When it rains, it pours

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:

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

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.

With Bells On

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.

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.