about how I should be pursuing another career more actively. After his peace had been spoken, my father agreed to directly deposit a chunk of money that should cover the rent I was short of and ideally carry me through the next two weeks. As was common in my childhood for all agreements between me and my father, a contract requiring my signature will likely follow in the near future.

So my financial worries were put at bay for the rest of the evening... until this morning. Just as moment ago, as I was walking into work, my cell phone rang. It was my father. He cut to the chase and explained that he went to the bank this morning to transfer the money but as it turns out, he doesn't have the money available to lend. This didn't completely surprise me since I know that he's put his life's savings into the beach house that he is currently remodeling. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you out. You're just going to have to figure this one out on your own." A twinge of resentment shot through my brain as it occurred to me that he may be trying to teach me a lesson via some good old fashioned tough love.

I sighed an anxiety ridden breath and told him, "thank you anyway." But much like the time fourteen years ago, when I first lost my sense of security and home, a moment of clarity shone through my foggy head, as my father gleefully shouted, "April Fools!!"

Yes folks, welcome to the Springtime of my childhood. Over the years my father has gone to great lengths to instill fear and uncertainty in his children on this single day of the year. There's no doubt in my mind that this is merely a way to relive the days of his youth when he was a hooligan, playing mischievous pranks on people - god help us if I'm wrong and he actually just takes sick pleasure in our defeat. (The fact that my father had told me yesterday to be sure to answer my phone if he calls today makes me wonder how premeditated this prank actually was; had he been formulating his plan the whole time I was spilling my woes to him?)

Other April Fools Day jokes he's used were good, but never measured up to the 'for sale' sign. A couple years ago, when he had a girlfriend, they 'went to Vegas to elope.' Other times there were serious medical injuries. But most often these pranks of his failed since, ultimately, my father created a monster. One of us would answer the other's call only to realize that we were battling to get our respective pranks out first. As was the case with the 'elope' prank, we both scurried to set up our back stories. He obviously didn't buy it when I told him that I arrived home to find he'd been robbed and his coveted big screen TV was gone.

And what's worse is that I've let this filter over into other relationships in my life. I've told new boyfriends that I'm actually in a serious relationship, which I'd been hiding. I've told friends I was in the emergency room, and roommates that their cats were missing. Who the hell am I? Whoever I am, my father has made me not right in the head come this particular day of the year.

Magellan's Retirement

2008-03-30T22:40:00.000-07:00

Straining to look past the angry shouts of a weathered family,
I spot a resting globe
on the other side of a window's gaping mouth, as it clamors of domestic upset.
In the background of the globe a man is escorting a wheelchair across the room.
It is uncertain if the chair is occupied,
or who exactly is doing the shouting.

But as I wonder what use, in lives past, my neighbors have made of this globe,
what memories are stored in this tiny world,
what places the owners could point to as destinations conquered,
I hear a door slam
and car tires hastily setting out on their own travels,
as a wounded soldier departs for a new destination.

It makes me wonder if that globe is up on a shelf for a reason,
if it's dusty and lonely,
faded and bruised,
and if the solemn household, now void of shouting,
views the globe as anything more than just a dark silhouette,
idly fixed on a shelf in front of a telling window.

A Follow-up to Jitterbug Perfume

2008-03-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

I finished Jitterbug Perfume last night. I could go on and on about the book, but instead, I'll just go on. I've never been so moved by words. I've always loved writing - have been seriously practicing since age 10 or so - and yet I was unaware of just how affected I could really be by the art. The tears flowed last night, mostly from the overwhelming beauty my mind was digesting, as I sat out on my balcony at sunset, reading. I could have finished the book off on my lunch break at work, but I didn't see fit a bustling & abrasive Hollywood Blvd. for reading those final 30 pages.

After I finished reading (as well as a few times at sections breaks) I just sat, thinking. In fact, I felt I didn't have words for awhile as my brain recapped the final farewell imagery. I think it was the best alone time I've had in awhile, if not ever; to just sit and be, after feeling so moved, as I watched the wispy clouds on the horizon turn from white, to yellow & orange, to bright pink, and then finally grey.

I want to sing praises of the book to everyone I know, but in talking about it with just a few people, I've been informed of the social stigma of the book - that it is regarded as rather cliche and associated with an intellectual pretentiousness of youths who take themselves too seriously. If you know me, you know that I definitely don't take myself very seriously. But still it disappoints me that I feel inhibited by the judgement and criticism that steals away some desire to express my marvel with this book, to everyone I know.

I spoke to someone from Seattle last night who rolled her eyes and with a sigh stated, "oh, everyone in Seattle reads Tom Robbins," as if simply mentioning the author is passe. That disappointed me - I expect that a fantastic piece of literature should be appreciated for what it is, and not shadowed by counter efforts of people who desperately want not to seem trendy...

I transcend trend :-)

Happy Easter!

2008-03-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

No, I am not religious. But I was raised Catholic and my father does claim that he still goes to church (the jury is still out on whether or not I believe him). For my family, at this point in most of our lives, Easter is more of an excuse to spend time together and eat a lovely meal. We don't talk about Jesus rising from the dead. Although, if we did, I would have a few things to say about it (have you seen Zeitgeist yet?).

My dad arrived just in time to tell the kids that the Easter bunny had left a special surprise outside. We walked out side to see three stuffed animals - a bunny, a duckie, and a lamb(...y?) - spread out in an arch on the front lawn. It was interesting to see which stuffed animal each kid ran to when given an option like that. By default, Oliver got the lamb.

My sister made a deLIGHTful brunch of mini ham frittatas, apricot almond bread rolls, and fresh fruit. I guess no one gave her the memo that I eat like a beast (as if this hasn't been the case the entire time I've known her). Ultimately, I think she was doing us all a favor by keeping the meal from being too heavy. I was surprisingly full by the end.

So of course, I more than thoroughly documented the day's events. Unfortunately, being that I am the one doing the documenting, I'm not actually in any of the fun family pictures. The afternoon ended with my dad getting super pumped on Wii. Watching him box was priceless, especially because he got more 'into it' than anyone else. My family surprises me more often than I'd expect - although I suppose if you're 'expecting' it, then it isn't really a surprise.

A Poem

2008-03-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

I wrote this around Halloween, but of what year I am unsure. I often write poems in various notebooks, sandwiched between a chunk of blank pages, only to completely forget about having written them. Then, sometimes years later, I stumble across the content and have no clue what I was writing about. I thought I was pretty diligent about dating my materials, but I guess I thought wrong. As usual, it's vague and cryptic...

----------------------------------------------------------------

Perhaps it was something about the night of facades
that had everyone masquerading as someone they are not.
Perhaps it was my state of mind,
cluttered with intoxication,
that brought out my anger in it's purest form.
In vino veritas... perhaps I was following my gut,
no matter how juvenile the manifestation.

And now, thinking back on all the accusations,
it occurs to me that they are really just obvious projections of my own internal fears and self-realizations.

Unsure of where to go from here,
I could sink to the bottom of the ocean, cement tugging at my ankles, while this whole storm blows over.
And I'd be perfectly fine with that.
In fact, I wouldn't mind staying there for awhile.

Saved for the morning after

2008-03-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

And a great night it was.

(despite poor lighting for taking photos)

Sea Wolf

2008-03-19T16:46:00.000-07:00

I'm going to see Sea Wolf at The Music Box, Henry Fonda Theatre tonight and I could not be more excited. If you follow my blog, you can probably understand what I'm talking about; I draw pictures of the man and listen to his album on a daily basis. I had been harrassing Karen to get me a ticket for over a month - most recently last week - but wouldn't you know it, the day of the concert arrived and I had completely forgotten about it (in true Stephanie style). Then I received an IM from Karen saying, "sorry, but I couldn't get you a ticket." I said "no worries" and sprinted down the street in my highest of heels, to the theatre box office. NOT SOLD OUT!! This made my day. He is opening for Nada Surf, who I really don't know at all - I think they have a couple songs I'd recognize. Regardless, it shall be a good night!

Jitterbug Perfume

2008-03-19T14:16:00.000-07:00

Several of you already know this because I have spoken about it ad nauseum, in person already... I am reading the book Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins and it is the best book I can ever remember reading. I was talking to one Ms. Mary Spring, who has read it, and she coined the book "life changing." It wasn't until the next time I sat down to read that I realized how on point she was in saying that. The book really has changed my life. My thoughts are consumed by it throughout my daily activities and many of my actions have even been unknowingly altered to reflect the themes and messages of the book. It is so beautifully written amidst being raw and intense. I highly recommend that you pick up a copy; only good can come of it.

Yael Naim Concert Review

2008-03-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

Karen and I went to see Yael Naim perform at the Hotel Cafe last night. I love the Hotel Cafe because it is such an intimate and warm setting. But despite it's quaint size, we did more listening than 'seeing' because there was a healthy size crowd there. Most people would recognize Yael Naim from her recently famed song "New Soul" which was used in a Macbook commercial. But I'd do yourself a favor and watch the fantastical music video, for I think it will surely bring a smile to your face.

I can't praise her performance enough. She has such an exquisite voice. Based on her range, it sounds as though she's been classically trained. At times her voice sounds sweet and melodic, at times haunting and vigorous, but always sensual and consuming. She was accompanied by a three man band: a drummer, a bass player, and a synth player who really impressed during the sole song he played on the piano. Yael jumped back and forth between guitar and piano. They kept their sound simple; the only loud, abrupt notes that the piano and drums hit were very strategically placed. All in all, it felt like I was at an intimate French jazz performance in an underground club, in what city around the world I'm not sure.

The highlight of her set, for me, was a cover song that I didn't even recognize until Karen enlightened me. She introduced the song by saying, "because we like to make music and surround ourselves with friends, I am going to play a song that isn't my own, but I am borrowing it from a friend." (in that sort of broken english) It wasn't until she started playing the song that I realized this sweet, unassuming chanteuse has a bit of a sarcastic side. She began playing the song "Toxic" by Britney Spears, and it was just amazing. I had no clue what a great song it is musically, since the original version is masked with such poppy cheesiness. Her myspace page houses her cover, but doesn't do it justice; the live performance of it had so much more gusto than the recorded version.

The concert was fantastic and I highly recommend seeing her live if you have the opportunity.

On anoother note, I "discovered" a new artist that I really like: Alice Smith. She is playing at Hotel Cafe on Staurday night, but I can't go because I will be out of town for work, so I'm a little disappointed. She'll be back here in LA in a couple weeks, playing The Wiltern, but I would have enjoyed this upcoming location more. I came across her music in a rerun of Entourage this past Friday night. Her song "Dream" came on towards the end of the show and I was so taken by it that I immediately googled the lyrics I was hearing. She's got a soulful, jazzy - and dare I say - even a little poppy sound to her music.

So there are a couple new (to me) music crushes I have. Hopefully you check them out and enjoy what you hear!

Upright Citizen's Brigade

2008-03-10T16:16:00.000-07:00

I went to the Upright Citizens Brigade for the first time on Saturday night and it was fantastic. My cheeks and stomach were both in pain from all the laughter they endured. Of the three different themed shows that night, we attended number 2, the 10pm show, called "Match Game," in which people from the audience are chosen to be contestants. At first I was apprehensive about the possibility of be chosen at random, but once I saw what actually goes on, I wished I had been picked (especially because contestants have the chance to win $100). The host, Jimmy Pardo, was so on point with his retorts and celebrity panelist, Paul F. Tompkins, was hilarious in his spontaneity and exuberance. Those were my two favorite performers, but all the celebrity panelists were great:

Scott Aukerman
Oscar Nunez ("of The Office")
Matt Walsh
Andy Daly
Danielle Kroenig

It was especially fun that the woman panelist is married to the host, Pardo; it made for some explicitly awkward inside jokes.

Now Hiring: Professional Audience Member

2008-03-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

Did I mention that my job has great perks? Today I received an open invitation from a writer at E! Entertainment's "The Soup" to attend live tapings whenever I want. I HAVE been to a live taping of the show before, and it was loads of fun. The contact who hooked it up, however, was not my own, thus making that occasion an isolated incident. Well, now I have my own 'in'. And I definitely intend to collect. I told the writer that presenting me with such an offer is risky, as I may establish permanent residency in the audience. He didn't seem scared.

Now if I could only get him to hire me...

Annuale

2008-03-05T12:26:00.000-08:00

I know this SNL episode aired over a week ago, but aside from JWR, I don't know that any of my readers watch SNL. I felt it is my duty, as a woman, to post this sketch.

Long-winded update

2008-03-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

What a couple of weeks it has been. I've had a lot going on, which pleases me beyond words.

First, I want to mention that I'm still feeling the creative flow these days, and that feeling of motivation alone makes everyday a little bit better than usual. I'm starting to feel a significant pull towards changing my career goals. While that might not necessarily sound proactive, I've established that, for me, change is usually all about momentum. I was really discouraged by not placing in the writing contest I recently entered, but in hindsight, the act of entering was a monumental step in a direction I'd like to head. Hopefully this snowball will gain some traction as I keep the faith in myself alive.

A few entries back I chronicled my recent run-in with the law. I refer to the incident that way so I can feel like a bad ass, since obviously, getting your car towed is nothing thrilling.

Other exciting events include a Cat Power concert on Friday night. Karen and I were supposed to go together but she came down with a flu. Because her tickets were actually press passes she couldn't simply hand them over to me, she had to give them to a coworker. But since I've been on an independence kick lately, I decided to go to the sold out show by myself. As it turns out, I'm quite pleased that everything worked out the way it did. I met some new people and I'm pretty certain I made at least one new friend. Plus, the show was fantastic. She played very few songs that I knew, mostly new material, but I really wouldn't have had it any other way. It was great.

I've been spending a lot of time with my family lately, which I love. My dad's house is coming along quite nicely. I've been enjoying the beautiful weather down at the beach, getting excited for our newly remodeled beach house! As always, you can check out pictures from my weekend on my Flickr account (link to the left). This week they're kind of boring photos of the house progress. The ones I took at Cat Power did not show up because they don't allow flash photography. Also, the ones of my nieces and nephew are all starting to all look the same and I don't want to wear my readers out on their cuteness. So peruse if you feel so inclined.

I think that's about all I've got on the update front. I'm feeling inspired by friends like Marissa, whom I've been joining out at art galleries once a week or so these days, Mike, who is always working on side projects to further his writing (and now acting) endeavors, and Katie, who has her eye the prize and recently interviewed for a much desired position at KCRW. So thanks guys, keep up the good work.

Oh, and... yay life!

The Nature of Observation

2008-02-29T17:06:00.000-08:00

Leaning forward,
he plowed like a freight train
down the sidewalk.
It looked as though
he might have taken off into the air,
had he not been so distracted by the street.

