Not much to say

I got home on Friday night, couldn't sleep, and Matt and I got into a bit of a spat. That was fun. Everything's worked out though, and I can tell you that this was my last multiple week trek away from my husband. We do not do well being apart for so long, and it makes it that much harder to live together in such a small space.

This weekend I was lazy and still haven't unpacked, though I did clean a little. I still haven't been sleeping well, maybe because this bed is my 4th in 1 week (I know, I just can't stop sleeping around). Matt is stressed with final projects and the last few weeks of classes coming up. Competitions, pitching projects, and all kinds of writing.

Oh, graduation is June 6, and supposedley Al Pacino will be there as the AFI lifetime achievement award winner. I'm so proud of Matt's upcoming graduation and that we get to be in the same vicinity as Al Pacino!

Keeping In Touch

I'm in Montana! And no wonder it's called "big sky country" - it really is huge here! It's raining and snowing, believe me when I tell you I'm freezing. But Mel keeps her apartment warm which is a blessing. Uncle Terry (Sharon's husband) passed his cold on to me (thanks alot!) so I've been sniffling, sneezing, and Mel has been a very gracious hostess with cold medicine and tea. Tonight spaghetti, garlic bread, and red wine is on the menu, followed by a movie and then nyquil! :)

I've made a resolution to keep in better touch, through emails and calls. After this summer I got tired of those and just preferred to talk in person. But I need to get back to where I was, even if it's just a little something. That is my promise to you.

Off to Spokaloo

Tomorrow I'm off to Spokane. My aunt and uncle's place doesn't have the best internet connection, so there may not be updates for awhile. Didn't want you to worry. :) When I get to Montana, since Mel is going to school, I'm sure I can find a computer to update everyone.

Have a great rest of the week and stay warm! It's freezing!

Adventures in the Pacific Northwest

Highlights include:

Spending a night in Aberdeen to visit Jeff and Tina and their two little girls. We stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast. Our room had just been remodeled and had a new king bed. Fabulous!

On our way back to Puyallup, we stopped and had lunch with Matt's grandparents which was great fun. We laughed and listened to stories. It was great to see them.

Today we went to Catherine's baptism and are now officially godparents! She is a delight and we plan on spoiling her rotten.

This last Friday, there was a last minute gathering of friends at the house where Don, Cindy, Emily and Matt live (who's house is it?). We got to see so many people that we would have otherwise missed so thank you to those who were able to come. We loved seeing you! (Jenny, you look wonderful!)

Matt leaves tomorrow afternoon, Paige is driving me back to Seattle, and I'll get some time with my Dad and Katie before I take off for Spokane on Wednesday. Then I'll be off to Montana next week for a few days before going back to Burbank. I can't believe I'm over halfway done with my "tour" but I am enjoying (almost) every minute of it.

So far

I've taken the dog for 3+ walks a day.

I've driven Katie around Seattle quite a bit, and had to think hard about how to get there (i.e. U of W) and how to get home. Yet Seattle seems smaller than L.A.

I've worked on the ongoing price list for a few days now. Almost done with the "f" section.

I've had a few nervous breakdowns, one panic attack, and many long talks with myself.

I got to see Brie downtown yesterday for a few hours. She gave me lots of pictures of Catherine. It was wonderful to catch up with her and to spend time with just her, though I can't wait to meet my god-daughter.

Today I get to see Stephanie/Paige. She's on her way here but turned the wrong way and is now somewhere in Fremont or Queen Anne. I'm not sure.

And Matt flies in tonight! SO excited to see him. I miss my sweetie. :(

Tomorrow is a relaxing day at home. I'm hoping to make a good dent in the price list. And help Katie put her clothes away. It's a tornado in there.

Cold Weather Wimp

I think I'm going to freeze. Looking at the weather report, the highs are in the 50's. And that's the temperature here in L.A. this morning. I'm cold already. I packed a sweater, fleece shirt, a jacket, and my rain coat is already in my closet in Seattle. I'll be taking that with me to Spokane and to Bozeman (Montana). It's snowing in Montana.

I don't know what I did with all my long sleeved shirts. I was scrounging when I was packing yesterday. I'll need to buy a pair of doc martens while I'm in town f0r snow-ridden Bozeman. My tennis shoes won't do the trick anymore. I'm officially a cold weather wimp.

