http://lost-promo-contest.abc.go.com/published/8594
My LOST finale video, submitted to ABC's contest. Just go and watch, vote if you want (5 STARS!!) but voting doesnt count at this stage. 5 finalists will be selected by their judges, and the 5 will be voted on in mid April. there are some vids on there that are better than mine, for sure... but hopefully mine's one of the top 5 at least! then we can rock the vote when I get to round 2.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Busy weekend
(Pictures ahead. Click on 'em for full size.)
So much for the weekend being a time set aside for relaxation and recharging.
The last time I really posted was Wednesday... which feels like eons ago. I went out with Emily on Friday night, and we got comically lost on Robertson St. Either we have very similar luck with directions or I jinxed her, because we really did manage to spend 30 minutes looking for a particular place to eat on one street. In the process I was able to ask a Red Sox fan for help with directions, so it was definitely eventful. Emily and I get along really well. And the kicker of our game of hide and seek with Thai Boom, the restaurant we were headed for, was that once we finally found it, the place was a tiny hole-in-the-wall. She had seen that it had high ratings on Yelp.com , and I had mentioned Thai earlier in the day as well, so that's what we had settled on, to try Thai Boom, but as the place turned out to be about the size of Nadine's living room, we opted for another Thai place that just happened to be across the street. I think it was something like Nathalie's. Not sure. Very cool place though. I got Naked Shrimp- 6 shrimp served in individual little square-shaped cups, each cup filled with fish sauce, cilantro, chilis, garlic, and probably some other stuff. Mmmm. Afterwards, we went to Yogurtland. I already talked about that a bit so I'll spare you. But it calls for another MMMMMMMM. So good, so close, so cheap. Westwood Village is a great area, right by UCLA, lots of stuff to do.
Wow, just realized I didnt write about my dinner out with Jess, who is a friend of Gussy's, who is a friend of Robin's! Yes, friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend. That's what this town's all about, after all! Jess works at Dreamworks as an animator. Pretty cool right? I definitely think so. Everyone I've had the chance to spend time with has been incredible. Very interesting people, all of them. Easy conversationalists. Good stories. Good advice. We tried a new restaurant (the name of which neither of us caught, shoot!) in her area of Los Feliz. Another example of how easy it is to drive around here- I would have been hopelessly lost several times on the way there if LA's roads didnt make so much sense. I dont know why but sometimes I decide to deviate from the directions that googlemaps has given me. LA's roads are so formulaically laid out, for the most part, that it was easy to set myself back on track once I realized that my plan wasnt quite right. The restaurant had very slow service but the vibe was ... just lovely. We were all seated outside, and each table was sort of its own island. There were leafless tree-like saplings, one by each table more or less, and so the whole space was broken up nicely this way. Each table had votive candles, a wine bottle of water, and around the space were different very fragrant, subtle-but-beautiful flowers scaling intermittently placed trellises. I'll definitely go back- the minestrone soup was much different than I've ever had, with large chunks of vegetables and no beans or pasta. Yum.
Ok, what's next?
As of Friday, I started working from home. It's lovely so far. I love having lunch at home. I love dressing down. I love having the flexibility to get other things done. Tomorrow I'll be able to go to the DMV in the morning to finalize the registration process, as I had my car smog checked on Thursday and the DMV was closed on Friday. It'll be nice to have the door closed on that for a while. Got my insurance cards in the mail today too... the logistics are pretty much taken care of. Also got to talk to my Grandma for a long time. A bubbly 45 minute conversation, at the end of which I still had plenty more to say and I'm sure she had more to tell. But I needed to get back to work.
Friday night went on for too long... I stayed up till about 1AM, only to have to get up at 5:30AM for the 5K that I ran at Dodger Stadium. I didnt know what to expect, with regards to the course as well as to what my own performance level would be- but two things that I definitely did NOT expect:
So much for the weekend being a time set aside for relaxation and recharging.
The last time I really posted was Wednesday... which feels like eons ago. I went out with Emily on Friday night, and we got comically lost on Robertson St. Either we have very similar luck with directions or I jinxed her, because we really did manage to spend 30 minutes looking for a particular place to eat on one street. In the process I was able to ask a Red Sox fan for help with directions, so it was definitely eventful. Emily and I get along really well. And the kicker of our game of hide and seek with Thai Boom, the restaurant we were headed for, was that once we finally found it, the place was a tiny hole-in-the-wall. She had seen that it had high ratings on Yelp.com , and I had mentioned Thai earlier in the day as well, so that's what we had settled on, to try Thai Boom, but as the place turned out to be about the size of Nadine's living room, we opted for another Thai place that just happened to be across the street. I think it was something like Nathalie's. Not sure. Very cool place though. I got Naked Shrimp- 6 shrimp served in individual little square-shaped cups, each cup filled with fish sauce, cilantro, chilis, garlic, and probably some other stuff. Mmmm. Afterwards, we went to Yogurtland. I already talked about that a bit so I'll spare you. But it calls for another MMMMMMMM. So good, so close, so cheap. Westwood Village is a great area, right by UCLA, lots of stuff to do.
Wow, just realized I didnt write about my dinner out with Jess, who is a friend of Gussy's, who is a friend of Robin's! Yes, friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend. That's what this town's all about, after all! Jess works at Dreamworks as an animator. Pretty cool right? I definitely think so. Everyone I've had the chance to spend time with has been incredible. Very interesting people, all of them. Easy conversationalists. Good stories. Good advice. We tried a new restaurant (the name of which neither of us caught, shoot!) in her area of Los Feliz. Another example of how easy it is to drive around here- I would have been hopelessly lost several times on the way there if LA's roads didnt make so much sense. I dont know why but sometimes I decide to deviate from the directions that googlemaps has given me. LA's roads are so formulaically laid out, for the most part, that it was easy to set myself back on track once I realized that my plan wasnt quite right. The restaurant had very slow service but the vibe was ... just lovely. We were all seated outside, and each table was sort of its own island. There were leafless tree-like saplings, one by each table more or less, and so the whole space was broken up nicely this way. Each table had votive candles, a wine bottle of water, and around the space were different very fragrant, subtle-but-beautiful flowers scaling intermittently placed trellises. I'll definitely go back- the minestrone soup was much different than I've ever had, with large chunks of vegetables and no beans or pasta. Yum.
Ok, what's next?
As of Friday, I started working from home. It's lovely so far. I love having lunch at home. I love dressing down. I love having the flexibility to get other things done. Tomorrow I'll be able to go to the DMV in the morning to finalize the registration process, as I had my car smog checked on Thursday and the DMV was closed on Friday. It'll be nice to have the door closed on that for a while. Got my insurance cards in the mail today too... the logistics are pretty much taken care of. Also got to talk to my Grandma for a long time. A bubbly 45 minute conversation, at the end of which I still had plenty more to say and I'm sure she had more to tell. But I needed to get back to work.
Friday night went on for too long... I stayed up till about 1AM, only to have to get up at 5:30AM for the 5K that I ran at Dodger Stadium. I didnt know what to expect, with regards to the course as well as to what my own performance level would be- but two things that I definitely did NOT expect:
4 Hill/Incline spots in 5K (exact hills not pictured)
Yep. Had to walk a couple times. Which is why I was also not expecting:
Less than 10 minute miles! I havent run since I was on the East Coast, and for anyone who's counting, that's been over a month now. Again, I walked for a couple brief periods, so I was pleasantly surprised at my time.