Alone, Together. (not like The Strokes song)

2008-02-29T16:09:00.000-08:00

I'm sure there will be several editing processes to this poem, but for now... here a first draft:

It had been years since the once familiar pair
basked in each other’s company.
The seasons crept on as green leaves turned varying shades of yellow and red,
fell to the floor, and fed the earth as soggy brown lumps of compost.
Their hair had grown long,
as it was when they were children,
but their faces hadn't aged.
And their words spoke of vast changes in spirit and soul,
though the voices ultimately sounded the same.

Perhaps it was a familiar scent that made it feel okay
that they were the same people inside as always;
the scent of a memory that reminds you of home,
whether realized or not.
But before long, the stench of cigarettes invaded her clothing
as she smoked as though she had never quit,
and picked up where she left off
with other bad habits she thought she had kicked.

Buried deep in a lifetime of circumstance,
it felt good to give in to those things she had been conditioned for,
and something about denying herself attention made her feel like a better person,
one who was there for another, despite her own interpersonal needs.
But being the skeptic that she is,
she wondered how long the high of self-deprivation would last this time.

It occurred to her that they were both lonely.
To one, the mere presence of another body,
to listen to all her self-involved ramblings,
was exactly what was needed.
To the other, forfeiting the coddling and reciprocation she came to find herself in need of,
in order to feel the comfort of a presence within which she did not feel judged,
was well worth the sacrifice.

And so they sat,
alone, together,
as a whole that had never been halved,
the ties not severed.
And something about the changing weather,
which always caused the same effect,
felt better than contradictory and less like a storm,
as the universe calmed its chaos
so that an imperfect reality may reign again.

Timing

2008-02-27T12:09:00.000-08:00

I just got into work. It's 11:30am. I came from picking my car up at the impound.

I completely slept through my alarm today. After groggily rolling over to look at the clock, I sprang out of bed like I had received an adrenalin shot to the heart when my eyes beheld the time 9:30... because that meant I was already a half hour late for work. Luckily, my bosses aren't coming into the office today, so my tardiness would squeak by unnoticed. I proceeded with an abridged version of my morning routine, which only afforded me three songs on my current 'wake up' soundtrack (also known as Leaves in the River).

I was out the door by 9:50. The day had been going great so far: it was already 75 degrees by 10am, there wasn't a cloud in sight, I was dressed in my casual (comfortable) clothes since my bosses aren't coming into the office, I was having a good hair day, and let's face it, I got an extra 1.5 hours of sleep. I rounded the corner onto the residential street behind my apartment building, where I park my car every night. I'll give you one try to guess what wasn't there that should have been.

I stopped dead in my tracks when, instead of my car, I saw an orange cone with a sign, in the gutter in front of the second house in. I've seen this cone before. I walked over to that lonely chunk of the block where no cars dare trespass. Turns out the house is having some sort of extermination done and no one is allowed to park in front of it this whole week. I placed a call and caught a friend right as she was leaving for work, and being that she works for her parents, her schedule is flexible.

At the impound I forked over $187, which did not include the $50 ticket that was on my windshield. After I'd signed all the paperwork and was directed across the street to the wrong lot, a spirited man wearing a nametag that said "Ben" hopped on his walkie talkie and tracked down my car. We chatted as he escorted me to the correct lot. "What'd they get you for?" he asked. I explained the situation - that because the gutters on that block often overflow with water, the residents put cones near the curb to alert people of the hazard zone, so I didn't think twice when I saw the cone last night. We proceeded to share some mutual complaints about the system.

As we approached my car he looked down at my paperwork. "Looks like you just missed us," he observed. I stretched my neck to see what he was referring to. "Says here we towed you at 9:28am."

9:28am. I'd be $237 dollars richer if I hadn't slept through my alarm today.

Oh man

2008-02-26T14:26:00.000-08:00

I have so much work to do today and I'm not working nearly as diligently as I should be. Would you believe it, I'm actually getting requests (read: demands) for new blog entries. This is the day I've always dreamed about... in my least ambitious dreams.

Fret not, I haven't abandoned my blog (I'm sure that by now all my 10 readers have gnawed all their finger nails off in worry). I just haven't had a lot of time - or rather, motivation - to write lately. So, just thought I'd say...

Hi everybody!!
(a la Dr. Nick)

That is all.

When it rains, it pours

2008-02-19T12:32:00.001-08:00

Man, am I having a horrible day so far. Don't you just love entries that start out like that? As if my morning hadn't been going poorly enough, I just found out that I didn't place in the writing competition I entered. Which is, of course, to say that I've lost all hope in my writing abilities and feel utterly talentless in life. I know, I know - it was the first competition I ever entered, I wrote it in an hour, there are tons of great writers in LA, blah blah blah. Still. The way I feel right now, Stephanie = failure. In more senses than I care to share.

It's a shame because I had such a fun weekend. Highlights included, but were not limited to: art gallery with marissa followed by dancing, lunch and a boat ride with the fam, Katie's birthday celebrations, Shark and Will being in town (any CO friends reading this?), driving range with Emily, Monopoly Marathons with Karen & Emily, finally seeing No Country For Old Men.

You can catch pictures of a small portion of these activities by clicking here.

Here's a sneak peak:

Bull by the horns?

2008-02-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

I'm entering a writing contest. Submissions are due tonight at midnight. I feel like I shouldn't even mention it beforehand, in case I don't place. So I'm compromising by writing about it, but keeping the details vague, or... nonexistant. If I place, I find out this Tuesday.

Wish me luck!

Well i'm too old to lose, baby, I'm too young to win.

2008-02-10T13:00:00.001-08:00

I've officially and frighteningly just found my first gray hair. I'm tempted to just leave it there. I don't feel anymore stressed lately than the usual levels so I wonder what caused such a thing to happen. Could it have to do with one's diet at all? I'd like prevent this from happening again.

2008-02-08T14:09:00.000-08:00

If bending is the only way to fit into a certain space
then I wonder
if just maybe
the space wasn't meant to be filled

------------------------------

I think, maybe, I'd like to go back to school to study Psychology.

New York, New York

2008-02-08T11:27:00.000-08:00

Lauren got to go see a live taping of The Whitest Kids U'Know last night. Lucky b*tch. At the end of the show they all sang along and danced together to the Dinosaur Rap. You should YouTube it - my blog is starting to look like Kenny B. Loggins' with all these video posts. You should also visit Kenny B. Loggins if you haven't yet, there's a link in my sidebar.

Aww, who am I kidding? I've got to entice folks to visit my blog somehow, right? Here's the video. It's pretty silly, but so am I:

The Three Wise Men

2008-02-06T13:44:00.000-08:00

Did anyone happen to watch The Colbert Report last night? If so, I'm sure you immensely enjoyed the special guest appearances as much as I did. Any set that houses Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, and Conan O'Brien at the same time is alright by me. Here's the clip, in case you missed these three funny men challenging each other to a battle royale by beating up a desk with their shoes and belts:

Plus, in my pursuit of that clip I came across the encore showing which took place on Conan's show. Get "ready to rumble"....

General Update

2008-02-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling really on top of my game these days, and by that I guess I just mean productive. I painted last night. I drew the night before. I went to the observatory over the weekend and revisited a book I had long since given up on. Last week I hung photos in my room that I've been meaning to hang for months. I've been exploring a lot of new music (new to me, at least). I’ve been visiting art galleries. I reorganized and cleaned out a lot of my belongings. I've been eating very healthy, drinking much less, and actively remedying long standing health issues. I’ve been exercising. And in addition to all these things that better my mind, body, and soul, I’ve been very social and have had the chance to catch up and strengthen bonds with both old and relatively new friends. I guess that would fit into the ‘soul’ category.

So in short, I suppose life is great! Taking some long overdue Stephanie time seems to be exactly what I needed. But, of course, as much as I love ‘me time,’ I enjoy the company of others as well. So, if anyone is ever feeling spontaneously adventurous and/or productive – which is my favorite way to feel – please give me a call. At the risk of sounding undeniably corny: let’s see what this world has to offer! Oh, and also, show the world what WE have to offer! (insert picture of me giving thumbs up)

Feeling Inspired

2008-02-04T00:03:00.000-08:00

I did a little drawing tonight. I didn't have anything around my apartment - any inanimate objects - that seemed worthwhile to draw. So I pulled a picture of someone I thought would make an attractive subject. I was a little tired by the time I got to the left side with the trunk, as you may be able to tell :) so the piece remains unfinished.

I'm still trying to find a particular style. I'd like to be able to sketch in a freer, faster, and almost messier way. I tend to be a little too calculating and meticulous when I draw and I actually don't like the way that looks as much as broad strokes and unruly lines. But I haven't gone through an artsy phase in awhile, so I'm still regaining my bearings here.

(kind of weird how it shows up as a mirror image, throws the brain off for a second)

On a random aside, I went to the Griffith Park Observatory on Saturday. It was the first time I've ever been, which is kind of sad considering I am a Los Angeles native. I hadn't even intended to end up there, but I'm really glad I finally went. I had intended to find a nice little hidden grassy patch somewhere in the trees around Griffith Park where I could cozy up with my book (sounds lovely, right?). But as I drove through the area I suddenly found myself being ushered with a sea of cars to the observatory parking area. We'll call it fate.

Just get it over with already

2008-01-29T14:34:00.000-08:00

Today I stumbled upon the following two poems that I wrote almost two years ago. But, as with most all my poetry, I don't think I ever showed them to anyone. Actually that's not true, I showed them to one person, who also writes poetry. But, I've decided: who cares? If you don't like it, well then I don't like YOU! (not really, but sort of) Also, the passing of time since I wrote them makes me less resistant to share...

I give in to flattery
When I'm otherwise content,
Regretting usually
That I've let down my barriers
For someone I barely know.

Millennia live within me,
I see,
When natural thoughts have me revert
To primal necessity;
A simple statement
'I don't want kids'
Makes me wonder,
Why waste my time?

It frustrates me
Because I've worked so hard
To make callous this palate...
But I give in to flattery.

I wonder what I'm missing
And dually, what could be
If I just knew
A little bit more
About me.

-------------------------------

He shot a peace sign behind her back
To the woman sitting in front of me,
As they entered the building tall.

It makes me wonder
if he thinks he has no reflection,
In the window;
In me, sitting small.

Just a typical Friday night with the gals

2008-01-25T11:38:00.000-08:00

C'mon ladies, you know where to find me tonight...

Saturday Night Gallery Outings

2008-01-23T09:39:00.000-08:00

I went to two art galleries on Saturday night with Marissa & Karina. I had my camera on me so Marissa suggested I photoblog the outing. Looking at my pictures now, I realize what a novice I am since the majority of my photo snapping commenced in a gallery gift shop. But hey, there was some interesting stuff in there. Below are some highlights, but feel free to check out the rest of my photos here.

First was a Steve Gullick exhibit opening at Found Gallery in Silverlake. The subject of his pieces are primarily musicians, both onstage and off. I didn't get a single closeup of anything, but just to give you an idea of the space and his work...

Next we headed to the Black Maria Gallery in Atwater Village. There we viewed a 3D art exhibit, but not before playing in the gift shop:

(there was just too much eye candy on the walls to pass up)

The exhibit had a few different mediums of 3D, which I didn't know existed. There was also this amazing contraption:

And I just really loved these two numbers from the gift shop. So visceral & whimsical (respectively):

That's all. I hope to frequent more galleries with Marissa, since she's on that shit like white on rice. And Karina, you just make sure you're there too. Or else.

Just some thoughts (acting deep after a few glasses of wine)

2008-01-17T23:44:00.000-08:00

Experiences of the past are such a blur to me. Certain movies, songs, or situations remind me of a past that has long since been forgotten. And in that brief association of circumstances, sometimes a memory is triggered. But by that point in your life it feels so far removed that it's almost like deja vu. It's so strange that large chunks of time are just lost like that. As you're watching a movie one night you are reminded of a situation from 4 years prior, and it almost feels like it never happened - you never would have remembered it if it weren't for the particularly accommodating circumstances that you happen to find yourself in at that moment. How is it, that it can almost feel like it never happened? How can it seem that far away? It's part of you and it's part of who you've become, so where did it go?

I've already established that my idea of heaven would be an existence in which a person could go anywhere in the universe, at any juncture, and just silently observe. Or take part, whatever floats your boat. Now, I am establishing (well, I guess it would be implied & encompassed by my prior postulation) that heaven should also be an existence in which you have a perfectly clear memory and understanding of all the occurrences in your life. Only, any shame, guilt, or regret of the negative experiences would cease to exist. It would just be pure understanding and perfect recollection of everything. God, do I hope that's the case.

There was a time, a few years back, when I was exploring the ancient ruins of Tikal, in present day Guatemala. I was wandering along the backside of an overgrown pyramid on a cliff-side, with jaguar/howler monkeys echoing in the background - screaming - a memory that in this point in my life is vivid, but almost in a dream sense. It was eerie and supernormal to anything I have experienced. And that was the first time that I verbalized, to the two people I was with, Allie & Kelly Anne, what my idea of heaven would be. I distinctly remember divulging these fascinations of mine to them, there in the Central American jungle and ancient Mayan ruins, as we marveled at the wonder of what the empire would have looked like back in its hay day. Quite the surreal experience, I tell you what.

And now, I divulge them to you, whoever may be reading. I hope they mean something.

And This...

2008-01-16T15:40:00.000-08:00

This is a random video that Lauren's bro showed me last night. If you love Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell, you must watch:

Something Very Much Worth Watching

2008-01-16T14:04:00.000-08:00

On Monday night I was introduced to the outrageously hilarious sketch comedy group, "The Whitest Kids U'Know." Jon had told me awhile back to check them out and I never got around to it. But on Monday night I found myself on Lauren's couch with her and her bros, watching, I kid you not, two straight hours of sketch after sketch. Every time one finished we couldn't get to the next one quickly enough. They are GREAT. Season 2 premieres Sunday, February 10, and you can buy Season 1 uncut and uncensored here.

Here are couple of the sketches that had me holding my stomach and trying to catch my breath (No! Because of laughter). But of course, there were so many great ones that you're really just going to have to watch them all for yourself at the Whitest Kids website or the IFC website (note the episode tabs above the embedded video). Oh, and you must have some sort of appreciation for potty humor in order to enjoy some of their sketches, so there's that.

This one is awesome, despite having a silly ending (the 'personal jinx' is my favorite part):

And then there's this one, for dorks like me (definitely watch through the very end):

This one too: watch through the very end

And for the older crowds:

And the best for last:

But, oh my god, how could I even narrow it down to four? You really must devote some free time to this show.

I Love Children (but only if they're related to me)

2008-01-15T15:52:00.000-08:00

I babysat my crew of little ones of Sunday night so that my sis and bro-in-law could go see Juno. Apparently, because of the three kids, the last movie they actually got to see in the theatre was Little Miss Sunshine. I can't even remember when that movie was in theatres. Over a year ago maybe? Anyway, I love spending time with my nieces and nephew so I gladly offered up my Sunday.

