Monday, November 1, 2010

Sisters....Sisters....There were never such devoted sisters!

Lindsey came to visit me!!!! She came in late last Friday night....basically Saturday morning. But it worked out perfectly because I got off work and drove straight to the Airport to pick her up and she only had to wait for me for like 10 minutes! Love it!

So we just went straight to bed. The next day, we walked up Vine St and then down Hollywood Blvd the whole way. Got to check out all of the stars! One the way, we stopped at a little alcove of restaurants and grabbed some food. Then we kept on our way to The Kodak and Grauman's.

After that, we walked back to my place and changed and then headed to Venice Beach to walk the boardwalk. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Venice is the best people watching experience ever! It's pretty wonderful! We saw people rollerskating to music, skateboarding at the skate park, we saw a three headed turtle. We saw a guy jump over a half dozen people. And of course Muscle Beach....you're always sure to see some characters there. And Lindsey bought some cute jewelry for a couple bucks too. Can't beat that. We even ran into my friends Jesse and Patrick who were also showing someone around town!

After Venice, we just went down the street to Santa Monica. As we were parking, I saw Chewey from Chelsea Lately. This is her mexican midget assistant. I was pretty excited, but Lindsey has never seen the show so she had no idea who he was! :)

We walked down the pier and watched the Sunset there. Then we stopped for some wonderful funnel cake. Then we were cold (the wind sucks....or blows....out on that pier) so we went to the car. We had been trying to think of some Halloween things to do that night....but everything was so darn expensive and we were pretty beat.....so we decided to just go back to my place, carve pumpkins and watch a scary movie. BUT FIRST.....

We went to Pink's. I finally had a Pink's hot dog. Even though we were not hungry....te he he. You'll see Pink's on the Food Network sometimes. It's a famous hot dog stand that actually started during the depression and it still stands. There's usually a line around the block, but we waited because I was told that it moves fast. I call bullshit on that one. 50 minutes for a hot dog is a bit much. It was good though....just not 50 minutes good. Then we went back to my place and met my friend Richard to carve some pumpkins.

The next day, we got up and went to the bar...te he he. It was Sunday and there was a Steeler game to watch. We changed it up this week and went to Big Wangs instead of Hooters....hmmm....what's with the naming of sports bars? Anyway, Hooters is just a Steeler bar (which is kind of like any bar back home, except it's kinda cool cause you know you're 3000 miles away and still have all of those fans) and Big Wangs really shows how there is a crowd for every single team in this town. After that, we tried to hit up the Farmer's Market, which was on that block, but they were starting to close down at that point.

We couldn't go too far because my play was that night, so we just decided to do the whole Beverly Hills, Bell Air, Rodeo Drive route...and if it was still light out, we'd go to the La Brea Tar Pits.

We drove down Sunset to go through the Strip and then went up through Beverly Hills. Now, in Beverly Hills....they're very good about using hedges and fences so that no one can really see anything. But I chose a decent street to go up and we saw some nice houses. Then, we went passed the gate to Bell Air, and there were lots of Open House signs out front.....so we went in and drove around and looked at houses. We went to go to a couple open houses, but I chickened out. We would have been the only ones there....it was around 4:00 so they were all getting really to leave and I didn't want to be the reason we kept them there. Also....the one house we pulled into would've taken at least an hour to walk through.....it was the size of a hotel.....and not a small hotel!

So, we just drove around and admired the archetecture....and wondered who lived there (especially the one that had tons of signs outside that said 'absolutely not stopping anytime' in front of the house....hmmm). After that, we walked down Rodeo Drive....which is always fun.

We ended up having enough time to go to the Tar Pits. They were really bubbly that day which was nice. For those of you who have never seen it before....it is exactly what the name says....it's a pit of tar. It smells like a construction site, but it's actually kind of cool. Just don't expect a lot when you go there....te he he.

Then we needed food, so we went to the Fairfax Farmer's Market (the one that's always there). After that, it was show time....Lindsey really enjoyed the closing night of my play! And then we went to a bar with my cast mates.

The entire time that she was here, we were debating on whether or not to go to Catalina on Monday. I had purchased snorkeling tickets earlier in the week, but it had been rainy and we found out that the ticket to get to the island was really expensive. After looking at the weather report on the island for Monday and my wonderful brother-in-law saying that he would buy our boat tickets, we decided to go.

It was soooo much fun. The boat ride was nice. Lindsey thinks she saw a seal....I didn't see one though. Snorkeling was awesome....we saw some really cool fish. It was cold though! Oh....did I mention that about 2 hours north just a few days earlier, a guy was killed by a shark.....te he he....we're rebels!

Catalina island is sooo pretty. We didn't even get to see much of it. We went into some shops. Then Lindsey went to shop for a bottle of wine for Chris. And then we had dinner on the water.....after a quick stroll back to our pick up point, it was time to take the boat back to Long Beach. Once we were back there, we walked around Long Beach for a while. There was a little place called Seaside Village that we saw when our boat was leaving and we wanted to check it out. Most of it was closed at that point, but it was still cute. All of Long Beach is cute. We also got some great views of the Queen Mary. Then we got locked in out parking garage....te he he. No cashiers, no automated system. Just called the security guard to let us out....but I didn't have to pay that way....te he he.

The next day was brief. Lindsey had to go back to Pittsburgh in the early afternoon so we really only had a little bit of time. We went to this place up in the hills to get a good picture of the Hollywood Sign. It took a while to get both of us in there because I had to set up my timer. The only other people there at the time I don't think spoke english. But we got it. Then we went to In and Out Burger because I got yelled at by my friend Michelle for not taking her there....te he he.

Then it was off to the airport. It was so much fun while she was out here....but man was I beat! I know she was too and then she got home late and had to get up early for work....poor Lindsey.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Best....Day.....Ever!!!!

Okay....I know I have a lot to catch up on....the rest of Katie's visit. My seeing Harry Connick Jr., John Williams, and Goo Goo Dolls....but I'm going to take today and write about the best day ever!

As soon as ticket to the Ellen Degeneres show became available, I knew that I wanted to request tickets for me birthday, Sept 22. Since that was only the second week of the season, I also knew it was going to be hard to get them…..they would be in pretty high demand. Well, I submitted my request and a day or two later, someone from the Ellen show called me and told me that they have standby tickets for me. She said that we would be put in the audience only if people with guaranteed tickets did not show up. Otherwise, we would be put behind the audience, in the riff raff room to watch the taping and get two guaranteed tickets for another day. I thought ‘as long as I’m doing something concerning seeing Ellen on my birthday, I consider that a score! So I accepted that offer rather than figuring out another show to go to.

My birthday celebrations actually began the Saturday before my birthday. I had planned to go to an outdoor screening of Ferris Bueller. It was also a food festival and thought it would be a lot of fun. Well, considering people would have to meet at my place around 4 or 4:30 and it would last until roughly 11:00, not that many people could commit to giving up that much of their Saturday. I totally understood that and adjusted my plans. I just had a very laid back shin dig at my place that evening. I was so happy that a good many people could come and just hang out, drink, and chat (and play a very stirring game called 7’s….but that’s a story for another day).

