A busy busy week with pictures to prove it!

Thursday night, the gang had a craving for Mexican food so I obliged and we went to Matt's favorite place on Sunset Blvd. called El Chavo. Dinner was fantastic as was the company and our surroundings. Matt and I will definitely be back, hopefully with friends in tow as we are eager to share this local treasure.

Matt and Dad - what a pair!

The lovely decor.

(a picture of my half-eaten dinner for Cindy.)

Pictures of our weekend in Catalina to come, as well as our new big toy.

A new favorite

Dad and Katie flew in last night. Katie came down with a bad cold just before the trip, so she asked that we go out to a restaurant that had Pho. Well, I wasn't sure that Dad was a big fan of Pho, so I asked my co-worker who lives in Silver Lake (a nearby neighborhood) if she knew of any good places that also had alternative choices to Pho. She reccomended Gingergrass, and since Matt had been there once and really liked it, we decided to give it a try.

Oh goodness.

First off, the crowded restaurant was a little daunting as my Dad is hard of hearing. But a crowded restaurant often means good food. We were seated right away and after Matt arrived, we ordered our drinks. I got the ginger limeade, Katie got Vietnamese Coffee, Matt got the Gingerale, and both Dad and Matt got a gi-normous beer.

For dinner, Matt, Katie, and I got the chicken Pho. Normally, Pho portions are gi-nourmous but this place served it in the perfect sized bowl. It was delicious and hit the spot. Dad got wok noodles with shrimp. For dessert, pan fried banana rolls (essentially an egg roll without the egg, bananas stuffed inside, and drizzled with chocolate).

We can't wait to go back!

I donated!

Well, in cash terms. I can't donate blood...I get woozy just thinking about needles.

My friend Melanie is participating in the Relay For Life in Bozeman, MT. Now I haven't participated in any sort of cancer walks yet because it's still too painful. But Mel said that she'd walk for me and in memory of my Mom. So I wanted to encourage donations to her personal page. Her goal is just $100, and she's already a quarter of the way there.

And I'm going to stop here. I'm at work and tearing up.

Good friend, steak, wine, and an amazing view...

Dinner is served!

My skirt steak fajita...mmmm....I should make these again next week!

The lovely Cindy, everyone!

Can you believe that this view is FREE??

Well, sort of...there is that nasty rent check due every month...

"A fantastic evening, we say!

Now let's go bake some cookies for game night tomorrow..."

We're off to get our drink on!

Well, not right now. But at 5pm you'll know where to find us!

Let the warm weather continue!

I love warm weather. Mind you, the L.A. summers are a bit much when the numbers hit the triple digits. But being able to be outside, at night, in MARCH, with no sweatshirt, is a feat I never thought would be possible!

Cindy came over the other night since our boys were out on the town with fellow DG Nathan. We cooked some fajitas and enjoyed a nice glass of wine on the rooftop deck. Pictures to come!

I really hope that the weather holds up because I'm venturing out to Pasadena to attend an outdoor spoken word event with Kari. Bonus - it's free! And since Kari is a Pasadena native, she knows good and inexpensive places for lunch.

1 week until our weekend getaway - I can't wait!

I have been working on losing weight - my exercise program is non existant at this point - BUT...guess what? When we moved here I weighed in somwhere around 180 pounds. Now I'm down to below 160!!! I honestly can't remember the last time I weighed under 160 since I got married. Maybe the first few years of marriage? I'm really thrilled that this is working and a regular exercise plan is in the works. Maybe? I hope. But progress is progress no matter how you look at it, and I'm way excited! :)

Fabulous Farmer's Market!

Ah-May-ZING!! I had such a great time and I was grateful to have (a) a limited amount of cash so I couldn't go completely crazy; and (b) Katy and Cindy at my side, reminding me that we would return next week and I didn't have to buy everything in site.

Katy's bag was full of fabulous goodies. Mostly everything crammed in there is hers, but I did manage to find some items that needed to be in this bag as they needed to remain cold and it was quite warm out (I was really glad I put on sunscreen).

I seriously was this close to taking one of these orchids home. But decided they were prettier from afar and that watching my kitties destroy them would just be too heartbreaking.

(And I'd just like to say that editing pictures and copy on blogger stinks because this looks so much nicer in the posting section. The last 2 pictures are actually in the right order.)

(P.S. I realized a few weeks ago that I have a fantastic camera that we got for Christmas and this blog is called "Adventures in Hollywood". Except I never take any pictures and the adventures mostly seem to be in my head. So this trip to the farmer's market wasn't just for good food and fun in the sun - it's also the start of sharing what we experience every day...or at least on the weekends... *wink*)

Spring is defnitely here.