As it turns out, Oliver is a major mama's boy and carried on in hysterics most of the time I was there. I suppose I can understand - he's barely 13 months old and rarely spends time away from my sis. But as a result, he's not in any of my newest batch of photos; the crying got to be a bit much so I stuffed him in a closet for a taste of the solitary life that he'll have to come to terms with at some point. I think he got the picture. He's a little more prepared now.

Celeste, Elise, and I watched Cinderella, which I was able to drag away from my precious collection of Disney movies for a night. I think it's fair to say that Cinderella was my favorite Disney movie when I was little. That is, before The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and The Lion King were released (yes, I was nearly 11 years old when the Lion King came out, and I ain't scared to admit it! I will never grow out of my Disney movies). Oh, but I just remembered Peter Pan...

Anyway. Check out how concerned my nieces look with the movie they are watching. Whodduh thunk that Cinderella was so intense and anxiety ridden? They even created a fort with the couch pillows, to hide behind whenever things got sticky for Cinderella...

You can see my entire photo shoot with them here (although they're all pretty similar). I was having fun playing with the settings on my camera... apparently too much fun. When Celeste finally had enough she pried her eyes away from the TV for long enough look me in the eyes and say, "Steph, I don't want you to take anymore pictures." Well okay then, that was that. Yes ma'am!

By the way... I just linked you readers to my Flickr account. I've never done that before - it seems a little too personal. But most of my pics are on private now, so I went ahead with it. Does anyone else use Flickr? I'm new to it...

Always a good time with this company

2008-01-08T17:44:00.000-08:00

I really must share a conversation that my sister relayed to me earlier today, which took place between her and her 3 year old daughter, Elise. Elise in the one on the left in the picture/entry below.

danielle says: do you want to hear a conversation i had with elise earlier? or are you too busy?
Stephanie says: yes i want to hear, never too busy
danielle says: we were talking about family and babies and I said maybe some day mommy and daddy will have another baby...
danielle says: and elise says NO. and i said don't you want another sister or brother and she said "NO, it's not fair! I'm just getting the hang of this!"
and I said the hang of what?
and she said 3 kids
Stephanie says: hahahaha
danielle says: then she said i don't love you anymore, I only love daddy
Stephanie says: hahahahahahahahaha
danielle says: and I said why not?
and she said "you're not following my rule"
and I said what are your rules?
and she said "No more kids!"
daddy is my favorite
Stephanie says: lol
Stephanie says: oh wow. that's classic
danielle says: i especially loved the part when she says "I'm just getting the hang of this"
Stephanie says: it's funny that she's picked up a phrase like that
danielle says: anyway, she did let me know on her way in for a nap that maybe she would like another baby
Stephanie says: well that's sweet
danielle says: she is queen of these phrases. her other big one is "I can't handle this"
Stephanie says: lol
danielle says: and then i had to let her know that IF there is another baby it won't be for a long time
danielle says: well, she's a riot
Stephanie says: yes, i concur
Stephanie says: i intend to blog about this conversation later

...It was then that my sister asked me what a blog is. No joke. I sent her the link to my blog and she was quite pleased to see that much of it is devoted to her children. Throughout a good part of my explanation of what a blog is, she was convinced a blog is the same thing as MySpace, though I don't know for sure that she's ever even seen an actual MySpace page. Danielle, I hope you read this... so that it doesn't sound like I'm straight up making fun of you :-) because I loooove you!

2008-01-07T15:29:00.000-08:00

THAT IS ALL.

My writing could never do this story justice

2008-01-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

I had an interesting celebrity look alike comparison on New Years Eve. But you know what? It's a funny story, so instead of cutting to the chase, I'll give you the full recap:

Josh, Red, Jo & I were waiting to be seated at El Coyote for dinner to kick off a night of festivities. What appeared to be an average, mild mannered, middle-aged woman passed us as she was leaving the bar area. Her actions and words, however, proved her to be otherwise. The kooky woman stopped as she passed us and and became unusually excited by our presence, as if she already knew us. "Hiii!" she cheered, "Happy New Year to you guys!!"

We smiled awkwardly and returned the good tidings.

"What do you all have planned tonight?" she continued. "Parties? Well that sounds just fantastic! I hope none of you are driving..." She was suddenly overcome with a stern expression as she looked us square in the eyes and pointed an index finger at each of us.

At this point we could all tell she was either a little mentally off-kilter or, more likely, drunk (although she wasn't slurring her words), so Red decided to have fun with it. "No, no," he chimed in, "we're flying, actually."

"FLYING!!?? How wonderful!! I can't believe this... did you know I'm a flight attendant!! I may be old and fat, but it's no lie!" A perma-grin and wide eyes were now plastered onto my face. She continued, "Which one of you is the pilot?"

Redirecting the attention of this unexpected reaction, Red informed the woman that Josh is our aerial master.

"And what airline do you fly for?"

"Oh, uhm, it's a private plane; I don't fly commercially," Josh rebounded.

"Weeeell!!! Isn't that something! Oh boy, when I was young I used to chase after guys like you..." And then, with a wink and more piss & vinegar than any of us expected, the woman snorted and roared a feline growl, fingers curling towards Josh and everything. In fact, it was more like a bull getting ready to plow through a red cape than a feline ready to pounce.

We all lost it. We laughed uncontrollably. She continued to ask us what airport we would be flying into. "John Wayne," was our matter-of-fact response. The woman wished us a Happy New Year again and danced her way on out of the restaurant. That encounter just might have made my New Years.

Now, for the interesting celebrity comparison. At one point during the conversation the woman turned to me and said, "Oh!! Well now you look just like Jennifer Garner!" What's so interesting about this comparison you ask? Well, did you happen to read this blog entry? Do I really look like Jennifer Garner? Or could this just be another uncanny dual identity reference in my life as a 'Jennifer'. It may be a stretch, but the possibility did cross my mind.

Bah Humbug

2007-12-27T11:56:00.000-08:00

I'm completely sick and on deadline. I can't concentrate for the life of me right now, but I have 3 hours to figure out how. Actually, my deadline is in 3 hours, so I better figure out how to concentrate in about 10 minutes.

I saw I Am Legend on Christmas Eve. What was I thinking? What am I ever thinking when I watch zombie-type movies? I couldn't sleep all night. It was horrible; I was terrified, alone in my apartment. And now I'm sick. I'm convinced that my lack of sleep that night caused my immune system to turn on me. I woke up yesterday with a mildly sore throat, took Zicam all day and felt fine.

Then it hit me like a freight train when I was sitting in a movie theatre watching Sweeney Todd last night. I had to get up and leave. It took an hour to go from feeling fine to a completely achy neck, the chills, tingly legs and a horribly scratchy throat. By the time I left the movie theatre I had a full blown flu. Luckily I wasn't missing much of the movie. Sweeney Todd was surprisingly boring, and I usually love Tim Burton; he's one of my favorites. The movie was over two hours long and after an hour and a half I felt like I still hadn't seen anything that I didn't already watch in the preview.

The worst part about being sick right now is that I have a Reverend Horton Heat concert to go to tonight. I've been looking forward to this for months but as luck would have it, I'm under the weather (what does that expression even mean?).

And now, back to my deadline. Wish me luck.

Holida-eee! .... Celebra-eeet!

2007-12-26T13:48:00.000-08:00

Well, I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season so far. I know have. And there's still one more holiday to go! Christmas yesterday was just swell. We had brunch and hung out all day at my sister's house in Hermosa Beach. Her husband's family was there too and they're a lot of fun.

There's usually an altercation of some sort that takes place at my family gatherings. But this year not even the slightest bickering occurred. I got to play with my nieces and nephew for hours. After they finished opening all the presents I gave them, Elise asked me in the most innocent voice, "Steph, do you have more presents for us?" And in case she hadn't heard correctly the first time, she asked again. What a little bugger.

My sisters and I wrapped up the day at sunset - what a beautiful sunset it was - with our best Fire Marshall Bill impressions. What can I say, I guess that's just how we like to celebrate JC's birthday.

"My Name Is Lisa"

2007-12-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

I didn't realize how ironic the video I am about to post is, until I signed into blogger this very moment and saw the entry I posted just yesterday. Ha, this situation makes the video all the more poignant... and I'm not quite sure what to think about that.

This video was featured on YouTube today. It's sad and touching (hey, I never claimed that my blog is funny). Most of all it's scary; scary to imagine yourself or your loved ones having no control over what the mind is doing. This video really struck a chord with me and it raises awareness about an incurable disease, so I thought I'd share. You never know what other people have going on in their lives - something to remember when faced with the the reaction options of patience & understanding vs. judgement.

With Bells On

2007-12-20T11:32:00.000-08:00

Despite the busy stores, traffic laden streets, and high stress levels, I am fully embracing the controlled chaos that is partnered with the holiday season. Today my coworker declared to me that I am "losing it." She quickly followed her statement with, "but I think we all are," implying that current conditions are due to the craziness that accompanies preparations around this time of year. Yeees, eeeexcellent... I appear to be losing it only because my mind has been so plagued with holiday pitching and gift shopping lists. It has nothing to do with my inherent personality. That's the ticket!

Any other time of year, I would attempt to dispel this notion that my brain's a little out there; that while everyone else is right here on earth I'm wandering around the moon, quietly fascinated with this one strange little crater that rests right about where Cindy Crawford's beauty mark would be if it were her face projected on the moon. But no, not this time. This time I choose to take no offense to the mere observation that's been made. This time I am responding with, "Yes. Yes I am losing it." And if people want to think it's due to holiday fever, then so be it; this sort of scapegoat opportunity only comes around so often.

So if I forget your name, seem a bit detached, look a bit disheveled, or ask a question that necessitates a long explanation which, incidentally, you already recited to me yesterday, then please, take no offense and think no less of my capabilities; I'm just really losing it with all this holiday madness.

Movie Review: Juno

2007-12-18T20:44:00.000-08:00

I just got back from seeing the movie Juno. I had been wanting to see it since I first saw the trailer, naturally, and it was fantastic, as I'm sure most people suspected it would be.

I was shopping at The Grove all by my lonesome, a state I've often found myself in lately. So, I decided to pop into the theater after having my fill of the crowds of people mindlessly herding themselves around the stores and walkways. Much to my delight, the next showing of the movie was only 15 minutes away and moreover, was not sold out. I don't know if I've ever gone to a movie by myself, but I highly recommend it; great 'me' time. Had I the time before the movie started, I would have dropped my multiple bulky bagfuls of purchases in the car, since there was no one there with me to watch them while I went to the bathroom or got popcorn and I felt I little awkward lugging them around everywhere, but c'est la vie.

Back to the movie. Fantastic. Or rather, stupendous - a word I sort of forgot about until I heard it used in the movie. Juno was positively charming, the movie itself and the main character. The movie in a way reminded me of Wes Anderson flicks, artistically and in its quirkiness. Like Anderson's, this movie took a dark situational reality and made it seem sweet, pretty, and even funny.

The dialogue was hilarious. Juno, the main character, made me wish I was in high school again, though I would have to pass on the whole being pregnant thing. She had me wishing I could go back and do it all over again, knowing that I know now about personal identity, since Juno seemed to approach her experience with a sort of mature mentality the first time around. I am now a huge Ellen Page fan. I wasn't sure how much I liked her as an actress after having seen Hard Candy, but I think her character in that was just a little too hard core for me. Plus I'm a bit sarcastic myself at times, and I felt like I identified with her personality in this movie. Oh and the father was hilarious too. One thing that disappointed me was Jason Bateman's character. I won't say why because I don't want to give anything away. But I am a huge Jason Bateman fan and I didn't like to see him portrayed in a negative light.

Other random great aspects: I loved the soundtrack. Very whimsical and innocent (and oh how I love the indie). Plus, I'm a fan of the fact that Diablo Cody is now a household name. At least in my household. Between me and me. Despite the fact that she may have been very well-known in the writing community prior to this. A scenario which, in turn, makes me a fan of hers. I find her situation inspiring and intend to learn much more about her.

In the end, I loved Juno and I highly recommend it to anyone on the fence about seeing it.

Just a little something

2007-12-17T09:42:00.000-08:00

The Kevin & Bean morning radio show was having quite the interesting discussion about Scientology this morning during my brief drive to work. I really wanted to sit and my car and listen, but would have been late for work. Luckily the show is podcasted, so I'd check it out if you're at all interested.

Changing gears quite a bit... it's adorable picture time!!

At what point does it become inappropriate for me to be posting pictures of them in the bathtub? If you had listened to Kevin & Bean this morning, this post would be coming full circle!

oh, and, by the way...

2007-12-16T23:49:00.000-08:00

...I L.O.V.E. Michael Madsen.

Talk about cool factor... the eyebrow expressions... YES.

That's just, like, my opinion, man.

2007-12-16T23:26:00.001-08:00

I'm watching "Reservoir Dogs" while reading Palahniuk's Rant and drinking a nip of Jameson, neat. If that's not cool, I don't know what is.

Maybe if I was listening to some Miles Davis in the background.

2007-12-14T10:57:00.000-08:00

The highlight of my night last night had to be watching, live and in concert, a version of the song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause" as performed by Twisted Sister.

Judging by the way the lead singer's hot pink leather pants shifted when he did the air splits, I'm pretty sure they are the same pair he wore twenty years ago. Just an observation.

Twisted Sister at The House of Blues Los Angeles, Live Nation holiday party.

Well I'll be...

2007-12-13T16:16:00.000-08:00

I really must say, for a world population that is growing at exponential rates, it seems to get smaller and smaller day by day...

Just a moment ago, completely on a whim, I decided to Google my grandmother's name. My mother's mother is named Betty Jane Wilcox (which, by the way, I've always thought was a rad name. "Betty Jane" - so classic). The first few results I get are for commercial genealogy sites, so I read on. Then I see a real hit entitled "Wilcox Family Heirloom". "Hmm, interesting," I think to myself. I click the link. This is the page I am directed to.

If you notice, this Craigslist posting is filed under the city of Detroit. My grandmother did in fact grow up in Detroit before moving to the Los Angeles area when she was about ten years old. So now my curiosity is quite piqued. I just sent a response email to this mystery person. It was pretty comical when my computer froze as I was trying to reply to the posting; I had a bit of a panic attack because I was in such a flurry to get to the bottom of this.

So now I play the waiting game. Interesting little mystery, no? I'll let you all know how it pans out.

A little bit about me... much like every other post.

2007-12-12T13:54:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by Kels, this is the first time I have been tagged so here goes...

Here are the The Rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to then report this on their own blog with their 7 things as well as these rules. They then need to tag others and list their names on their blog. They are also asked to leave a comment for each of the tagged, to let them know that they have been tagged and to read the blog.