So, the night before my birthday, I actually went out to a karaoke bar with my friend Elvia. I know her from work and it turns out we have the same birthdays and she was actually turning 21. It was tons of fun. We did a shot at midnight and sang songs and had a great time.

The next day, I woke up nice and early to go to the Ellen show. Just to let you know….this was a huge deal for me. Before I left for the big move here, the question would always arise…’what will you do when you first get to LA?’ I would avoid the awkward ‘get headshots’ or ‘find an apartment’ or any of that boring stuff to respond with and I would always answer with ‘I’m going to the Ellen show.’ So, actually going on my birthday was kind of a big deal.

My friend Laura, from work….not Laura from PA, was meeting me to come with me to the show. I was excited to take her because I really did want to bring someone that genuinely really wanted to go to the Ellen show. So, she always says that she invited herself because she jumped on the opportunity to go. But, I keep telling her that I threw out the open invite because I wanted someone to jump on that chance. I wanted to take someone that was as excited as I was.

Our original plan was to leave my apt by 9:00. LA traffic being what it is had to get in the way of that. We left here around 10ish instead. We checked in at the Ellen show, got our numbers and were told to report back by 1:30. I only live about 15 minutes from the studio, so we just went back to my place.

I came back to my apt with a box of goodies from my Mama and Dad waiting at my door. There were lots of fun things….mostly decorations to hang up and some books that I had been wanting them to ship over. Lots of notes of things that had been done for my birthday (renew my magazine subscription….stuff like that). It was so nice to see. I was hoping that we would hang around enough to receive what my sister had shipped me. She told me that it might not be good to sit out for too long so I really did was to get it in person. About 10 minutes before we had to leave, a delivery van pulled up to my building. A man with a box came to my door and gave it to me and said ‘Happy Birthday.’ Lindsey and Chris had sent me ½ a dozen gourmet cupcakes! I was officially in heaven. I opened up the box and got a fork and just sampled away. So good!!!

So went back and waited to hear if we had gotten in or not. There are 250 seats in the Ellen show. They told us that they had about 30 people that didn’t show up (crazy people). We were numbers 281 and 282!!!!! We were so close.

So, they took us into the riff raff room and it was nice there so I was still excited. But they still had us lined up in the order of our numbers until everything was situated inside. THEN, they said that they next two could come in. We made it. We walked up the steps and voila…..we were on the set of the show!!! They had split us up, but that was fine with me. They sat me about as center as you could get in the studio. The only problem for me was that a camera was right in front of where the guests would sit. I was okay with that.

On the show that day was Ed Helmes, Kelly Osborne, and a branch of Cirque du Soleil. I was very excited. Not 15 minutes after we get to our seats, Ellen came out. I mean, we were up and dancing and getting pumped up the whole time we were waiting, but it went really fast. I was two rows behind where she dances through the center aisle and you can tell that she tries to really look at everyone she can and she totally looked right at me while she was dancing!  The show as underway and it was so much fun. We got Season Six of the Office on DVD (Happy Birthday To Me). AND, during one of the commercial breaks, they had a little dance contest and I totally won. So, I got a free Ellen shirt (which I’m wearing right now…te he he).
After the show, we went to the Ellen store. My dear friend Laura bought me a mug as a birthday present!  I bought myself a magnet, piggy bank, and a tote bag. I really wanted a zip up hoodie (they were so soft), but it was $40 and I just couldn’t justify that. But, I left with my wonderful purchases and as the happiest girl on the planet!

But wait….there’s more! The day does end there. It was the best day of the life….and it was also one of the longest days of my life….te he he. I got home and one of Drea’s friends was visiting. Drea wasn’t back from work yet so I chatted with Katie (yes, another Katie visiting) for a bit and we decided that we needed to catch the sunlight and walk up Hollywood Blvd and look at the stars and we’d meet Drea at Grauman’s when she was done with work. We saw many stars and were on our way to Grauman’s when a huge crowd appeared and we saw the lights. I was so excited that this Katie also got to see a red carpet premiere during her visit too. Not only that….this was the red carpet premiere for You Again. We saw all of the stars. Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, Kristen Bell, Dax Shephard, Patrick Duffy, and of course….the one and only….Betty Freaking White. I saw Betty White on my birthday. How cool is that right???

After the excitement on Hollywood, my wonderful roommate took me out and bought me dinner. We went home and sampled some more cupcakes and then I went to another friends house for what was going to be a Macgyver marathon, but really ended up being a group of friends sitting around playing a fun movie trivia game. It last until about 1:00 or 1:30. I was exhausted, but so happy by the time I slipped into bed that night. It really had be the best day ever!

Friday, September 3, 2010

Okay....so I suck at keeping up with this.

Okay....I think I left off with Katie's last day. That one started out with a doozie. Desilu's ear had been lookinga bit shabby. It looked like she had some sort of infection. I had tried perozide, rubbing alcohol, and neosporin....but nothing was helping. So I woke up super early and took her to the vet that Saturday. Turns out it's ringworm. She had a few spots on her body. So I had to leave her there while they put her under and cleaned the areas and flushed her ear and gave her tons of medicine. $400 later and my baby is on the mend. I also got some hillarious video of her attempting to walk around while she was still doped up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kONaF22-BFc

So, Katie and I went to see the Hollywood sign up close and ended up picnicing there for dinner that night at a park right below the sign. It was a wonderful send off. That night we went to Booty LA, which is a big dance party in the basement of this club. Lot's of fun!!!

The next morning, I woke up and took her to the airport :(. I was pooped out....but that night was Rent at the Hollywood Bowl directed by Neil Patrick Harris. There were some casting and set decisions that I didn't like, but overall, I think NPH did well. Nicole Sherzinger from the Pussy Cat Dolls really took me by surprise! At first, when I found out she was cast, I though 'what's she doing in a play?'.....now I think 'What's she doing in Pussy Cat Dolls.' That girl can wail! She should either be in more musicals or be a solo act! She did Maureen justice!

The following weekend, on Friday....I went to see Harry Connick Jr at the Hollywood Bowl. That was tons of fun! Everyone should go see him if you get the chance. Loved it!

The next day, I went to an outdoor screening of The Breakfast Club which was also a food festival with food trucks from all over LA. It was so much fun. I went with a great group of friends and had a blast watching one of my favorite 80's movies.

Okay....that post catches me up on a few weeks....I'll post more later and hopefully will be in real time in time for my upcoming birthday celebrations! :)

Monday, August 16, 2010

So much to update....

Okay....this may be a two parter....I've been so busy the last couple of days and so much has happened. I just might not be able to type it all in today!