I was planning to run with my friend Roxy, who also signed up, but we never met up. There were so many people there! The race was supposed to start at 8 but was delayed until about 8:30... terrible, terrible. See, on the morning of a race, people have routines. For instance, if you drink enough water to keep you "running" for about 30 minutes of a race, you drink it at a certain point not too far out from the start of the run so that you wont have to go to the bathroom before you're finished. The delay of the race by half an hour nearly proved to be a disaster for me!! At 8 I was already starting to think that I wished there was a nearby portapotty, but I knew I'd make it through just fine regardless... then they delayed the start by a few minutes every few minutes, and by the time I was climbing the last hill I was concentrating on just holding on for a few more minutes. Let me tell you, it was a close call. And I know for a fact that I was not the only on in this boat! It turned out fine, though, and after the race I hung around till about 1pm. There was a lot to do- so much free energy-this and protein-that. I have a backpack full of STUFF that I still havent really gone through. The LA Marathon was the next day (today, Sunday) so there was a whole Marathon expo happening. And the stadium was open! So of course I spent a lot of time exploring. I wandered into the luxury suites part of the park and talked my way into one of the suites (different rooms were rented out by various charities for post-race unwinding). Nice view!
Then I went up to the Top Deck area behind home plate and spent a good long while sitting in the sun. (Met an Aussie! He knew his baseball, I was impressed.)
..And other exploration pics..
And that's the race. I got home around 1:30pm or 2pm and started the resting process. I cleaned my room and watched LOST... man was I tired, but I couldnt make myself take a nap. Roxy texted later on and we went out to walk along the 3rd Street Promenade. Fun, busy street that's closed off to cars/only for pedestrian traffic. Lots of stores. We relived our respective race day moments of trial and triumph. Then we both went back to our homes and crashed! ZZZZZ
Today was all about the LA Marathon. The majority of the course ran down Santa Monica Blvd, and the entire west-bound side was shut down for the runners. I live off of a side street that connects to Santa Monica Blvd so I walked out to watch for about an hour. Races are really fun events. Inspiring. I saw children runners, runners that must have been in their mid 70's, blind runners, runners with only one leg, overweight runners, very athletic runners, average-looking runners. The whole time I was thinking about how great it would be to run a marathon. I was standing by the Mile 18 marker, and saw maybe 10 people out of the thousands I watched run past who looked like they were laboring, out of breath, red in the face. I guess it's all about pacing, walking when you need to. Lots of people were walking at that point. I was standing on an incline spot so I would imagine that by Mile 18 you're feeling any even slight upward slant in the road as if it's a mountain. Walked up the street a bit to where it was a downhill slant, and ended up talking with a guy and his family who were visiting from Lowell MA. He was sporting a Boston team print button-up so I had to chat with him! And actually, as I was running my 5K, I got about 10 GO RED SOX cheers from people in the crowd as well as people I passed/who passed me. I was wearing my Pedroia shirt, of course :) People dont wear sports shirts out here- that I've noticed, at least. And I really do look out for that. I talk to any Red Sox fan I stumble upon.
When I was tired of standing, I walked back across the street to the Century City Mall and sat in the food court area (it's outside, and a great place to hang out). Wrote some letters, listened to the live entertainment. They have live music there every weekend.
Since then, I've cooked myself some dinner (chicken, spinach, corn, garlic, lemon juice over pasta), watched some LOST. My body is saying, it's time to sleep. My mind and my will might just give in tonight. I have to be up early to get in line at the DMV, take care of this car stuff once and for all.
Long entry. I deserve to be able to end it abruptly. Have a great night everyone. Happy birthday, Grandpa. We all still think of you often. Miss you very, very much.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Photos to come...
I took PICTURES today!
...but they'll come later on. I'm really tired. Nap, or LOST? Food should happen too at SOMEpoint today but i dont want to be in a non-reclining position. I am sleep-deprived and was out in the sun for 5 hours today. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
(PS, perk of being on the west coast... i was still awake last night when our fantasy draft finished (2am-ish on the east coast).. so i found out who my players are! The only one i'm personally stoked about is Dustin Pedroia. But it really cant get any better than that to me anyhow. Anyway, it was meant to be... the draft was automated, so we ranked our picks ahead of time and players were dealt to us (no, Petey was not even in my top 3 overall, maybe not my top 5... but def my #1 second baseman))
...but they'll come later on. I'm really tired. Nap, or LOST? Food should happen too at SOMEpoint today but i dont want to be in a non-reclining position. I am sleep-deprived and was out in the sun for 5 hours today. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
(PS, perk of being on the west coast... i was still awake last night when our fantasy draft finished (2am-ish on the east coast).. so i found out who my players are! The only one i'm personally stoked about is Dustin Pedroia. But it really cant get any better than that to me anyhow. Anyway, it was meant to be... the draft was automated, so we ranked our picks ahead of time and players were dealt to us (no, Petey was not even in my top 3 overall, maybe not my top 5... but def my #1 second baseman))
Ok, ok, I'm up!
Hello, 5:30AM.
This is the only way I can do it this morning. I'm attacking the AM with too much enthusiasm, because it's burnin' off fast. This way I'll have enough left even if plenty is lost in transit.
I swear, if it wasnt for my phone's alarm which I love (I recorded this song off of a youtube video that tickled me pink, like, over a year ago) I wouldnt get up in the morning when I'm supposed to. 5K day. I'm wearing my Pedroia shirt (!!!! it's been too long) and I'm pretty much ready to go.
More to come about last night. Yesterday was a good day. For now, I'm off to consume the breakfast of champions... banana on peanut butter toast + H2O. G'day.
I swear, if it wasnt for my phone's alarm which I love (I recorded this song off of a youtube video that tickled me pink, like, over a year ago) I wouldnt get up in the morning when I'm supposed to. 5K day. I'm wearing my Pedroia shirt (!!!! it's been too long) and I'm pretty much ready to go.
More to come about last night. Yesterday was a good day. For now, I'm off to consume the breakfast of champions... banana on peanut butter toast + H2O. G'day.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Far away, this ship is taking me far away/ far away from the memories, of the people who care if I live or die..
HOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLD you here in my arms..
I just wanted to HOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLD you here in myyyyyy arms..
The janitor at work has squeaky sneakers. Made me think of Grandma today :)
Yesterday's LOST paled in comparison to last week's episode. And I have a feeling it wont have been better than next week's either, because next week we get the inside scoop on Richard!! We've all waited years for this.
When I lived on the East Coast, Springtime daylight savings held significance for me because there was more light in the sky when I got up every morning. Here, it means that it's a lot warmer when I get out of work! I love this. I wouldnt have made the connection myself- but I saw a friend's post on facebook regarding this fact the day after we set our clocks forward. Sure enough, I had experienced a blissful rush of joy that evening when I exited the office building out into the fading day only to find that it was very much warmer outside than it had been inside. That kind of warmth where the air is still and soft and somehow billowy. I love driving home from work between the mountains. Everyone drives so fast here... but my car doesnt easily agree with speeds over 75mph, so I dont worry about it. I enjoy the ride, leaving my sunroof open whenever possible and cranking the tunes.