1. I eat until the point of pain at nearly every meal. I'm not exaggerating; I specifically said 'nearly' as opposed to 'every' even though it feels like this happens at every single meal. I don't know what's wrong with me. Ask any one of my friends. At the end of every meal there comes an agonizing groan and statement along the lines of, "why did I do thaaaat... why did I eat sooo muuuch...". I guess I just love food a little too much. And I have very little will power and self-control when it comes to delicious tastes. If my individual physiology were inclined towards obesity, I'd be screwed.

2. Sometimes I just go out and buy new socks and underwear because I don't feel like doing laundry. At this point I I have enough pairs of underwear to last me about a month and a half without having to do laundry. 40+ pairs of undies seems like a lot, no?
(and it goes without saying that I have enough regular clothing to also maintain this lack of laundry-doing habit)

3. I've never had my ears pierced. The only thing I have ever had pierced is my nose, going on 7 years now.

4. I love to sing. I've been told by some people that I have a great voice and yet others wince and ask me to stop singing when they hear me. I've always been perplexed at how two opposite reactions could emerge, as if the interpretation of a pleasant melody is completely subjective. Yes, some voices are better than others, but how can one person perceive a singing voice as pretty while another scoffs as if their ears are in pain. As a result, I am very self-conscious about my singing voice and thus have not cultivated the skill as much as I wish I had over the years... despite the fact that I love to sing.

5. I have an odd obsession with zombie/vampire horror flicks even though they terrify me. I mean really, it's a little masochistic of me. I'll have horribly vivid zombie nightmares and then the very next day I'll suggest going to see 28 Weeks Later.

6. I've never broken a bone or even had stitches. Hmm, well I guess that's one way to jinx myself.

7. I pride myself on being athletic - a guy's girl - even though I know deep down that I'm really not. I just throw and catch well.

Hmmm... I'm not quite sure who to tag, since I don't have many blog buddies. Marissa writes in her MySpace blog, so I'll tag her; Marissa, you've been tagged! Aaaand... I'd tag Jon but 1. he only posts videos on his blog and doesn't talk about himself and 2. I don't think he'd post it in his MySpace blog. I'll also tag Vrej - I think he'd do it in his MySpace blog, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't read this so I'll have to alert him. Lastly, maybe Josh will do it. Josh, don't feel obligated. But you know, if you're bored...

Representative of Basic Cable Network Related To News Dispersal Thinks Me Amusing

2007-12-10T17:52:00.000-08:00

Last week I had the task of pitching a very high profile and well respected female reporter, from a network regarded as a "most trusted name in news" - that's about as much as I can say without stating who and which one. The pitch was in regards to a princess-related product line belonging to one of our clients - again, I'm not that comfortable sharing the client's name. As it usually goes, I send an email pitch first, before calling and hashing out my idea over the phone. Despite this order of operations, reporters seldom even see my pitch before I call, either because it was filtered directly to spam, they automatically delete emails from unknown addresses, or they are simply just too busy to read it, all of which I understand because many of the people I pitch to probably receive about 20 new pitches each day.

Well, I sent my email pitch to this reporter last week, only to receive no response. On Friday I send the pitch again. I call to follow-up, but get sent to her voicemail. I leave my message, explaining why I'm calling and the duplicate emails I have sent. And, as usual, I feel a little silly about seemingly harassing them, as it would appear to the untrained eye. Tonight, Monday, I receive this email response from said well known reporter:

"You left a very impressive pitch voicemail. Alas, I’m not doing this type of story these days. I’m doing funny pieces pegged to politics and news events. I especially liked how you chortled a bit as you threatened to follow up. Very entertaining but I’m afraid it’s not my thing at the moment. I’m a princess-free zone."

Despite having been declined on my story idea, I couldn't help but laugh out loud at this response. I then forwarded it to my bosses who got an even bigger kick out of it than I did; they held their stomachs and laughed uncontrollably - and have been doing so intermittently for the past 15 minutes - and told me I need to think of something really witty to respond with... such a task shouldn't be hard. I'm completely kidding ;) god knows I'm going to over-think my response so much that the topic will infiltrate my dreams tonight. I get very easily flattered when I receive responses like this from people in high places, even if they ARE turning me down.

2007-12-10T16:41:00.000-08:00

I just reread my last post and cracked up. Sometimes I wonder if anyone in the world amuses herself as much as I do. I'm hoping that's not a bad thing...

The Product of Developmental Retardation: How Not To Be Like Me

2007-12-05T13:32:00.000-08:00

I was reading a Newsweek article today on how a woman's fertility may in some ways be subject to her diet. And no, I'm neither attempting to create little Stephanies, nor using my diet as some sort of natural means of birth control. Anyway, a certain scenario emerged in my thoughts as I read. You see, my sisters stand 5' 10" and 5' 8.5" tall (that .5" does matter). I stand 5' 7" tall. It occurred to me that a likely reason why I may be the runt of the litter is that my father smoked around me - often in relatively closed quarters of the house - for a good chunk of my growing years. This was not the case when my sisters were children. Now, I know this has nothing to do with fertility, per se, but the article got me in the growth and development line of thinking. When I was a child I always said I wanted to grow to be 5'9"... I wonder if I had any true chance of making it there. Maybe I just got more of my mom's genes. She was 5' 6.75".

Another largely unrelated topic that I reflected upon today, among many, many other days throughout my life, involves the concept of identity. I've dealt with a precarious coincidence over the years, one which has caused me to think that it's really no coincidence at all. It seems I've been living a dual identity. For as long as I can remember, nearly every time someone forgets or fumbles on my name, I am mistaken for a 'Jennifer'. This might not seem odd at first; Jennifer, much like Stephanie, is made of three syllables, has the same 'fff' 'nnn' and 'eh' sounds, and I'd consider them to be more common names than not. But this has even happened with people - nay, strangers! - who hadn't really ever heard my name before - people who had never been introduced to me, or who actually mistook me in a public place for a friend of theirs who happened to be named, you guessed it, Jennifer. Let's just put it this way: by the time I was no more than 10 years-old, I had been mistaken as a 'Jennifer' so many times that even at that tender age, I thought those happenstances were extremely uncanny. At that age I had never experienced an 'uncanny' situation nor did I even know what the word meant. But I have a distinct memory of the point in time when I started to be weirded out by this nominal identity that new people who crossed my path clung to. Sure, I've gotten a 'Samantha' a few times over the years - but no more than a few times, and proportionally speaking, those 'Samanthas' in no way even remotely compare to the dozens of 'Jennifers' I've received. And this strange trend still occurs to this day! As often as new people forget my name, I get called Jennifer (and considering ya meet people out at bars or parties, people's memories aren't exactly at their peak, you know how the story goes - I encounter plenty of name-forgetters).

So how has this strange misnomer affected my sense of self? Has it stunted my development or impeded any deep self-exploration in some way? Perhaps it's offered me a more liberating self-perception: I don't have to by any one thing in particular, I can be many things, varying kinds of people within my one person. Then again, maybe it's the reason I talk to myself when I'm alone, as if I have many different personalities keeping me company.

Daily Conversations

2007-12-05T10:30:00.001-08:00

Pet Peeve # 57:

When people say 'pacific' instead of 'specific'. Jesus, there's not a single vocab flub that could make a person sound stupider.

Sit tight, little buddy.

2007-12-03T09:39:00.000-08:00

My sister recently attempted a family portrait for Christmas cards this year. Her youngest child, Oliver, has also recently become extremely mobile. Apparently this picture represents the common theme of all those she took that day:

Don't quote me boy, I ain't said sh*t

2007-11-26T11:37:00.001-08:00

That lyric has been stuck in my head for the past few days, but not the N.W.A. version... it's the Dynamite Hack remix (yes, I had to Wikipedia the song to find out who sings that folk/rock version).

The PR Week issue that I am quoted in arrived today and of course I'm nitpicking about the single sentence they used, just as I knew I would. I was very curious to see what they would choose to quote me on, since I was asked about 20 questions during our 5-10 minute phone conversation. I'm fine with the quote they chose, however I'm irked at myself for saying "they're positioning themselves" in reference to our client's plan of brand positioning, rather than "we're positioning them". I feel like I should have taken more credit on behalf of our agency's plan of attack. But in the end, I guess our client was in fact the one who decided how they want to market their new product, so perhaps I'm being too hard on myself.

However they did cite something incorrectly. They said our client was present at the Grammy's, when really they were at the Golden Globes. Hope there are no repercussions on that one, since you know who will be taking the fall.

Writers Strike Provides Distraction

2007-11-20T13:51:00.000-08:00

There are 10,000 writers marching in front of my building right now, making their way west on Hollywood Blvd.

It's times like this that I wish I had listened to Josh when he said, "you should really go with a digital camera that uses AA batteries, rather than a rechargeable. You know that when that crucial photo-op comes you're camera is going to unexpectedly die." He was right. I got about 4 crappy pictures before I was instructed to change my battery pack.

I was first disrupted by multiple long, deep train-like horns. I thought myself, "hmm, that's odd. There are no trains on Hollywood and Cahuenga." So I went out to investigate. The horns I heard were actually coming from 4 or 5 eighteen wheelers which were ever-so slowly paving the way for 10,000 picketing would-be writers dressed in red and chanting, "when I say 'union' you say 'power' 'union'... 'POWER', 'union'... 'POWER'!!" There were people on stilts, in costumes, helicopters in the sky and more camera crews than I could care to begin counting.

But alas... my attempt at amateur journalism is halted by the fact that my camera is out of batteries. That's not a good sign.

Well well well

2007-11-20T10:09:00.001-08:00

Guess who's going to be quoted in Monday's issue of PR Week. Go ahead, guess!

Just a little something

2007-11-19T13:09:00.000-08:00

So I have a big event for work tonight: High School Musical 2 DVD red carpet/screening/press junket/release party. These HSM movies (as we call it in the biz) are wildly popular with the media, which is a little surprising to me considering that it it began as a made for TV movie. It obviously helps that the original film's soundtrack was the bestselling album of 2006 - a stat which shocks me, but then seems pretty logical once I think about it; there isn't much to compete with in the category of children's music. I figure, if you estimate that 15% of the entire population are between the ages of 6-16 and they are all listening to the same thing, then that single musical phenomenon is already making a huge mark by affecting 15% of the population. Now, the other 85% of the population may not even include active music listeners, and for each age group and demographic there are multiple categories of music interest, plus multiple bands in each category. Oh, and the immense media interest has also probably been aided by the fact that one of HSM's hot little underage stars has had nude pictures circulating. I'll let you know how she looks in person and whether or not she lives up to all the hype.

But in reality, I think the only people who care that I'll be among all these young stars are my little cousins, who are obsessed with all things Disney. Unfortunately, and as pathetic as this sounds, I won't even be able to brag to them, my only interested audience, about my shoulder rubbing because if I do I will never hear the end of it: 'why didn't you take us!! You HAVE to take us next time!!' And no matter how many times I explain it they won't understand what 'work' actually means.

So check out Access Hollywood, Extra, or E! Entertainment tomorrow night and you might catch a glimpse of me in the background on the red carpet. It's sort of inevitable when working the carpet for these events - since there isn't much space to work with you always end up in the back of the crews' shots. It's kind of fun. Tell me if I look professional.

That's all. I didn't really have much to say, I just hadn't written in awhile. I've been lagging on posting my most recent round of nieces/nephew photos from last weekend. But there ARE new ones, and they ARE just as adorable as ever (naturally).

Sooo....

2007-11-09T11:41:00.000-08:00

Being the stereotypically over-excited aunt that I am, I have more pictures for you, dear readers. The last round that I posted were of my nieces in their Halloween costumes. Well, after two pre-Halloween parties in those costumes, I guess they got tired of them and decided to dress themselves for trick-or-treating on the actual big night.

Elise (right) said she was a “Cowgirl Princess” (she was obviously channeling memory of her original cowgirl costume, though this new one doesn’t really scream either cowgirl or princess. Still adorable, of course.). And Celeste (left) declared herself to be a “Fairy God” (yes, fairy GOD. I wonder what sort of religion my sister is practicing that house; I’m pretty sure the one we were raised with would consider that blasphemy… well, at least she’s encouraging open-mindedness.) Oliver, the bebe, was dressed as an octopus and apparently remained in the costume without fussing for a few hours.

These children brighten my world:

Where does it go?

2007-11-06T15:08:00.000-08:00

It's funny how some days you think you're on top of the world. You start your day off right: wake up early, make a delicious batch of whole wheat pancakes, have time to relax and drink your coffee at home, feel great in the brand new cozy sweater you chose for a cloudy and cold Autumn day... all those things prepare for what will come next in your day. Before even leaving for work you feel great about the tasks that lie ahead of you, you feel excited and motivated to go into work and conquer, produce. You know you're on top of all you projects and you think you're doing a great job.

And then a bomb drops. And it makes you feel like crap. Makes you feel like the little seven year old boy who trots home from school and can't wait until his dad gets home from work to tell him about the A++ he got on his arithmetic test. Daddy get homes. But when little Joey, bursting with excitement and pride, gushes about his more than perfect grade, daddy, wreaking of dissatisfaction, gruffly remarks, 'now if you can only learn to hit the ball at t-ball practice.'

That's how I feel.
I hate trying to salvage a lost sense of worth and motivation. I want my morning back. Wah.

Our plight as writers

2007-11-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

I've officially decided to pledge my allegiance to the writers strike. Sure, I realize I'm not actually an employed writer and thus not legitimately striking from anything, but I just want them to know where my loyalty lies. And yeah, it's not like I'm going to stop writing blog entries or anything because let's face it folks, this is the only creative outlet I have left... for the moment. So I'm really just joining the writers strike in spirit, I suppose.

But now that I think about it, I'm not going to get to watch new episodes of my favorite shows. They're sort of betraying me, as a fan and supporter of their work. Come to think of it, maybe this is my opportunity to strike! No no, not 'strike' like I was talking about before; 'strike' as in lunge, attack. Yes! Here's my window to get noticed, amidst lack of true professional talent... THAT'S IT! Fuck the writers strike! The fair weather is shifting my way!!

BUUUAAHAHAHAA!!!

The Big Cheese

2007-10-31T12:20:00.001-07:00

We had another big event last night for the DVD release of Ratatouille, held at Social Hollywood. It was actually a really cute, fun, and majorly expansive setup, far larger than I had anticipated. I was wishing last night that I had brought my camera to take pictures of the extravaganza, but it seems that I never have my camera with me at the opportune times. My coworker took a couple photos on her phone, so below is one of the inside bar area. In addition to that room (and all the delicious gourmet buffet food) there was a huge entry room that housed a "Cars" Blu-ray setup.

But by far, my favorite part was the French inspired patio where an all night tasting of high end cheeses and wines ensued. My god, was that fantastic. I definitely gorged myself last night... if you know me, you know how passionate I am about cheese. The top notch cheese that was being served was a triple creme sheep's milk that goes for over $100/lb!! The best part: the cheese server noticed how enthralled I was with their offerings so he packed up at least a quarter lb. of that triple cream, as well as some fantastic aged Gouda for me to take home. I have about $60 worth of delectable cheese in my fridge at home, all compacted onto one tiny plastic to-go plate. I got the cheese shop's card, and it turns out they are local (as opposed to the wine experts, whom I believe were not). However, I don't see myself heading to the valley to spend $25 on a slice of cheese any time soon... unfortunately.