So....one of my bestest friends, Katie came into town to visit me last week. So, I picked her up from the airport and the fun began there. I took her down Sunset Blvd to go back to my place. I was about to tell her that we were about to pass the Arclight where they have some re d carpet premieres. And then....there was a freaking red carpet premiere going on when we passed it. It was for The Takers. The limos didn't show up yet or anything, but she got to see the whole set up and all of the photographers. What a welcome to Hollywood. So then we walked up Vine St and down Hollywood Blvd to look at the stars and go to Grauman's and the Kodak. Then we went out to eat at this really cute little italian restaurant. Then, on our way back to my apt, we passed the after party to the red carpet premiere that we passed earlier that night. So....fun first night in LA!

The next day was quite busy. We started the day with a hike up Mt. Hollywood to the Observatory to get a good view of the city. It was a great hike. Unfortunately, it was a very smoggy day so we couldn't even see LA. But, she did get to see Hollywood and the view is still cool.....even if it's not clear out. After that, we went to the Farmer's Market to get some yum yums. Then we went to Venice Beach for some great people watching on the boardwalk. That place is wonderful to just sit back and watch. Then we went over to Santa Monica Beach to hang out for a bit. I didn't go in the water at all because it was actually kind of cold that day. So, we headed over to the pier and rode the roller coaster there. So much fun! Then we just came back to my place and made some food and watched some movies.

The next day was just as busy. I had an audition in the morning....after that, we went down Sunset into Beverly Hills. Then we walked down Rodeo Drive, which I had never done. I don't know how I felt about that. The outdoor part of it is really cool, but every time we went into the stores, we were watched like hawks like we were going to steal something. I like observing the lives of rich people from a distance. But, the whole scene is pretty pretentious.

Okay....I'm going to leave you at that, because once I get into Friday, I get into Desilu's latest medical issues and it's a whole big thing. So, I'll continue the rest of Katie's trip and happening of this week hopefully tomorrow! :)

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

6 MONTHS!!!! EEK!!!!

Six months ago from this very minute, I believe I was bawling my eyes out because I was delirious from having only about 3 hours of sleep in a 48 hour period....and I felt like a horrible kitty mama for leaving Desi alone all day in a strange place right after traumatizing her by flying her across the country. That moment was not a sign of things to come. In the last 6 months, I have had a ton of wonderful experiences, shared with some wonderful new friends which just makes all of those moment that much more unforgettable. I'm living out a dream...


Funny thing happened today which I think is a wonderful way to mark my 6 months. See....I have a few songs that I call my 'California songs'. They're songs that would always remind me of Cali and for some strange reason, anytime in the two years that I saved up to get here that I would feel down or doubt that I would ever make it out here, I'd get in the car and one of those songs would come on the radio. Well....today a friend of mine and I were laying on the beach. I had put Pandora on my phone so we were just chilling by the ocean and listening to some good tunes. Right as I was thinking about how I've been living here for 6 months 'Free Falling' by Tom Petty came on Pandora. This was my mother of all California songs! It was just a wonderful way to celebrate the day! :)

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Embrace The Crazy In All Of Us!

What's wrong with being a little crazy? Now, I'm not talking putting people in harm crazy. I'm talking about everyday quirky crazy! I've always thought that I've had plenty of crazy in me to go around, but now I'm thinking that everyone is a little crazy and just hide it back more. I'm unashamed and I think more people should let a little crazy out. That way, it's not as shocking to loved ones when it does eventually come out!

Here's some of my crazy....

I've got some irrational fears. The most namely is big trucks. I don't like to be near them....in a car, walking near it....it is a genuine fear. Why am I afraid of them you ask? Well....first of all, if you get into an accident with one....good luck surviving. Walking near them....I don't know I'm terrified that the back part of the truck is going to tip over on top of me. I know....irrational fear. No matter how much I talk myself out of it, I still have that fear.

Dismorphia....this is something that I really suspect most people to have to a certain degree. I don't have it severely, but I do see things in the mirror that are not the case. I don't have it bad enough to even be tempted to have an eating disorder or want plastic surgery....nor do I ever see it getting that bad. But, I really truely think that most people have this one, but are too ashamed to admit it!

OCD!!!! Come on.....everyone's got this one. Let it all out people. What are your obsessive compulsions? I need things to be even! If I bump into something with my right arm, don't be surprised if you see me bump into that same thing with my left arm, just to even things up. Crazy right??? I KNOW!

Catastrophizing....yes....it's a word. It took some professional help to point this one out. Basically, it's a thinking error. When something happens that may be minor, I tend to let my mind think that it's the end of the world and I go into little panic attacks. Like I said, professional help pointed this out and also helped me deal with it. It still happens, but I know how to talk myself out of reacting so badly to these mishaps.

I mentioned professional help a few times up there. I am completely open about the fact that I was in therapy over a year ago. I don't think therapy is a thing that people should be afraid to admit to. I actually think it's something that more people should go to. It's good. It's healthy. There'd be a lot less people snapping and killing people if they all had someone help them cope with everything going on it their heads. It's hard to deal with some stuff that life throws at us sometimes and it's perfectly okay to ask other people to help us. I repeat....it's perfectly okay to ask other people to help us! It's not weakness....if anything, it shows more strength because you are not a coward. I personally sought out help because I felt betrayed by a family member and had a lot of hate in me....I didn't know how to deal with that! I also have Seasonal Effective Disorder (winter blues)....cure? Hello California! So, I was in therapy for about 6 months, until I got laid off and lost my insurance. It was still enough to really help me through some crappy things that were going on in my life!

I'm sharing all of this because I feel like not enough people admit to the crazy that we all have going on inside of us. I hate the stigma of therapy too. I'm cool with telling people that I went, but some people react different than others. It's like they hear therapy and automatically think that there's something wrong with me. Not really the case. Yeah....I'm crazy....but I bet you're just as crazy! You just choose to hide it! :)

The point on this rant is to encourage people to share their crazy with all of us! :) Embrace it....Own it...Admit it....Share it.....trust me, you'll feel so much better!

Friday, July 9, 2010

Fun Fun Fun

So....I've been super busy trying to work as much as I can because June was not the greatest tipping month....and of course the worst two weeks were right after I bought a nice fancy new phone. Te he he. But, it's all good!