I'm lovin Hysteria by Muse right now. Especially the instrumental bridge bit.
This morning I went to John O'Groats for breakfast with Joanna and Andrew. I enjoyed applesauce pancakes (wow, huge pancakes... I could only deal with 1 1/2 of them) and some chicken apple sausage minus all the oil that usually comes with breakfast sausages (which meant that I actually rather enjoyed it). We chatted like we'd known each other for any amount of time which gives me great faith that they'll be good friends of mine in the months and years to come. Andrew works at MPower Pictures, and Joanna used to as well but now works at a clinic that provides options alternatives to abortions to pregnant women. Joanna is going to give me a makeup consultation (happy, mom?)... which i'm thrilled about, honestly. Anyway, they were encouraging and I came away with a renewed sense of purpose in my being here in LA. Cant wait to find my way into foley.
This time last year I was working in Boston listening to spring training games with Bill every day. The announcers were pretty bad. We listened to Sox games but if they didnt happen to be on, it didnt matter who was playing... as long as it was baseball. I miss that. I need to start working from home soon so that I can listen in.
I went to Reality LA this Sunday and was blown away. I absolutely loved it. The worship was especially impressive... 30 min of worship, and hour long sermon, and 30 more min of worship. House and stage lights are down during worship which is something I had appreciated about Catacombs worship at my college, but which I'd never seen at a church before. In a place where everyone looked like they had been up for 3 hours getting ready (everyone looked perfect and beautiful.. that part was a little unnerving for me) the lights being down did a great job of reminding that the time wasnt about seeing who was wearing or doing what. The message was one of the most powerful messages I've heard in my life. The pastor was actually the pastor of a different Reality church- Reality LA was a one that he had planted. Good solid mix of scripture and life application.. not too heavy on one side or the other. I'm excited to hear from Reality LA's pastor, who I hear is a pretty intellectual speaker (though he looks like a 30-something hipster! these LA people...)
Grandma- after you're done reading this, go on facebook and ACCEPT MY FRIEND REQUEST! If you see red flags/boxes toward the top left of your facebook page, click them!
Shower time in California. The big LA Marathon is this Sunday... i run a 5K at Dodger Stadium this Saturday. Also draft my first fantasy team of the season on Saturday, cant wait to see who I wind up with!
I've been sick for a few days, with symptoms ranging from long-lasting headaches to sore throats to sneezing and a few coughs here and there. I guess nausea must be next.
The janitor at work has squeaky sneakers. Made me think of Grandma today :)
Yesterday's LOST paled in comparison to last week's episode. And I have a feeling it wont have been better than next week's either, because next week we get the inside scoop on Richard!! We've all waited years for this.
When I lived on the East Coast, Springtime daylight savings held significance for me because there was more light in the sky when I got up every morning. Here, it means that it's a lot warmer when I get out of work! I love this. I wouldnt have made the connection myself- but I saw a friend's post on facebook regarding this fact the day after we set our clocks forward. Sure enough, I had experienced a blissful rush of joy that evening when I exited the office building out into the fading day only to find that it was very much warmer outside than it had been inside. That kind of warmth where the air is still and soft and somehow billowy. I love driving home from work between the mountains. Everyone drives so fast here... but my car doesnt easily agree with speeds over 75mph, so I dont worry about it. I enjoy the ride, leaving my sunroof open whenever possible and cranking the tunes.
I'm lovin Hysteria by Muse right now. Especially the instrumental bridge bit.
This morning I went to John O'Groats for breakfast with Joanna and Andrew. I enjoyed applesauce pancakes (wow, huge pancakes... I could only deal with 1 1/2 of them) and some chicken apple sausage minus all the oil that usually comes with breakfast sausages (which meant that I actually rather enjoyed it). We chatted like we'd known each other for any amount of time which gives me great faith that they'll be good friends of mine in the months and years to come. Andrew works at MPower Pictures, and Joanna used to as well but now works at a clinic that provides options alternatives to abortions to pregnant women. Joanna is going to give me a makeup consultation (happy, mom?)... which i'm thrilled about, honestly. Anyway, they were encouraging and I came away with a renewed sense of purpose in my being here in LA. Cant wait to find my way into foley.
This time last year I was working in Boston listening to spring training games with Bill every day. The announcers were pretty bad. We listened to Sox games but if they didnt happen to be on, it didnt matter who was playing... as long as it was baseball. I miss that. I need to start working from home soon so that I can listen in.
I went to Reality LA this Sunday and was blown away. I absolutely loved it. The worship was especially impressive... 30 min of worship, and hour long sermon, and 30 more min of worship. House and stage lights are down during worship which is something I had appreciated about Catacombs worship at my college, but which I'd never seen at a church before. In a place where everyone looked like they had been up for 3 hours getting ready (everyone looked perfect and beautiful.. that part was a little unnerving for me) the lights being down did a great job of reminding that the time wasnt about seeing who was wearing or doing what. The message was one of the most powerful messages I've heard in my life. The pastor was actually the pastor of a different Reality church- Reality LA was a one that he had planted. Good solid mix of scripture and life application.. not too heavy on one side or the other. I'm excited to hear from Reality LA's pastor, who I hear is a pretty intellectual speaker (though he looks like a 30-something hipster! these LA people...)
Grandma- after you're done reading this, go on facebook and ACCEPT MY FRIEND REQUEST! If you see red flags/boxes toward the top left of your facebook page, click them!
Shower time in California. The big LA Marathon is this Sunday... i run a 5K at Dodger Stadium this Saturday. Also draft my first fantasy team of the season on Saturday, cant wait to see who I wind up with!
I've been sick for a few days, with symptoms ranging from long-lasting headaches to sore throats to sneezing and a few coughs here and there. I guess nausea must be next.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Really. Best Buy doesnt sell USB cables?
Well let's see. What can I tell you?
I've watched the most recent episode of LOST a number of times since it aired. It was a fun one for me. I wont give anything away here though. My friend Kate had me over to view the show on Tuesday, and it was something else to drive through West Hollywood (where she lives) at night, all lit up. On Wednesday night, I went out with my friend Emily- we tried a coffee place near to where I'm living, but it closed almost as soon as she had purchased her drink (I'm only drinking water for Lent). Instead, we drove around. It was relieving for me to be able to just... talk. About nothing in particular. And again, the city is eye-catching and beautiful at night. Thursday... Rob and Kathleen came into town to see their son's lacrosse game, and came to Nadine's to have dinner beforehand. Mmmm, chocolate + coconut gelatos. So yum. It was great catching up with them. Finally, I went out with my new friend Roxy on Friday night. (The connecting factor between Roxy and me is Jay, a good friend who's in Boston.) She suggested that we go to The Grove, which is sort of like an LA-style Faneuil Hall (meaning, it's much more expansive, and instead of looking like Boston, quaint and bricked/cobblestoned, it looks palm treeish and just very nice)... I had wanted to see Remember Me, which came out yesterday, so we did both. Saw the movie at this large, beautifully architectured theatre in The Grove. The film was emotionally heavy, to say the least. And I guess that I will only say the least because unlike many other love stories, this one is distinctly and shockingly memorable.
