day 280: American Girls

Jamie, Angela and I went to the Grove today. Gawd, the weather has been so nice lately. I kinda wish it would get cold so it would be easier to leave, but that's not going to happen. We had lunch at the Whisper Lounge where we once had a GNO (Girls' Night Out). After a nice conversation among close friends we walked the loop and it was my idea to go into American Girl. It's crazy in all of it's spectacular oddity. We enjoyed coffee (tea for me) at the Coffee Bean and sat in the warm sun. It's always lovely at the Grove, but this time it felt like a moment stolen from the dawn of time. Even though it was filled with people I felt like it was just the three of us hanging out.

I was accustomed to wearing heels for work, now you can see the tan line from my flip flops. Walking around all day in these little heels was a pain.

Only in LA are pooches pushed around in strollers.

day 215: Somebody to Love

Surrounded by friends and family Vanessa was very surprised by the elaborate plan that Alex planned for her birthday. Vanessa's mom and brother flew in, Porto's bakery catered and cherry bombs were the drink of choice. As the night wound down (or started up) Angela's karaoke mic brought out all the singing voices.

Happy Birthday, Vanessa!

day 175: meltdown 2.0

Not having a job: SUX. I wish I could ctrl-z some things in my life.

day 138: we're gonna party like it's your birthday

carla & mike
jamie & ritch
nick
jamie & angie

After Friday's trip to Solvang and sitting in the sun all day, I came home and crashed at 5pm. Today, I woke up at 6am, went for a swim and a hike. After my hike I went to help Carla prepare for her BarBQ. I was asked to be in charge of entertainment, so I had a photo booth and asked Angela to bring her Karaoke mic. These are some of the images from the photo booth. There are over 200 images and I still need to proof them before I publish them. It will take me a couple of days, but here's a sample. Thanks to everyone who participated, and a special thanks to Carla for hosting such a wonderful party. Happy Birthday!

More photos are available here.

day 136: game 1

We went to Busby's for game 1 of the NBA Championship series between Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers dominated this game...let's hope that this continues. GO LAKERS!!
I wanted to save this somewhere, so I decided to upload it to this page.

day 130: celebration

With a commanding win over the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers solidified their spot in the 2009 NBA Finals. As a celebration, we ordered a pizza from Vitello's Express in Studio City, and enjoyed two pieces of Cake (Red Velvet and Coconut). We never finished the two pieces of cake, but we gave it a good effort. Don't worry, there were four of us trying to tackle this feat and we failed. FYI Sweetharts recently opened up, it's a yogurt spot right behind Vitello's Express. They are having a grand opening on Saturday and will serve free yogurt from 2-5pm.

GO LAKERS!!

day 125: american boy

We went to Westlake Village (I know) for a BarBQ/Laker game party. Jamie and I performed our rendition of American Boy by Estelle featuring Kanye West. I'll leave it at that.

day 112: easy, breezy, beautiful... geeks

Tonight, Patricia, Jamie and I went to Geek Out at the W Hotel. We sipped on Geektinis and Stella Artois. We met some cool people, some we knew and others we didn't. Overall we had a wonderful time. We took a picture in the photo booth. I will upload the picture, so check back.

GeekOut, hosted by Shira Lazar, is all about celebrating your inner geek. We're bringing together geeks from the entertainment and tech worlds for this invitation only event to celebrate what it really means to be passionate about the things we do and the people we do them with.

day 109: huntley

Jamie, Ritch and I went to the Penthouse Restaurant in Santa Monica on Friday. The Penthouse Restaurant is at the top of the Huntley Hotel. It's on Second street north of Wilshire Blvd. I first visited the Huntley with Sandy & Adrian for Adrian's Birthday a few years ago. At that time it was 70s interior, but not 70s swank...bad 70s. A few years ago they remodeled the bar and opened it up, and voila it's a trendy new bar which is great for people watching. It's a mixture of the LA trendy crowd, local swanksters, and tourists. I highly recommend the Mojito, it's one of the best Mojitos I've had, but you're gonna pay for the quality. $$$ Check out the last stall in the bathroom. It has the best view of Santa Monica...absolutely amazing.

This is a picture of Lola, Jamie's dog. Isn't she the cutest thing?

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 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 062: Bar-B-Q

The last of the Pisces birthdays has come, we celebrated Adrian's birthday on Saturday night/Sunday morning. As always Sandy and Adrian had a wonderful selection of food and drinks. We talked, played Cranium, poker and partied in to the early morning.

Happy Birthday, Adrian!

day 060: meltdown

Friday was meltdown day. I need to find a job.