Before I could enjoy the open bar and wine/cheese tasting, however, I had to help manage the red carpet. Notable names included Brian Dennehy, John Ratzenberger, Patton Oswalt, the Oscar winning creators of movies like Toy Story, The Incredibles, Cars, and Ratatouille, and probably my favorite of all, Cheech Marin. No, I didn't shake any hands, but I did rub some shoulders, literally... it gets crowded on the carpet. Oh, and I also shared an intimate moment with THIS guy, who had the audacity to grab the glass of Cafe Boheme from my hands and take a taste for himself. Sure, I could have said 'no' but I have too many fond movie memories of him from childhood as 'that guy who's in everything'. I hold him near and dear.

Okay, Stop.

2007-10-25T17:49:00.000-07:00

No really. STOP.

Get out. This is the cutest thing I have ever seen. It had me laughing out loud in my office.

As you readers probably all know by now, I have the most adorable twin nieces and baby nephew. I know that's a bold statement, but it's oh so true. Please take a moment to absorb the wonder that is my nieces' Halloween costumes. I couldn't dream of not sharing such a visual.

(For all the stress involved with having three kids, two of which are twins, at least my sister has fun with it.)

Darjeeling Limited movie review

2007-10-22T14:21:00.001-07:00

No real spoilers here, however if you want to be completely surprised by the movie, I'd wait to read this. Sometimes I don't like to hear people's reviews until after I've seen the movie myself...

I saw Darjeeling Limited on Saturday. I adore Wes Anderson movies and this one was no exception; I obviously loved it. I am always amazed at the care he takes in seemingly every single shot. The composition - the objects, placement, angles - is intricately deliberate. He must not only be extremely meticulous, but also have a very specific vision of each piece of visual stimuli that his viewers experience. I can't imagine that he wings anything when filming, however I'm sure it's the case that he's an artistic genius and every now and then he does improvise. The colors were amazingly vibrant and the whole thing was a visual masterpiece as far as I'm concerned.

As for the characters...

I absolutely love that Anderson uses a varying line-up of recurring actors in his movies, specifically because the actors he has chosen are so fantastic. As you can gather from the trailer, the three main characters are brothers. Before seeing the movie I thought it was kind of funny in an odd way that he chose three people who couldn't be any more clearly NOT brothers... Owen Wilson with the blond hair, Adrienne Brody with his tall and slender physique, Jason Schwartzman being short and stouter in comparison, and none have similar facial features. But I quickly got over that and realized that they were perfectly cast for the characters they are portraying. Beyond the main characters you get some fun surprise familiarity with other characters, but I won't spoil it by saying who.

As for the story line...

I don't really hate to say it, but the plot was a little light-weight. I don't hate to say it because I still loved the movie anyway. But truth be told, it lacked the involvement that Anderson's movies usually have (sort of the way Bottle Rocket lacked activity, for lack of a better word). After I left the movie and was thinking about it, there was only a couple of those stirring turns in direction that his movies usually express, and even those were subtle. The one truly pivotal & defining scene in the movie was quite reminiscent of the Kingsley/helicopter scene in Life Aquatic and the Richie/suicide attempt in Royal Tenenbaums, so I guess you could just say that the one action packed scene felt very familiar.

But that one criticism aside, when asked what I think of the movie, I intend to respond, "beautifully fantastic." The dialogue and visuals really made it a pleasure to watch.

Life in the fast lane...

2007-10-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

...is actually not that racy at all due to all the damn traffic in L.A.

Hi folks, how are you today?

This 'fast lane' I speak of is really just a metaphor for the Hollywood lifestyle and celebrity happenings. Oh wait, I think you already knew that. Regardless...

I work in Public Relations. Entertainment PR. It has it's ups and downs, as does any job. Given the nature of my job, and being that I live in LA (AND that we handle high-profile DVD releases), one of the 'ups' of my job is that I get to work the red carpet for big events and release parties, thus rubbing shoulders with some of Hollywood's finest. Now, I don't fully understand the pattern of my behaviour (ya, I put a 'u' in there) when it comes to being in the presence of celebrities. Sometimes I get really star struck to be working an event with some obscure actor that few people know of, but whom I really like (for example: Jay Chandrashekhar. It was quite exciting, actually; I went up and introduced myself to him and told him what a fan I am, how great Broken Lizard is, etc... had to be there maybe). Other times, I'll be standing next to George Clooney in line at a local eatery and treat the situation like he's just some Joe Schmo. But whatever the situation, on thing is for sure: I always like to name drop.

So, the "Hollywood's finest" representative I will be meeting and working with on Monday is Richard Gere. And also, maybe Marcia Gay Harden. Our event is in honor of the DVD release of the movie The Hoax and also the 11th Annual Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony.

Generally speaking, when it comes to events that host big names, I will pitch the story to the major local news media and various cable networks, while my bosses spearhead the cash cows, very specifically: Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, and Extra. Well, for whatever reason (I did not press them for the answer) my bosses can't work Monday's big event so they handed the responsibility over to me. They did all the coordinating, but now I am to act as the liaison between Extra and Richard Gere. He is receiving a special award at a tea party (no, I'm serious) before the red carpet and main awards ceremony, and I must at some point during this tea, make an interview with Extra happen.

It's fun and exciting to be responsible for something that my industry regards as such a major placement (even if it's not representative of my own personal values). But there's one thing that I just can't seem to get a grasp when it comes to these major events and media placements... I wonder why, after the weeks of endless preparation, the day of the event arrives and we are always still scrambling to make something happen that should be as effortless as a phone call or email and subsequent schedule pencil-in. It's a five minute interview. How come the publicists can't just say, "Okay, we'll plan on Richard being ready at 5pm for this brief interview." They already agreed to the interview, and he's already going to be present at the tea from 4-6pm. So why do they have to be so non-committal about a time. It just seems that everyone's schedule would flow so much more easily if the talent - pardon me - the talents' handlers could just meet us 1/8 of the way, by giving a verbal time agreement. All he's going to be doing is sitting at his table, sipping some tea anyway.

Ha. I had intended for this entry to be of bragging nature, not ranting nature, but such is my train of over-thought I suppose.

Anyway, I really hope I don't botch this up. Everything should go smoothly, but it's often the case that we'll plan something a week in advance, speak very explicitly about the plan with whoever's manager, and then we show up and not a single word would have been relayed to the main player of the plan. It's ridiculous. I get it, they're busy people. But doesn't that just mean that the managers and publicists should be the type of people who can adeptly handle busyness? And shouldn't the reporters, who deal with perpetually tentative schedules, be a little expectant of slight delays or changes in plan when they arrive places? It's like everyone arrives and is stressed out, and the person in my position becomes the bitch who is forced to be on the receiving end of all this stress.

Honestly, I just turned an 'up' of my job into a 'down'.

Now that you've witnessed the progression of me going from little miss big shot to thoroughly stressing myself out, wish me luck! In all reality, it will still be fun and exciting. It's just the preparation that is a bit painstaking. I'll fill you in on how it all goes after Monday.

Have a fantastic weekend!!

Midnight Outings

2007-10-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

So I got in a bit of a tiff last night at my local watering hole. Probably not the best judgment on my part, mostly because it occurred with a long time resident drinker, so chances are I will run into him again. And so the story goes…

Because my good friend from college, Megan, is in town, she, Emily, and I went out to a couple bars. Going out on week nights is actually a rare occurrence for me these days (these days meaning in the past six months to a year), but I made the exception for our visitor. First we went to Barney’s Beanery because Emily wanted to play pool. I'm not too fond of the college scene that is characteristic of Barney's but we just don't know of any other fun pool halls in the Hollywood area that actually offer more than one table - so if you readers know of any, I beg of you, PLEASE COMMENT!!

After having our fill there, we headed back to our neighborhood to hit one of our more frequented bars, and the closest bar to our apartment, Three of Clubs. Megan and I went to the bathroom, immediately after which she left to go meet up with some other friends. I come back to the bar stool where Emily is sitting, only to find her hunched over the bar, fading fast from consciousness. I then see a group of four just-under-forty-something guys standing around her. One shorter, dark haired fellow is leaning over Emily talking to her, though she looks to be unaware of it. To me, it appears as though he is attempting to take advantage of my decision impaired friend. So I begin to shoo him away with comments along the lines of, “she doesn’t want to talk to you”, “leave us alone”, and, “we have boyfriends so get outta here,” among others. Sure, I ran my mouth a bit – because you know, I get feisty – leaving him struggling to get in his own phrases like, “are you done yet?”

Well our Good Samaritan friend gets very offended and explains that he was only trying to see if my friend was okay, since she didn’t look to be in the best of shape. I utter a bashful, “oh…” I apologize and explain that in a scenario like this one, it is often the case that the man in his position is some over-aggressive walking penis who wants to exploit our drunken state. Then something strange happened. After hearing my apology, explanation, and then follow-up apology, Good Samaritan gets even more heated. He starts berating me for my indignation. I say, “listen man, I apologized. I swallowed my pride, told you you were right and I was wrong… I put myself in place. I was being light-hearted in my feistiness, not hateful. I’m sorry. Can’t you at least chalk it up to being an entertaining exchange?”

No. No he couldn’t. His rant continued with a lecture about how he’s been coming to this bar for fifteen years and how disgusted he is with the evolving clientele, who apparently waltz into HIS local spot and take over the place with their drunken antics. I’m thinking to myself, ‘it’s midnight at a dimly red-lit dive bar in Hollywood and this guy is complaining that he’s surrounded by drunk young people… what did he expect when he walked in here, an orchestra?’ I tell him that I’m not just another wet behind the ears Hollywood newbie; I grew up down the street and have been coming here for 10 years, since I was 14 and they let me pass with my 24 year-old sister’s ID, even though she was such a regular there that they knew her by name. This only angered him more.

His friend standing closest to us finally chimes in, saying to Grumpy, “what’s the problem? She said she was in the wrong and apologized. Why are you still talking about it?” I exclaim, “thank you! Thank you very much. Let me shake your hand. What’s your name?” He tells me his name, and then I turn to the other two on-looking friends to gather their names. They look a little clueless as to what is going on and state that it’s too loud to even hear what we’ve been talking about this whole time. As we introduce ourselves, Sour Puss says, “what’s the difference? It’s not like she’s even going to remember any of your names in the morning.” “Ha!” I gloat, “joke’s on you – I don’t even remember your names right now!” And immediately realized that such a statement actually does not help my case. (I in fact remembered one name at the time. Rick.)

Then a very useful piece of information surfaces. Jerk Face mutters something about just wanting to have a good time at his local spot on his birthday. Ah yes, it’s all coming together now. He’s upset about getting older (perhaps he was celebrating the 40 year milestone), the infestation of drunk whippersnappers at the bar he’s been a veteran at for 20 years (yes, at this point we are up to 20) and most likely also that he is sans lady friend and just got three snaps in a Z formation from some cute young feisty girl. Even though, mind you, I was polite and apologetic and wished him a happy birthday.

We left the scene and I just kept thinking about how I should have said something like, “don’t take it out on me because this bar is retaining a young clientele and evolving but you clearly are not, since you are still frequenting the same bar as when you were 18, back when that was the legal drinking age.” But I guess I wasn’t quick enough on my toes.

At least I won’t feel awkward the next time I go there since obviously all faces with wrinkles look the same to me.

I wish my baby had deep pockets, so we could run around, spending all her money, and painting up the town.

2007-10-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

Warning: this post is just a long play-by-play of my vacation weekend. May cause disinterest or confusion.

What a wonderfully fantastic weekend. On Thursday evening Josh and I boarded a plane together for the first time, headed to one of my favorite places: Colorado. I have intensely missed Colorado since I moved back to Los Angeles over a year and a half ago. Luckily, I still have several close friends who have either remained in Boulder or moved to Denver or Frisco. Earlier this past summer, my group of 6 sistas from college had a four day reunion weekend, in honor of Megan & Emily's birthdays. It was then that I vowed to return to Colorado once a year to visit my college town or spend some time in the mountains... "going home" I call it, since I grew far fonder of that environment and way of life during the 4+ years I lived there, than I am now of LA.

Well, this year I got lucky and made it back to Colorful Colorado for a second time within 4 months (I can't believe my girls' reunion was almost four months ago! Oh how time flies). The occasion - as if I need one - was The Great American Beer Festival. Now, I love beer. And I'm not saying that as a drunk. I'm saying it as a person who loves the taste, variety, and process, and as the girlfriend of a man who brews his own beer. So as I was saying, I love beer, and I love Colorado. However, I attended the festival in 2005 when I still lived there, and I don't know that I would have made the trek back to CO (mostly due to cost) solely for the festival and if I didn't have Josh eagerly chomping at the bit to keep a tally of all the new beers he could be trying. So we went for it.

Kelly picked us up from the airport at 11pm, after a long day of nannying that started at 8am. Needless to say, she was a bit too exhausted to hit the town. Instead she offered to drop us off downtown (Pearl Street) so I could show Josh some of my old stomping grounds. I was the one driving home from the airport, in fear that Kelly might fall asleep at the wheel, and it required no thought to decide where I should drop us off: The Mountain Sun. I've blogged about The Mountain Sun before and anyone who knows me from Boulder knows about my obsession with this pub and brewery (like I said, I love beer). In fact, I've talked about this place so much that, aside from the beer festival, this was what Josh was most excited to visit. He commented on how it's interesting that after hearing about it so much, he had a very particular rendering of what it should look like in his mind, though it turned out to be very different from what he had pictured.

So Thursday night was pretty mellow. After the Mountain Sun we met up with Jeff, who now lives with Kelly, and hit my favorite bar, The Pearl Street Pub & Cellar (aka "The Pub"), and then The Sundown Saloon ("The Downer"). Friday was really the best day. It was beautiful out - luckily, because it was rainy and cold Saturday and Sunday. So Josh and I borrowed Kelly's sweet ride, the Red Dragon X675 scooter, and I gave him a tour of Boulder. For lunch I showed him the deliciousness that is The Smelly Deli. Based on its nickname, one can gather that people's opinion of this eatery is not positive across the board. But man do they make a fantastic gyro. We walked all throughout campus and I showed him the Anthropology building (because coincidentally enough, he was an Anth major in college also) and old framed pictures of the campus around the turn of the century (obviously, not the most recent turn). Then we headed to Chautauqua Park, where we went on a walk-hike and found a shady lookout area to lay around in (I know, you're throwing up a little in your mouth right now). But wait! That's not all.... we then went to the Boulder Creek for a peaceful stroll, before it got too cold and we had to head to Happy Hour to meet some friends.