There. My week, paraphrased.
Today I drove around quite a bit. Found a Goodwill and spent some quality time looking around.. got some stuff, mostly work clothes. Spent time with Nadine, who isnt feeling very well. Walked to Century City, tooled around the outdoor mall, made my first visit to Sees Candies. OOOOh, they give a sample of your choice. I was a happy girl. Hmm, went to Borders, looked around the nicest food court I've ever seen, listened to some live music out in the sunshine... I'm very happy to be within walking distance of a place with so much to do. Just the fact that there's a Borders is enough... but there's also a grocery store, Apple store, movie theatre, food, and lots of shops. Ahh, and it was an incredible day to be outside. Not hot, comfortably warm. Lots of sun. I was going to head to a park today but it never happened... and i didnt take any pics either. Well.. I took a few with my phone but you wont be too excited or anything.
Did I mention that I discovered a tick on my arm last weekend? A little one too. Luckily it was just crawlin around still. I sliced that sucker in half.
Hmm. I think I'm going to Reality LA church tomorrow. It's east of here off of Sunset Blvd. Shoot, I should have gotten in touch with Ted and Barb's relatives who go there. I need to get back on connecting with people... I tell myself that I can only connect with so many new people at a time but if I think about that excuse, I dont buy it. How difficult is it to send a facebook message or an email? Yawwwwn. We're losing an hour tomorrow. Dadgumit.
Bowden pitched some today vs the Pirates. Got the save.. but it sounds like he had to work for it, wasnt very smooth going. I read that he's changed his pitching motion and that he's "reinventing" himself as a pitcher. This, I believe, just looking at him now. He's so much leaner than he was. I mean he wasnt fat by any means but he was just... big! Muscle mass. Not so much now. AND i hear that he's not showing his socks anymore. Sad. It was so much easier to instantly pick him out of the mass of uniforms. Oh well.
I bought 87 blank cdrs for $10 today. Craigslist is phenomenal. As soon as I got back to the condo I started burning cds... the ones I've been listening to in the car are by bands like Sanctus Real and Relient K... old-time stuff. I did pop in my Dropkick Murphys (with a few other random bands) mix, about a month early too, as I had decided back in October not to listen to "Tessie" till I was at my next game. Presumably, or at least presumably at the time, the Sox would win that next game, and I'd hear Tessie over the stadium's system after the game, and the season would be in gear. Agh, Fenway, what have I done? How will I get through the season without being with you? I hope my Grandma comes out here this summer so that I can take her to an Angels/Red Sox game.
At least fantasy baseball is about to start up :) First draft is next Saturday... along with a race I've entered into, starting and finishing at Dodger Stadium. It's a 5k through a park.
I'm about to go to bed.. but one more thing. Ryan Westmoreland- who is an elite Red Sox prospect- had to leave Spring Training and will be having brain surgery to remove a "cavernous malformation of the brain". He played with the Lowell Spinners last year so he's still a ways away from the bigs, but he's generally thought of as one of the (or THE) top position prospects in our farm system. He's 19 and he's even a hometown hero- from RI. Prayers for this kid please!
I've watched the most recent episode of LOST a number of times since it aired. It was a fun one for me. I wont give anything away here though. My friend Kate had me over to view the show on Tuesday, and it was something else to drive through West Hollywood (where she lives) at night, all lit up. On Wednesday night, I went out with my friend Emily- we tried a coffee place near to where I'm living, but it closed almost as soon as she had purchased her drink (I'm only drinking water for Lent). Instead, we drove around. It was relieving for me to be able to just... talk. About nothing in particular. And again, the city is eye-catching and beautiful at night. Thursday... Rob and Kathleen came into town to see their son's lacrosse game, and came to Nadine's to have dinner beforehand. Mmmm, chocolate + coconut gelatos. So yum. It was great catching up with them. Finally, I went out with my new friend Roxy on Friday night. (The connecting factor between Roxy and me is Jay, a good friend who's in Boston.) She suggested that we go to The Grove, which is sort of like an LA-style Faneuil Hall (meaning, it's much more expansive, and instead of looking like Boston, quaint and bricked/cobblestoned, it looks palm treeish and just very nice)... I had wanted to see Remember Me, which came out yesterday, so we did both. Saw the movie at this large, beautifully architectured theatre in The Grove. The film was emotionally heavy, to say the least. And I guess that I will only say the least because unlike many other love stories, this one is distinctly and shockingly memorable.
There. My week, paraphrased.
Today I drove around quite a bit. Found a Goodwill and spent some quality time looking around.. got some stuff, mostly work clothes. Spent time with Nadine, who isnt feeling very well. Walked to Century City, tooled around the outdoor mall, made my first visit to Sees Candies. OOOOh, they give a sample of your choice. I was a happy girl. Hmm, went to Borders, looked around the nicest food court I've ever seen, listened to some live music out in the sunshine... I'm very happy to be within walking distance of a place with so much to do. Just the fact that there's a Borders is enough... but there's also a grocery store, Apple store, movie theatre, food, and lots of shops. Ahh, and it was an incredible day to be outside. Not hot, comfortably warm. Lots of sun. I was going to head to a park today but it never happened... and i didnt take any pics either. Well.. I took a few with my phone but you wont be too excited or anything.
...and I found this book in Borders. It was an interesting read for a few pages, so I bought it used on Amazon for $1.50 and will hopefully get it soon!
Did I mention that I discovered a tick on my arm last weekend? A little one too. Luckily it was just crawlin around still. I sliced that sucker in half.
Hmm. I think I'm going to Reality LA church tomorrow. It's east of here off of Sunset Blvd. Shoot, I should have gotten in touch with Ted and Barb's relatives who go there. I need to get back on connecting with people... I tell myself that I can only connect with so many new people at a time but if I think about that excuse, I dont buy it. How difficult is it to send a facebook message or an email? Yawwwwn. We're losing an hour tomorrow. Dadgumit.
Bowden pitched some today vs the Pirates. Got the save.. but it sounds like he had to work for it, wasnt very smooth going. I read that he's changed his pitching motion and that he's "reinventing" himself as a pitcher. This, I believe, just looking at him now. He's so much leaner than he was. I mean he wasnt fat by any means but he was just... big! Muscle mass. Not so much now. AND i hear that he's not showing his socks anymore. Sad. It was so much easier to instantly pick him out of the mass of uniforms. Oh well.
I bought 87 blank cdrs for $10 today. Craigslist is phenomenal. As soon as I got back to the condo I started burning cds... the ones I've been listening to in the car are by bands like Sanctus Real and Relient K... old-time stuff. I did pop in my Dropkick Murphys (with a few other random bands) mix, about a month early too, as I had decided back in October not to listen to "Tessie" till I was at my next game. Presumably, or at least presumably at the time, the Sox would win that next game, and I'd hear Tessie over the stadium's system after the game, and the season would be in gear. Agh, Fenway, what have I done? How will I get through the season without being with you? I hope my Grandma comes out here this summer so that I can take her to an Angels/Red Sox game.