It's a funny thing

When I choose to stay up at night with chocolate, water, and a glass of wine when I'm home alone and Matt's out of town, I choose to stay up late and watch movies to take my mind of things, so I can just exhaust myself and go straight to sleep. Funny thing is that all the movies and tv shows on tonight deal with mothers and children.

Figures.

And I'm not that upset, I'm not even crying. I can feel myself separating the movie from my emotions so that I can simply enjoy it. Is that healthy? I'm not sure. All I wanted to do was escape, and yet everything that came on, even most of the commercials, had some sort of mother reference.

Sometimes I let it in. Let it overwhelm me until I count to 20 or 30, however long I can stand it. Then I push it aside again. I just can't deal all at once. I know that's healthy. Right?

Pictures from Disneyland

Aunt Sharon and Sarah and dinner. Spaghetti is oh so yummy!

Jessica (r) and Sarah (l) getting their portrait done. Sarah was full of energy during the whole trip. She had a great time on Hollywood Tower of Terror, whereas I did not (see last post.)

In the New Orleans part of "the land" there was a parade going on, with singing and dancing. That's my cousin Jessica in the background, with b&w striped tank top and sunglasses. Trust me, she's having fun. She's just not a smiley kind of kid.

The ecstasy and aggravations of Disneyland/California Adventure

Aggravations:

1. Overpriced fried food. That's pretty much all they have. And bring your own water. It was $2.75 for 1 bottle.

2. Naptime at Disneyland. At about 1pm, all the little ones start screaming from being over stimulated and utter exhaustion. I can only imagine how the parents must feel as I stuffed my face due to being overly hungry with my over priced chicken (breaded, of course) sandwich.

3. Lines. My cousin Sarah is physically disabled, so she's in a wheelchair. At California Adventure, the line paths do not have stairs so we did not get to the rides as quickly as we did at Disneyland.

4. Heat vs. Cold. I'll take the heat. Yesterday it was freezing and we went through a white water ride at CA adventure. Brrrrrrr.

5. Hollywood Hotel - Tower of Terror. NEVER AGAIN. I'm glad I went, but NEVER AGAIN. Most frightening ride ever.

Ecstasies:

1. The look on the kids' faces as we went on rides and saw characters throughout the parks.

2. The little vinettes from High School Musical, A Bugs Life, Cars, etc. Very fun and cheap entertainment.

3. The rollercoasters! So worth the price. We went again and again and again and again...I'm surprised I have a voice today.

4. The apple croissants at the Paradise Pier Hotel. Yum. Perfect way to start the day. Along with a ride on Screamin California, the big twisty coaster at California Adventure.

5. Chip and Dale spitting into my cell phone while I was talking with Scott. Priceless.

Pictures to be posted soon.

What happened to spring?

Yesterday it was 88 degrees.

Today the forecast calls for 92. It's not even 10am and we already have the a/c on.

Last week it was in the 50's and 60's, even low 70's.

Can't Mother Nature make this an easier transition?

Yesterday Gina and I went to the 101 Cafe for breakfast. She had eggs, I had french toast, and we chatted and got all caught up. Then, because it was so hot but so lovely outside, we went for a drive around the park and in the hills, trying to think about how you'd fill all these rooms and how all the the houses that had greek statues in front were really just very silly.

She dropped me off at Vermont Street where I spent about 1/2 hour in the little neighborhood bookstore waiting for Mary (who had forgotten about the time change). She arrived, and we found a cute little french bistro for lunch, since the sushi restaurant we originally planned on was closed. It even had decent prices. We sat outside in the shade and talked away about her job, my lack of one, plans for kids, husbands, and the trip to Vegas this summer with our husbands plus Kurt and Emily (2 more writers from AFI). After lunch, we went to see Breach with Ryan Phillipe, Laura Linney, and Chris Cooper. Fabulous spy movie. Highly reccomend it.

I couldn't resist

Twiggy the water-skiing squirrel takes a lap around a 24-foot pool this afternoon at the Everett Boat Show in the Everett Events Center. Twiggy will be performing each day of the boat show, which runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Check the boat show site for more information.

Funny Girl

Matt's caption: "Wait, my godparents are WHO?"

Little Catherine, you are a funny girl and we can't wait to meet you!

Huh

I came home this afternoon to find a sock hanging off my neighbor's door handle. I wonder what that means.... (wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more!)

