June 2003
06.30.2003 - - - 4:36 PM
I had the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER. Friday night, I was surrounded by my best friends, and we enjoyed yummy dinner and wine. Although, I have to say, the service was not the greatest. We are a kind group, though, and didn't complain because the waiter was nice. My friends brought me presents, which was SO nice of them. I have to say, my friends really know me. I received some of the best presents ever this year. They were all so thoughtful! I am so touched by all of their gifts that I am actually going to send out thank you cards - something I normally am loathe to do because I am oh-so-lazy. So, all of you, I thank you a million times for coming to my birthday dinner and bringing me pretty shiny things. Sometime in the next two weeks you will have a present in your mail box! Yes, your actual mail box! Unless I don't have your address...hmmm...that might present a problem. Well, I'll figure it out, I'm a smart lady. Whoa, I just called myself a lady. I really AM getting old. Anyway, after dinner, we moved to the Hermosa Pier and danced the night away at Fat Face Fenner's Fishshack. There was a band, and it took requests, which was perfect for us! I think we requested every song known to man, and the band happily obliged. The rest of the night gets a little fuzzy, but I know I woke up feeling very happy on Saturday. Well, happy in a "man, that was a good party" kind of way. Not in a "wow, my head feels really crappy and I think I should barf" kind of way. Needless to say, I did not do a lot on Saturday. On Sunday, The Boyfriend and I journeyed out to the homestead, where my family was planning a celebration for K and me. It was lots of fun - my mom made all my favorite appetizers, I made cotton candy (thanks Les, Hardcore, and Matty!), and my dad cooked up some delicious dinner. I got some more great presents from my parents, an awesome shirt from K, a cool book from my aunt & uncle, and a super set of shot glasses and the Buffy season 4 DVD set from Princess Leah! Yay! Oh, and a card that burps, which will never leave my side. Woo and hoo! So, like I said before, best birthday ever. I am so glad I have such great friends and a great family and a great boyfriend. And, as you can see, God (aka Bells) granted my request and I finally have a 'fro! Isn't it truly the most glorious thing you've ever seen?
06.27.2003 - - - 3:52 PM
Happy birthday to me! The Boyfriend took me out for the best dinner last night. He surprised me by taking me to Spago, somewhere I'd always wanted to go. We had a fabulous dinner and dessert, then we went back to his place to open my presents. He got me perfect presents - he really knows me! My friends have all called me today, and Jax concluded the 12 Days of My Birthday this morning with more creative presents! I also had lunch with K a little while ago, and the waiter brought us free dessert! So now I'm happy, loved, and stuffed on my birthday. I'm actually about to leave, but I had to write and say THANK YOU to all of my friends, family, and my boyfriend for everything. You are the best!!! I love you guys!!!
06.26.2003 - - - 3:33 PM
I have a really good reason for not updating yesterday. I was reading. Every spare second I've had the past two days has been dedicated to reading Harry Potter. I read it when I'm drying my hair in the morning, I read it at lunch, and I read it when I have a lull in my work. YES, I am reading it at work. It's not stopping me from doing my work! When something comes up, I stop reading to complete the task. It's great, I'm half-way through the 870 pages. Damn addictive book! Thus-far, I highly recommend it. I've had fun the last two nights. On Tuesday night, Bells and I went to get Mexican food and Sangria. We drank an entire pitcher of Sangria between the two of us. We were feeling no pain by the end of the night! Then, last night a group of us went out on the Pier. The Boyfriend's cousin is in town from Australia, so we showed him how crazy Americans party by the beach. I was feeling a little craptastic this morning, but I'm better now. Just tired! And my feet hurt...I haven't been able to sort out why. Tonight, The Boyfriend is taking me to dinner to celebrate my birthday since he's going to a bachelor party tomorrow. I don't know where we're going, but my friends know and they say that it's a great place! I love surprises. I'm so excited! I bought a beeeyootiful new dress to wear, so I'm going to be sassy and sexy. My friend Lisa, aka The Sexy, knows that these go hand in hand. Anyway, I have to leave work right at 5 to get to the restaurant on time. Have I mentioned that I'm excited?! I just love, love, love my birthday. And all birthdays in general, actually! I love celebrating things. I'm planning on getting donuts tomorrow for my office as a sort of "happy birthday to me" thing, but this means that my boss will find out it's my birthday, and I'm quite certain he's forgotten. I feel bad, I know he's going to feel awful that he didn't know...but, on the other hand, it's on the staff roster! I remind him of everyone's birthdays, though. But you know what? I think every boss should know when their employee's birthdays are. For gosh sakes, must I do everything around here? Also, dear readers, if you love me, you will sign my guestbook and wish me a happy birthday and tell me that I'm pretty and tan. That's all I want from you. I thank you in advance!
