Luxury my ass!!

Now, I am not a girlie girl and far from high maintenance, but I do have standards and right now, they are being tested! I am currently prepping a job on a ranch about 30 miles north of LA. I can understand the less than comfortable amenities that are available for the 25 of us that are up there right now due to the budgetary constraints and the small crew, but it seems that somewhere along the line, saving a little money has crossed over into lowering our standards of living. The 22 men that we must share this "luxury" bathroom with are pigs and while it has a nuclear air freshener in it that withstands even the most horrendous bombs, it is what we find on the floor and left over in the bowl that makes us want to loose our lunch. Some days my 2 other female crew and I actually refrain from drinking large amounts of water just to avoid the "luxury" loo and hold it for the local gas station bathroom, which I hate to say, seems like a 5 star hotel some days in comparison.
But alas, the show must go on and soon the rest of the crew will show up and more restrooms will become available. For now, we will just look at this as a way of building character and pray for a Star Waggon 2-Banger to show up in the near future. For those of you in the industry, I know you can sympathize. To those who have never been through this, maybe the next time you go to pee in your office restroom, you'll look at it a little more fondly now.

Boys Will Be Boys

There is a present missing from under the tree and no, Jess did not take it (for those of you who know him and his ability to figure out the present by the box.) It seems that on Thursday, the boys got up to no good while we were at work and managed to find, drag out from under the tree, and OPEN their gift from Auntie Sara. Who knew cat nip was so powerful!!! At least they were nice enough to leave the wrapping next to the garbage bin.

Santa?

We put our first tree as a married couple up this weekend. Well, actually, I went to the corner lot and bought a tree and rolled it back on my little luggage cart while Jess was at work. I decorated it and tied it to the table before he got home, but he brought home pizza, yummy salad and cheesy bread from Dagwoods, so he is forgiven.
It is a little tree, but I am hoping it will be full of memories as we create our new Christmas traditions as a couple. Hopefully it isn't too small and Santa forgets about us. I will be sure that we leave the "special" cookies for him and a nice tall glass of spiked Egg Nog to entice him to our apartment.
Hopefully the cats don't tear it to shreds in the mean time.

It's coming!

The roads will be a mess, the "natives" will act like the world is ending, rush hour will be rush hours and hours and hours, but I will be smiling. I love the rain. I love the gray clouds, I love the cold winter breeze and I love curling up on the couch with my husband and listening to the drops as they hit the window.

My brother will be so proud that I put up a weather map on my blog. And so will my father in law come to think of it! Meteorology geeks!

A miracle in a litte pouch.

These things are the greatest things on the planet. For years I have fought to stuff pills down my animal's throats when they were sick. I've held their mouths shut to keep the pill down, massaged their necks to help them swallow, fought with them, been scratched by them, played the waiting game with them and generally felt like shit when it was all over. I knew it is all for their own good, but when you look into their eyes and they are asking you why you are doing this to them, it breaks your heart. However, those days are over. With Kash's recent trip to the vet, he came home with antibiotics and a suggestion to try Pill Pockets. Now, I was ready to fight because I knew it was for his own good and I knew I could get that damn pill down him because, let's face it, I am not afraid. But 10 days of fighting with him was not going to be fun. This is a cat who is not even a huge fan of being held. I thought maybe for the first time in my life I might try the easy road instead of the hard road first. Who am I trying to prove something to anyway? $7 later, I stuffed the little pill in the pocket and **presto** - Kash ate it up like it was candy. Now when he hears the bottle of antibiotics open, he rises up and puts his paws on my leg and reaches up for it. WOW! A cat that wants to take his medication. Now if I could just get him to stop flinging his food all over the kitchen!

Our newest family member.

Meet Tucker. He is our new Nabaztag Bunny. As far as wedding gifts go, this is one of the most entertaining. He talks to us, he plays with his ears, he tells us the weather and what time it is, he will even tell me if I have new email once I figure out how that is set up. We have appropriately tattooed him to fit in with the family and he is adjusting well. Kash still isn't sure what to do with him, but they will be life long friends soon I am sure.

This will make you think!

World Clock

It was a druken...