I stopped to listen, but it was unfortunately quiet.

Tidbits

Therapy has been going well. I adore my counselor, she is wonderful and supportive, just as a therapist should be. I love that Matt and I see different therapists at the same building at the same time, and then reconvine afterwards for date night. Because we're feeling open and relaxed, we have great conversations and are able to talk without being snippy and/or overly tired. Last night we went to a fabulous Italian reataurant where I had risotto with wild mushrooms and sausage, and a dry pinot grigio. Matt had chicken picatta and a beer. For dessert, the best tirimisu we've ever had. Melt in your mouth, and not too heavy on the rum.

These past few days I've been working at a company called Faction. They are a graphics company that do the posters, popcorn bags, mini posters, for movies, and big ones at that. Past projects include Toomraider, Four Brothers, Hitchhiker's Guide, Braveheart...all kinds of interesting films. And it's neat to see the process of what goes into making a poster, making the DVD boxes, and things. It's something, in terms of Hollywood and movies, that I have never really thought about. And great people work here. I have a great time. There's a part time position open, and even though I can't be here Monday or Tuesday, I'm hoping that they will ask me back next week after I get back.

Matt is doing well but creatively somewhat in the toilet. He's burned out and frustrated with several projects, and feeling disgruntled. He wants to go to the beach, so that's what we're doing this weekend. He's so excited and has no idea where we are going (and I'm not going to tell you until after we get back since he reads the blog). Just know that it's a beautiful hotel somewhere on the central California coast, in wine country, and we're both looking forward to having some time together, just us and no outside world stuff.

When I get home I'll post some pictures of our goddaughter, Catherine. Brie sent me some really charming ones. For being barely 1 month old, she's incredibly expressive!

Hollywood Party, 90210 style

Antwon Tanner

(we talked for about 20 minutes, he's really nice)

Matthew Lillard

I also saw Anthony Rapp from Rent which was exciting. Thursday night I went to a full on Hollywood Hills party, complete with a red carpet, security at the door, and the girls who stopped as at the door to see if we had the our names on the list. There were floating candles in the pool, free alchohol, poker tables galore, loud music, and rooms full of merchandise (i.e. the purse room, dress room, and shoe room), all of which you could get for free should you be recognizable. The biggest celeb I met was Joe Pantaliano, who's famous for being "Cypher" in The Matriz and "Francis Fratelli" in The Goonies. His role in Memento is also brilliant. His teeth are so white, I couldn't stop staring. He was nice, but busy, and had other, more interesting people to meet besides one little fan. All in all, it was a fun and interesting experience, but certainly not a lifestyle that I care to have.

A decision has been made!

I finally got to have a chat with one of the senior partners here. Due some mis-communications that happened yesterday, I was finally able to clear the air. She asked me if I was interested in staying, I said "No, my heart just isn't here." I told her I needed to be available for my family, which she understood. I also told her that I wouldn't be able to stay that long, that hiring me would just be delaying the inevitable of finding someone who wants to be here and has an interest in the law. She was nice and understood. She asked why I lived in L.A. and I told her that my husband goes to AFI, and that I knew one of her clients, so we had a nice little chat.

It feels good to have this weight lifted off my shoulders. This is only a temp job and I can stop freaking out (Honestly, I shouldn't have been freaking out in the first place.) This has come to a close, and hopefully at this time next week, someone else will be sitting at this desk.

Thanks, Jenny, for picking up last night, and listening to me whine.

Heavy duty clientele

Including...

Joe Pantaliano

Kelsey Grammer (Happy Birthday!)

Christian Slater

John Landis

I may be going to a screening of What Love Is, possibly the premiere, I'm not sure. And there's some sort of VIP pre-Oscar goodie bag shindig that the ladies from the office have been invited to.

Maybe this job doesn't suck as much as I thought it would. But I'm still finding people for interviews and trying to find someone who wants to be here, who could do a good job. I could use this place for it's contacts, but you all know me and my over active conscience. I couldn't do that. I'd rather find someone who wants to be here and could turn this place around...

I know what y'all are thinking...what is this woman's problem with taking a job with all of these perks and talking to fabulous celebrities? When I come up with an answer, I'll post it.

It's sunny outside, and where am I?