06.24.2003 - - - 3:53 PM
Wow, I have had a stretch of days where so much happened, and I haven't updated in a while. I just got back into town today, but I'm getting ahead of myself. I'll start at the very beginning, a very good place to start: Friday night was all kinds of fun. Jackie and I went to see From Justin to Kelly. It was so bad, we loved it! All weekend, we were quoting from it to each other. I think we were among the 10 people in the country who saw it, but rest assured, we will be purchasing the movie when it comes out on DVD. I know The Boyfriend and my brother are horrified to hear that, but I don't care! I am proud of my love of American Idol! EXCEPT - I do NOT agree with Clay being on the cover of the new Rolling Stone. Oh my God, just thinking about it gets me so angry, I need to talk about something else. After the movie, Jackie and I met up with the ladies and we went out for a night on the pier. It was so much fun, I can't remember the last time we all went out and were so HAPPY at the end of the night! Of course, it helped that our friend, Suzanne, got engaged. We were all on a high for her - she's the first of the college pals. After closing down the bars, we all assembled at the apartment of Woodsy, Hardcore, and D Wop for some late-night pizza. On Saturday...well, my day didn't really begin until about 3 or so. Jax started me off right by putting my "12 Days of Heather's Birthday" gifts outside my door - that helped get me past the bathroom!!! Christinie and I got some quality TV time in, then we all got ready for a night in Santa Monica. We went to four different places, and I swear, we were treated like royalty at all of them. We got to cut lines without asking, and no one tried to grope us or anything. It was so different from the pier! We ended the night with more late-night food, this time at Rocky Cola Cafe, where I poured sugar into my mouth for 5 seconds because Jaxdared me to. Everything tasted kind of funny after that...oh well! On Sunday I got up at the crack of dawn to go to Vegas, baby! I met up with my parents in Burbank and we made it to Sin City in a little over four hours - I was SO happy! I got some quality sun and drinking time in while my parents did some shopping, then we went to a great dinner at Paris. Where we drank some more. My Horrible Gambling Luck continued, but my Amazing Good Luck Charm abilities also continued. Literally within a minute of sitting down at the slots, my parents had each won fair amounts of money. And I lost about $8. This normally would have reduced me to tears after the amount I'd had to drink, but since it was my mom's eight bucks I just got really pissed off instead. I called Woodsy to tell her about my parents' wins, since she has had the good fortune to sit next to me on the slots as well. It never fails - I lose EVERYTHING, while my companions walk away richer. I should charge a fee or something. At least while I was sitting there with my parents I was offered a free drink. I told my parents to order drinks, but they didn't, not realizing that I would have relieved them of their free beverages. You have to get your money back somewhere! We then walked back to the MGM from Paris, not a short walk, and bought more drinks. Then we all pretty much passed out in our rooms, but not before my sweet and pretty mom told me that she thought Advil Gel Caps were adorable. I woke up yesterday at 7:30 and cursed my internal clock. I always wake up early on the days I don't have to, it's so annoying! But, it allowed me to be lazy all morning while my parents went for a walk. I got to watch all of the Today Show! When my parents returned, we lathered up and went to the poolside cafe for breakfast, then hit the pool. I enjoyed the heat, but I swear, I got no color at all! So annoying. We met up with my parents' friends for dinner, and we attempted to wipe out the Bellagio's amazing buffet. I ran out of gas quickly, but others did a good job. Also, in the bathroom at the Bellagio, a woman stopped me to tell me that I had a good Aura. I thought that was pretty cool, even though it was obvious she wanted me to pay her to give me a reading. But, she didn't tell anyone ELSE in the bathroom that they had a good aura - in fact, she went out of her way to tell me. So, I'm full of aura-y goodness. Go me! This morning, I had to wake up at the crack to catch a flight back to Burbank so I could make it to work on time. Except, my flight was delayed for almost an hour, so I was an hour late to work. Excellent. I'm lucky I have a cool boss. And super-cool parents who take me to Vegas! Yay!!!! After catching up on a bit of work, I started calling the local book stores to find out when they were going to get another shipment of Harry Potter books...and I was delighted to find that the Walden Books in the mall down the street had five left! I seriously RAN the three blocks there to get a copy. The only thing that's keeping me from blatantly cracking it open here at my desk is writing this! I'm so excited to read it all. I think I need to re-read the end of the fourth book, though, just to get refreshed with what's going on. Hmmm...what else? Well, my birthday is on Friday! YAY! As I was telling Hardcore and The Boyfriend, I can't remember the last time I was so excited about my birthday. I mean, I'm always excited - I love birthdays, especially mine - but it feels different this time. Probably because almost all of my favorite people will be there (The Boyfriend, Jax, K, Nonie, and Brookums, I'll miss you!), and I just know that my friends are going to make it a really fun night for me. The Boyfriend and I are going out to dinner to celebrate on Thursday, and his excitement is contagious. I can't wait to go! He's surprising me with where we're eating (unlike SOME people, I LOVE surprises!), and I know he's put a lot of thought into the presents he got me. It makes me so happy to have such a wonderful family, boyfriend, and group of friends! Look at me, I'm all gushy and it isn't even my day yet! I’ll stop all this now and start my Harry Potter!!!
06.20.2003 - - - 4:04 PM
It has been one of those days. I am SO GLAD it's Friday. Work blew today, and I didn't even get in until after noon. These late nights have totally kicked my ass. I had a doctor's appointment this morning. I was soooo tired at the appointment, I had a hard time focusing. This was my first time with this doc, he was VERY nice and asked a lot of good questions. He gave me a prescription to help me with my dizziness, so he really is my new best friend. My time with him lasted about 40 minutes or so. Then I went down to the pharmacy. Oh, Lord. I was there for TWO HOURS waiting for them to fill my prescription. Every time I went to the counter, I was told that they were working on my prescription and that it would be right up. Here's the thing: the doc prescribed an anti-depressant for me. Not because I'm depressed, but because it has other effects that will help with the dizziness. Anyway, by the time the pharmacist finally called my name, I literally had tears in my eyes. I could not believe how long it had taken, and I was so relieved that it was finally my turn. At the counter, the pharmacist looked at me with my tears, and then handed me my prescription for an anti-depressant. Hmm...maybe the doctor knows something I don't! So far, I don't feel any effects from the medicine whatsoever. But, upon reading the nice pamphlet that came with the prescription, it says that it can take anywhere from one to four weeks to work. Awesome. I guess I'll know it's kicked in when I am totally bouncing off the walls. In other news, I must apologize to The Boyfriend. The Giants won. They are in first place today, and the Dodgers are in second. But, Barry didn't get a hit! I have to grab onto something. He's on his way to Northern California for the weekend, have fun with your family!!! Tonight, Jax and I are going to see From Justin to Kelly. We are beyond excited, and you can mock us all you want but we don't care. We love them! And, Jax's week was even crappier than mine so she really deserves to have fun tonight. I love Jax! She rules! This will be a nice, fun weekend. Tomorrow, the roommates and I are going to breakfast and hanging out all morning and afternoon. It's been a long time since the three of us have hung out, thanks to our busy schedules. So we penned in some time tomorrow. Then, on Sunday I'm going with the parents to Las Vegas. I have Monday off, as an early birthday present, so I am going to lay in the hot hot sun all day in Nevada. I'll be back on Tuesday morning, bright and early and in time for work. I can't wait to lay by the pool all day. It's going to be great! Have a great weekend kids!