At least fantasy baseball is about to start up :) First draft is next Saturday... along with a race I've entered into, starting and finishing at Dodger Stadium. It's a 5k through a park.
I'm about to go to bed.. but one more thing. Ryan Westmoreland- who is an elite Red Sox prospect- had to leave Spring Training and will be having brain surgery to remove a "cavernous malformation of the brain". He played with the Lowell Spinners last year so he's still a ways away from the bigs, but he's generally thought of as one of the (or THE) top position prospects in our farm system. He's 19 and he's even a hometown hero- from RI. Prayers for this kid please!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Good weekend
Jam-packed past couple of days.
On Saturday I got to spend the entire day with Adam and his friends Julie and Josh. It felt effortless to be around Adam. Like I didnt have to try so hard. I didnt have to start from the beginning, to explain myself, like I must do with everyone I meet here. That's fine, telling my story over and over again, but it was like resting for once. Julie and Josh took us up the Pacific Coast Highway, which was beautiful of course. We got out at a few lesser-known beach spots and enjoyed the day as it moved from overcast to sunny. There was a seal sleeping on one of the beaches, and I saw some whales out in the water! I'm psyched to spend more time along the shore.
I tried fish tacos for the first time and was PLEASANTLY surprised. Well, to be fair, they came with avocado slices and cilantro... so how could they have been bad? Anyway, I liked them. We also went to Malibu Creek State Park for a few hours. The three of them are rock climbers so Julie and Josh lead us around to some good climbing spots. We hiked along some trails and scrambled over some boulders. It was an adventure. I loved it. It reminded me of how life was when I was young and running wild through the Maine woods.
Sunday was church at Pacific Crossroads Church. I enjoyed it, but I dont know if it is ultimately where I will wind up. The pastor was great though. He gave a thought-provoking message about David and Goliath. The people where were very friendly though. I met 6 people that day and I didnt have to even try.. I greeted a woman (about my age) during the "turn to someone you dont know and say hi" bit, and she asked if i had been coming to the church for a while. I told her that I had just moved into town... then we had to sit back down. She waited for me after the service, introduced some of her friends, invited me to a couple different small groups... another woman put me in her prayer journal on the spot. And I wrote on my welcome card that I could use prayer and thus was contacted by a couple people from the church today- welcoming me, telling me about a ministry that I checked a box for, telling me that the church is praying for me.. just awesome.
Nadine took Kate, Kate's sister, Kate's friend Allison, and me to her country club for brunch, which was yum. Apparently Dr Phil goes there too (we didnt see him yesterday though). Nadine is watching Dr Phil as I type, actually. Then, I went to check out the neighborhood around UCLA and to get some groceries at Trader Joe's. Wow, if Kearah and Adam do decide on UCLA, they are all of 2 miles away. Or at least the school is. No more on that though. Anyhow, that area is pretty lively. Trader Joe's was buzzing, but it was nothing like Market Basket on a Sunday afternoon! Then home again... to watch the Academy Awards with Nadine. We ordered out to Maria's.. I had this wonderful minestrone soup with chickpeas. I was extremely inspired watching the Oscars. There were so many "normal" non-star people who were nominated and even who won. You could tell by listening to them that they were truly humbled. And I knew that from that moment, the moment they actually won, onward... life would never be the same for them. It made me want to do something great. I feel like i can do amazing things. Not sure what, yet, but I wont give up. Those people, even the stars, had to try and try and try. Had to work themselves up to where they are now. I know that God will reward my heart's desire. I know that I didnt come up with these dreams that I have. I guess that's why I just havent been afraid. Weary, yeah, a bit... it's a lot of work to move so far away. But all things considered, I've had a supernatural amount of strength, patience, fearlessness, and motivation throughout the past few weeks.
I thought about minor league baseball today for 8 hours (at work). Yesterday I heard "Your Love" playing in Trader Joe's and it made me think of LaLacheur Park in Lowell. One of the guys on the 2009 Spinners had that song play everytime he went up to bat.
Today I missed McCoy Stadium very badly. And I missed Victor, and Jason. In particular.
On Saturday I got to spend the entire day with Adam and his friends Julie and Josh. It felt effortless to be around Adam. Like I didnt have to try so hard. I didnt have to start from the beginning, to explain myself, like I must do with everyone I meet here. That's fine, telling my story over and over again, but it was like resting for once. Julie and Josh took us up the Pacific Coast Highway, which was beautiful of course. We got out at a few lesser-known beach spots and enjoyed the day as it moved from overcast to sunny. There was a seal sleeping on one of the beaches, and I saw some whales out in the water! I'm psyched to spend more time along the shore.
I tried fish tacos for the first time and was PLEASANTLY surprised. Well, to be fair, they came with avocado slices and cilantro... so how could they have been bad? Anyway, I liked them. We also went to Malibu Creek State Park for a few hours. The three of them are rock climbers so Julie and Josh lead us around to some good climbing spots. We hiked along some trails and scrambled over some boulders. It was an adventure. I loved it. It reminded me of how life was when I was young and running wild through the Maine woods.
Sunday was church at Pacific Crossroads Church. I enjoyed it, but I dont know if it is ultimately where I will wind up. The pastor was great though. He gave a thought-provoking message about David and Goliath. The people where were very friendly though. I met 6 people that day and I didnt have to even try.. I greeted a woman (about my age) during the "turn to someone you dont know and say hi" bit, and she asked if i had been coming to the church for a while. I told her that I had just moved into town... then we had to sit back down. She waited for me after the service, introduced some of her friends, invited me to a couple different small groups... another woman put me in her prayer journal on the spot. And I wrote on my welcome card that I could use prayer and thus was contacted by a couple people from the church today- welcoming me, telling me about a ministry that I checked a box for, telling me that the church is praying for me.. just awesome.
Nadine took Kate, Kate's sister, Kate's friend Allison, and me to her country club for brunch, which was yum. Apparently Dr Phil goes there too (we didnt see him yesterday though). Nadine is watching Dr Phil as I type, actually. Then, I went to check out the neighborhood around UCLA and to get some groceries at Trader Joe's. Wow, if Kearah and Adam do decide on UCLA, they are all of 2 miles away. Or at least the school is. No more on that though. Anyhow, that area is pretty lively. Trader Joe's was buzzing, but it was nothing like Market Basket on a Sunday afternoon! Then home again... to watch the Academy Awards with Nadine. We ordered out to Maria's.. I had this wonderful minestrone soup with chickpeas. I was extremely inspired watching the Oscars. There were so many "normal" non-star people who were nominated and even who won. You could tell by listening to them that they were truly humbled. And I knew that from that moment, the moment they actually won, onward... life would never be the same for them. It made me want to do something great. I feel like i can do amazing things. Not sure what, yet, but I wont give up. Those people, even the stars, had to try and try and try. Had to work themselves up to where they are now. I know that God will reward my heart's desire. I know that I didnt come up with these dreams that I have. I guess that's why I just havent been afraid. Weary, yeah, a bit... it's a lot of work to move so far away. But all things considered, I've had a supernatural amount of strength, patience, fearlessness, and motivation throughout the past few weeks.