A few weeks ago, I got a text message from my cousin Joann saying that her friend's daughter was going to be at LAX for a 23 hour layover one night. She was on her way back from studying abroad in New Zealand. She asked if I would show her around town. I had the night off so I said that I would. I called the girl....Jennifer....when I was finished with my lunch shift and the poor girl was going to just hang out at LAX until her flight the next morning....she didn't have a hotel or anything. So, I told her that she could crash at my place. So, I went to pick her up (which took longer than we though it would....te he he....it might have helped if we knew what eachother looked like or either of us were familiar with LAX...te he he). Anyway, so we just went back to my place to freshen up and then I took her to the Hollywood and Highland area. This is the area with the Kodak Theatre and Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. So we walked around there for a bit....not realizing that it was the day before the anniversary of Michael Jackson's death. It was fine for a while, but then I guess there was a meeting time for a candle light vigil at his star....which is right outside of Grauman's. It got a little crowded. After that area, we went to the Observatory....it was a super cool view at night. It was funny because she said 'it looks like the city is sparkling.' I laughed and said 'yeah....that's exhaust....but it is pretty'....te he he. It was very chilly up on that hill, so we didn't stay too long. Just took in the view and took some pictures and left. We were both getting hungry....and it was around 10pm....well passed my dinner time...te he he. So....I took her to a restaurant that I had heard about before, but never went to. Now, I'm not going to mention on here what the significance of this restaurant is because I do plan on springing it on some unsuspecting visitors when y'all come to visit. If you are incredibly curious, email me and I may tell you what it is about this place. Some of you, I will not tell and wait until you get out here....te he he! :)

Other than that, it's just been kind of boring. I haven't really been going out much because I'm saving money. But hopefully in the next couple of weeks, my playing catch up will be over and I can go have fun! :) Although I have been busy watching the World Cup. Go Netherlands in the final! Although I'm cool with either team to win. New winners! :)

I did figure out what I'm doing for my birthday!! Well....I think on the day off my birthday, I will hopefully be going to a taping of the Ellen Degeneres Show! I'm just going to put in a request for 2 tickets as soon as I can and I'll take whoever I can with me! BUT....3 days after my birthday is a Mud Run 5K in Malibu. It's a trail run with obstacles and a mud pit at the end! I've always wanted to do a mud run so I'm hopefully getting a big group of people to do it with me and then we'll go back to my place for lunch...maybe games....maybe movie marathon....maybe beach! I don't know....but I'm super excited. I hope a lot of people want to do it! I already know of about 5 people who are totally interested! :)

Well...that's about it! I'll try to keep up as much as I can...but honestly, it's been pretty boring here....te he he!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Today would be my Granddad’s 87th birthday. 87 years old! That’s unbelievable. It has been over 3 years since he passed away. You know, everyone says that it gets better with time. That’s just simply not true. As far as day to day goes….yeah it does get a little easier. In the long run though, it gets harder every day. I do take comfort in the fact that if he were still alive today, I know that his mind would not be with us. He was suffering from Alzheimer’s and although he never forgot any of the people he loved, his mind was definitely slipping.

When my Granddad was alive, he loved going on our family vacation to the beach every year. Even though in the later years he would mostly stay in the beach house, he always loved to watch the sunrises and sunsets. So, in honor of his birthday I decided to go to Santa Monica and watch a Sunset for Granddad last night. I didn’t let myself get too sad while I was there because this is in fact, the day that we celebrate his birth and celebrate his life! Before the sunset, I was a little down and a bit emotional. Afterwards, I feel so much joy for having the time that I had with my Granddad. My cousins, siblings, and I could write a book with all of the stories we have of him.

I’m going to leave you with something that I wrote right after he passed away. We had the idea that each of his Grandkids write a memory or story or poem about him so that people who came to the his viewings could really reflect on who he was. I have copies of all of my sibling’s writings. I bring them out from time to time and read them over. I wouldn’t feel comfortable posting their work since I did not ask them ahead of time, so I will just post what I wrote. It paints a picture of my favorite memory of my Granddad. So, friends and family, if you get a chance today to take a swig of Jameson or a scoop of ice cream, think of him….however you knew him: Ed, Edward, Uncle Ed, Dad, or Granddad. I now I’ll be raising a spoon for my favorite Islay boy!



I miss you Granddad!


I consider myself to be an extremely lucky person. There are a lot of people in this world that take their grandparents for granted. They’ll see them on some holidays and maybe talk to them over the phone on birthdays or other special occasions, but I feel like I really got to spend quality time with my Granddad. More than that, I learned how grateful I was to have someone like him in my life and was able to share that with him.

I never grew up with two whole sets of grandparents. My mom’s dad passed away long before I was born, and her mom passed just after my third birthday. I guess I would kind of get jealous, when I was little, about how other kids had four grandparents, but it was more for materialistic reasons than anything else. They would get two birthday parties or they would get double the Christmas presents. I didn’t realize how little that mattered until later. I never felt like I was shortchanged in love or support in any way. If anything, I felt a deeper connection with my Granddad than any of my friends felt with any of their grandparents. I’m not sure if my Granddad did it on purpose or if this is just the way he’s always been, but it was almost as if he was overcompensating for my missing out of getting to know my other grandparents.

One memory has especially been running through my head over the past month or so. One Easter when I was five or six, my family headed over to my grandparents house to spend the day and have dinner. It wasn’t until we were there that my ear began to ache. I was one of those kids that got frequent ear infections and this had been one of them. I was miserable all afternoon. They didn’t have any Children’s Tylenol in their house, and because it was Easter nothing was open that would sell it. I was lying on the couch crying and my Granddad came over and put his hand over my ear. Immediately, I felt relief and stopped crying. This was a pretty social event, and we all know that my Granddad can never sit still at these. He’s always asking if anyone needs a drink or something to eat. But, for that day, he ignored all of his guests, except for one. He sat next to me all afternoon with his hand on my ear until my mom finally found a store that was open.

This was probably my first lesson in what love and devotion is, and if there has ever been anyone in this world with those qualities, it was my Granddad. That is what he instilled in every one of his children and then consequently in every one of his grandchildren. This is the reason why we can come together and be best friends like we are. We grew up with a very strong figure in our lives to teach us about priorities in life and that family always comes first. I’m lucky that I had my Granddad around long enough to teach me that lesson. It is probably the most important lesson I will ever learn.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

'If you want to sing out, sing out....'

So I had some fun times in the last couple of days. On Saturday, a big group of us from work planned on going to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery to see Bettlejuice. I know what you're thinking. A cemetery? To watch a movie? YES! They do it in the summers on Saturdays and some Sundays and it's sort of like a drive in, but in a picnic form. Well, Beetlejuice is super popular....and honestly, who wouldn't want to watch that movie in a cemetery so we got there an hour before doors opened (2 1/2 hours before the movie actually started) and the line was GINORMOUS!!! So we waited and waited and waited and we actually got close to the entrance of the cemetery, when they said that it was full! Boo! So, we all ended up back at my place for some drinks and games! It ended up being a lot of fun!

Last night, Drea and I did something really cool. The Arclight has been doing this series of films dedicated to Paramount Classics and the one that was there last night was none other than Harold and Maude. I love this movie. I think it is a life changing movie. You watch it and you just want to be Maude!!!! If you have never seen it before, watch it! You won't regret it one bit! A friggin brilliant movie! And I guess Doris Roberts from Everybody Loves Raymond was there. When we first walked in, Drea said 'did you see who we just walked passed?' I hadn't and she told me and then I saw her from behind. Fun stuff! :) We were thinking about going to see Airplane tonight, but that didn't pan out.