06.19.2003 - - - 4:40 PM
Not a lot of time to write today, I've been crazy with work and lunches and all that fun schtuff. But, I had to get this in:
SIT DOWN, BARRY!
This entry is dedicated to The Boyfriend.
06.18.2003 - - - 3:39 PM
After waxing on and on about how fun the softball game I played in was, I’m now going to bitch about it. Oh my GOD, I am so sore! I don’t know what the deal is. Every muscle and joint on my body aches. Except my right shoulder, which I slowly and carefully stretched out before the game. It hurts to stand. It hurts to sit. I can’t even cross my legs, I have to grab my leg with my hands and move it over the other leg. That is the level of my soreness. I know it didn’t help that yesterday I spent three hours crammed into a tiny seat at Dodger Stadium. I have to remember to bring padding to sit on! When I stood up during the 7th inning stretch, I knew I wasn’t going to be in good shape later. And, about an hour and a half later, when The Boyfriend dropped me off at my car, I could hardly get out of his car without wincing. And this morning, oy. The shower did not help with the stiffness. I hope it goes away soon. Sitting here in my work chair, I keep twisting and stretching to try to stay somewhat loose. Sitting in a cramped seat again tonight might be torture. But, it will be worth it if the Dodgers kick Giant ass again! And they will. Last night’s game was awesome. Plus, I got a cool blue wig as the give away. It is totally my new ‘fro. I love it and want to have its blue-haired babies. It was fun to be at Dodger Stadium and see everyone with their wigs on. Except the Giants fans (Ahem, The Boyfriend). Even the tiniest babies had the wigs on! It was so cute. Tonight everyone in attendance gets a rally towel. If The Boyfriend thought everyone with a wig on was annoying, just wait until everyone is waving a towel around. It even annoys me, and I will be among the wavers. I have to be a gracious winner tonight...I know The Boyfriend will be sad when his beloved Giants lose yet again, and have to share first place with the Glorious Dodgers. Oh my God, I just realized that last night I didn’t have a beer at the game! What the heck is going on with me?! Well, I’m just going to have to make up for that tonight. Gooooooooooooooo Dodgers!!! And, I hate it when there are a million things to do on one night. That is all.
06.17.2003 - - - 11:16 AM
For the last seven years, I have had a recurring dream. I’m on a softball field, playing third base, and the ball is hit to me. I field it cleanly, then move to throw it to first. But the ball either won’t come out of my hand, or I throw it and it bounces on the ground right in front of it, trickling over to the first baseman too late to make the out. Then, I’m up to bat, but I strike out swinging on three perfect pitches. Over and over I’ve had this dream, probably once a month. Once a month for seven years is a lot – 84 times, for you math phobes. I figure that this is because seven years ago, I quit playing competitive softball. I’d had enough. However, I didn’t have that last game: I quit the day before our first game of the season. I didn’t get to go out on a high note. Softball had been a huge part of my life since I was seven years old, and, even though it had been making me unhappy for some time before I finally quit, it had also brought me great friends and great memories. When I quit, I had to deal with anger from my friends, teammates, and coaches, which I worked through, but I also had to figure out who I was beyond softball. And I did, and my life went on. But still, I regretted not playing in that last game. For the rest of high school, I umpired girls’ games, and I would occasionally fill in on a slow pitch team here and there. After high school, though, I never played with a team again. I stopped going to the batting cages, or throwing the ball around, and I generally left softball behind. Sometimes I would talk on the phone with T, and we would talk about softball and how we missed playing catch with each other. We’d always say that we were going to throw the ball around the next time we saw each other. I kept my glove in the back of my car just in case. About two or three years went by until I finally threw with my dad. Then, on Christmas day this last year, T and I finally threw to each other for the first time since the day I quit our team. It was so much fun, and we talked about joining a league and playing together again. I ran it by The Boyfriend, and we decided it would be fun. He knew of a league in his area, but it didn’t start until July. Flash forward to yesterday. The Boyfriend and I, despite talking about it all the time, still haven’t thrown the ball around, even though we BOTH keep our gloves in the back of our cars. I was sitting on the couch, eating my dinner, when Jax came home from work. She asked me if I wanted to come play on her company’s softball team, they had a game and were short on women. I totally jumped at the opportunity. I was a bit apprehensive, though. What if my dream came true? What if I couldn’t hit, and I couldn’t throw, and I made a total ass of myself? Luckily, none of that came true. I took batting practice and managed to get a good piece of most of the pitches. I was a little spooked fielding before the game, but I knew that I was being silly. And if the ball hit me, oh well, right? It was fun to play with Jax and her work friends, they were all very nice, and my old roomie Alyssa was playing, too. I played centerfield and third base, and I got the ball a few times backing up the infielders. I didn’t have any throwing problems. I hit the ball every time I was up, although I only reached base once. All in all, a good experience (except for seeing an ex-boyfriend before the game, but that is another story for another time…and it isn’t very exciting anyway). When I got home, I talked to The Boyfriend and we agreed that we would sign up for the league in his area on the first day of registration. AND – I didn’t have my crazy softball dream last night. Hopefully I put it to rest, so to speak.
