day 101: so cal

I love living in So Cal, and I think this image illustrates why. I'm trying to take advantage of the beautiful weather.

I went to the Bonnie Hunt show today and Danny Huston was the guest. He plays William Stryker on Wolverine, but he's also John Huston's son and shared some stories.

day 100: 100 days

I'm starting the 100 push ups challenge today. I know. Crazy. I'm doing it on my knees, though. Maybe the next round I will start with the full push up. My friend, Heather, is suppose to join me in this challenge. I admit my upper body strength is lacking, and I can't wait to strengthen it.

AND... I'm on day 100 of my blog!! yeaaaay! I started this on Inauguration Day filled with so much hope. Although my situation has changed since that day (for the better), the hope I had has not dwindled. I just have a different outlook on life. You have to look at the situation you're in with a positive perspective, which I admit is difficult at times, or you will spiral into a deep, dark hole. Trying to remember that things happens for a reason is f*cking hard when it seems like everything is going wrong.

As I've said, every time something happens to me, I find out that someone is in a situation worse off than I am. Even the day I got hit by the car, I talked with a woman, found out that her husband was laid off, they had two kids in High School and she wasn't sure if they could send them to college let alone put enough food on the table. After hanging up on the phone, I yelled out "I got hit by a freaking car! Can't I feel sorry for myself for five minutes??" (hahaha) What I have learned by being unemployed is about the human connection everyone needs. It seems like when I tell someone I was laid off that they are more generous with the details of their personal life. And, maybe, because I'm not too busy to listen, they talk. Whatever it is, it has renewed my perspective on life. I know I will get through this time in my life, because I have the support and love of friends/family to get me through the tough days or to remind me that we're all working for food. Thank you! xoxox

Highlights from the past 100 days
day 001: inauguration day

finding out I was getting laid off and the people who helped me through it.
day 008: pass-out-dena
day 009: Bergamot Station
day 010: down the rabbit hole
day 011: feeding the wolves
day 012: getting away
day 019: he's just not that into you

time to get back into the gym, and reminder that at least I have my health.
day 015: clean bill of health

my last day at work
day 025: unemployed

my birthday
day 035: The gift & 34 km

finding kindred spirits in these tough times.
day 042: the tow truck guy

remembering that there are bigger issues out there than not having a job.
day 044: same-sex marriage vigil

a day that is filled with so much happiness
day 055: sunny days sweeping the clouds away

first major meltdown, I don't think any day has been as bad as this day.
day 060: meltdown

I wasted day 69 on this...hahaha jk ;)
day 069: unexpected obstacles

found out about identity fraud.
day 072: painting

self explanatory so beautiful
day 073: Huntington Library

a Photoshop action discovery and reading an inspiring article. A day when good ideas collide. :)
day 076: beach

a day when a bad series of events collide. the day I was hit by the car on my bike
day 077: series of intersecting lives and incident...

unexpected gifts are the best! :)
day 081: awesome gift

I worked out all day: started at the pool, went to the gym and then for a run in the evening.
day 085: pool

Congrats to Tim, Mark, Steven & Kristy. :)
day 098: adoption

day 099: vintage jaguars

My neighborhood has been peppered with vintage Jaguars lately. I don't know what year or model, but maybe someone can help. I know that my neighbor owns a 1980s model, but this one is classic. :)

I went to the Ellen Degeneres show today, and this was taken as I was walking back to my apt.

day 098: adoption

Tim & Mark officially adopted Kristy and Steven today, and I was so honored to be invited to the courtroom proceedings.

It was a chilly morning, but the overcasting clouds provided the right light to photograph. We arrived early to the Children's Court House in Monterey Park, CA, at 8:15am. In a large waiting room, we chatted with Tim & Mark's friends and family. Grandma and Grandpa were on hand, as well as, various aunties and uncles for the ceremony.

Steven pointed out two roof drains to a room full of architects and asked, "what are those two things?" We laughed and said, "you may want to rethink that question? Do you want the long version or the short version?" Kristy was fighting a cough while dealing with getting her molars, but she handled it well.