...turkey stuffing, lazy, car show, trip to the vet kinda Thanksgiving for us! Too much food and alcohol started the long weekend followed with a "can't move off the couch movie marathon" day. Once we finally recovered, it was the LA Car Show for Jess and the vet for me and Kash. Third trip this year for him. At least he still has his lives in tact. This injury was minor. Apparently 'boys will be boys' and the playing between P and Kash got a little rough one night. What started as a little nick on the back of his neck turned into a penny sized wound complete with blood, scabs and no hair. Silly boys. He was sent home with a soft cone which would hinder P from jumping on him but seemed to hinder him more from doing anything including walk. I decided to take out my handy dandy sewing machine and some adorable fabric and make him my own cone... well sort of. He still hates it, but it does the trick when we can't keep an eye on them and he looks so cute in it. Next job for us is putting up our Christmas tree. Hmmmm, Kash has never seen a tree... and he is only 1 1/2... at least the vet has a 24 hour office not far from us.

30 Days Until Christmas...

...how the hell did THAT happen??

This one will give you goosebumps!

They say things happen in cycles and that for every good there is a bad. I have no way of understanding what this couple has gone through and I pray that I never will. On one of the greatest days of my life, there was a family 2000 miles away that was going through one of their darkest days.

I just heard about this story tonight and mostly because the day after it happened Jess and I got married. Our minds were elsewhere during this tragedy, but my heart goes out to them now. As sad as the story is though, there is a silver lining that was revealed tonight on the news. If you ever didn't believe in a higher power, this story might just change you mind.

Coble Family Update

Weekend News... well, not really NEWS!

I went to my first Bat Mitzvah this weekend and who should I run into but Slade from The Real Housewives Of Orange County. No, Jo was not his date and Jess and I couldn't really figure out why he was there, but there he was none the less. Didn't he tell Jo he didn't want to leave the OC? Strange and yet so very LA.

Home

It has come to my attention that I love where I live even more so than when I mentioned it in an earlier post. Maybe it is because I am getting older and it seems that every time I move, I feel like I never really appreciated where I was before I left. Hindsight is usually 20/20 in my life, but maybe, just maybe I am learning. I don't want to look back and say, "**SIGH** I miss my old place so much. Why didn't I ever _________________ (fill in the blank) while I was there." I want to enjoy it for all it is worth and simply look back on it fondly and enjoy the memories. We aren't moving just yet, but the time will come and I want to be prepared. Yes, my home has it's issues and problems and it isn't always the most pleasant smelling or happiest place to be, but it is home. It is where I grew up, so to speak, and became an adult. It is where I ran to when I was hurt and where I bring people I love when I am happy. It is the place I will tell my children stories about (and trust me, I have many), and it is the place I have met some of the most important people in my life and I don't just mean my husband. It is home. And home seems to be popular in film and TV as well. Regularly seen on two of my favorite shows Dexter and Californication. Also the ABC show Private Practice and the movies Because I Said So and American History Xas well as many many more. No matter where we end up, there will always be a reminder somewhere of Venice Beach and I am just hoping when that time comes, I will be happy to look back and not longing to go back.

Quiet week.

It's been a slow week except for the Yoga classes. My lovely sister in law gave me a week free at Yogaworks and I have to say that the classes are wonderful. My muscles ache, my joints are stiff and I feel my age, but I love the classes. If you ever want to feel less intimidated learning something new, I highly recommend Yoga. There are all body types, personalities, races, and sexes attending each class and the main concern is that you enjoy yourself, you relax and that you do the moves correctly. There is no gold medal if you bend the furthest or sweat the most. You do what your body can do and learn what it cannot. The teachers speak softly and kindly and are there for assistance at the drop of a hat. I leave the classes feeling good even on the worst of days... so far anyway. (giggle giggle) I am starting to see what all the fuss was about for all of those years. The moves are even easy enough to do at home and there is no need for all of those fancy at home gyms that end up being used more for laundry than a workout. I know I sound like an ad, but like I said, it was a slow week and it was all I had to share.

Before & After

At least she listened to her mom when she told her to pull them up! That's a start!

CONGRATULATIONS my friend.

You were beautiful... he was handsome. The setting was perfect and the smoke clouds had cleared. Friends and family laughed and cried (in that good we're-so-happy-for-you kinda way) and the drinks were flowing. The speeches were amazing (you're dad's made everyone cry) and there was no doubt in anyone's mind why we were there that night. I wish you both much happiness and laughter.

Malibu

Ugh.