06.13.2003 - - - 2:24 PM
Tired. Bored. I’m feeling so lazy that I am slumped in my chair right now as I write this, so that my chin is at key-board level. I can’t make my lips form words coherently. For example, my boss is out of the office, so I just answered his phone. I tried to say, "He’s not in right now, would you like to leave him a voice mail?" But instead it came out, "He snottin, wu jewel hike tool heave im a vomail?" I sounded like Drunk Girl on Saturday Night Live. So now, I sit here, staring at the clock on my computer. I’ve read every website, caught up on today’s news, and played about 487 games of solitaire. And, now that it is after 5 in NYC, there will be even less for me to do. If that is even possible. So, here I sit. This picture does not begin to properly illustrate my apathy today. My office doesn’t have a door, so anyone who walks by can look in and see me. Normally when I hear people coming, I sit up so they think I’m working hard. Today, I just don’t care. The mail guy came in with a package and laughed. My office neighbor St. Paddy came to talk, and I remained slouched. I am writing this with my arms stretched out as far as they can. Man, I hate how Fridays just drag on! Look how low in my chair I am in this picture!
And yes, I know that some of you are going to make short jokes, so I am also including this picture of me sitting up normally in my chair. And YES, I put on some lip gloss, because damn! I look so washed-out and pale! I really need a tan. Also, I just realized that my shirt is really low-cut...I don't think I'll be wearing it to work again. You know, taking pictures here is fun. And it’s something to do. So, now, I present a virtual tour of my office, where all the magic happens.
This is what you see when you stand in the door to my office. The only thing missing is me sitting in my chair, which I couldn't do since I was the one taking this picture. I didn't want to ask anyone to take it for me, okay? It may look small, but it isn't. I actually have the biggest cubby on the floor! At least, of the cubbies I know about, I don't get around much.
I have a lot of empty boxes in my office. I get a lot of CDs sent to me, and last week I got a bunch of label stuff, like shirts, hats, backpacks, etc. I just haven't gotten around to putting the boxes on top of my trash can. My laziness knows no bounds. You have to be careful when you walk in that you don't trip over them like my boss always does.
When you enter my office, immediately to your right is the guest chair. See, I told you I have a big office! I have a place for my guests. Just beyond that is one of my two product cabinets. This cabinet holds all the new CDs. It is obviously evil: look how dark it is!
If you look to the left when you enter my office, you see the wall I share with St. Paddy. Look at his posters. His label is a lot cooler than mine. Just kidding! His cubby is much smaller than mine, which you can't see from this picture. I mean, his cubby is made of a movable wall. It's not even a real cubby! Pathetic. The girl that St. Paddy replaced used to be in my office, but when I was hired they made her move. I am Just. That. Important.
This is my brand-spanking new CD burner. I heart it. It makes copies of my CDs so fast, which is important because I make at least 187 copies of CDs a week. And these are the authorized copies. Occasionally, I have been known to use the CD burner for other things. Nothing illegal, though, of course. I don't want to take food out of my own mouth. I don't eat enough as it is. Right now my friends are laughing. Pie, anyone?
Just past the burner is my palm tree. In December, I turn it on and it becomes my California Christmas Tree. Once a week the sweetest little man comes into my office and waters it, and cuts off the dead parts, and generally takes care of it. That's a good thing, because I am not so good with the plants. I kill them. Not on purpose, I just forget they're there. This is why I don't have pets, or babies.
This is my other product cabinet. I call it the "Good" cabinet, because it is bright and airy, and doesn't look like monsters live in it. It holds our catalogue CDs, and a bunch of other junk. I keep papers in there, and office supplies like stationary and printer ink. Towards the bottom I keep paper plates, napkins, and cups. This is because our branch is stingy and I have to stock up on stuff. On the top shelf I keep clothing that has the label logo printed on it. These clothes come in handy when I shack it up. Just kidding, mom! I totally bring clothes with me when I know I'm going to shack.
These are the only two autographs I've acquired since I started working here. Well, I inherited one of them, and the other I got under the pretense that it was for someone else. I like to pretend that I'm too cool for autographs, but I'm totally, totally not.
This is my little nook, where I spend eight long hours five days a week. I'm all tucked into the corner opposite the entrance. I didn't choose for my office to be set up this way. I suppose I could always move all the furniture around so it's a little more Feng Shui, but I think I'd have to throw away my boxes to do that, and I don't really feel like it.
I have a bulletin board for work things, but this isn't it. This is my personal bulletin board, and it is conveniently placed behind my back where I can't see it. I have pictures of my brother and I when we were kids, work friends, homies, a USC flag, a label sticker, a Jose Cuervo pin, and a Jimmy Fallon post card. I am fond of The Jimmy.
Sweet little fridge. It was in my office when I got here, and I decided to keep it. Sometimes I put food in it. Also, it makes a good fax machine stand. I have affixed the 2003 USC Football schedule, a radio station magnet, and a Pacific Cinemas magnet to the side of it. I like magnets. Beyond the fridge, you can see my map of Dodger Stadium, a Far Side comic entitled, "The Angel of Migraines," and the USC football schedule through 2006. Yes, it is out, mark your calendars.