As soon as we caught up with our lives, we were called into the courtroom. We listened to the judge as he awarded all rights to these two beautiful children to Tim and Mark. There was not a dry eye in the room. We posed for pictures and then had a wonderful lunch at Luminaria's Restuarant.

Congratulations Tim, Mark, Kristy & Steven!! this also means Auntie Prue is available for babysitting. :) (no fingerprints required)

day 097: cabernet savignon

Last night I caught up with Joanna. Bianca went to Minnesota for a conference. What was suppose to be an early evening turned into a late (midnight) night.

Being unemployed I have my ups and downs and I get so consumed in what is happening with myself that sometimes I need to be reminded of the bigger picture. Thank you to Joanna for reminding me of this.

day 096: heal the bay

This morning I volunteered with Heal the Bay and cleaned-up Santa Monica beach. Before I met up with the wonderful team of volunteers, I felt like riding... 40 miles of riding. When I got home I scarfed two burritos and two bottles of water. Thankfully Joanna came over and brought BarBQ with her, so I also inhaled that for dinner. :)

Please pack out any trash from your visits to the beach. Thank you. :)

day 095: security

While I was waiting to be let into Irene and Michael's apt, I noticed this key on the handrail. Strange place to leave a key for someone. They didn't even try to hide it under the mat.

Day 094: free tickets

On Thursday, Jimmy Kimmel's outdoor concert series featured Depeche Mode. DM release a new CD on Tuesday: Songs of the Universe. Kimmel normally has concerts in the back lot of his studio, but for this one they shut down a section of Hollywood Blvd. It was awesome! The playlist included: Wrong, Personal Jesus, Come Back To Me, Peace, Walking In My Shoes, Enjoy The Silence and Never Let Me Down.

day 093: earth

It was an unexpected evening... stupid boys.

day 092: ben & jerry's

I don't normally eat Ben & Jerry's, in fact, I can't remember the last time I had Ben & Jerry's. It might be freshman year in college. I'm am affected when I hear a report of how unhealthy food is for you. (I stay away from Lunchables, too) As for ice cream I opt for the no-sugar-added Vanilla Bean...mmm, mmm good. Well as you know, it's been freaking hot in So Cal, and yesterday Ben & Jerry's was offering a free scoop of ice cream. I chose the Chunky Monkey.

day 091: therapy

I started shredding my business cards, and it didn't start out as anything directed at my former employers. It served as a personal protection from identity theft. From my recent encounter with this, I have become more cautious with discarding documents with any personal information.

After the first few ran through the shredder I found my self finding it very therapeutic, which was pleasantly surprising.

day 090: an evening out

I went to the TV Land Awards on Sunday. I wasn't allowed to take a camera into the venue, but check out the TV Land Awards on Sunday April 2009. It was amazing. I sat at the table next to Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the next table was the Two and a Half Men cast. The place erupted when Matthew McConaughey showed up. If not for anything else, tune in for the tribute to Sid & Marty Croft the creators of H.R. PufnStuf, Land of the Lost, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, etc. Absolutely amazing.

This was taken at Century City earlier...sorry..wah wanh. Such a great day and such a blah photo. I wish I had an exciting pic of the evening.

day 089: catch up

wow! I didn't realize how far behind I got on this...partially just being busy and partially because of the heat. I didn't want to be in my apt/oven.

On Saturday, I rode my bike to the beach and ran three miles. I forgot to figure in the ride back. It ended up being a 24 mile ride and 3mile run, needless to say, I took a nap. I did stop at the Farmer's Market in Santa Monica to fill up on some fresh fruit and admire the beautiful flowers.

Day 088: tweet

I remember my first email account and my first chat room. I remember thinking what the heck is :) at the end of sentences. In college, professors wouldn't allow cited references from the internet, and now that's where most research is located.