Just a note: I really wanted to have amazing pictures to show form this trip, from my new low-mileage camera, but, well... I'm a dumbass and kept forgetting to bring it with me. I can't tell you how many picturesque settings I wanted to capture of our day in real nature - sometimes I forget what it looks like, living here in LA. But twenty minutes into each walk or hike I realized that I left it in the scooter. And at night, well at night I apparently forgot that I even owned a nice new camera and that it was just an arm's length away, in my purse. Boo. I got about 6 pictures from the beer fest, and they're basically multiples of the same thing. :( Hopefully soon I'll get used to being the proud owner of this mystical device called "digital camera".

Friday night we got Happy Hour at Centro, where Jeff works. Can't beat $2 rum & cokes and delicious fresh discounted tacos. Our dinner destination was Hapa, where Kelly clued me into Momokawa Pearl Sake, which is by far the best sake I have ever tried. We ran into an old friend, Courtney, who works at Hapa and we caught up for a bit. From there, we met up with Jon and Scott at The Pub. I was very pleased that they not only made the trek from Denver to hang out with me in Boulder even though they knew I would see them the next night, not only did they actually take the bus to get there, but I only had to apply a minor amount of pressure to get them to come into town. I was expecting to have to beg, plead, threaten, and then guilt trip them into it, but no. Fancy that - made my night! So Friday night's sequence was actually a lot like Thursday's... after Josh and I kicked Jon and Scott's asses in pool and then cleaned up the blood soaked floor with the rags of their pride, we headed to The Downer, where I really think Jon and Josh bonded; you know you can breathe a sigh of relief when your boyfriend goes to the bathroom and your best guy friends use that time to give the thumbs-up seal of approval to "the BF" (were Jon's exact words). Lastly, we hit up The Attic, for the latest last call in town.

Saturday was basically a day of preparation for the beer festival. Josh and I had a great time, as was to be expected. We probably tried around a hundred beers (yeah, I did the math). Given the number of brewers that presented, I easily could have spent those hundred 1oz shots on beers I've never tried. But ya know what? I just love Colorado's micro brews so much that I had to survey all those old favorites that I can't get around here. But I wouldn't call that a waste by any means. One thing the brewers do at The Great American Beer Festival is try to get attendees to sport namesake fake tattoos. The reps ask the girls if they can apply tatts to their chests or upper butts. Although a brewery tattoo applied to the chest by an overweight middle aged guy named Budd wreaks of class, I decided to forgo that offer. Instead, I warmed up to an upper arm application. I'm still sporting flaky remnants of my Newport Beach Brewing Company tattoo, which I made the exception for since they have a beer called "Balboa Brown" and that's where my dad lives (plus all their beers were really yummy). My second fake tattoo was a sneak attack from one of my all time favorite breweries, Boulder Beer Company. I was just standing there enjoying some Planet Porter when I felt a smack on my shoulder and a stream of cool liquid trickling down my arm. I was completely taken off guard but the tatt had been sealed before I even had a chance to react.

After the festival ended Josh and I met up with Scott and Jon who were watching their two home teams, The Indians and The Red Sox respectively, duke it out. I have absolutely no recollection of who won. After attempting to play pool and failing miserably, the four of us then proceeded to bar hop around Denver. The bars we went to were surprisingly empty - strange for a Saturday night I would think. I must say that I most enjoyed the semi-wet and cold adventures that occurred en route to each bar on the streets of Denver. Thanks for good times, fellas.

Sunday we had high hopes for going to a museum, but when that rainy morning arrived all we could think of was getting some greasy grub in our bellies and vegging out on Kelly's couch back in Boulder, before our evening flight (which we almost missed and ended up sprinting through DIA "Home Alone" style to catch the slowly closing doors). Now Josh is completely in love with Colorado and keeps suggesting a move to either Denver or Boulder. Although I love it there too, if I am moving to another state, I kind of want to move t somewhere I haven't lived before. Discussion of Portland has taken place, but who know what will happen.

Alright, there's my LONG recap of my weekend trip to Colorado. In light of the gloom outside, I hope you're having a warm and cozy day!

...and I will be satisfied not to read in-between the lines.

2007-10-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

I was taking one of those silly personality quizzes a minute ago and was asked the question, "If your friends had to describe you with one word it would be: Loyal, Witty, Outdoorsy, Daring, Fun". I asked five different friends for their opinion on the matter. I think it's both very amusing and interesting that just about every single person said something different:

Emily: Witty
Josh: Fun (although I had to harass him to give a single answer because he thought it was a trick question and stuck by his initial response of, "I think you're ALL those things.")
Karen: Loyal
Rob: Daring
Katie: "either Fun, Witty, or Loyal"

Outdoorsy was the only that didn't get chosen, even though I do consider myself an Outdoorsy person (I suppose I'm not as characteristically 'outdoorsy' as I am those other things).

Anyway, I think it's interesting that each of my friends perceives me in a different light. Do I present myself differently to each of them? Do they perceive me a certain way based on their own individual personalities? I'm guessing it's a combination, that based on my different friends' personalities, I let different aspects of my own personality shine through.

I guess it wasn't really a "silly quiz" after all.

Age ain't nothin' but a number

2007-09-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm 24 years old, the world seems so much different. When Monday rolled around, people immediately started calling me "ma'am" and asking for my advice on their difficult life predicaments. My landlord asked me if I was in the market to buy real estate. My dad attempted to casually ask me when I plan on settling down and giving him some more grandchildren. Being an adult is weird!

But actually, I want to know what "adult" means. Dictionary.com first defines it as, "having attained full size and strength; grown up; mature" - but I'm pretty sure I haven't attained full size yet (unfortunately) or strength (recently started working out); 'grown up'... hmm, I'll have to do a separate search for that term; mature... well isn't that relative? In fact, I think the whole notion of adulthood is pretty relative and subjective. Of course, I'm not going to argue that the 45 year-old who was smashing mailboxes with the local high school kids just a couple weeks ago still has yet to reach adulthood (he's an adult whether he's ready to admit it or not). However, I think there's about a 20 year span of room for interpretation based on one's experiences. For example, some 15 year-olds are thrust into adulthood out of need to provide for others. For some, the feeling of being an adult might not come until 35. I think a common thread, though, in being considered an adult is the necessity to provide for others. Having kids is definitely the most determining factor of adulthood. And for those who don't (want to) have kids? The determining factors probably include ownership of property, reaching a certain tax bracket, or marriage.

I DO know that I still feel just as much like a kid now as I ever have. It has it's pluses and minuses obviously. And I'm still realistic about it; I actually have a career (which still feels strange to say). But part of me wonders when that morning will come that I wake up and think, "so this is what it feels like to be an adult." Okay, so I'm pretty sure that's not how it happens, but hopefully you get my point. I feel as if I've been in a state of limbo for the past couple years now and me thinks it's time to raise the bar for my standards... I want adult standards for my youthful lifestyle. I want "things" that are new and nice - my things are old and tattered and break all the time, because as a kid, that's all I could afford. I want to be able to thrive on only 6 hours of sleep, like I witness in all adults - I am incapable of waking up before 8am and as a result it seems like I wake up, go to work, come home from work, eat, and then go right back to sleep... so my need for 8+ hours of sleep leaves me with few non-work waking hours. I guess I want to be capable of juggling more activities and responsibility, without becoming a rigid bore (just kidding, to any 'adults' reading this). I know it's possible, I just don't know how to make that transition.

Enough about my almost quarter life crisis. For my Golden Birthday this year, this is what I did: LCD Soundsystem & Arcade Fire concert on Thursday night, Josh & Karen threw me a surprise party on Friday night(!!!), Saturday went out to brunch and dinner with a bunch of friends, Sunday I went to Lauren's grandfather's funeral :( but hers is like my second family so it was good to see them, Monday I took the day off work and Josh forgot it was my actual birthday (we can joke about it now, right??) but then he felt so bad that he took the afternoon off work to bring me the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers (flowers make up for anything!), I went shopping, got a Thai massage (ouch! and most likely never again), and then went out for some delicious Yang Chow Chinese food with my family, and finally, on Tuesday, Katie took me out for my favorite sushi dinner.

That's it. I'm getting old. Maybe soon I'll start acting like it.

Thanks for tuning in.

Oh well oh well oh well!!!

2007-09-19T17:47:00.000-07:00

Well, tonight is my would be White Stripes concert *tear*. Gosh, now I feel silly; I'm commiserating a cancelled concert as if it's the one year anniversary of my dog's death. Anyway, what am I complaining about? I get to go see Arcade Fire tomorrow night, and Cat Power the next night! I still have so much exciting activity, in fact, that I'm worried about whether or not I'll be able to push through all of it (since I've always got to be worried about something). We have an international press junket taking place over the next two days and wouldn't you know it, I got the unfortunate job of morning media handler - meaning I have to be at the international guests' hotel in Santa Monica (and I live in Hollywood, mind you) at 7am tomorrow, and 6:30am on Friday. Yikes - that's waaay before my usual wake up time. Living 5 minutes from work allows me the luxury of rolling out of bed at 8:25, in order to make it to work by 9am (yeah, you read correctly, and that's including a shower - I'm low maintenance).

So the weekend (assuming it starts tomorrow) will be great fun, and I'll probably sleep through most of Saturday as a result. Then, Monday, I am taking the day off for my birthday. I used to do that in college so I could go enjoy the beauty of being outdoors with my less financially burdened and dually unemployed friends. Making that call this year, however, was a little more difficult since now we are ALL financially burdened and work conventional day jobs. So whereas in the past I took that day off so I could be more social (read: get more birthday greetings), this year I'm taking the day off to exist in solitude. But when the time came to turn in my "time off" request form I was quite certain that I'd be perfectly happy spending the day all by my lonesome... enjoying a massage, going on a hike, maybe hitting up The Grove for some from me, for me presents. Yes indeed, it will be a good day.

Josh and I would be doing a fancy b-day dinner on Monday, however a particular gift option has come to his mind, which conflicts with any other form of extravagant spending... instead of a fancy dinner (and since he needs to figure out a main attraction gift for me since The White Stripes fell through) he suggested that he put the money he would have spent on my b-day towards... a new... iPhone. Yep, livin' the dream, L-I-V-I-N!! Truth is, however, I haven't decided if that's what I want to do. You see, I'm the type on person who sort of despises her cell phone. Ask my friends and you'll find that I often don't answer it or even carry it on me for that matter; I treat it as a nuisance, a form of restriction and excessive obligation that I just don't need... I don't owe no one no darn explanation of my whereabouts! (unless of course there are extenuating circumstances, which there are about 65% of the time.) So this makes me wonder if the privilege of owning an iPhone would just be wasted on me. Of course, my current phone is one that I bought "refurbished", dates back to about 2000, and is so primitive in its graphics that, well, it has none - its dichromatic color scheme offers a dull green backlight and inanimate black stick figure images, suggestive of an inverted MS-DOS screen. So naturally, I'm not going to be chomping at the bit to flip it open and see what cool stuff is going on in my limited world of communication - rest assured, there's nothing cool going on. But even beyond that... well I'll go ahead and say it: nobody calls me!! Karen will take right to being my only chronic texter, but aside from her, Emily (who I live with anyway), and Josh (who I practically live with anyway), I wonder if my dazzling little iBuddy will get lonely. Eh, fuck it, I'll probably get it anyway.

And then on Tuesday my lovely and dear friend Katie will be treating me to the finest of dinners at our favorite sushi joint. I dare not say the name of my truly authentic little gem, since it's getting progressively busier and busier - god knows I want to keep it freed up for myself!

So there are my anticipated birthday festivities. Maybe I'll enlist friends for a more comprehensive dinner on Saturday night. T'would be a shame if not everyone was given the opportunity to offer me well wishes. (oh no she di'in't!!)

I've realized in writing this entry that I use a lot of dashes - and improperly at that! (I stand by my declaration that semicolons are pretentious).

I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself

2007-09-12T18:50:00.001-07:00

I don't think words exist that will sufficiently express my disappointment over the fact that The White Stripes cancelled their tour for the rest of the year, which includes next week's September 19 concert that I've been looking forward to (read: thinking about multiple times a day) for months now. Not only that, but it is my birthday week and those tickets were Josh's birthday present for me (now he's probably scrambling to think of something else to give me). And I've never been to a concert of theirs before. And they're just about all I've really consistently listened to for the past two years - in fact, my car CD player has been on White Stripes disc rotation for several months now, with the occasional day long break for another CD, which I immediately get tired of and then hurriedly scurry back to the heroine that is The White Stripes music. With every song I love (almost all of them) I've been thinking to myself, "OH! I hope they play that when I see them... OH! No, wait! I want them to play that one more!" Etc.

Many, many tears.

HOWEVER!!!

(section added Thursday)
TONIGHT, Josh and I are going to a live taping of E! Network's "The Soup" - a show which I absolutely adore, so I'm truly, very excited about that!! Apparently the show doesn't have a real live audience. If you watch, you'll notice that the background laughter and feedback sounds as if it is coming from a group of about ten people. Well... it is. The "audience" consists of the show's producers, crew, and such. It just so happens that E! Entertainment is one of Josh's clients and he's tight with their HR guy, so voile! We got hooked up with the intimate experience that is being part of "The Soup" audience. Do you think Joel McHale will make eye contact with me? A girl can only dream...

Vegas, Baby!

2007-09-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

Through an unexpected turn of events, I found myself in Las Vegas this past weekend. On Friday night, while sitting on our couches watching TV and trying to gain motivation to go spend too much money at some bar we kind of like, Emily casually asked, "hey, you want to go to Vegas this weekend?"

"Wellllll. I'm not really in the financial position to go to Vegas."

"We'll have a free hotel room..."

"Count me in!"

So, in the spirit of sin, we determined what time we'd leave, what risque outfits we would pack (which, aside from showing a little extra leg sass, weren't very risque at all), and just how late we'd be able to stay out that night in order to wake up early enough to hit the road (though of course we did not abide by our own guidelines and didn't actually leave LA until 2pm).

Naturally, Vegas was an exciting weekend getaway. All in all - and not counting what I spent on drinks - I only lost $10 from gambling, though I got two free drinks while playing, so I'd say I hedged my bets well. Emily wasn't so keen on losing $70 at the Roulette table - which by the way, I had never played before and is my new favorite Vegas game. Heda, lucky girl, was the big winner of this trip, being that she had a 50 Cent sighting in the hallways of The Hard Rock and she won $130 at the Roulette table! I was really hoping I'd be so lucky and my trip would end up paying for itself, but alas...