Thank you to all of my supportive friends and family. I wouldn't be able to deal with this if it weren't for you.

day 054: celebration

We're coming to the end of Pisces, but I'm still celebrating birthdays. Last night we celebrated Jamie's Birthday at Club Menage and Mi Piace in Pasadena. You know I'm a good friend, when I drive 30 minutes out of LA to go to a dance club. Happy Birthday, Jamie! There were more group pictures, but I love this one. :)

day 052: 21 posts

Go through your wall posts and list the last twenty-one people to post on your wall. Do not list any repeats; simply go to the next name in the list. Then, answer the forty-one questions pertaining to the twenty-one names. When you're finished, tag all twenty-one people in the list, so the cycle can continue. If you've been tagged, copy and paste this information into a new note, and follow the directions above.

1. Jamie Daughetee
2. Leon K
3. Nathan Brady
4. Henry Leung
5. Mark Cohen
6. Jacob Dominguez
7. Josie Rothwell
8. Craig Lee
9. Karen Cohen
10. Gabrielle Bitsui
11. Kitty Parker
12. Scott Moore
13. Katherine Sawtell Mirecki
14. Patricia Gonzales Metz
15. Shannon Kass Vlaminck
16. Karie Gabaldon Wood
17. Consuela Morales-Streit
18. Joy Vise
19. Irene Keng
20. Rebecca Casalino
21. Kathee Wilson Lucero

1. How did you meet 1?
Through Angela via Jeff. I can't actually remember the first day I met Jamie, but it seems like we've been friends for a long time.

2. What would you do if you'd never met #2 ?
I would have no idea who to trust with my idea. ;)

3. Would you date 20?
If I were a guy, yes definitely. Sweet and genuine girl.

4. Have you ever seen 8 cry?
Nope, I don't think so.

5. Would 3 and 13 make a good couple?
uh...no both are happily married.

6. Describe 9.
So full of joy and excitement, she makes every room beam with light. Wonderful grandmother! All grandmothers should be jealous!

7. Do you like #16?
OMG, I love this girl... she is awesome.

8. Do you think 6 is attractive?
Of course! He's hot.

9. When was the last time you talked to 19?
When I won my award...she's like the paparazzi!

10. Would you ever date 7
No, but any guy would be lucky to do so.

11. Where does 15 live?
in Minnesota somewhere

12. What is the best thing about 21?
She is the most caring person, and knows how to do acrobatics especially on a high bar underneath the bleachers. ;)

13. What would you like to tell 18 right now?
I'm so happy to be reconnected with you and I think about you and your son often. :)

14. What is the best thing about 10?
She is my sister and I trust her inside and out. :)

15. Have you ever kissed 11?
nope.

16. What's the best memory you have of 5?
so many. ... hmm I would have to say... dancing at FM/AM wedding and J&B's wedding. You will always have the number one slot on my dance card . ;)

17. When's the next time you're gonna see 3?
This summer...July 2009. I hope.

18. Is #12 pretty?
pretty? hmmm... pretty funny. He's a great guy.

19. What was your first impression of 4?
hmmm this is hard...it was so natural, we got along like peas and carrots. :)

20. Is #7 your best friend?
no, but I realize we have so much in common. I love her music tastes and I love her voice...so beautiful.

21. Have you seen #20 in the last month?
no, but would like to see her... it would be great to catch up

22. When was the last time you saw 14?
hmmm. patttyg...er I mean pattygm... wow, when was the last time we saw each other?

23. Have you been to 9's house?
No, but I feel like I have, because she has such a warm spirit about her...

24. When's the next time you'll see 10?
hmmm July 2009...the next blue gill crew meeting?

25. Are you really close to 1
we have a lot in common, we can relate on so many levels.

26. Would you give 20 a hug?
Of course! :)

27. Have you ever been to 17's house?
no, I haven't but I'm sure she would invite me. :)

28. Do you know a secret about 5?
that he's a wonderful dad...oops I let the secret out. :)

29. Describe the relationship between 14 and 18?
They're both from NM and they both know me

30. What's your friendship like with 5?
I love Mark.

31. Have you ever danced with 18?
hmm.. no, but I think she could tear up the dance floor.

32. How do you know 6?
We met through Sandy and it involved Tamales. :)

33. Does #15 have a bf/gf?
married and one beautiful daughter. :)

34. Have you ever wanted to punch 4 in the face?
no.

35. Has 11 met your mother?
I don't think so.

36. Have you traveled anywhere with 1?
to the Wine County...Solvang, CA, but this girl is a world traveller, I would love to travel with her.

37. If you gave #7 $100, what would they spend it on?
something music related

38. What's your best memory of 2?
His wedding or his ringtone on his wife's phone...hahahaha

39. What is the one thing you most want 8 to know?
that I'm happy you found me on FB and your daughter is beautiful.

40. What was the last thing you did with 16?
hmmm...we had brunch at Hugo's and I hopefully talked someone out of going into Architecture.

41. When did you meet 17?
training for Nike Marathon 2004

day 040: memories

I'm scared of what people are going to write. I could never run for public office and I know that. In fact some of the memories created recently are enough to ruin anyone's career. hahaha

Leave one memory that you and I share, the first thing that pops into your mind will do. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember! Don't send an e-mail message, but leave a comment here. Next, re-post this in your notes and see who leaves a memory for you..

day 035: The gift & 34 km

Since I've been laid-off I've been trimming the excess fat off of my bills, and that meant my gym membership. :( It's ironic to think that at a time where I have so much time to go to the gym I can't, because of the sacrifice. Well one of my birthday gifts was two months of my gym membership. This is the best gift. I love it and love my friend, Fish, for doing this for me.