Remember that one episode of Seinfeld where George had a bed put under his desk? I could do that. My desk has enough room for me to lay full extended under it. These pictures do not do the space justice. I don't lay under it too often, though. I mostly keep a lot of crap under here. My most prized office possession is kept under my desk, though: my space heater. It was bequeathed to me by St. Paddy's predecessor. And by bequeathed to me, I mean she left it in her old office and I went in and took it.
I love No Doubt. I got this picture of them from their label and I hung it up where only I can see it. Gwen is like, "Look at me, I'm a gangsta!" Below that is a book on Cancer, which is my sign. Did you know that Cancer is a feminine sign? I didn't, either, until I opened the book. Learn something new every day. Then there is my label mug. I make everything from coffee to soup in it. It's resting on my OTHER CD burner, the one that I called the help desk about five days ago...it still isn't working. Bastards.
Ah, my radio. Another thing that was here when I arrived at the company. I am totally taking it with me to my next job, though. It rocks. Ha, get it?! On top of it is my CD submission pile. It's pretty big. Sometimes people will call and say, "Have you listened to my CD yet?" And I'll say, "Simma down, bizotch! I got a lot to listen to!" They should see this pile. And, of course, Simma.
Finally, we have my view. What I stare at for eight hours. All the electronics are new: I just got a new monitor and hard drive within the last month. The frame is a motto my mom gave me, it has a poem about music. Above that I have pictures of me, The Boyfriend, my parents, my brother, and my Gramma. On top of the monitor I have a wind-up toy record player. It rolls around when it's all wound up. I should have made sure it was in the picture. It's cute, but you're gonna have to take my word for it.
Well, that's it. That's my office. Aren't you glad you took this virtual tour? I know I am. Especially since I was almost done loading it all when my new computer decided to be a bitch and lose half of it. So you'd better appreciate what I've done for you. Hey, at least it's time to go now! Yay!!!
06.12.2003 - - - 4:14 PM
I am a big fan of Thursdays. My conference calls are done for the week, there is good TV on (either Must See T.V. or The Amazing Race), and the weekend is so close I can taste it. And, Thursday is the new Friday. Didn't you know that? Well, not like that stops me or my friends. We say every night is Friday. Like last night. After having a crappy day at work, I drank the last of Bells's bottle of red wine. Then I had a glass of some white wine I found in the fridge. Then another. And then, suddenly, I was telling Jax stories about the time my old boss took me to a totally nude strip club. And while she'd heard the stories before, she'd never seen me act out parts of it. Like when Jen and I saw Stripper A wash her cooch with some hand soap in the middle of the women's room. Or later, again in the women's room, when we saw Stripper B turn her back to the full-length mirror, bend over at the waist, and spread her cheeks. Presumably to look for skid marks. Jax was amused by my stories, but probably more amused by how my tongue stumbled through the telling. We were soon summoned to my bedroom window to talk to Hardcore and Woodsy, who were standing out on their deck next door. I then proceeded to tell them the same stories I told Jax. Jax is so patient. Somewhere in the middle of the cheek story, our new neighbors came home. Oh, and did I mention that Woodsy and Hardcore had also been enjoying wine? Well, they had been. The neighbors? Probably wishing they had checked out who lived in the buildings around them. After we sufficiently scared the new people, someone suggested we rent "Old School." This is not only one of the best movies ever made, but a great thing to watch after three glasses of wine. Jax, having not consumed any wine, was kind enough to drive us to Blockbuster. We made an interesting crew: Jax was in work-out clothes, Woodsy and I were in our work clothes (for me, jeans and a tank, for Woodsy, a skirt and nice top), and Hardcore...well, Hardcore was in Addidas pants and a thick green bathrobe. After renting the movie, we decided to walk next door to Vons. Because wine makes you hungry. Jax bought ice cream sandwiches, Woodsy bought ice cream and M&M's, I bought an entire Lemon Meringue pie, and Hardcore...Hardcore purchased two different flavored bags of chips and some waffles. We had an interesting feast when we returned home. Man, I love that movie, though! Frank the Tank! Frank the Tank! I told Jax that we need rhyming names like that. It won't really work with most of our names, though...which doesn't mean we aren't going to try.
06.11.2003 - - - 3:58 PM
Burbank smells worse than usual today. Along with the smell of smog and fertilizer, there is that odor that is only possessed by industrial paint. The new AMC Theatre is almost done, and it, along with all the buildings around it, are being painted. I thought when I walked to Noah’s Bagels for lunch today I would pass out from all the chemicals. It makes me laugh when I go to the AMC website, which I just linked to, and I see that the new theatre will be in the “Burbank Entertainment Village.” What? I didn’t know that Ross Dress For Less was an entertainment place. You learn something new everyday. I’m excited that it’s going to be a stadium theatre, though, and there will be 16 screens. The website says that it will be opening in June 2003…ooh, better hurry, there are only 19 days left. I’ll be writing a letter if it isn’t open by the 30th. Gotta get my free tickets. Seriously, though, complaining is the best thing you can do if you’re unhappy about something. The first thing The Powers That Be will do to appease you is offer free shit. And, hey, it appeases me! Now I’m kind of hoping it won’t open in time. I’m mentally composing my complaint letter right now. My birthday is only 16 days away! Yay! Just had to remind you all. Anyway, I know you are all holding your breath, waiting to find out if my writer’s block has gone away. Well, it hasn’t. I’m not letting it bother me anymore, though, because I remembered last night that I always do my best work when I put it off until the last minute. I’m a first-class procrastinator. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before. So, I fully expect divine inspiration to hit me tomorrow about an hour before I leave for dinner. And that will be okay with me. Just as long as it comes, it doesn’t matter how last-minute it is. Although, I figured out today that I am probably going to have to make the envelopes to mail the invitations in, since they are of an awkward size. That’s okay, I think it actually should be pretty easy. I was messing around with it a bit today. Man, these invitations are going to be a lot of effort! But totally worth it.