How can I tell?

Allergies. I just love sneezing all the time. :)

The birds wake me up on a Sunday morning when I just want to sleep in.

70 degree days.

One of my favorite things is the actual green Hollywood Hills that I can see from the 101 freeway. Because of all the rain during the winter, spring is actually quite pretty this year!

What the eff?

What is up with the cost of food these days? My god, I spent $88 at the store, and came home with 4 paper bags, barely full. Granted, I got healthy-good-for-us-food, and I think it's really disturbing that good, nutritious food is so friggin darn expensive. It really bothers me. And I know that Trader Joe's is a better deal, but I can only go on the weekends, (and don't make me tell you how much I despise each and every Trader Joe's parking lot) which means long line and a very crowded store.

Let me just say that I'm even more excited to go to the Encino Farmer's Market with Cindy and Katy tomorrow. I hope to make it a weekly excursion, supporiting local growers and farmers while getting good food at a decent price. Isn't that how it should be?

And, while we're on the subject of grocery shopping experiences, I must share this tale:

I was at my local store, perusing the breads, when this man completely let a loud fart go. Right in front of me. Clearly he was embaressed and I didn't look at him, I just kept perusing the shelves. But as soon as he turned around, I headed the other direction and made a face. How gross!

I do have a smidge of good news. At Amoeba Music last night, I found 2 soundtracks I've been anxious to add to our CD collection: Sliding Doors and French Kiss. Both used and total cost was under 15 bucks!

Feeling unsatisfied

I just want to say that if I'm going to spend my time searching for parking, paying a nice sum of money for 2 movie tickets, being up late, and spending a good amount of my time with strangers, the movie should be satisfying. I'm a little disgruntled because the last 2 movies I've seen in the theater seem to have ended quite abrubtly and I've left feeling unsatisfied. Granted, the cinemetography, the acting, the sets, all the rest of it was amazing, but the storytelling at the end just wasn't there. In either of them:

There Will Be Blood

and

No Country For Old Men

Did I miss something? Please tell me if I did because I'm seriously wondering if both these movies were nominated for best picture...I must have missed a key story element. That has to be the only explanation.

...can't think of anything snazzy...

Last night though Matt and I were oh so snazzy. We went to one of our favorite restaurants last night, Hamburger Hamlet. Now, I've lost some weight due to portion control but last night I stressed-ate like nobody's business! A glass of wine, the Marilyn Burger with a turkey patty, french fries, and caramel apple cobbler. I was so incredibly and happily full last night. I wasn't even hungry this morning. People brought in donuts and bagels this morning - I'm not even going into the kitchen - I don't need to be tempted.

I love Thursday evenings after counseling. Matt and I see individual counselors (he goes 2x/month, I go every week - guess I'm more screwed up, hahaha :) and then we go to dinner afterwards. We are so open, our walls are down, and we just talk. And talk some more. Then we laugh, and giggle, and get weird looks from tables nearby. But I don't care because it's that time with your spouse where you are in your own world, it's just the 2 of you, and it feels absolutely amazing. Then we go home and get LOST for an hour...by the way, did anyone see last night's episode? What did you think? I love where the show is going now! My dear aunt Sharon is having foot surgery and is bed-ridden for the next three days, so I sent her seasons 1 & 2. I hope she likes it.

Anyway, moving on...

You must must check out Jenny's blog for the most adorable videos of her son, Patrick. I'm in love with that kid, and I haven't even met him yet.

And Cindy got a job!! Yes!!! Congratulations!!!

Matt is feeling better, thank goodness. The combination of ear drops and anti-biotics are helping his right ear hear again, which is helpful. Not so much for him, though, because now he can't use the excuse "I can't hear you...." and then I hear a little chuckle. Nice try, hon! :)

Two weeks from today, Matt and I are heading off to Nipomo to stay at our favorite bed and breakfast for a weekend of "I don't care if we can't afford it, we need some time alone outside of the city." I. Can't. Wait. And instead of spending a ton of cash on wine, we're going to explore the region a bit more, maybe get in a few hikes, and try some new restaurants.

The last weekend in March, my Dad and my sister will be in town. I even got that Friday off so we can head to Catalina for a night! We're staying here and I think a massage or a body wrap might be in the near future...