But for now...I'm just staying busy, working a lot! OH....I should mention that I got my first head shots taken on Saturday!!! It was a lot of fun and I'm really excited to get them back to see what we came up with! :) I'll keep everyone posted on it!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Hollywood....I love this town!

So I had an exciting couple of days. Laura, my friend since 7th grade who now lives in San Diego, called me last week asking if I wanted to go to a filming of Lopez Tonight. She is a huge Hanson fan and that was both of our first concerts and they were going to be there so she got us tickets. So, Monday night, I picked her up from the train station and she stayed at my place that night. We got up super early and went to the filming the next morning. Man, if you want to ultimate people watching experience, go anywhere with Hanson fans! There are some strange people there....te he he. It was so much fun. They had a comedian/juggler warming up the crowd and he was so funny. There was a guy from Modern Family there. All of the guests came out right by us. George Lopez introduced the band right by us (in the youtube clip I'm putting up, I'm right next to the girl in the black shirt and white sweater int he row behind where George Lopez is....you can also see Laura and I dancing at the beginning of the song, but you might have to know where we are to actually see us). Laura told George that she watches his sitcom every night before she goes to be and he told her that she was old school. It was just so much fun! :) And we all got a free copy of their CD too. It was funny to me because I hadn't seen them since 1998 I believe....so they've changed a lot....te he he.

THEN.....on my way back from taking Laura back to the train station, I drive by the Arclight and saw that they were setting up the red carpet premiere for True Blood!!!!! I freak out because that's about 3 blocks from my apt. Andrea, Jesse, and I end up going to the hardware store a little late and drive passed again and we're there just as all of the stars are on the red carpet!!! I was driving so I could only peak, but I did see Sam Merlotte!!! Drea saw I think Jessica and Jason Stackhouse. These are the things that make me LOVE living where I live!!! :)

Anywho....here is that clip I was talking about earlier. You can try to pick us out as they pan across the crowd dancing from side to side. We are a few rows up. Laura is in a darker dress and I'm in a pink shirt. Don't feel bad if you can't see us though....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs9fNgZe6qM

I can't find a clip of when they first come on stage for the interview....that's when you can really see us! I'll keep a look out!

~Bon

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

I know...I suck....

So....apparently I suck at maintaining a blog....te he he. But honestly, life has been pretty boring for me lately. I'm just working a lot. I've been in mourning since the Pens got eliminated from the playoffs....and then in even more mourning when Philly made it in. Go Hawks is all I have to say about that!

But yeah....been to a couple of concerts, been to a late night dance party. Yesterday for Memorial Day I went to a BBQ near the beach. My whole family is at the Outer Banks right now so I told my mom and we were about as far apart as we could be on this continent.

But yeah....weather has been nice and when I'm not working, I try to go out and have some fun! :) I just tried to post some pictures on here so that the post wasn't a total wash, but it won't work for some reason. Sorry....I'll try again later...

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Life is kind of boring right now....

So I haven't been writing because it's been crazy at work. I've been working a lot of hours because it was Mother's Day weekend and then Mexican Mother's Day! Yes, there's a Mexican Mother's Day! And since most of our clientele is Mexican, that was a crazy day! FUNNY STORY though. It was yesterday by the way....but it was 9:45pm and we still had an hour long wait. That sucked since I was there at 3:00. Anyway, I was oblivious to what was going on because I got triple sat right because all of this happened, BUT!!! A couple of cops came in to our restaurant to get a drink at the bar.....APPARENTLY when they pulled in, the side of their car said Immigration and all of the people waiting to be sat that were waiting outside all fled to their cars when the cops were inside. Our wait went from one hour to ten minutes instantly!!!!! That's freaking hillarious!!!

That's about it.....other than the fact that we got a kitten!!!!! We have a friend that found her and her cat hated the kitten. Her name is Fleury! Desi is hissing and growling at her, but she'll deal!

PS - I don't know when I'm going to post pictures. When in doubt, friend me on facebook! That's where I post all of my pictures!!!! Mom, I'm talking to you. All of your kids are on there...most of your co-workers....and lots of relatives. I think it's time....

Monday, May 3, 2010

Home Sweet Home Was Sweet But Cali Called My Name

I had a great trip home. It was wonderful to see my family after a few months and to finally meet Miles. I emailed Julie a few days before the wedding and said that I definitely volunteer to take care of him that day so she and Kev and Maddie (who were all in Brady and Jenna's wedding) could get ready without worrying about a baby. He's adorable. Maddie was a dancing machine the whole night. And she totally remembers my name, which made me super excited! Love it!

My last night home, we had dinner and invited Grandma and Aunt Niece over! It was so much fun. It's strange how at every family gathering, we end up playing youtube videos. We had my Grandma singing the song to that Trolololo video.....it was wonderful! That song was stuck in all our heads.

The day that I flew out, I had Pat come down to Pittsburgh with me. Kelly was going to meet us, but she ended up getting the flu....boo. We were going to go to Deluca's....my absolute favorite breakfast spot in town, but it was closed by the time we got there.....what was the consolation eating establishment you ask? Primanti Brothers right downt he street. We needed to go there anyway because I was going to bring back a sandwich for Drea! Then we went up to Mount Washington for some pics and then to the airport in a downpour. I didn't want to leave town on a rainy note, but you know mother-freaking-nature hates western PA, so that's what happened!

When I got back, I had to work lunch the next morning and I had a horrible case of jet lag. At first is was just that I was sleepy....then my stomach started to hurt...then I got a sharp pain in my side. Eventually, I asked to go home because I was miserable and I know that the guests were not getting good service from me. I was originally going to wait for my tables to leave, then my manager caught me doubled over in pain and asked if I wanted to transfer my last table....I immediately started crying like a big girl.....te he he. But I did transfer and went home. I had a lazy night and then slept really well that night and felt soooo much better the next day.

A couple days after that, I was a little ansy and needed to get out. I went to see this bad with my friend Andy and it was a lot of fun. It was a band we could dance to and we totally took advantage of the open dance floor....te he he. I also ate from a food truck for the first time that night! Funsies!

The rest of the week was basically filled with work, but....Holy Crap! I almost killed a woman at work on Friday. Literally....she passed out from the wine that I served her and we had to call the paramedics. So yeah....almost killed her. BUT....hello this woman had recently had brain surgery and was on some pretty heavy meds so it totally wasn't my fault.

Saturday, I had to work a breaker shift so I got out early and got to go to Agoura Hill for our friend's, Jesse and Patrick's, house warming. They actually bought a place so it was more of an officially housewarming party than ours was. It was fun! We played a game of celebrity and one of the crabby neighbors called the cops on us. Here's the thing....I get it....I cherish my sleep as well and if one of my neighbors were too loud for me to sleep, it would bug me. But you know what I would do first? Just a little knock on the door to say that it's a little too loud. That's all that would have been needed for us...but no....some people have to be so dramatic and head straight to the cops. WTF?