Probably to be considered one of Saturday night's highlights (and I hope this doesn't make our night sound really lame, but I'm sure it will... even though it wasn't) was a poor sap who was too drunk to realize what a - pardon my french - duechebag he sounded like in trying to pick up on each and every girl in our group. He introduced himself to us all, individually, like this: "I'm so-and-so, I own Sharkey's restaurant, I'm sure you know of Sharkey's, I have a ticket to the VMAs tomorrow night, Are you going to come with me?" says the 25 year old, all in one sentence, I kid you not. We didn't feel so bad laughing at the situation, given that he was such a - as I mentioned before - duechebag. After his introduction and the expected eye rolling that ensued on my part, he said he's from LA too, he went to USC. I noted that my parents both went to USC - poor move. From that moment on, for the rest of the ~~night~~ morning he proceeded to shout "FIGHT ON!!" with his fingers in the air every time I wasn't paying attention to him... which was constantly.

But honestly, we had a fun weekend excursion. The car ride home was a bit rough for me and Emily, for a reason that I just feel horrible relaying/writing about, so I won't. It was traumatic and like nothing I've ever had to experience before... I hope that I never do again.

Yikes, this post got awfully dark for Vegas. I'm in a dark mood right now, so you know, that happens. Anyway... adios.

The sound of peace and quiet

2007-08-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

Good day my fair readers.

I have an inquiry for which I’d like to elicit your suggestions and recommendations:

I LOVE the sound of white noise when I am falling asleep at night, specifically, the constant droning of a fan. I love it so much that I find it difficult to feel comfortable and soothed while falling asleep without the noise. Unfortunately, two problems have arisen: (1) the fan is great on hot nights, but when fall and winter roll around I basically force myself to shiver like I’m trapped in an icebox just so that I can have that auditory bliss - since the calming effect I get from the fan outweighs the bitter sensation that my frosty skin endures, and (2) I have been waking up with a raw throat and congested sinuses from the harsh conditions of the constant air blast (even when it is oscillating).

So my question is this: does anyone know of some sort of white noise device that I can use in lieu of a fan, to help me fall asleep at night? It’s going to have to be something that’s more or less identical to a fan sound; I’ve heard alarm clocks that offer rain, wind, and ocean settings, and though they might suffice, I’d really like the basic sound of a fan.

I eagerly await all responses and suggestions!

Activities Worth Mentioning

2007-08-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Well hello there. It’s been called to my attention that I haven’t written much this month. I’ve started a few different entries but something always comes up and I don’t have time to finish them. So I’m going to see if I have enough time to squeeze one out right now.

The past week has been jam packed with activities. Be it a Dodger game, a night with grandparents, staffing a work related event, moving furniture, attending a show at the Hollywood Bowl, jet-setting to San Francisco for the weekend, or seeing THE BEASTIE BOYS (what what!) at The Greek AND The Wiltern, I just can’t seem to get a quiet night of relaxation at home. Oh woe is me!

Yes, the past eight days have consisted of all those activities, and more. Where do I start? How about I work backwards in time. So, yeah, I saw The Beastie Boys last night in concert at The Greek Theatre, ya know, no big deal. So like, they were amazing and it was probably one of the best few concerts I’ve ever been to, if not THE best, (shrug) but whatevs… in all seriousness though: WOW. I’ve been ardently listening to these B Boys since I was about eleven years old (“be true to yourself and you will never fall” was my eighth grade yearbook graduation quote), and yet I had never seen them live. Last night was exactly what I was hoping for, but so much more than I expected. They played more or less the entire Ill Communication album, which is definitely my favorite album, the one that first got me interested in their music, in fact – the one I was hoping they would play plenty of songs from. The stage was absolutely magnificent: a dozen or two rounded tyriangular, asymmetrical, different sized screens loosely hung in a wave shape over the stage, shining different lights and patterns throughout the show; the raised instrument section of the stage (including two full drum sets, other forms of percussion, and keyboards) had bright, color changing lining underneath it, which illuminated the whole stage – during funky jams they set the color to a mellow orangey-red and during high energy rhymes it alternated bright whites, yellows, blues, reds, greenss etc.; Mix Master Mike’s turntable setup had strobe lights posted on both outside table corners; they were all dressed in suh-weet getups, reminiscent of 1940s speakeasy-goers. The whole act was very classy, even when singing “No Sleep ‘til Brooklyn”. Overall, the show had a very funky, lounge-like feel, due to the new instrumental album the are promoting, called The Mix Up.

Oh, and did I mention that I’m going to see them again tonight at The Wiltern, for their all-instrumental “Gala Event” show, for which audience members are expected to dress to the nines? Oh, I did? Well anyway, I’m doing that too.

Whew, I’m already out of figurative breath, and I haven’t even started talking about the weekend. On Friday night Karen, Emily and I set out for San Francisco, for a weekend of fun in honor of Sam’s birthday. A weekend of fun indeed. I really don’t know that I could have had a better time. Naturally, after going out to dinner that night, we set out on the town. I don’t know the name of the first bar we went to, but it was nice until it got over crowded. At that point we headed to one of Sam’s favorite bars called “The Red Room”. The name says it all: everything, everywhere you look, is red. They even have wall partitions made of bottles that reflect red everywhere (perhaps the bottles themselves are red, I don’t know). I definitely liked the layout there. Of course, when you’re on vacation, no night simply ends when you hear the shouts of “last call!” and realize the lights are fading back on, making your red room appear not so red after all. So we went to an apartment that had pretty cool graffiti covering the inside walls, which made for some unique photographs.

Saturday might have been my favorite day of all. For his birthday, Sam wanted to play softball. I was pumped about it as soon as I heard. I love softball but stopped playing after eighth grade because I was never very good; despite having a decent arm, I was always pretty much a benchwarmer. Regardless, I’ve always loved to play catch and I guess I just really like games in general. Anyway, we spent the whole afternoon outside, in the sun, being merry. It was grand and I’d really like to make a habit of it… outdoor game-playing, that is. After getting cleaned up we started the evening by convening for “Happy Hour” (read: 10pm) at Sam’s. The first bar we headed out to was so interesting. It was actually an art gallery that throws themed parties every week. This weekend the theme was croquet, or garden party, or something of that nature. The entire floor was covered in plush grass – I couldn’t resist walking around barefoot. Plus, there was an upstairs loft area that we had to our group of about 15 people for a good hour, so it made for our own little private party. The second place we went to was also interesting in its own rite (I hope I remember the story correctly): back in the day, Miles Davis opened this cool little jazz bar and I guess it was quite the musical destination for awhile. It closed and remained closed for about twenty years, and only recently reopened with the new name “222”. The DJ in the back had us all getting groovy, dancing our little hearts out until, yet again, it was time for them to kick us out for closing.

Sunday consisted of lying around in Washington Park all day, from which my face incurred a nasty red sunburn unlike one I’ve had in years. But it was relaxing and totally enjoyable to just lounge around on a grassy knoll all afternoon with a handful of good friends. All in all, it was fantastic to hang out with old friends all weekend, in addition to meeting and making new ones. Great people, awesome city, what more could I ask for?

That’s all the energy I have to write about things in the past. So, there you go.

The Boys in Blue

2007-08-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I went to a Dodger game last night, my first of the season. They played the Houston Astros. I had forgotten that fans of the away team often infultrate the robust exhibition of regional pride that occurs at baseball games. But sure enough, jerseys of brick red & tan with names...

Outfield seats aren't as far away as I remember them being when I was a kid.

Haha - I never finished this post...

One more cup of coffee for the road

2007-08-01T15:44:00.001-07:00

I wasn't fully aware that I had become addicted to caffeine - yet again - until today. I'm sitting here at my desk with a throbbing head, almost as though my sinuses are backed up and the only cure is to lay in bed and sleep it off. Looking at my computer screen, I can't focus. I try to sit up straight but my back curls over the edge of my desk. I try to write this blog entry and find myself holding my head as though it hurts to think, as I harness all my energy to squeeze out one collected thought at a time... very... slowly.

It's only been one or two weeks since I've reverted to my old ways of sipping the juice in the morning. Ah coffee, my old comrade: a pick me up, something to get my day started. I began drinking again, thinking it was harmless; just a way to make sure I'm ready and raring to go by the time I get to work, a way to focus my mind. Once I acknowledged my dependency on it - the last time around - I realized I should get off the stuff "for good". Then, months later, I actually decided to... when I saw that my teeth had become the charming shade of 1920s photographs. Superficial? Maybe. But what kind of person would I turn into if I sustained such a vice? I mean, Mommy always said caffeine made Daddy mean at night time.

And now - after moving into a new apartment and establishing a new route to work, which happens to pass right by my local coffee shop - I've begun groggily stumbling in for a little morning boost, despite my triumph of kicking that habit months ago. A girl's gotta wake up somehow!

So here I sit, at my computer, half awake, chatting on instant messenger with my friend from down the hall about needing caffeine - a conversation he initiated after witnessing my condition. "Maybe we should walk down the street for some coffee," he says very sympathetically. I find it funny that as I write this, all my concurrent communications with other people orbit around this powerful little drink. What a hold it has on me!

After much deliberation, I think we've built up the morale. I'm off to get some caffeine!

The Darjeeling Limited trailer

2007-07-25T15:35:00.001-07:00

Oh, I'm really excited. Wes Anderson is my absolute favorite. I've never enjoyed another movie or style of movie-making the way I enjoy his. I mean honestly, his movies make me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

I Like Concerts

2007-07-23T18:37:00.000-07:00

(alternate title: Concerts Are Fun)

I missed out on seeing the Shout Out Louds on Thursday night (tickets which I won online) because it was the one year anniversary of Dance Right at La Cita. The theme was Disco Prom and because the costume theme nights are usually such a spectacle, how could I resist? Surprisingly, not many people showed up for a theme night, and few were even in costume - very unusual. I suspect many of the infrequent attendees figured it would be utter chaos and decided to forgo the madness. So anyway, I gave those Shout Out Loud tickets to Wade and he was kind enough to give me an over-sized bottle of wine in return. And yes, he DID know that I got them for free.

Friday night I went to see a friend of Katie's play at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. Pretty music, but really heavy, I tell you what. Like, should-I-just-go-ahead-and-jump? type music.

Saturday (the main attraction of this blog entry) Karen took me to the Daft Punk concert downtown at the Sports Arena. Boy oh boy, what a show! I definitely have never danced that hard, which says a lot considering my stint as a faux hippie during college; I've been to an awful lot of jam band shows and done my fair share of twirling, prancing, and downright jigging. But Daft Punk put all other dance-worthy concerts to shame. Plus, their space suits were just awesome - for the encore they turned off most of the lights onstage and their suits and helmets were lined in glowing red neon lighting. I've never seen them before so it was all new to me. Thank you for that, once again, Karen.

AND, I just won MORE concert tickets. I absolutely love giveaways. The trick is you keep an eye or ear out for those underground outlets that probably won't have many people calling in/entering right away. This time the tickets are for Martin Rev at the Silverlake Lounge, from good ol' KXLU - gotta love those sometimes-staticky, low numbered radio stations.

Good Morning Sunshines

2007-07-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

When I arrive at work in the morning - arms awkwardly full with Staples office supplies and mind scattered from run-ins with some of the more ridiculous representatives of this human race - there's really nothing better than opening my Microsoft Outlook and seeing that the subject line of my first email reads "3 pictures for you"...

Good morning sunshines!

Camping in the Sierras

2007-07-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

So here is documentation of my recent camping experience. Minutes after we arrived we headed to the pond for some swimming and games (that pond was a life saver since it was so hot up there). In fact, we spent most of our time playing games. All different kinds of games: card games, dominoes, horse shoes, four square (on the dock in the middle of the pond - if you missed the ball you were most likely diving into the water to get it, an added element of fun), swings, etc. Josh even took me for a ride on the back of one of the motorcycles they had at the campsite. We also did a lot of relaxing.

Next was our day trip to a lake (Mammoth Lake, I think Marissa said?). We drove to the trail head and then there was a short hike o reach the lake. There are stones of all different sizes at the lake, all throughout, and it's pretty shallow, so you could basically rock hop across the entire thing. It was very cool.

On our way back we stopped at a meadow that has a few 'abandoned' shacks dispersed throughout. But actually, someone had obviously taken up residence in them, because they had insulated the insides with tarp and left behind cans of soups and shotgun shells - notice the bullet holes in the metal chimney - scary. But I did enjoy admiring the beautiful scenery.

I missed out on the second mini-lake excursion. Bummer. But here's the highlight of it:

Yep, me chopping wood:

A last view of the local meadow:

THE END!

Desperately Seeking Suggestions

2007-07-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

Currently I am in the process of organizing and launching an online publicity arm for my PR agency. The movement has already been approved, though I must have a proposal plan/outline completed by the end of the week. As you may have guessed, simply based on the fact that you are reading this blog right now, I'm at a loss about where to start. So I figured, maybe writing a blog will get the juices flowing. My problem is constructing the grand scheme and assigning an order to what few processes I have determined must occur.

I've attended panels and webinars about Social Media, Web 2.0, and blogging, but all seem to be more directed towards those companies that already have a very involved website and/or blog. I've done my Internet research, but still feel void of key elements and know-how necessary to the start-up process. I feel like once I get the ball rolling, once I gain some momentum, not only will things start to fall into place more naturally, but I'll also have a better idea of how to navigate, based on the live action. Right now it's as if I'm trying to draw a map to some distant place I visited when I was younger; I know what the place looks like, but I really wouldn't be able to create a layout for how to get there.

Of course, it's occurred to me that maybe I'm selling myself short. Maybe - like other endeavors that I've let fizzle and dry out despite having been quite excited about them at one point - I'm just too scared of the jumping off point, or too intimidated by the work that a new and unfamiliar project requires. Maybe, just maybe, all those informational forums have formed some sort of retention in my brain and I actually do have the capacity to tackle this obstacle. Maybe...

Regardless, if anyone out there has any suggestions whatsoever, broad or specific, in regards to the development of a detailed proposal plan for launching an online publicity website and/or blog, my ears are wiiiide open.

Idiocracy

2007-07-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

Upon logging out of my hotmail account this morning, I came across an article entitled Your 5 Minute Guide to Raising Kids. At first I thought it was very sad that an article like this exists, then I thought it was funny, then I got a little sad again. It sort of begs the question of what contributes to poor parenting mentalities - which breed aloof parents who think reading an article like this is making a god-honest effort to be a better and more responsible parent. It's a big circle.

On a similar strand, Josh and I watched the movie Idiocracy last night. Our Netflix choices were Superman Returns, The Inconvenient Truth, and Idiocracy. Because I was attempting to unpack my new apartment, while lounging in my room watching a movie (first time I've had such a luxury!), I wanted something that didn't require all my attention. Idiocracy stars Luke Wilson (say no more) and Maya Rudolph and, well, sounds like just the type of movie I was looking for. Oddly enough though, my eyes were glued to the TV, as I unwittingly dropped a few IQ points by watching this movie.