Glad to be home

This morning we had a bit of an adventure. Matt woke me up in the middle of the night saying "Camille, I need you to take me to the emergency room." I went into caretaker mode and we got to the hospital in 15 minutes. As always, our stay was delayed for whatever reason, waiting for the doctor, the diagnosis, the prescription, etc. Because Matt hadn't slept yet due to the pain from his ear infection, the doctor also prescribed him some Vicadin, which Matt promptly took and was out by the time we got home. This morning I slept in, called work, and said I wasn't coming in at all. I'm glad I made that choice, even though I felt guilty because I had asked for a day off later this month (family will be visiting). I called my Dad, and asked him as a business owner, did I make the right decision? He said absolutely. Family comes first, and this is just part of life. At the moment, I'm glad I stayed home because the anti-biotics are making Matt a bit woozy and sleepy, which means I can play caretaker for the rest of the day.

And I have to describe the woman that I saw today at the drug store when I came to pick up his prescriptions:

Black Mercedes, freshly washed.

Giant black sunglasses.

Fluffy cute white dog on her lap while she's driving through the parking lot.

Fancy jewelry.

Make-up.

Furry fuzzy trendy boots.

Really? For the drug store? I felt really underdressed at that moment in my baseball cap, jeans, and t-shirt.

Well, aren't we a fun couple?

Matt's sick. Very sick. A nasty cough coupled with some other ongoings that I won't discuss, it's been a great few days. I'm quite tired and slightly annoyed at having to work away from home and cook and clean all by myself. And try as I might to be understanding and patient, yesterday I just told him to deal with my attitude as I was doing the best I could. It doesn't help that early in the mornings he starts to cough, which keeps me awake and eventually I can't go back to sleep and I drag my tired self out of bed at 5am.

To our game group: We'll let you know if we're up for coming over later on today. Right now the answer is "I just want to sleep and get better."

In other news, my job is going better. I had a serious talk with my boss and without going into too much detail (I'll just freak out again), I need to shape up or ship out. Considering that I can't really afford to "ship out" yet, I've requested and received some more training and now have a clear sense of what my responsibilities are. It's really helpful and now my big task in these next few weeks is to manage my time better and make sure I can get everything done. The only thing that bothers me is that I had to request this meeting. Managment saw that I was going down hill and instead of talking to me directly, they went through my desk and left notes everywhere...how professional is that? So now I'm checking in with my boss once a week regarding any issues that have come up. And if any of my co-workers start complaining to me about how I said something wrong, that I didn't pick up the phones fast enough, that they're out of coffee, I'm just going to say "I apologize, and if there's something that I'm doing wrong, please let Jennifer and Steve know." Because the serious stuff, my boss already knows and we've already talked about it, and what they are complaining to me about is really, just petty crap. And it's certainly a good feeling to know that your manager is supporting you.

I'd also like to say that if I make a mistake, we talk about it and then move on. I am a perfectionist and hate making mistakes. And there's no need to bring up something that was resolved weeks ago in a staff meeting - it's embaressing and infuriates me. If it was really that big of a deal, you could have come to me and we could have talked about it in private with the boss.

Well, I still have an hour before getting ready for work. I think I'll pop in a Yoga DVD. Gasp!

Don't want to do chores, so I'm posting pictures instead...

Liz and I being silly.

PJ and Quinn canoodling on the bed.

Little Ms. Bean after her surgery. Poor thing had to keep the cone on for 2 weeks.

The gang, from L-R: Don, Cindy, Katy, Jeremy -

over for a football playoff game...I don't even remember who was playing!

Good Thoughts

In fighting depression, I remind myself in ways I am fortunate and all the good things that are in my life:

1. I have a fabulous husband, who is supportive, caring, handsome, funny, and all-around great guy. Words can't express how lucky I am to have him as my partner.

2. I have a great circle of friends, near and far, old and new, that are never too busy to get together, to be open to new things to do, to listen and talk, and they are so much fun.

3. My family is amazing. I couldn't ask for better in-laws, and my Dad, despite our somewhat rocky past, we're forging ahead in more of an adult relationship, which is great. And my Aunt Sharon...I really don't know what I would do without her....

4. I have a job, and these days that's more than so many people have, which is unfortunate because I know many talented and wonderful people who need work and either can't find anything or the companies aren't responding. If I take pride in my work, things will be a lot better.

5. I have food to eat, clothes on my back, and a roof over my head. We have the necessities covered.

Everything else is just stuff.

Simplify.

And it will be ok.

AUDIT!!!

We're getting audited at work on Monday so yesterday was a 10 hour day and today is 11 hour day, wooppee. :P At least I'm getting things done, and I hope we get a better score than last time.

More updates later, must get back to work now.

Blech

I'm home sick today. Everyone in our office has come down with something, whether it be one or a combo of both: cold, sinus infection, flu, and bronchitis. Guess it's my turn. It's not full blown which is why I'm staying home. I have a sore throat and feel a little achy, so I'm going to try to nip this in the bud. It works out, though, because Matt can drive to his temp job this morning and even offered to go to the store afterwards. What a guy!