Times have changed and social networking is here. Do you remember SixDegrees.com? I think that was my first interaction with social networking. In grad school, most of us joined Friendster. (I have since deleted my account) and then MySpace. I had graduated when Facebook surfaced in the mainstream, but as soon as Facebook allowed non-students to join, I was on. I started my blog, Spectagirl, about two years ago and now there is Twitter. I joined Twitter about two years ago, and it took me a while to get into it or to understand how it could work. My first tweet was so uneventful, but that's the point of Twitter. It's the mundane things that happen between blogging and email. Facebook and Myspace now include status updates in their site. This feature was not available when I first joined, obviously as a result of Twitter's popularity.

This week Ashton Kutcher took on CNN to illustrate the power of social media and say that people have a voice. Along with sites such as digg.com, mainstream media is realizing that voice of the people is back. I could write more on this, but I won't. Like Ashton Kutcher or not, Friday was a big day in Social Media. It may be in the history books or it may be a blurb on VH1's I love the New Millenium series, but will you remember where you were when Oprah tweeted? This picture is my cell phone receiving Oprah's tweet. :)

For those of you who liked Twitter when Barack Obama had the most followers, don't worry there is another geeky/nerdy outlet out there, and there always will be. I'm looking forward to the release of Tweetie for Macs (Twitter Client) on Monday. 8-)

I don't normally attach videos to this blog, but I thought it was appropriate. :) Enjoy!

day 087: just what I needed

These are my favorite shoes right now, and it feels good to have donated about 20 pairs today, and purge others that were too old. :)

day 086: a good start

Snap, crackle, pop and a cup of green tea w/ honey is a perfect way to start the day. I wasn't always a breakfast eater, but after much research on the issue: it boosts your metabolism. Why would you skip it? It's a no-brainer. It may take a few tries until you find what is right for you.

I also enjoy oatmeal w/ raisins & soy milk, granola w/ greek style yogurt & blueberries, honey smacks with soy milk, or an english muffin & two egg whites w/ tomato & onion. Give breakfast a chance. :)

day 085: pool

You know it's bad when the pool staff asks, "What happened to you??" I thought that my wounds had fairly healed and it would be fairly unnoticeable, but I was wrong. It was good to take a week and half off from swimming. I felt like a rock star this morning and had an awesome workout. I'm starving now...lunchtime! :)

day 084: leftovers

Poor thing never had a chance, we devoured it after we devoured leftovers from Easter. hahaha It didn't help that it had melted in my car...

day 083: dana point

Spent the day down in Laguna Niguel and Dana Point, basically The O.C. I found out that I love the Wii Fit, so hilarious to watch people play soccer. haha I don't think I could ever live in the O.C, but I do love visiting. It's definitely a staycation getaway. I felt like I was on vacation, so I enjoyed a Pina Colada at the harbour. Happy Bunny Day!

day 082: apt sitting

I'm house/bunny-sitting for Fish and Amery this weekend. Yeah, can you imagine? The last time I took care of the bunny... yeah. Well, it's time for Percy to redeem himself. ^.^

update 04.13: sometimes laughter through tears is the best medicine. Thank you! :')

day 081: awesome gift

I've been eye-ing these bad boys for a while, and today, I received them as a gift. (It's a set of four) Just when you think all is lost, there is a little bit of Hannah to cheer you up. Thanks, dork. ;) Hannah Montana: The Movie opens this weekend.

day 080: you can take the girl out of NM...