Not even God could protect against the fires!

It's October in California and that usually means Santa Ana winds and really bad fires. Although it is my favorite month of the year, every October brings some new weather related tragedy to our area. From Santa Barbara to San Diego, Southern Cali is burning. The air is filled with smoke and my usual view of the coastline on my walk is now covered with dark clouds of ash. The Santa Ana's mean hot weather on the coast as well, so Malibu is dealing with 3 horrible scenarios. Really dry ground from lack of rain, hot temperatures and the Santa Ana's creeping over the hills and fueling the fires. Not even the wealthy are protected. Yes, even the Uber Stars that live in the area are being evacuated. For now, I watch intently from a distance and hope for the best. To loose everything in a fire is devastating. So far only 1 death and I am sure we all hope there are no more. Since Malibu is off limits, I am checking with Daily News for updates and wishing the area Fire Departments the best of luck. What we all wouldn't do for a good rain storm right about now.

It's almost Halloween...

...and I was feeling festive, so I gave some blood! I think maybe I had "Dexter" on the brain, but anyway. On my walk to the Main Library in SM, I passed by the Sears and noticed a sign directing people to a Blood Drive. I got about 2 feet passed the sign and turned around and went back. Never mind that I was 3 miles from home, on foot, and had forgotten to eat this morning. Some part of me desperately wanted to do a good deed. I filled out the forms, got the name on my donor card changed to my new last name and got comfy. Easy as pie and I got juice and cheezit's and cookies too. 15 minutes of draining and 15 minutes of eating and I was back on my journey to the library. Being light-headed is kinda fun, but after about an hour of looking at books, my body decided I should head home for more juice and a nap... oh yeah, and some more substantial food. Passed a Jamba Juice and refueled there and then booked it home. Only took 50 minutes and here I sit comfortably on our massive couch with my egg and my juice. Nap time.

My Husband's Project

I must be desperate for a creative outlet because when Jess asked me to spruce up our hamper, I jumped at the opportunity. It seems that due to the position of our hamper in the closet, it is quite difficult to discern which is the dark side and which is the white side. Jess wanted a way to tell the difference. I got creative.

For those friends of mine who I am helping with projects of their own, I hope that this little blog might help you better understand why I find helping you not the LEAST bit of an inconvenience or a burden.

It's My Birthday!!!

I just wanted to say that.

It's Fall At The Beach

It was the first time in a long while that my morning walk was brisk and cool. There is a nice fall breeze in the air and that means that you can see all the way to Malibu. It was my perfect kind of morning. It's October for one (the best month in the year) and the usual beach tourists have gone. As I listened to my IPod and kept up my brisk pace, I saw the things that made me fall in love with Venice 10 years ago when I moved here. The air is clear, the neighbors are out and the crowds are gone. I saw locals walking their dogs, getting their morning coffee, and riding their bikes with their surf boards attached to them. I saw neighbors greeting neighbors, businesses getting ready for the day, and old couples waking hand in hand on their own morning walk. It was peaceful. It made me smile. It made me wish my husband was walking with me instead of stuck at work. It made me realize how much I will miss Venice when the day comes that we have to move. I have now lived in Venice Beach longer than I have lived anywhere else in the world. Venice is my home and despite all of it's flaws, it is mornings like this that make me appreciate the decision I made so long ago to come here. Happy 10 year Anniversary to me.

It was a Skylar kinda day.

Need I say more!!!!!

I married a Cubs Fan!

..and yet somehow I ended up at Wrigley Field in Chicago at a Cubs/Pirates game with my husband and my father in law doing the tomahawk chop and rooting for the Atlanta Braves. :) It's a playoff thing!

Other than getting to spend the weekend with the men in my family, I got to see a great city, eat lots of bad but yummy food, drink lots of beers, use my Mamiya camera for the first time in months, AND THE CUBBES WON!!! BOTH games! The energy inside that stadium when the Cubs are winning and the playoffs are around the corner is unlike anything I have ever experienced. It was the perfect weekend... like one of those memories that you wrap yourself up in when things go wrong or your having a bad day. Makes you kinda want to have a bad day. Nahhhhhh.

Priceless!