Our hearts and thoughts are with our friend Katy who's grandmother is in the hospital. We hope that she will get well soon.

Working Man

Matt got a temp job! :) I'm so happy and so r.e.l.e.i.v.e.d. This means we will have extra money coming in during February and be able to send a sizable check to pay off more of that blasted credit card company that keeps sending me bills. He's working at another assignment today, moving boxes, and I couldn't be happier.

I love my sweet, awesome hubby and true, he does write/work from home. He works very hard, and I have come to realize that it's not his fault that he's not making money at writing - it's the industry. The nature of the entertainment industry is to make you send random scripts all over town, and then wait for someone to call you back. Well, he doesn't work that way and so is actively seeking projects with those that are familiar with his work and are willing to compensate him for his time and talent. It's awesome how we celebrate when he gets a temp job/paycheck from a producer...I am so proud of him!

What's the deal?

Issue number one: I want to know why there seems to be an influx of people dying in just these last few weeks, not to mention last year. A old college friend, her mother passed; Schteffi's bf, his grandmother passed away; A's husband's grandmother, not to mention her 3 grandmothers all last year, Heath Ledger...death seems to be on the mind lately. I checked a few other blogs and there were recent posts about beloved ones lost long ago or recently. I found out yesterday that my new co-worker, her mom had passed 4 years ago and our COO's mother had passed this month...all this mourning and yet celebration of memories...I'm really trying to process all of this.

It's never easy, no matter what the circumstances. Expected or unexpected, the loss is hard to fill and we just want them back in our lives...I guess that seems like a pretty selfish statement, but really, isn't that what part of grief is about? Figuring out how to move on without them?

My heart goes out to all of you who have lost loved ones, be it recently or long ago.

Issue Number Two: THE RAIN. I know we need it but come on now. Our old car is making squeaking noises because the brakes and belts are so wet from driving through the standing water. Not to mention, I can't seem to stay dry for very long. This isn't Seattle rain, this is dessert downpour. Please let it stop soon. Cindy needs to take her dogs for a walk, not to mention we want to go on another hike!

Weekend Update

This weekend was really fun, and we spent the majority of it with our friends Cindy, Don, Katy, and Jeremy.

We got off to a very healthy and active start with us girls heading off to the Paramount Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains for a hike with the doggies. When the dogs got out of the car, the first 10 minutes or so were spent picking up "presents" they left in the parking lot. We headed off to the trail head and came across the set from Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman which was really neat except they had all the windows boarded up, which was a bummer (another bummer is no pictures - I forgot mine and Cindy's batteries died). But we moved on and found a trail head...

...that lead to a bunch of dead trees to walk through. Then Katy tood Max off his leash and he bounded off up in to the hills where we couldn't see him! Katy called him back and instead of going around the fallen dead tree, he decided to climb through all the branches. He was so cute trying to figure out how to get back to "the boss", scuffling around and finally he got a determined look and just dove right under it, I wish we had a video of it, he was so much fun to watch.

During the hike I got quite a few lessons on how to be a doggie mommy, for when Matt and I get a dog someday (We dream of a Corgie named Parva), and got some great tips from them on how to walk a dog the "Dog Whisperer" way, but it didn't quite work. Cordy and Seamus didn't recognize me as a boss so I took the backpack from Cindy and let her walk the doggies, which worked out well for all of us. When I was walking them, it felt like they were walking me!

After the hike, we piled in the car only to discover that Max had ticks! The off-road doggie had picked up a few friends along the way and unfortunately one buried himself near his leg. So we pulled over at a fire station and got some oil and matches...to make a long story short that didn't work and we got the thing out at Don and Cindy's place, only to discover that Cordy had one too! I was really impressed with the level of calmness that Cindy and Katy had while handling Max and Cordy.

Saturday night we got together at Don and Cindy's house for a night of gaming as Cindy wanted to try out Teensy (sp?), her new charater for the campaign. As it turned out, Matt hadn't created his character fully, but that was ok, and we had a great time implementing all these charater's peronalities...tonight the story continues and I'm really looking forward to it.

Sunday I ran errands and we hosted the gang over for the AFC championship, rooting for San Diego (and they lost, of course). Some of us were not interested in football so we played some card games. By halftime, it was obvious that the Patriots would win so we settled for watching some TiVoed episodes of South Park, American Dad, etc. It was really fun to host, especially since Jeremy and Katy hadn't seen our place before. Bean offered additonal entertainment as she has that cone around her neck due to her recent surgery.

This weekend Paige/Stephanie is in town and I can't wait to see her. I'm not sure what we're going to do, but if it's not pouring I think a day trip to the beach will be involved.