My birthday has been a three day celebration, and I love it. It's also been three days of dehydration, so I've been trying to keep up with replenishing my body. I woke up kinda late this morning. Went to the gym late, but was pleasantly surprised by the hot trainer. He kept me on the treadmill for 40min and at the gym for an hour and a half, and he's not even my trainer. He's just good eye candy. hahaha

The gym was followed by an enjoyable lunch with two phenomenal women where I remembered that back in December I made a goal that I would ride 34km on my birthday. So I rushed home, checked the pressure in my tires, filled my water bottles and went out for a ride along the beach. It was so beautiful, but I haven't been on my bike since I got sick right before Thanksgiving, and this coupled with the gym: my legs feel like jelly. I'm gonna sleep like a baby tonight, but for now, I have to prep for dinner. :)

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR MAKING MY BIRTHDAY EXTRA SPECIAL THIS YEAR!!!

day 017: twenty-five

Ha! By George, I’ve got it! I knew I did this before!!
Here are 10 random things about me....well, I will try to delve deeper into randomness.

1. I learned to drive when I was 10 years old on a stick shift. It was in my dad’s old white truck with a pillow behind me on dirt road.
2. I love scary movies, but always regret going to them when I’m in the theater. I can make an entire theater scream.
3. I believe in Astrology. Sun: Pisces, Moon: Leo, Ascending: Leo, Chinese: Wood Rabbit
4. I studied Architecture extensively, but now realize that I strongly dislike the profession. I love proportions, materials and experiencing space, but hate waterproofing, nominal sizes of structural members, and codes, etc.
5. I’m getting laid off. My last day of work will be 02.13.2009. If you didn’t know anyone affected by the tanking economy, now you do. It’s another reason for my dislike of architecture. The construction industry is the first hit when there is a recession. I see it as an opportunity to find out what it is that I want to do with my life. I’m thankful for all my friends and family who have been supportive.
6. I’m scared to get on the escalator without holding onto the rail. I know. I discovered this at a Clippers’ game. With food and a drink in my hands, I halted at the bottom as a line of people mounted up behind me. I had to ask the guy behind me to hold my drink. My friend was laughing. I’m scared that I’m gonna loose my balance and fall on my a$$, strange I know.
7. I’ve been to some amazing Hollywood Parties and will maybe document them some day. The best was with Owen Wilson, of what I remember...
8. Through the years I have acquired many “cheesy prom poses” pics. Thank you, Clara.
9. I randomly donate money to people training for philanthropic endurance events, because I know how difficult it is to fundraise. I leave the simple message “pay it forward, please.”
10. I stood up to my boss when I saw injustice, even when I was on the fortunate side, but I don’t know if I would do it again. It was too draining.
11. I’ve planned two weddings and overseen three wedding days. I would like wedding planning if it weren’t for the brides. hahaha
12. I always have to look-up the definitions for conscious and conscience. I can never remember which is which.
13. When I was young my friend and I went to the mall. We quickly changed direction and I tripped over a little kid. The mom immediately said, “You f-ing Navajo. Go back to the reservation.” That memory has stuck with me my entire life. I think about that little kid who grew up with that belief, and wonder if he has the same belief as his mom. It taught me to speak out against discrimination.
14. I love the midnight screenings of movies. It’s the true fans who show up. Some of my favorite memories are Attack of the Clones (when the lights turned off it was a sea of blue lightsabers) and Spider-man 2 & 3 (Tobey Maguire showed up for both of them)
15. I’ve been known to watch a football game with the guys and then watch a chick flick with the girls on the same day.
16. My favorite karaoke songs are “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Love is a Battlefield”...oh and “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”
17. I ran a marathon, cycled a half century (actually my longest ride is 80 miles) and I hope to ride a full century and participate in an olympic length triathlon soon.
18. I come from a large family, well, not my immediate family. I have one brother and two sisters. My dad had four brothers and five sisters. My mom has four brothers and three sisters. I grew up with many cousins who I call my brothers and sisters.
19. I gave up coffee two years ago and it was the hardest habit to break: the headaches, withdrawals, and irritability. I give thanks to my friends and co-workers for understanding.
20. I had my tonsils taken out when I was 7.
21. My dad passed away when I was 20, too young for both of us.
22. I’m usually laughing and have had friends seek me out after a movie, because they heard me laughing.
23. I studied the history of the gaze and how perspective has changed from antiquity. I love finding devices that affect perception: the camera obscura, dioramas, spectacles, etc.
24. I learned how to find myself in India.
25. I love my relationship with my mom right now. I see her as more than my mom, and I think she sees me as more than her daughter.