06.10.2003 - - - 2:17 PM
Oh my God, I don’t know what happened, but I think I broke my creative bone. It started yesterday. I am, as I have previously mentioned, planning my friend T’s bachelorette party. On Thursday I’m meeting up with some of the other bridesmaids to go over what we want to do for the weekend and all that fun stuff. I have been looking up all kinds of ideas on the internet for the party, like games, outfits, decorations, etc. Suddenly, this overwhelming urge to make the invitations came over me. I figured I could make something really cute for far less than what it costs to buy pre-made cards, and I could completely personalize the wording on the invitation with a poem or something. So yesterday, I went to a scrapbook store during my lunch to get some cute paper and other things to make the invitations. I spent AN HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES at the store. Let me say, I am pretty creative when it comes to words and things of that nature, but when it comes to expressing myself visually I usually need some help. I knew what I wanted the invitations to look like, but after an hour and ten minutes of walking around the store, I hadn’t figured it all out. But, the good workers at Memories and More knew exactly what I meant, and five minutes after I clumsily expressed my desires I walked out of the shop with everything I needed. I returned to my office proud and excited, and started to write the invitation. Except…all I could do was write, “INVITATION GOES IN THIS SPACE” above my R.S.V.P. information. I have never been unable to write before! I couldn’t even muster up enough to write here yesterday! Kids, I am flummoxed. It’s stretched over until today, and even though I’m writing here right now I still haven’t been able to write the damn invitation. What the hell? It’s freaking me out. I’m hoping that by writing this right now, I’ll break this crazy writer’s block I seem to have. So, let me talk about my last few days. On Friday night, The Boyfriend and I went out to dinner to celebrate his new job AND the fact that he is a semi-finalist in the first screenplay contest he’s heard back from, which is a huge accomplishment. Yay, The Boyfriend! We had yummy dinner, and then I got some champagne for our celebrating pleasure. After that, Jax and Hardcore joined us for a night out. Good times. On Saturday, The Boyfriend and I journeyed out to the Land Where I Grew Up, where I was scheduled attend a retirement party during the day and a dinner with my parents and some of their friends that night. Well…the retirement party made me glad that I am no longer in high school, and I decided to celebrate that by leaving the party after 30 minutes. Hey, I signed the card! No one even knew I was there, so I’m not going to cry about it. I’m glad I didn’t stay, because then The Boyfriend and I got some quality napping time in before dinner. We had a nice dinner with the parents and their friends. On Sunday, Hardcore and I went to the AVP volleyball tournament. It was unbelievably crowded, so we went back to her place and BBQ’d and enjoyed an easy afternoon and evening. Nice weekend! Yesterday, Les, Matty, The Boyfriend, and I went to All-You-Can-Eat sushi at a restaurant by my apartment. After that meal, I don’t think I’ll be eating sushi for a LONG time. It was good, but in my determination to get my money’s worth I may have overdone it on the sushi. The fun thing about the restaurant we were at is that every Monday there is Karaoke, so a bunch of the ladies met us after sushi for some singing fun. Well, in their case, watching! The Boyfriend sang a wonderful rendition of, “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and I sang “Natural Woman.” It was lots of fun, but next time I’ll have to make everyone sing! I think it will just require some more booze, which is easy. Okay. I am still not feeling any inspiration for this damn invitation! I think I might cry. Creativity, come back!
P.S. To make up for not writing yesteday, go here and read up.
06.06.2003 - - - 4:04 PM
My birthday is in three weeks! Whee!!! I can’t wait. I really have nothing to talk about today. I watched the MTV movie awards last night. Thanks to the magic of Direct TV and MTV replays, I have managed to see almost the entire program. I’m not worried about it, I know it will be on all weekend, so I’m bound to see the first 30 minutes, which is the part I haven’t seen. Jax and I also watched The Amazing Race. I don’t know why I was never into this show before, it’s awesome! The contestants get to travel all over the world. Jax and I decided we’re going to be on the next installment. The way we look at it is, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. You get to travel all around the world for free. If you win the race, you win a million dollars. So, can someone tell me what the down-side is? Yeah, you’re on a reality TV show, but if you are fun and chill like Jax and I are, there is no reason for Americans to hate you. Which is really the biggest reason to not do a reality show. Because everyone will hate you. Some of the people on the show are really mean to each other, and I just don’t see what that accomplishes. I’m super-competitive, but it’s not life and death! Yikes. When they open up applications for next year, Jax and I are all over it. Last night I took Woodsy to the airport, she’s in a wedding this weekend. Hope you have fun, Woodsy! This has been the slowest day ever. I was just busy enough to not be able to leave my desk, but not busy enough to have the time fly by. Tonight, The Boyfriend and I are going to dinner to celebrate his new job. Yay, The Boyfriend! I am so proud. Then, tomorrow I am going out to my hometown for a retirement party, and The Boyfriend and I are going to spend some quality time with the parents. Then, on Sunday it’s AVP day! Hermosa Beach hosts the AVP tournament every year, and I haven’t made it to a single one since I moved there. So this year, I am determined. Jax and I are going, and we’re going to meet up with my friend Jen and sit in the sun (hopefully the sun will oblige) and watch some hot volleyball action.