You can take the girl out of New Mexico, but you can't take New Mexico out of the girl.
We had crackers with brie and green chili tonight. For some reason that sounded like a good combination, and it was delicious! I highly recommend it.

day 079: bath bombs

Since I've been unemployed, I've had time to enjoy baths. There's no more of the quick-shower, get-ready-for-work, and out-the-door routine. I can actually indulge in bathing. Lush.com has these bath bombs that you can add and they make you skin soo soft. I believe the one pictured is the Fox in the Flowers Bath Bomb. Do I "feel like Maid Marion bathing in a sun-dappled pool while waiting for Robin to get back from a hard day's wealth redistribution?" Yes. :)

day 078: tea

Two years ago, I gave up coffee and soda for lent, and started drinking tea. Lately, I have become an avid tea drinker, and I'm not talking about the tea bags (I do have some bagged tea), but the loose leaf tea. I've been to a few Asian markets and have found some nice oolong, green and pu-ehrs ($$). I encourage everyone to drink tea for the health benefits. If you need your caffeine fix, try a black tea. Just remember it's all about water temperature and steep time, it can be bitter tea if you don't have these right.
Silk Road Teas

day 077: series of intersecting lives and incidents

I'm reminded by my friend, Amy, that bad things happen in threes. one: lost job, two: identity fraud, three: hit & run. I do hope this is the end of it.

Today feels like that scene from Benjamin Button, when Daisy was hit by the car. Everything had to happen in order for me to be hit by that red car, accident or design, it had to happen. I don't know the particulars about the other people involved: the guy in the car, the guy in the Dooley truck, the 10-year-old girl on the Razor scooter, or the two EMTs. I know that for me, I had to have an extra cup of tea this morning. I usually only have one cup, but opted for two. Firefox crashed and I had to reopen all the windows again. I forgot to put on sunscreen and ran back upstairs to lather it on. I decided to read one more chapter in my book at the park. Waiting in line at the Post Office, the AC forced me to put on my sweat jacket which protected me from more scrapes. The Dooley Truck that took up most of the road made me slow down. The ambulance had to be stuck in traffic just a few cars back from where the collision occurred. I had to notice the girl on the Razor scooter whisking down the sidewalk as I passed her and that red car had to make that left hand turn as I was about to ride straight.

And if only one thing had happened differently: If that Dooley truck was in the other lane or that girl on the Razor left 2 minutes earlier, I could've been under the car, the little girl could've been hit by that car or the red car could've made a left turn without hitting anyone. "But life being what it is - a series of intersecting lives and incidents, out of anyone's control:" I was hit by that car and fell to the ground with the little girl on the Razor scooter coming to my side and asking if I was ok. The EMTs quickly tending to my scrapes and the that guy in the red car rolling down his window to ask if I was ok, only to drive away without an answer.

It's strange what you think of during an accident. The first thought that came to my mind when the EMTs asked to clean the wound was "I should have shaved my legs this morning." For some reason everything else was a blur, but that thought is vivid.

day 076: beach

I rode down to the beach today, it was a beautiful day. I hope the weather stays like this, but I did read a wonderful (inspiring) article today: Why To Start a Startup in a Bad Economy. :)

day 075: snake plant

It's between games, and I have to post. Here is a snake plant in my apt. Congrats to Michigan St. I hope there is another upset. :) Sorry for all the plant/flower pictures lately. I promise that next week I will not take an vegetation pics. :)

day 074: lcdqla

I'm always amazed when I find out that I live in an area that I wasn't aware of....like my previous post, today I found out that I live in the La Cienega Design Quarter.

day 073: Huntington Library

After yesterday's ....I have no idea what that was... the only thing I can do is continue to think ahead and stay positive.

The first Thursday of the month is a free day at the Huntington Library & Gardens. I thought of canceling it, because of yesterday's happenings, but decided that I needed to take a day for myself. It was a beautiful day to walk around the gardens and escape my life. There's so much beauty and education to absorb, it was overwhelming and belittling.
The main hall had an exhibition on Abraham Lincoln. It featured different correspondence between him and citizens, senators, and Mary Todd Lincoln. The art form of letter writing has been lost. For me, it put things into perspective about what we can achieve with our time on earth if we apply our minds and our heart.

day 072: painting

Finishing up painting.
Yesterday was another freakin rollercoaster... seriously "What does not kill you, makes you stronger." (Fredric Nietzsche)

By the end of all of this I should be able to hold the world on my shoulders... or at least bench 90 lbs. hahaha Don't worry, that is not a personal goal.