Yesterday was a lot of fun. We went to the Farmer's Market in the morning and came back just in time to see the Penguin game. It was the first game int he post season that I got to watch live! Unfortunately we lost! After the game, we went to Venice Beach which I had never been to. That is the ultimate people watching place. How did that place turn into the place where the craziest of the crazies went? I love it, but I'm just curious how that happened....te he he. After that, we came home and ate and then got ready for my first Rock Band experience. A friend of ours hosts Rock Bank nights at bars. It's kind of like Karaoke nights, but with the game Rock Band instead. I first went over to Andy's to practice on Guitar Hero so I wouldn't embarrass myself...te he he. It was so much fun though. The bar that it was at sucked....they took the alcohol away from you like 5 minutes after last call...AND they kicked everyone out at 1:45. We didn't like them at all. But, Rock Band was fun. I drank a bit much so we went back to Andy's and watch Dr. Horrible and I think various youtube videos. Well, Drea and Andy watched those....I was in and out of sleep...te he he. But still singing along with Dr. Horrible as much as I could....te he he.

Today, I would have liked to get up early and run, but it's already 11 and I'm still in bed and don't feel like working out. I do however want to hang out outside though because it's sunny and currently 73 degrees! We're also going to see Kick Ass tonight so I'm pretty excited about that! :)

Sorry for such a long post. Yet another reason why I need to post more frequently!

~Bon

Friday, April 23, 2010

Look out Pittsburgh! Bonnie's Back! (for a couple days)

Why do I take forever between posts? And yes, I promise to post a ton of pictures as soon as I can. Posting pictures on this web site is not the easiest thing to do.

And again....I'm going to make this one short and sweet because it's currently 1:00am on the dot and I have to wake up at 4:30am to get ready to catch a plane back to Pittsburgh for Brady's wedding! I couldn't bare to miss a Bajuszik wedding!!!

So....there are only a few highlights to talk about. I saw Erika Christensen last week at the Farmer's Market. I was picking out some mushrooms and she got right next to me and asked the lady if they were Organic and I was so tempting to shout "I love Parenthood!" But, I held back. For the record, she's my height! Go Short People!

We had a party in our new apt. It was so much fun! One of Drea's friends had some deck furniture for us and when we went over there, she offered us a couch (which will be coming soon), a handle of rum, and chocolate chips.....that spells party to me! :) For a while, we were worried if we disturbed anyone by having a party....until last night when our neighbors had a loud party on a Wednesday night. We feel alright about it now. Te he he!

Something that I was really excited about this week is that I got to see Mark Ballas play some music at a bar. Mark Ballas is my favorite pro dancer on Dancing with the Stars! A friend of a friend has a band that opened for him and I went to check out both sets. Both were great! I was going to stay to meet him, but there was a long line of people doing what I was planning to do....basically getting a picture with him so they can change their profile pictures to that. Te he he. Again. I will post pictures. But, I loaded a video on youtube (yes that's easier than posting pics on here....sorry). Here's the web address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPy6MBprcGQ

Also....this week I posted an audition video for Glee this week. View it and if you have Myspace, you can give me a Gold Star if you like! http://www.myspace.com/gleeauditions?link=531148911 Don't judge the freeze frame they used for me....te he he!

Anyway, I'll be in Pittsburgh Friday night through Monday evening. I'm more than likely going to be spending most of my time with family (I get to meet my nephew), but if you're by my house, call me and maybe you can stop by! YAY! Pittsburgh here I come!

~Bon

PS - Saw She's Out of my League.....so much Pgh in it! It was so much fun to figure out where they were! Represented our city well! :)

Monday, April 12, 2010

Time to get culturized!

So last week was my week of culture! Last Tuesday, a group of us went to the Observatory! This is on the same hill as the Hollywood sign. If you look at the sign, there's a big white building to the left of it and that's the observatory! And get this.,.....they don't sell space ice cream!!! OH....before the Observatory, we went to The Grove and Farmer's Market for lunch and saw Ben Lee....if anyone's a fan....

Last Friday was really cool because Drea and I went to a concert at the Museum. That's right....the Natural History Museum of LA! They do this thing called First Fridays....They basically turn the museum into a night club. There are bars and a DJ and then some freaking great live music. We went mostly to see Fitz and the Tantrums, but there was another band there called Breakestra and they both ROCKED!!!!! Everyone should youtube them!!! I promise I will post pictures of all of these wonderful things sometime.

Saturday, I went to a friend's birthday party at the bar that the Black Dahlia went to right before she was murdered....I know that sounds scary, but it's just really cool! And don't worry, it's not like it's a bar in a bad part of town....it's right in Hollywood. It was just one of those freak things that happened.

This week has been pretty boring with work and everything. I allowed myself to go shopping so I could restock my closet. Also, I got approved for vacation time in a couple of weeks so I'm heading to PA for my friend Brady's wedding! So excited....it would have killed me to miss it! I don't know how many people I will actually get to see, as I will be with family most of the time....and meeting Miles!!!!!! YAY! Okay....I do promise to post pictures soon!!!!

~Bon

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

It's been too long.....

Sorry it's been so long since I posted. I've been so busy with work lately so I haven't really had a chance. Let's see, I believe the last time I posted was right before St. Patty's.

On St. Patty's I had the great fortune to go to a karaoke bar. This was fantastic! Drea and I got everyone up and dancing for "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5. Then we did Bohemian Rhapsody with our friend Allyssa and it was the hit of the night! It was so much fun!!!

I don't remember what I did that weekend....probably just worked through it! Later on that week, I went to another Farmer's Market at Fairfax. Thi is right by a trendy shopping place called The Grove and apparently it's the go-to place for seeing famous people as well. Right away we saw Jeff Garlen from Curb Your Enthusiasm. And then I saw the guy from Dumb and Dumber outside the phone booth that says 'Get off the phone!'. It took me forever to figure out what I knew him from and as I was trying to figure it out, Jeff Garlen went up to him to say hi. I thought that was kind of funny. Just shows that Hollywood is a small town.....or I should say successful Hollywood is a small town!

On Friday, I got to go to Paramoutn Studios for a free screen on How to Train Your Dragon. One of Drea's friends works on Paramount and got us free tickets!Now I had only ever been on Fox before, but I've gotta say that this studio was adorable. It's gotta have more personality than most I would think. It was exactly what you imagine when you think of studios in the 50s or 60s. So freaking cute. The theatre itself was I think the biggest movie theatre I had every been in. And although we saw a 2D version of the movie, the screen was one of the best quality that I've ever seen. The theatre on the lots is where they do cast and crew screenings and also screenings for executives so they've gotta be the best! The movie was adorable! I've heard great things about the 3D version too so I would highly recommend it. It's one that kids and adults can both enjoy so if you have small kids that want to see it, you won't be bored to death! By the way, the personality of the main dragon is so modeled after my cat. Drea and I were losing it at some point because we were both thinking 'that's Desilu!!!'