06.05.2003 - - - 3:42 PM
My new computer is awesome. It is very fast. But it is missing some of the programs that I use…the ones that I didn’t know I used all the time until they weren’t there anymore. “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.” But that is why they invented the Help Desk. I’m making a nice list of everything that they didn’t transfer over, and tomorrow they will get a phone call from me demanding these programs be installed immediately. A lot of the things that are missing are things I could remedy myself, but the tech people get really pissy when you take matters into your own hands. For example, my CD burner on my computer was not installed. Kind of a problem, since I needed it a little while ago. I could install it right now, but I prefer to not get yelled at by the tech people. My only complaint about the computer itself is that the operating system is Windows XP…the professional edition. I have XP on my pretty home laptop, but it’s the regular po’ folks edition. I was trying to end a program earlier, but XP wanted nothing to do with it. It tried to shut down my computer when I attempted to end the program. XP professional edition is, I’ve decided, a vengeful operating system. We need to learn to get along, because I am a vengeful computer user. I didn’t mention in my entry from yesterday that my stomach currently hates me. Well, it does. I woke up yesterday very tired, and my stomach was nauseous. I didn’t think too much of it, because I am the type of person who feels sick to her stomach when she doesn’t get enough sleep. However, this feeling normally goes away after I’ve been awake for an hour. Yesterday, it did not. In fact, the nausea has continued over to today. I don’t feel sick in any other way. I didn’t sleep very well last night, maybe that has something to do with it. It wasn’t for lack of trying; I went straight to bed as soon as I got home from work. Anyway, here’s to hoping that I sleep well tonight! My bed hasn’t really been my friend lately, though. I think I need to take these sleeping matters into my own hands – maybe a shot or two of whiskey will do it. Blech, just typing that sounds so gross. I won’t be doing that. Maybe Jax or Bells will hit me over the head. Hmm…something to think about. This picture is from last weekend’s Pub Crawl. Isn’t The Boyfriend so cute? I picked up the visors for our team to wear. Jax, Bells, and Hardcore were also wearing them. We got lots of compliments. I was told that we won Best Team, but since we were stuck in the line outside of the last bar, none of us could go up on the stage to accept it. So they gave our award to Team Mullet. Whatever. If they want our sloppy seconds, so be it.
06.04.2003 - - - 4:07 PM
Nothing but computer problems. Yesterday, my internet was down. Today, it's been off and on intermittently. And, of course, the times when it is working are the times the tech guy needs to get on it to back up my files and such. By the end of the day, I will FINALLY have my new computer. I can't wait, it's going to be all high-tech and fast. Being a computer nerd, this is important to me. Not much new going on with me. We watched American Juniors last night. Wow. That show is terrifying. Yeah, the kids were cute, especially when they were dancing. But some of those kids were so precocious it was downright scary. Not to mention the awful stage parents. I used to joke that if I got a talented child I would cash him or her in, but not anymore. They can cash themselves in when they're old enough to drive. So, since I couldn't get online yesterday and practically my entire job depends on my ability to access the internet, I filled out one of those survey things. The ones that ask questions that you answer about yourself and then send to a million of your closest email friends. And, since I get the occasional email from a random reader asking me questions about myself, I thought I would post the survey here, for your pleasure. Which I ganked from Heathen.
A - Act your age? Yeah, I think so. I act older than I am when at work, or meeting new people, and at other times I'm very immature, so I think it averages out nicely to my current age. Sometimes I feel like I'm so old...just tired and bogged down with never ending crap. Then I go party like I'm a sophomore in college.
B - Born on what day of the week? Wednesday. I didn't even have to look it up. I'm freaky with dates like that.
C - Chore you hate? All of them.
D - Dad's name? Captain Kirk
E- Essential makeup item? Hmm...I think Mascara, because my eyelashes are long, but blonde, so without mascara it's hard to see them.
F - Favorite actor? Whatever. I have no idea! I really can't think of anyone where I say "I have to see that movie JUST BECAUSE so and so is in it."
G - Gold or silver? Both. I switch it up, because I'm cool like that. My watch is both gold AND silver, so I just say it all ties in. All the rings I wear are gold, though. I don't like the way silver looks on my hands. But, I did like David Silver on Beverly Hills, 90210, and there was a time when I would have liked the way he looked on my hands. What? You're gross.
H - Hometown? Newbury Park, CA, but I was born in Hollywood and I like to flaunt how glamorous that sounds to people who don't know how crappy Hollywood actually is.
I - Instruments you play? Piano, harmonica, and guitar, but not very well. I also sing, and any singer will tell you that the voice in an instrument. Isn't that pretentious?
J - Job title? A&R Director, or Coordinator, or Rep, or whatever else my boss thinks makes me sound important depending on the situation. He changes it all the time. I think I should get a pay raise with every change. This is the reason why I don't have business cards.
K - Kids? Someday, when the miracle of modern science makes it so that babies don't hurt when you squeeze them out, I'll get some. Or when they are on sale, because I hear they cost a lot. Oh, and when it isn't illegal to beat them...I have anger issues.
L - Living arrangements? A three bedroom palace that I share with Jax and Bells, with the occasional overnight guest.
M - Mom's name? Linda B.
N - Need... money, and lessons on how to save it.
O - Overnight hospital stays? Once, when I was on a choir trip to Seattle, I got really sick and had to be admitted to the hospital at 1 AM...I was discharged at 10 AM...does that count?