The premise of Idiocracy is actually pretty humorous in it's satirical nature, which is also to say that, unfortunately, in some respect it is on par with reality. More specifically, the movie is commentary on the reality of the US and the exponential multiplication of uneducated white trash families vs. the dying out of intelligent and responsible people who focus their time on bettering their careers and being cautious, instead of making babies. Come 2505, the world has been taken over by idiots who can barely communicate (due to a vocabulary that is about 50% groaning noises and 35% the word "shit") and an ineffectively run government of people so moronic and controlled by consumerism that their most prominent disaster is dusts storms caused by lack of plant life... because they think they are supposed to water their crops with Gatorade as opposed to water... cuz it's got them electrolyte thingies. I'll stop there.

And, just like last night, I've already devoted more time and attention to this movie than I really should have. I guess the director was savvier than I initially thought.

On a less ridiculous note: the apartment is coming along great! Most of my stuff is moved in, and though it still appears to be in shambles, it's starting to feel like home. It's light and airy and is definitely located in the most optimal place in the complex, where we only share 1 wall with an adjoining neighbor (not that we're really loud, I just don't want to worry that someone will get upset whenever we play music after dusk). Plus, I think I fall in love with the neighborhood a little more each time I arrive home after work. Who would have thought that my first apartment in LA would be only a half mile from the house I grew up in. I couldn't be more thrilled!

What is up in my world

2007-06-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

A lot of stuff, actually. I've been very busy lately.

CONCERTS:
I went to CSS this past Sunday with Ruthie, Marissa, & Ethan. It was great fun. I got a call at 5pm from Ruthie asking if I wanted to join the trio on their excursion because they had an extra ticket. I was pretty tired, but given that, I still managed to dance my socks off. CSS has great energy and put on a great show. The lead singer wore 3 layers of clothing, but I only remember 2: an elaborate sequins unitard, which she shed to then expose a more fitting, shiny unitard underneath. I felt like I was at a kids' concert for grownups. Like I said, it was great.

The White Stripes are coming to town - San Diego & Inglewood - in September, so I've got to remember to buy tickets for that. I'm not going to disclose what date the tickets go on sale, in an attempt to preserve my chances at securing a pair for myself. HA!

The Reverend Horton Heat are coming to Long Beach in July and I'm torn about the situation; I was very excited to see them in concert yet again, but then I found out they are only playing a set at an annual convention on the Queen Mary. BUT it's a TATTOO convention, which also sounds like great fun. Point is: I'm going either way (I just wish they were playing a full show).

FUN:
Lats night Josh and I bottled his second round of home brew beer, so if you're a local friend, get excited!! Thus far, the lukewarm un-carbonated product tastes great! I'm very excited for two weeks from now.

I'm going to an art exhibit with Marissa tonight. I'm actually really excited that she has (unintentionally) been motivating me to be more active in the realm of arts. I haven't actually started painting or drawing again recently, but I think frequenting exhibits definitely gives inspiration, so thank you for that, Marissa!

I'm so excited to go to Boulder next week!! Yep, the gals are having a Colorado reunion. It will be me, Emily, Karen, Kate, Megan, Kelly, Kirby, & Betsy. So so so excited. I'll be there from 6/20-6/24, if anyone is still in town and wants to meet up. It's been over a year since I went back to visit and I'm having withdrawals. But it's going to be a little different this time. See, very few of our college crew still live there, so it's not like I'll be going back to have fun reliving the college days. No, I'll be back there getting an entirely different experience than I've ever had in Boulder. We're staying at a hotel, as opposed to a familiar house. We'll be getting spa treatments, as opposed to walking around campus. We're going back as adults!! But hey, it's still Boulder - beautiful Colorado. I can't wait to be up in the mountains, breathing the fresh air, seeing those white billowing clouds, and feeling the bright sun, sans smog. Plus, we will still be frequenting the same old spots: happy hours, lunches, and dinners at The Mountain Sun, pool at the Downer (Sun Down Saloon, for those of you who aren't familiar), The Attic, or The Pub (and also for some great jukebox action), Emily and Megan's birthday dinner at The Med(iterranean), Haricovert and cocktails at the Brasserie Ten Ten, roof top cocktails at K's China. We'll have our mountain hikes and sunbathing at the usual spots high above gorgeous canyons - oh my god, I am SO EXCITED!!! (Albeit that Jon won't be there and I'm really sad I don't get to hang with him. Mad love, homey... expect a sip on the concrete.)

BUSINESS:
Emily and I are currently apartment hunting!! This will be fun eventually, but right now the process of actually finding a place - all the calls and visits and numbers - just really feels like business. I am finally moving out of my dad's place. It's been almost a year and a half since I moved back from Colorado and I really should have saved more money during this period of not paying rent. See, I'm never really in money trouble, but I just have a problem saving for the possibility of something undetermined. Basically I need a goal for which to be saving, in order to really save any substantial amount. I didn't have set date or plan for when I wanted to move out, this opportunity just sort of came up, so I could have planned a lot better I think. Either way, I'm psyched to get my own place. I feel like I haven't had a home for the past year. I feel as though I'm a guest in my father's house, so I only stay there about once every 2 weeks. Josh's house is great, but I'm starting to feel as though I've overstayed my welcome with the roommates. It'll be refreshing to move out and get my life in order. I just want to find some place great, and the hunt is really daunting.

So that's what's up with me. This weekend I have Father's Day boat rides to attend and brunches to make, yet still no gift ideas. Any suggestions?

Culver City Art Walk

2007-06-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty active the past week or so, which has felt really good. I already wrote about the ARcade Fire concert, being that that activity completely warrants its own entry.

So, this weekend...

Karen and I started Friday night by eating at my favorite sushi place, which I've been going to since fifth grade with my dad: Noshi Sushi! It's very authentic; no frilly & elaborate Americanized rolls (the closest they come is the California Roll, which is standard now anyway). They have the freshest, tastiest raw fish I've ever engorged. Yum. I could eat there everyday (but that would get pricey). However, their sake carafes are only $3, and beer, only $2.50.

Next we headed to an art exhibit opening enitled "Happy Squirter" at , for artist "Buff Monster". The opening was in honor of (and timed with) the Culver City Art Walk, which took place the next day. The painting there were good; there were elements I liked, like use of waves of water droplets in every picture, but all in all, not really my style. I couldn't see these paintings matching with anything inside my house (when I get one). They had an opening bar and were serving Stone Pale Ale and Arrogant Bastard(!! - though unfortunately the latter's supply was expended by the time I got there). Open bar is ALWAYS great, and even better when they are serving good beer. In fact, I was so excited over the beer that I didn't even explore what type of Vodka they were using for martinis - I really could have scored! We also ran into some friends there, so that's always fun.

Then we headed to Karen's new favorite bar for some pool playing and debauchery.

Then, Saturday, Marissa and I... I saved this draft and never finished the entry, but it is now a week old... went to the Culver City Art Walk, after going to a sample jewelry sale in Santa Monica. The art walk was great. We first spent about 3 hours at the Museum of Jurassic Technology (aka Museum of Oddities). It was fascinating in the more obscure and strange way. I will most likely devote a blog entry to it, so expect that. Then we visited a few more galleries, including the Tim Biskup exhibit. This was the one that Marissa had been wanting to see, and I'm glad it was on her list. I really enjoyed his work. Unfortunately the prices were a bit out of my range, so I only got to admire them there.

I was going to write in detail about everywhere we went, but i let to much time pass before I revisited this entry. I do that a lot: get excited to write about certain things but then never have time to finish the blog in the detail that I want to, so the subject matter just sort of fizzles out. Hopefully I'll get a system down (it's all about having a system, huh Josh?). Ok, tata.

Kids are swingin from the power lines

2007-06-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

I saw Arcade Fire at The Greek on Wednesday night. It was phenomenal. They were fantastic. Josh and I had seats in section A, row J... which is very close. Where's J in the alphabet? About 13? I just counted - it's 10. So we were 10 rows back from the very tiny 'pit'. I think a shard of guitar wood hit me in the chaos of instrument demolition. They put on such an amazing show and give off such a great energy. (To be said with a German accent:) Zey're so passionate, no? (I don't know why, just because. Probably because it's a cheesy sounding statement.) Things that make Arcade Fire a superb live band: 1) like I said, they're energy - they are all constantly jumping and dancing around, like the devil said, "play music like you mean it or it's your life!" and thy have no choice but to rune around like madmen with their instruments. Well that's just the men in the group who do play so ferociously. The women just dance really exuberantly, with occasional thrashing. Okay, so 2) the fact that there are so many member in the band. There are 10 (I believe) and they seem more like an orchestra than the traditional rock band. That many players just adds to the energy. 3) Most of them repeatedly swap instruments. This probably should be listed as number one, as far as qualifying factors of a great band go. Violinists and brass players stay on their instruments (although I'm sure the brass players switch it up), but everyone else jumps around from guitars to organ to piano to drums to xylophone to accordion to hurdy-gurdy (yes, I looked up what that cranking instrument is called). There were at least 3 different people on the organ throughout the night. Yes, I could just go on and on about how absolutely fantastic Arcade Fire is. OH! And Win, the lead singer, ran throughout the audience during the encore break, all the way up to the back of rows. And they called him down, Price is Right style, because they had gone to a taping that day and were pumped on the show (talked about it between songs and "Richard" was still wearing his over-sized name tag).

Phew, that was long. So,Dance Right Last night. Ryan Gosling is now a regular and I feel the need to hide my face whenever I notice him. Because you know, professing my crush on him was something I did under the assumption that I'd never see him again. Not that he'd remember, but still. I'm awkward like that. Right Marissa? ;) ("Right").

Standin on a hill in my mountain of dreams

2007-05-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

The past couple weeks have been really stressful. I'm lost at work (which is about as eloquently as I can explain it). I've been really sick. I have to go back to the doctor next week because upon examining X-rays of my chest on Wednesday, I was told that my lung shape is characteristic of someone who has emphysema or has had asthma their entire childhood (which I haven't); they are very long and narrow, relatively speaking, and I have an odd ribcage configuration. He labeled them, "overly inflated". But fingers crossed that it's just attributable to odd anatomy. Every little decision has been stressing me out. I thought last week I just was stressed about throwing Josh a surprise birthday party, but Friday came and went and the surprise went off without a hitch. Yet still, this anxiety lingers.

Well, my friend Lauren shared the poem below with me today. It was written a couple years ago for her great aunt, who past away last Saturday. It's beautiful and helped ease my stress a bit this morning, so I thought I'd share:

Sometimes we get lucky in this life
And friends come bearing large hearts
And say “Have Some”

Sometimes, we get lucky in this life
And glee emerges from old sorrows
And broken hearts are broken wide open,

And we step out of them
And a voice that was once ours
Wonders, “what took you so long?”

Sometimes we get lucky in this life
And step out of ourselves long enough
To love one another

Sometimes we get lucky in this life
And others are stepping out of themselves
At the same time

And we get lucky and hold out our hands
And for a change, there’s more than air
Between our fingers,

When we’re lucky
We get all this and give it away
We’re lucky if its ours to give

And if children leap to catch it
As though our offerings were fireflies
Small nimbi to be snapped into jars

If we’re lucky in this life
The memory of those nighttime flickers
Lightens later years. The on/off switch of miracle

Sometimes we get luck this life
And from grief mercy flows

Lucky life, Virginia
Oh, lucky, lucky life

Yes, I'm That Kind of Aunt

2007-05-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

So my 3 year old nieces had their very first ballet recital and I really can't imagine anything cuter than the pictures you are about to witness...

Before...

During...

After...

Food For Thought

2007-05-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

I don't even know how to comment on this article.
I mean, it's devastatingly sad that some people lose their entire life by being locked up in prison for a crime they didn't commit, simply because someone must be blamed. It's fantastic that this man was at least able to salvage what's left of his life, and his name. But just thinking about what torment he's probably gone through already... well stories like this just cause such mixed emotions. So, I guess that's my comment.

Growing Up (Old)

2007-05-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

I really must be entering a new phase of life. I actually turned down a Modest Mouse concert on Sunday night, which I had been so excited for in the days prior. I just got tired and decided it would be too much to deal with. When did this happen to me? When did I start turning down concerts of bands that I love because standing until midnight sounded too tiring? I guess it happened when I got a real job. I worry that my ten hour work days seem so long and gruelling that I'm inclined to give up those things that I genuinely love doing because they have become too demanding of time and energy. Or maybe I'm just getting old!

When I was in junior high I used to say that I wanted to start having kids at 23 because I wanted to be a young, in touch parent. The last time I remember making that statement was maybe my freshman year in high school. Ten years seemed so removed from my reality back then. Now I'm 23, and while I feel like an old lady in one respect, I still feel so much like a kid that I can't imagine wanting to have one of my own right now. I mean, after seeing how quickly the past five years have gone by, I wonder, when am I going to feel ready or adult enough to take on that role? Ten years? At this point, I think that I'd want to start trying for kids about when 30 hits. But is that really so? Thirty's probably closer than I think. I still need to decide what I want to be when I grow up. I wonder when I'm going to stop feeling like a kid and starting identifying myself as an adult. Quite honestly, I'm not looking forward to it.

Table Tennis champions of the entertainment industry, UNITE!

2007-05-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

I'm partaking in a charity ping pong -eh hem- table tennis tournament tomorrow for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. It's called the "Celebrity Grand Slam Paddle Jam". What - you didn't know I'm a celebrity? No, no - tricked ya! I'm just one of the many 'lay people' competing in this fundraiser for the Research Hospital. It's an industry thing and I am one of the two representatives from my office, by default. There will be 32 two person teams, consisting of publicists, attorneys, executives, and yes, celebrities (I think Sophia Bush is the most exciting one participating, so make what you will of that). I would be, and was, pretty excited for the amazing prizes:

Grand prize: To attend the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving (whatever that is) in Phoenix, Arizona; Southwest Airlines tickets to Phoenix, Arizona; one year of DIRECTV and more.
Runner-up: The runner-up team will win a trip to the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, including VIP entry for two nightclubs (my partner and I decided we'll intentionally place second when it gets to that point, since this prize is so much better... although free DirectTV for a year sounds pretty sweet too).
Last 8 teams standing: Free round trip JetBlue tickets - wha wha!

So yes, I would be excited, except for the facts that a) I have to wake up at 4:30am to staff tomorrow morning's radio media tour, b) I have to run around town tomorrow to staff an interview at FOX News, c) this tournament goes until 12:30am (probably later), and c) I'M SICK. Yes, it's been abundantly obvious around the office that I am sick, from the fact that everyone has commented on my relentless, deep chested cough all week. However, I wasn't given much of a choice. The long day wouldn't be such a breaker, except for the fact that I am wheezing with every deep breath. (yes, I nearly just had a major flip out here at work but decided to write in my blog to calm myself)

And by the way, Ping pong is exhausting! Josh and I went to a rec center last night to get some paddle practice in, and man was I worked afterwards. But it was great fun; not something I do too often. I needed to get some practice in because my partner is allegedly quite the contender and is taking this very seriously (half in a joking way, half not I think). I surly don't want to disappoint!

Wish me luck!