This Sunday I traveled to San Diego for the day. My cousin Robin and her family were down there for her son, Stephen's, crew race. I made a wrong turn on the way and cut it way too close. I parked and the shuttle over to the racing area had just filled up so I ran across the bridge to make it there and Robin met me and we walked back just as the race started! Crazy. Stephen's team finished 5th out of 6 unfortunately....but it was so much fun to watch. After the race and going to see Stephen....Robin, Katie, Steve, and I went back to their hotel and just hung around by their pool all day! It was so much fun!

After pool time, I went over to Laura's apartment. We ended up going to Seaport Village which is adorable!!!!! It is right by the Bay and it's just a bunch of shops and restaurants, but it was so nice to be there! The shops were all specialty shops. I went into a vintage shop and bought some I Love Lucy coasters for our living room. I felt it was appropriate considering our cat's name! :) After we ate and walked around a bit, we just went back to Laura's and watched the end of Titanic....te he he. Then I made the long drive back home.

I did take some pictures of my apartment, but I think I'm going to hold off on posting them because we actually started to hang up pictures and stuff already so I'll wait until it's a bit decorated to show them to you. They will come soon though....I promise! :)

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Miles and Miles of Love!


Miles Joseph Doyle was born on March 15, 2010 at 11:23am weighing a staggering 9 lbs. 10 oz.

So now I have a niece and a nephew. I can't wait to get a picture of Maddie and Miles together. I'll definitely post that one!!

On another note:

HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY!!!!!!

Speaking of that....Miles' 21st birthday will be the Saturday before St. Patty's Day so mark your calendars to celebrate at the Pittsburgh Parade on March 15, 2031!!

Friday, March 12, 2010

LALALAND - Where dreams come true.....


Oh, that's only part of the dream coming true. More on that later though. First, as promised, I'll post some pictures that I took at the Kodak Theatre before and after the Oscars.


Setting up the red carpet!


Standing in front of entrance!!


If you don't know, the Kodak Theatre is basically a mall....but for award shows, they have to make it look pretty....so they cover up the store fronts with hedges.


The red carpet all covers up before anyone can walk on it!


Nice butt Oscar!


The day after...


The biggest curtain I've ever seen!


The red carpet after all of the stars walked on it!

I also want to post some unrelated pictures too. The first is of Jim Henson's Studio which is a couple blocks from my apt. So cute! Next is a cute picture of Desilu next to my I Love Lucy box set and she's making the same face as Lucille Ball.


And now......

That's right everyone! I got to see Adventures in Babysitting on the big screen! It was actually at the New Beverly which is owned by Quentin Tarantino. For those of you who don't know...this was my absolute favorite movie growing up. For years, I thought my family hated it, but it turns out that I just made them sick of it. There were a few times where I watched the movie 3-4 times in one day. I LOVED this movie....still love it!

Anyway, it was playing at the theatre as a double feature with Toy Soldiers. I also loved Toy Soldiers growing up because my top 3 crushes at the time that the movie came out were Sean Astin, Wil Wheaton and of course Keith Coogan (who is also in Adventures in Babysitting). For those of you who knew me at that age, you probably remember that I had a huge list of "boyfriends." Well, Keith Coogan topped that list. I was in love with him. Behold.....



That's right....Keith Coogan made an appearance at the screenings and did a Q&A and I met him. I was shocked at how nervous I was to meet him. I don't get very star struck anymore, but I really couldn't talk to him at all. I acted like a total idiot....but I loved it so much!

Well, meeting Keith Coogan was a big childhood dream of mine so LA is definitely the place where dreams come true! :)

Monday, March 8, 2010

First random famous people sightings!

So our apartment is really coming together! We keep buying little pieces of furniture and we bought an area rug yesterday for the living room. Once it looks like we didn't just move in, I'll post some pictures of it.

So I had an exciting weekend. On Saturday, Drea's mom's friend was in town so she and her husband stopped by and we all walked to the Kodak Theatre. For those of you who don't know, The Kodak does American Idol as well as the Academy Awards, which were the very next day. We wanted to go see everything getting set up. Now, that part of Hollywood Blvd had been closed for a while so we new it would almost be done. We got down there and it was all ready to go. We couldn't see a lot of the red carpet as there were bleachers in the way and everything was covered in plastic. We did see a lot of giant Oscar statues. And the detour to not walked across the red carpet was actually going in the Kodak through employee entrances. So we got to go inside and see more Oscar statues and flowers and red carpet. I'll post some pictures in a bit. After walking around there for a bit and looking at the stars on the walk of fame and then walking around Grauman's, we went to the Pig N Whistle to eat lunch and then went back to the apartment.

Yesterday morning, we decided to take advantage of our location and go to the Framer's Market. It was maybe a 10 minute walk for us and they basically shut down 4 streets and just have local merchants come out and sell their food. First of all, we loved this and bought healthy locally grown produce...they also have butcher's come and we bought eggs....so we're thrilled about that. BUT....apparently this is the place to go if you want to see some famous people. We were at a vegetable stand and Drea was getting in line, and who is in line next to us but Casey Affleck and his kids. We both knew it was him, but didn't say anything until we walked away. Then, we were walking down one street and I see Natalie Portman walk right passed us....I whispered to Drea so she didn't miss it. THEN....I was saying something to Drea and got completely distracted because I passed Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad. Seeing him gave my stomach a little jump because I LOVE that show! And he's so incredible in it. Remember that this was on Oscar Sunday so we knew that a lot of famous actors like to go there, but we really didn't think we'd see any that day! (On a side note....one of the first things that popped into my head when I saw Casey Affleck is the fact that River Pheonix are those kid's Uncle...I saw River Pheonix's relatives....that just gave my heart a jolt).

Farmer's Market will be our Sunday morning ritual now....It's so close and we love that we can buy locally harvested stuff in the middle of the city! It's great!

Last night, we were to Drea's cousin's house for their annual Oscar Party! Her cousin's husband is a member of the Academy actually and there were many industry people that....so that was pretty cool. I was telling them how back home it's like I have to bribe people to watch the Oscars with me. Here, there was a poll and people cheered and jeered....it was like going to a Super Bowl Party! It was so much fun!!!

So it was a very fun and exhausting weekend. Today, I'm going to Goodwill, job hunting, filling out taxes, and then hopefully actually going to see Adventures in Babysitting tonight at the New Beverly Theatre....which is owned by none other than Quentin Tarentino! :)

Saturday, March 6, 2010

YAY for a new apartment

So, I've been sooo busy this week. I had to work 9 days in a row....all while moving into our beautiful apt! :) Although on the 9th day that I was supposed to work, there was a power outage and they didn't find my number in time so I showed up and by law, they have to keep me for 2 hours. So, I stayed there and ate lunch with the managers and then since there was nothing to do, they said they would just pay me for 2 hours and I could leave. That was fiiiiiine with me! :)

Yesterday, I got a bed!!!! EEEKKK.....so excited to have an actual bed! No more air mattress on the floor!!! It feels like I actually live here now! :)

Today, we're meeting Drea's mom's friend and walking up to the Kodak Theatre to see all of the Oscar stuff being set up. Tomorrow, we're going to Drea's cousins for their Oscar party. It's going to be a big group of people that actually get into it! There's going to be a $5 poll and everything. It'll be like a Super Bowl Party! So excited! :)

Friday, February 26, 2010

Quick Update

So we signed a lease!!! YAY! I will gradually be moving over the next couple of days. I'll hopefully get a real bed (and not an air mattress) sometime early next week. I won't be able to email or post blogs much because we don't get internet until Wednesday....until there's some Wi-Fi I can steal.....