I thought about minor league baseball today for 8 hours (at work). Yesterday I heard "Your Love" playing in Trader Joe's and it made me think of LaLacheur Park in Lowell. One of the guys on the 2009 Spinners had that song play everytime he went up to bat.
Today I missed McCoy Stadium very badly. And I missed Victor, and Jason. In particular.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
PS
Oh. Before I forget...
Living with Nadine, I'm finding that she holds some similarities to my own Grandma in terms of her thought process especially. But one thing that they DO NOT have in common... Nadine will open the fridge door, take what she needs, and leave it open for the next 4 minutes as she walks across the kitchen and prepares her food. It makes me chuckle every time. I can hear my Grandpa hollering at me to close the door for her. And though my Grandma never gets on my case about it, it's just an unwritten rule that you dont keep the refrigerator door open!
(Also, I saw a cornflower blue newer model Outback on the 101 two days ago. It was so beautiful. I miss my Subaru! But my Civic is treating me very well.)
WHAT'S UP CINCO!
I had forgotten my dream already!! And just remembered it, looking at some Red Sox reporters' feeds listing their lineups for today's games. What I remember- I was sitting on a blanket on second base- well, the base wasnt covered but the rest of the ground in the immediate vicinity was, i dont know how. And the guys were off near where the third base dugout area is- it was a practice field so it looks basically like a standard little league field, no fancy dugouts, just a fenced in area, in front of which they were standing in third base foul territory. I'm just chillin', taking pics with my camera.. there's no one else around anywhere. Me and the Red Sox. Then, they all line up in rows of three-ish, and come running around the infield dirt- not in the basepath so I was ok, but around the outside of the bases. There goes Petey! Cinco Ocho, of course, was near the back of the pack, and they were the lazier part of the bunch because they were cutting close around second as they turned toward first. As he approached I said, WHAT'S UP CINCO! And he looked at me and bent down to give me a high-five. I tried to give it to him, but my hand kept pulling back- it felt like what happens when I try to run in a dream, and I simply CANNOT make my legs go faster than slow motion (always). I tried to extend my hand but it kept pulling back on its own. He smiled slyly at me as he thought I was doing the "too slow" thing- he had tried to slap me five about 3 times at that point.
Then, cut to a different part of the complex (made up in my head of course so nothing like the real one, for any of you who have been).. MANY more players somewhat off in the distance. Must've included a lot of prospects here. The grounds and buildings looked somewhat like a summer camp. I was walking across a lawn area, and then they start jogging up a slight grassy incline towards me. Before I know it, I'm in the thick of them.. they're all spread out from each other, maybe 80 guys, maybe more, and they're doing their warmup drills. I move out of the crowd and towards a group of Boston reporters I know/recognize. There are a few fans there as well, bragging about who they've met. My phone rings, and it goes to voicemail. It's Heidi Watney (how's that for random?) and she wants me to help her report on the team during Spring Training. She's heard that I have some good pictures and videos. That's where it ended.
It feels weird that it's baseball season. There has been NO hype around here, that I have been a part of at least. I've seen an Angels highlight on the news, once.. yesterday. This is going to take some serious motivation on my part, and it's not that i'm not up to the task, but I'm not used to it taking so much effort. I'm aware of how that sounds. But it's true, it takes no effort to fall in love and keep up with the Red Sox for 8 months out of the year (if not more). They're Boston's dream, Boston's darling team. I'm still trying to figure out if I splash out the money to buy MLB TV for my computer (around $100 :( booooo, i miss NESN ) or how I'm going to keep the Sox a daily part of my life.
I'm going to hang out with Adam this morning! Also with Julie and her boyfriend- Julie is a very close friend of Kearah and Adam's. Not sure what's in store yet, but it is supposed to rain today, so...? Julie had talked about going to the beach. I dont care what we do, and I cant really contribute to the idea pool anyhow since I'm so new around here. I'm just happy to see Adam, and to also see an extension of Kearah.
Not wanting to spend another evening sitting at home, I went to see Alice in Wonderland last night (it opened yesterday). The story was revamped- Alice's second time around as it were. I liked the story well enough- some of it was pretty jarringly fast-paced but I kept up- but the most entertaining part of the experience was the 3-D technology. I had never seen anything like that. And honestly- it looked like the computer generation and the real people/things were sharing the same world. It was amazing. Gollum in the Lord of the Rings was pretty well done, but comparatively this is on a whole different level. Most of the movie was computer generated, I think it's safe to say. Many characters were altered, part person and part... computer generation? Or just two different parts of a human? Go see it and you'll know what I mean. Anyway, it was fun and a very new experience that I found to be extremely engaging. Oh- and of course Johnny Depp is a weirdo in it. He's always bound to entertain :) And for a Tim Burton movie, I found it to be less aesthetically dark. The story and the characters were still varyingly dark... but it was a departure from what I feel his usual films are like.
Time to get ready for today... Oscars tomorrow. That's a big thing in this town.
Then, cut to a different part of the complex (made up in my head of course so nothing like the real one, for any of you who have been).. MANY more players somewhat off in the distance. Must've included a lot of prospects here. The grounds and buildings looked somewhat like a summer camp. I was walking across a lawn area, and then they start jogging up a slight grassy incline towards me. Before I know it, I'm in the thick of them.. they're all spread out from each other, maybe 80 guys, maybe more, and they're doing their warmup drills. I move out of the crowd and towards a group of Boston reporters I know/recognize. There are a few fans there as well, bragging about who they've met. My phone rings, and it goes to voicemail. It's Heidi Watney (how's that for random?) and she wants me to help her report on the team during Spring Training. She's heard that I have some good pictures and videos. That's where it ended.
I Miss Him!
It feels weird that it's baseball season. There has been NO hype around here, that I have been a part of at least. I've seen an Angels highlight on the news, once.. yesterday. This is going to take some serious motivation on my part, and it's not that i'm not up to the task, but I'm not used to it taking so much effort. I'm aware of how that sounds. But it's true, it takes no effort to fall in love and keep up with the Red Sox for 8 months out of the year (if not more). They're Boston's dream, Boston's darling team. I'm still trying to figure out if I splash out the money to buy MLB TV for my computer (around $100 :( booooo, i miss NESN ) or how I'm going to keep the Sox a daily part of my life.
I'm going to hang out with Adam this morning! Also with Julie and her boyfriend- Julie is a very close friend of Kearah and Adam's. Not sure what's in store yet, but it is supposed to rain today, so...? Julie had talked about going to the beach. I dont care what we do, and I cant really contribute to the idea pool anyhow since I'm so new around here. I'm just happy to see Adam, and to also see an extension of Kearah.
Not wanting to spend another evening sitting at home, I went to see Alice in Wonderland last night (it opened yesterday). The story was revamped- Alice's second time around as it were. I liked the story well enough- some of it was pretty jarringly fast-paced but I kept up- but the most entertaining part of the experience was the 3-D technology. I had never seen anything like that. And honestly- it looked like the computer generation and the real people/things were sharing the same world. It was amazing. Gollum in the Lord of the Rings was pretty well done, but comparatively this is on a whole different level. Most of the movie was computer generated, I think it's safe to say. Many characters were altered, part person and part... computer generation? Or just two different parts of a human? Go see it and you'll know what I mean. Anyway, it was fun and a very new experience that I found to be extremely engaging. Oh- and of course Johnny Depp is a weirdo in it. He's always bound to entertain :) And for a Tim Burton movie, I found it to be less aesthetically dark. The story and the characters were still varyingly dark... but it was a departure from what I feel his usual films are like.