P - Phobia? I hate feet. I fear spiders. I don't like heights, but that's because of my crazy crazy vertigo.
Q - Quote you like? I have a few.
"Nothing is so bad as something that it can't be worse," I don't know who said that...
"I ate too much plastic candy," Ralph Wiggum, The Simpsons
"Music is the key to the female heart." -Johann G. Seume, which is so true, just ask The Boyfriend
"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."- Red Auerbach
"Most of us go to our grave with our music still inside of us." -Unknown
"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent."-Victor Hugo, hmmm, sensing a theme?
"Don't be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so." -Belva Davis
"Who ever thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness?" Wicked Witch of the West, The Wizard of Oz
R - Religious affiliation? Technically? None.
S - Siblings? One. Male. K. Twin. No, not identical.
T - Time you wake up? Well...this depends on where I am waking up. Anywhere from 6:30 AM to 7:30 AM.
U - Unique talent? Well, I can be kind of freaky when it comes to days and dates, and I can do this weird thing with my feet when I walk, which I know is strange since I hate feet so much.
V - Vegetable you refuse to eat? I love veggies, so there really aren't many...I guess string beans. I really can't think of another.
W - Worst habit? My hatred for chores probably ranks up there. I crack my knuckles and my back and neck, which I hear isn't good for you. I hit the snooze button on my alarm sometimes.
X - X-rays you've had? Oh my God, so many...both of my arms a few times, both of my ankles a few times, my chest a few times when I had bronchitis, my head about 10 times (seriously, not in a funny Oh you so crazy kind of way), my nose, my teeth, my right hand...THANK YOU SOFTBALL.
Y - Yummy food you make? Everything I make tastes like God touched it.
Z - Zodiac Sign? Cancer. I'm Crabby.
06.02.03 - - - 3:45 PM
Welcome to June, baby! It is officially my birthday month, T-minus 25 days until I am officially one year older. I love birthdays. I know some people hate them...I've never really understood why. What's wrong with getting older? I joke that I will cry when I turn 30, but I really won't. I'll be stoked to turn 30, that means I've been alive for 30 years. And I know that's cheesy. I don't care. So far, I have managed to get nothing really important done today. Remember how I said that I was getting a new computer today, so I would be offline? Well, it hasn't happened yet. But I am convinced that as soon as I start my major projects, the tech guy will come bump me off my computer for the rest of the day. I've been in limbo. Oh, and my home internet connection did shut off over the weekend, so now I need to find a new internet provider. Fun, fun, fun. But, besides the internet problems, my weekend rocked. I went to a fun dinner and birthday party on Friday night with The Boyfriend. Then, Saturday was the Pub Crawl. An excessive amount of fun was had. I took some pictures, but not very many. Hopefully D Wop will be able to fill in the blanks. Then yesterday, The Boyfriend and I saw "Bruce Almighty," cruised around the Farmer's Market on Third and Fairfax, then met up with K to go to a fun comedy workshop at the Improv Olympic. We were thisclose to people like Tim Meadows, Amy Poehler, and Andy Dick. Then The Boyfriend and I BBQ'd and kicked it for the rest of the night. Weekends should always end with BBQing. My newest enjoyment in life is cooking. Look at me, all domestic. The Boyfriend and my roommates have never been happier about it. I don't always have time to cook, but when I do I am so happy. I think it's sort of Zen to just follow the directions and end up with a yummy meal. Cooking may be time consuming, but it's still FOOD. And food rocks. Dude, this entry totally sucks. I think it's because I have been so worried that at any second the tech guy is going to come. I can't finish a thought! I'm also worried because I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow where I find out the results of my E.N.G. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they have finally figured out what is wrong with me. And that it's easily treatable.
June 06, 2003
Music - Wow, I just realized that I haven't updated this section in a long time. Gosh, what am I listening to? A bunch of debuts...I bought the Kelly Clarkson album, it's actually much better than I expected. The Lizz Wright debut is amazing. Seriously. I highly recommend it. Also, check out the debut from Jesse Harris. You know, the guy who wrote the big Norah Jones songs. He's a Grammy winner. Not too much else. I borrowed a couple Lucinda Williams CDs from The Boyfriend, and I purchased The Black Crowes' Greatest Hits, so I have some interesting musical influences right now.
Television - Well, now that it's summer, there isn't too much on. I'm still coming to grips with Buffy ending. It won't hit me until next year. I watched all of American Idol, but I just wasn't as into this year's final as I was with season one. Kelly and Justin hold a special place in my heart! I also watched the first episode of American Juniors, but I can't handle seeing those poor little kids cry. I don't think I'll watch that again. Jax is really into The Amazing Race, so we've watched the first two episodes of that. It's a cool show. We've decided we're going to try out for the next season. I'll be on a reality TV show yet!
Books - Nothing in the traditional sense. Lots of online web design stuff. And, I've been reading scripts of The Boyfriend's, which I highly enjoy. I've read them a million times...I think I need a new one, hint hint! Hmmm...I'm waiting for the New Harry potter, only a few more weeks until it comes out. And lots of magazines, as per my usual.
Wedding Watch - With less than two months until the wedding, it's reaching crunch time! I have a cool bachelorette party committee in Erin, Ashley, and Diane. We've been planning a really fun weekend...despite the fact that the Bride is hateful and won't let us surprise her! I'm just kidding, she's not hateful. But she IS throwing a hissy about the weekend. That's right, T! A HISSY! She doesn't like surprises, and so far we've managed to keep a few from her. She knows when the party is, and what town we're going to, but that's it. And that's all she's going to get!!!