I am inside. To those of you who don't have sunny weather everyday, this may seem like a tragedy. It's a balmy 70 degrees with nice breeze coming through. The birds are singing, the sky is blue, and all seems right with the world. Except my allergies. That is not fun. Not at all. So I am inside, drinking water and trying to not take my allergy meds (ever since Mom passed I have this thing about extra chemicals coursing through my blood), but will probably take benadryl tonight so that I can sleep better.

Last week was fairly busy. I landed a temp job at an estate planning/entertainment law firm. They haven't had a receptionist for over a year, so in place of that the office manager (and she doesn't want that title) has been filling in or they've called in a temp (which is about $24+ an hour). Apparently the temps that have come in aren't exactly with it (Kelly, at work, calls them lemons) but then I show up. Eager, willing, and needing the paycheck for our slowly growing but equally important savings account. The job is cake: answering phones, getting coffee, tea, mail, etc. I can do this job in my sleep. It's not challenging - I've finished 2 books in the last week - and the pay through the temp agency is awesome. But now Kelly is asking me several times a day if I can stay. I have told her "no" on numerous occasions, that this job is not what I'm looking for, and I'm taking off next month for 3 weeks. So finally she wore me down and I said I'd talk to Matt this weekend but I had already made up my mind.

First of all, the job itself pays $14/hr. This is not acceptable to me. I have been making that amount for way too long, so that amount would need to be increased, to at least $17 (but whoever heard of a receptionist that gets paid that amount?) Second, the commute. I can't even begin to say how much I hate that commute. 10 miles away = 1 hour in traffic. Third, I'm way over qualified to be getting coffee and tea for some lawyers who have assistants who could easily get it for them. And did I mention I have to go get someone's lunch? As if! I don't think so. I could easily do this part time, maybe 2 days a week. It would certainly give me the cash that I need in addition to working for my father that would give us some good money to put away. Oh, my decision. Part time. Not full time. No benefits required and $15/hr.

Matt and I have come to an understanding about this, and we finally see eye to eye why I can't do this job full time. I am looking for something challenging and something I can be proud of. The whole thing about getting coffee and tea just rubs me the wrong way. I mean, if I wanted to do that, I'd apply to work at Starbucks. Know what I mean?

V-day

I continuously here v-day tagged as a hallmark holiday, and I agree completely with that statement. Matt and I will barely see each other tomorrow as I have a temp job from 9:30-6:30, and then class form 7:30-10:30. He has class from 7-10. It will be hard enough to spend one of the most romantic days of the year with out him, with each of us pursuing work in one way or the other. But what makes it so much harder is that tomorrow is the 6 month anniversary of Mom's passing. I can't tell you how many times I have nearly burst into tears today, thinking about how 6 months ago today, she was still around. Sure, she was unable to eat, drink, talk, or move, but she was still physically here on this earth. Tomorrow is a huge reminder that she's still gone, that she's not coming back. I don't know why this is so hard for me to accept. Because she's my mom, yes, I know that. Because she was and is awesome, wonderful, supportive, caring, and a fabulous cook. One of my closest friends. Tomorrow is just going to suck, I can feel it. I'm already anticipating calling in ill tomorrow to work. I am already feeling a little unstable, but I'll see how I feel in the morning. In the meantime, I see foresee that haggan dazz ice cream bar in my freezer to be in my tummy by the day's end. And some tears.

History of Buffalo Wings

From my good friend Melanie in Indiana. True story, these words were said.

Setup: The other day we were talking about Westward Expansion - Indians and Buffalo and of course when you talk about Indians and Buffalo...what's the next thing you would talk about...(anyone want to guess...cowboys? NO Way!...Pioneers? Nope...Anyone else want to venture a guess? No one...okay) Of course the next thing you talk about is Buffalo wings! How we got on the subject I have no idea (but that is usual for this class)...and here is the conversation that occurred next (with one extremely embarassed girl.)

Girl in front row: "I thought buffalo wings were made out of buffalo meat."
(Class: Stunned silence)
Guy behind her: "yeah, you know those buffalo with wings - it's so annoying when they fly around"
(Class: some laughter)
Girl in front row: "I know buffalo's don't have wings, but I thought that's where they got their name from - because they used buffalo meat."
(Class: Lots of laughter)
Guy in back of class: "No, the guy who created the sauce that goes on the chicken wings was from Buffalo NY and that's why they're called Buffalo wings."
Girl in front row: "Oh...I really thought it was because they used buffalo meat."
(Class: still laughing)