Time to get ready for today... Oscars tomorrow. That's a big thing in this town.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
My parents are on a vacation. Outside of the Northeast.
This machine at my workplace sounds so much like the tika tika tika tika of the Smoke Monster.
I came across a "Sean Casey" while databasing yesterday.
I drove to, through, and from downtown LA today... after work. At RUSH HOUR. It really did take me approximately 5x as long to get there with that much traffic. But I have a sunroof and a cd player. So I was all set.
Karen is in town for a conference, so I stopped by to see her (she was the downtown LA destination) and she gave me a few things that my parents sent over including my tax refund check, weeeeeeee... and my MBOX 2, yeyyyyy... and my LA 411. Also got some mail, a book, my razor, and a picture of my mom, grandma, and me from Marc's Boston gig while i was still in college. Love that pic, so glad it came to me over here :)
Adam is arriving in LA TONIGHT! or has already, possibly. I cant believe how many people I know have come to town just since i've been here. I'll see him on Saturday, if he can keep me away for that long!
Alice in Wonderland comes out tomorrow. I'll definitely go to see it soon.. especially if i can find a cheap theatre around. There's got to be ONE. Somewhere. In Rancho Cucamonga there was a $6.50 movie theatre. $4.50 matinees.
That's all. Just a little update.
I came across a "Sean Casey" while databasing yesterday.
I drove to, through, and from downtown LA today... after work. At RUSH HOUR. It really did take me approximately 5x as long to get there with that much traffic. But I have a sunroof and a cd player. So I was all set.
Karen is in town for a conference, so I stopped by to see her (she was the downtown LA destination) and she gave me a few things that my parents sent over including my tax refund check, weeeeeeee... and my MBOX 2, yeyyyyy... and my LA 411. Also got some mail, a book, my razor, and a picture of my mom, grandma, and me from Marc's Boston gig while i was still in college. Love that pic, so glad it came to me over here :)
Adam is arriving in LA TONIGHT! or has already, possibly. I cant believe how many people I know have come to town just since i've been here. I'll see him on Saturday, if he can keep me away for that long!
Alice in Wonderland comes out tomorrow. I'll definitely go to see it soon.. especially if i can find a cheap theatre around. There's got to be ONE. Somewhere. In Rancho Cucamonga there was a $6.50 movie theatre. $4.50 matinees.
That's all. Just a little update.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Energy levels are low
zzzzzzzzz.
Yesterday and today have been exhausting. But extremely productive. I went to two interviews on Monday (was offered both positions, even!), bought a car, finagled getting Kathleen's car- which is what I had been driving as necessary, bless those generous Ackers- back to Rancho where it should be, and moved into Nadine's condo where I will be able to settle in. Disappointed that I havent had a chance to get my hands on one of those pianos, but I'm hoping that will happen soon.
Today, I spent 2 hours at the DMV getting my license (my picture isnt embarrassing, and i had to take a written test! I only got one wrong... it was something like "Backing is... a)dangerous always b)dangerous when you have a helper c)only dangerous for larger vehicles. what the heck is backing? i thought it was referring to "backing up", thats the most sense i could make of it, and i chose C. WRONG! it's A. ...??) and drove up to the Valley for my first day of work.
The interviews I went to yesterday were for an internship at a TV production company (it said TV and Film on the company website... i was surprised to be told somewhat aggressively during the meeting that they're straight-up TV) and a paying data entry position for an electronics company. So I was offered both, and probably would have taken both if possible, if i had liked the way both interviews went. I wasnt such a fan of the production company, and in the end I refuse to think that that was my one chance. The job offered was to essentially search google, youtube, etc all day looking for certain types of people that networks are seeking for reality tv shows that they're trying to produce. Would have been sort of fun, I'm sure... but none of my impressions of the place were very good by the time it was over with. I would have made some contacts. That's the thing that I feel that I lose from not taking the position. Then again, God has been providing me with the most random "coincidental" meetings these days, so I cant really be seriously fretting on that account. For instance, the guy I bought the car from is a composer and has a friend who is also a composer who will be recording at a studio in Burbank this week. The guy, Alan, invited me to come along for a session! Pretty sweet. He was fantastic in the process with the car, too. And the man I interviewed with for the data entry position- well, not only was that interview a total success, but it turns out that he attends Mosaic here in Beverly Hills! He's given me some information about it- I had heard of it several times, but it's great that I'll know someone there when I check it out!
I realize this post might be a bit scattered. It's late, or so it feels, and I'm just trying to put it down on paper. Work was fine. The people sitting in the same room as I was were fun to listen to- I didnt interact with them at all, partly due to first-day-shyness and partly due to my being in the data entry zone. Most of the people in the room spoke Spanish, and so they would speak in English and Spanish throughout the day, and laugh, and even sing a little. I noticed that the founder, who sits in an office directly connected to the room I was in, didnt once ask them to quiet down. I liked that. Anyhow, I made $78 today :) I only mention this because it feels good to get some money. I've been spending it on all sorts of responsible things like cars, licenses, registration, groceries (though I found Food For Less today in Van Nuys and was VERY pleased), gas money, bluhhhhhhhh. Still waiting for my tax refund checks to make it from Maine to CA. Karen, a friend who attends my parents' church, is coming on Thursday, so it will be nice to see a friendly face. That's the 4th person I know of who has been to LA in the time that I've been here (2 weeks!)... it's incredible.
Ok ok. I need to go to sleep so I can get up tomorrow to battle traffic. Ahh... I texted and heard back from cousin Mat, for those of you who care to know. He is alive and well :) I'm hoping to get up to see those guys sometime soon here. It'll be a trip in more ways than one! I cant wait to see Mat and to meet the ones he loves.
I'll try to start posting pictures. Of anything. It's probably boring to read all text. I havent taken any yet, really, but I could do a google image search and find something fun at least. Things will settle down here soon, I'm done with the car ordeal once I get it smogged and that's essentially the end of logistical matters. Oh. Auto insurance. Thanks for reminding me...
Yesterday and today have been exhausting. But extremely productive. I went to two interviews on Monday (was offered both positions, even!), bought a car, finagled getting Kathleen's car- which is what I had been driving as necessary, bless those generous Ackers- back to Rancho where it should be, and moved into Nadine's condo where I will be able to settle in. Disappointed that I havent had a chance to get my hands on one of those pianos, but I'm hoping that will happen soon.
Today, I spent 2 hours at the DMV getting my license (my picture isnt embarrassing, and i had to take a written test! I only got one wrong... it was something like "Backing is... a)dangerous always b)dangerous when you have a helper c)only dangerous for larger vehicles. what the heck is backing? i thought it was referring to "backing up", thats the most sense i could make of it, and i chose C. WRONG! it's A. ...??) and drove up to the Valley for my first day of work.