But, I just wanted to write a quick note to say that.

OH....totally unrelated, but I keep forgetting to mention it. I saw the hospital where Scrubs is shot on Super Bowl Sunday and I passed the cemetary where Michael Jackson and I think Humphrey Bogart are. As soon as we passed it I said 'that looks beautiful. I want to go walk around in there sometime.' Then Drea said that it's where Michael Jackson is....we do plan on going in to look around at some point. Is it weird that I love cemetaries? Very Harold and Maudish......

Monday, February 22, 2010

It's been a week....

So I'm stuck in my Disneyland hangover....it's been a week and I really want to go back! I already checked....you can only do the volunteer thing once! Maybe they'll do it again next year and the rule will change to once a year! :)

Anyway, Drea and I applied for that great apt and it's turning out to be a longer process than necessary. But, I guess you can do that with a hot rental spot. It'll be all better once we have the place!

I've mostly been working all week though. Finally getting into a groove where I'm making money. I just feel like I left my brain in Pittsburgh sometimes though. I just keep making stupid computer mistakes. Hopefully that stops soon!

On Thursday, I had a great initiation. I went to In and Out Burger! I was told that I must go there and get the animal fries, a milkshake, and obviously a burger. It was great. I guess all of the fries are fresh cut....there's no frozen patties. The guy who wrote fast food nation said that that is the only fast food place he would ever go to. They really love their burgers out here....I have to say that my favorite one so far though is the one that I had at Ruby's on Balboa Pier. They're all really good out here though. I was told that I can now be a true Californian...te he he.

That night, I went to the premiere of my friend Nicole's film. It was directed by her boyfriend Alex. Well, that was an adventure! It was in Marina Del Rey (actually about 2 buildings down from where Laura and Craig stayed last week) and I made a wrong turn coming off the exit. That was fine....easy to correct....until I hit a friggin pot hole! We heard the air gushing from the tire right away. A gas station was right there so I just pulled in there. Well....long story short....a guy offered to change our tire for us and we got on our way. But still....a bummer right?

Well, we went to the event and it was great. It was 3 short films and after each film, the directors would go up and give little speeches. You could tell that Alex was completely overwhelmed. About 500 people showed up and no one expected that response. They should all be very proud.

Well, I decided to stay at Drea's that night. I didn't want to drive back on the freeway with a doughnut on my car. So, I got to snuggle with my kitty the whole night!!!! It was wonderful!!!! I miss that so much and will have that again very very soon!!!!!!!

The next day I woke up and found a ticket on my windsheild.....blasted streetcleaning!!!!! Then I went to Pepboys expecting to pay a bunch of money for a new tire....nope....the bump made the tire dislodge from the wheel so the mechanic just had to put it back together. I just have to get an alignment with my next oil change and I should be fine! So, yay for not buying a new tire to replace the already brand new tire....but boo on the parking ticket. I guess it all works out!

That's pretty much it right now. I'm going to be running errands today and tomorrow (days off....yay) and hopefully I'll be moving this weekend or next monday!!! OH.....I know one thing I'm doing this Saturday. Drea and I are going to see Adventure in Babysitting at a midnight screening! So excited!!!!!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

When you wish upon a star your dreams come true....

A lifelong dream of mine has finally come true! I have been to Disneyland! I have wanted to go to a Disney park since I can remember and anyone who knows me knows that I needed to go to one...te he he. All I have been saying for years is that all I want is a picture with Mickey while I wear Minnie ears. Look at the pictures below! :)

A few weeks ago, a group of us did a volunteer program where you give a day and gets a Disney day for free. Thank God because a ticket to Disney is $72!!!

Anyway, there were 10 of us there and it was soooo much fun!!!! I don't even know if I could describe the whole day because we did so much! OH....everyone who goes should do the fast pass! I thought it would cost money, but it does not!!! Do it! You basically go ahead of time and they give you a designated time to come back and use the fast pass. You can only have one at a time (with some exceptions). But, do it!

We started off by going to the Mad Hatter to get my ears of course. Then we went to watch Abe Lincoln speak because it was President's Day! That Abe kind of freaked me out a bit. It's apparently the most advanced robot Disney has. Robots creep me out cause we're a step away from The Terminator coming true.....te he he. The funniest part of the day though, was walking out of the Theatre with Abe and I don't even know why, but there were portraits of Miley Cyrus and Michael Jackson. I was hysterical. Absolutely no idea....

Then we went over to Adventureland and went of the Indiana Jones ride. That was a great first ride to go on. Next with Pirates of the Carribean and then the Haunted Mansion. Both were adorable! I think after that we did Splash Mountain (thank you fast pass). I really liked that even though we got drentched! Then we went to the Hungry Bear....because we were Hungry Bears! After that I lose track of the order of things but we went on Thunder Mountain, Star Tours, Astro Blasters. Most of the group wanted to do the vomit cups....I mean the tea cups, but a few of us sat out on that one! We did Mr. Toady's, we went into Sleeping Beauty's Castle, Space Mountain (LOVED it!), Autopia, Peter Pan, and of course we watched fireworks. Oh, we did Jungle Cruise too and had an amazing tour guide! :) Didn't make it to Small world....maybe next time.

I'd say that one of my favorite parts though was going to Toon Town! That's where Mickey's house is so obviously I had to go! It was soooo much fun! I think most of the reason is because we went during the parade so all of the kids were there and it was pretty much empty!!!! So, we got to play with all of the gags and stuff.....which wouldn't have happened if we adults had to let the kids go first! Then we went to Mickey's house which was so neat! :) We ate dinner there which was a good idea because there was no line....but the only things we could get were hot dogs and mac and cheese....te he he. I guess they cater to kids there.....don't know why. Anyway....everyone should go to Toon Town after dark because it's so much fun, but only if there are no kids around I guess!

And now for a few pictures! :)
Jesse and I in front of Sleepy Beauty's Castle!



Splash Mountain....love this picture!



Right After we were in the castle!




Apprently I wasn't worthy of getting the sword out of the stone!


Mr. Toady!


In the Submarine on the Finding Nemo ride.


The other half of the group on the sub!


Minnie and a Minnie wannabe.


Stuck in the pound in Toon Town.



The boys on the Firetruck....we would have never been able to do this if there were kids there.


We tried so hard for a good jumping picture...


Space Mountain ROCKS!!!!


PERFECTION!!!!