The interviews I went to yesterday were for an internship at a TV production company (it said TV and Film on the company website... i was surprised to be told somewhat aggressively during the meeting that they're straight-up TV) and a paying data entry position for an electronics company. So I was offered both, and probably would have taken both if possible, if i had liked the way both interviews went. I wasnt such a fan of the production company, and in the end I refuse to think that that was my one chance. The job offered was to essentially search google, youtube, etc all day looking for certain types of people that networks are seeking for reality tv shows that they're trying to produce. Would have been sort of fun, I'm sure... but none of my impressions of the place were very good by the time it was over with. I would have made some contacts. That's the thing that I feel that I lose from not taking the position. Then again, God has been providing me with the most random "coincidental" meetings these days, so I cant really be seriously fretting on that account. For instance, the guy I bought the car from is a composer and has a friend who is also a composer who will be recording at a studio in Burbank this week. The guy, Alan, invited me to come along for a session! Pretty sweet. He was fantastic in the process with the car, too. And the man I interviewed with for the data entry position- well, not only was that interview a total success, but it turns out that he attends Mosaic here in Beverly Hills! He's given me some information about it- I had heard of it several times, but it's great that I'll know someone there when I check it out!
I realize this post might be a bit scattered. It's late, or so it feels, and I'm just trying to put it down on paper. Work was fine. The people sitting in the same room as I was were fun to listen to- I didnt interact with them at all, partly due to first-day-shyness and partly due to my being in the data entry zone. Most of the people in the room spoke Spanish, and so they would speak in English and Spanish throughout the day, and laugh, and even sing a little. I noticed that the founder, who sits in an office directly connected to the room I was in, didnt once ask them to quiet down. I liked that. Anyhow, I made $78 today :) I only mention this because it feels good to get some money. I've been spending it on all sorts of responsible things like cars, licenses, registration, groceries (though I found Food For Less today in Van Nuys and was VERY pleased), gas money, bluhhhhhhhh. Still waiting for my tax refund checks to make it from Maine to CA. Karen, a friend who attends my parents' church, is coming on Thursday, so it will be nice to see a friendly face. That's the 4th person I know of who has been to LA in the time that I've been here (2 weeks!)... it's incredible.
Ok ok. I need to go to sleep so I can get up tomorrow to battle traffic. Ahh... I texted and heard back from cousin Mat, for those of you who care to know. He is alive and well :) I'm hoping to get up to see those guys sometime soon here. It'll be a trip in more ways than one! I cant wait to see Mat and to meet the ones he loves.
I'll try to start posting pictures. Of anything. It's probably boring to read all text. I havent taken any yet, really, but I could do a google image search and find something fun at least. Things will settle down here soon, I'm done with the car ordeal once I get it smogged and that's essentially the end of logistical matters. Oh. Auto insurance. Thanks for reminding me...
Monday, March 1, 2010
Final destination
I'm here. Yesterday Rob brought me into the city to stay with Nadine, as I have an interview this morning (more on that in a minute) and it was just going to be easier for me to stay the night 5 miles away rather than 45 miles away. Before getting to Nadine's, we went to check out a car that had sounded promising on craigslist, and I ended up buying it. ..Well, i put money down on it, to hold it, as the bank wasnt open to give me lots of $$. I'm picking it up today at 3. It's a 2000 Honda Civic, well maintained, and i'm happy with it.
So, I have an interview at Red Varden Studios this morning at 11:30am. It's a TV and film production company and the guy who formed it has been everywhere it seems.. Fox TV Studios, Fox Cable Network, Game Show Network, Sci Fi Channel, Fox Sports, Speed, and they're currently working on a couple Cartoon Network shows. Anyhow. The internship that I'm interviewing for sounds pretty serious, and the interview sounds serious too, but i'm working on not being intimidated. I'm not sure that i AM the best candidate- after all, I didnt study film or tv (specifically) in school. I havent worked at a production company. But... I'm gonna try! And if this doesnt work, well, something will. It's my first interview. And it's not exactly what I want to be doing, though it would be valuable experience for me to gain. So. We shall see.
After that interview, I'm heading north to meet with a guy at an aeronautics/defense/etc company.. I'm likely going to be doing some data entry for them for a bit. Just temporary. But it will feel good to have some small cashflow. And for $12/hr? It will be good.
Then I pick up my car! ... and drive it out to Rancho Cucamonga to pick up Rob, who will come back with me to where I left their car (which is what I'm driving around in for most of the day), and we'll part ways. The Ackers have been unbelievably good to me. They've let me stay in their house, eat their food, drive their car, and they've taken the time to drive me around when I need it. I may have already been reduced to a trembling wreck by this point had it not been for all of their help.
Last night, when I got to Nadine's, I decided it would be a good thing if I took a shower. Turns out that something is up with the hot water in my bathroom... because it never kicked in. So I violently shivered my way through cleaning my hair. Hopefully we get that sorted out soon!! Other than that ;) it's lovely here. Last night Rob, Nadine, and I picked up Rob's sister/Nadine's daugher, who is mentally ill, from the home she lives in north of the San Fernando Valley (in the Santa Clarita Valley/area maybe) and went out for a steak dinner. I'm still full, but I dont feel like I ate more than usual. Anyway, it was a nice drive out of the city. The sky was clear and I could see the stars, and the moon was full or close enough. They call it "the sticks" but it looked like several of the various places I've lived around New England. Lots of mountains and hills, that was the difference. The mountains out here look a lot different than they do where I come from.
Well, i'm going to sit here and try to think of a good answer for when they ask me why I'm the best candidate for the position. Haha, it's not that I have a bad attitude about it. I just have to be creative given my lack of actual... experience.
After that interview, I'm heading north to meet with a guy at an aeronautics/defense/etc company.. I'm likely going to be doing some data entry for them for a bit. Just temporary. But it will feel good to have some small cashflow. And for $12/hr? It will be good.
Then I pick up my car! ... and drive it out to Rancho Cucamonga to pick up Rob, who will come back with me to where I left their car (which is what I'm driving around in for most of the day), and we'll part ways. The Ackers have been unbelievably good to me. They've let me stay in their house, eat their food, drive their car, and they've taken the time to drive me around when I need it. I may have already been reduced to a trembling wreck by this point had it not been for all of their help.
Last night, when I got to Nadine's, I decided it would be a good thing if I took a shower. Turns out that something is up with the hot water in my bathroom... because it never kicked in. So I violently shivered my way through cleaning my hair. Hopefully we get that sorted out soon!! Other than that ;) it's lovely here. Last night Rob, Nadine, and I picked up Rob's sister/Nadine's daugher, who is mentally ill, from the home she lives in north of the San Fernando Valley (in the Santa Clarita Valley/area maybe) and went out for a steak dinner. I'm still full, but I dont feel like I ate more than usual. Anyway, it was a nice drive out of the city. The sky was clear and I could see the stars, and the moon was full or close enough. They call it "the sticks" but it looked like several of the various places I've lived around New England. Lots of mountains and hills, that was the difference. The mountains out here look a lot different than they do where I come from.
Well, i'm going to sit here and try to think of a good answer for when they ask me why I'm the best candidate for the position. Haha, it's not that I have a bad attitude about it. I just have to be creative given my lack of actual... experience.
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