On our way to the premiere party last night, Jess and I were sitting in traffic on Wilshire Blvd. You know, that horrible part where Santa Monica and Wilshire meet and all hell breaks loose? Well, apparently they put traffic cops out there to deal with the rush hour madness. Clearly we weren't moving fast enough for the chicks behind us because they just kept laying on the horn. Of course, I flipped them off and the traffic cop must have seen me because right before the next light change he comes up to me and chats about the idiots who are honking. He looks at them and says "Oh, he's gonna have to wait." (Obviously he didn't get a good look at them because they were very much the typical "primped" stupid LA chicks). And true to his word, after the light changed, we went and he stopped them for no reason. They just had to sit there and wait. Jess said the looks on their faces were priceless. Sometimes Karma really is a bitch.

Recovering...

...from an open bar and visiting old friends. "Kid Nation" premiered last night and Jess and I partied it up with colleagues and "family" from those windy and cold days in Santa Fe. I was drunk by the first commercial break... which mind you was 39 minutes into the show... and I don't remember the end of the show. I ran into a few of my "boys" and the night was a blur until about midnight when my Red Bull kicked in and I started downing soda water. Late night pizza on Hollywood Blvd is a fantastic thing might I add and thanks Jess for suggesting it! Anyway, the show looked great, it was nice to see everyone and I loved being introduced as Jess's wife to all of those who I hadn't had a chance to get to know while I worked on the show. 9 million people watched "Kid Nation," so we must have done something right. We'll just have to see if they bring the show back for another season.

We actually left the beach this weekend!

For the first time in a long while, we ventured away from the beach for our weekend plans. Friday night we surprised and old friend by showing up to hear him play at a local bar in Pasadena. Avery James and The Hillendales are fantastic and I highly recommend them... and I am not just saying that because AJ is like a brother to me. He can come across as a fierce and somewhat rough-edged individual of few words spoken and tales told only through his eyes and his ink, but put the man on stage and he is a born performer complete with heartbreaking lyrics and that deep sexy smokers voice that Kiefer Sutherland has had us swooning over for years. Jess and I had a blast enjoying the music and catching up with AJ. Much to our dismay due in part to Jess's hangover, Saturday morning began with an 8am alarm to prepare us for the Direct TV guy who would be here to install our new DVR boxes. Apparently our little HD TiVo box will no longer be able to receive the new HD channels so we needed to upgrade. **PAUSE** A moment of silence for the passing of Mr. TiVo in our household. 6 hours, 3 phone calls to Direct TV, a $100 credit, and 3 months of free Starz later, the "Cable Guy" came. It took him 4 hours to do what Jess could have done in 1 hour and as much as we were ridiculously annoyed at his lackadaisical attitude towards the whole install (like we had nothing better to do but sit around all day waiting for him), we faired quite well with the freebies and the fact that he totally forgot to take back all of the DVRs that he was supposed to collect. The instant he left, cables and boxes still strewn about the house, we headed out to Encino to visit some friends (Hi E & E) for a BBQ. It was great to see our camping buddies again and meet their new pup, catch up with PVision and meet his lady, spend some time with my sis in law, hang with the best dog in the world... oh yeah, and his owner :) and get the tour of our host's home which I had last seen when they moved in. Great food, good company and a kick ass cookie and we wrapped up the evening with what felt like the longest car ride home in the world. Again, another early morning on Sunday as we woke to get ready for a birthday lunch in Redondo for a friend's 17 year old son. Too much food... longing to crawl back on the couch and nap... A quick drive home and that is where we ended up trying to recover from the weekend. Next weekend it's 2 Cubs games in Chicago. I guess we are going even further away this time. I should rest up.

"THAT'S A WRAP"

Just so you know, when you call "WRAP," especially when you call it on our 14th hour of work, it means that we will start wrapping the sets. If you meant to shoot "pick up" shots, then you never should have called "wrap." Thank you for getting me home in such a timely manor... at 2:30am.

The Job From Hell...

I really love it when I agree to do a job and my Production Designer says "Thank you so much for doing this. It is such a weight off my shoulders. I am not stressed anymore and now I know it will get done right." My response being "Great, now I am dealing with all of your stress." And he says "Yeah, but you do it so well." I think it was a compliment (I mean how great is it that your boss trusts you with a job so much that he can go out of town and leave it all up to you to handle) but now, 7 days into the job, I realize that it may have in fact been an evil plot to kill me.

This is the job where the more hours you put into it the less money you make and the director's soul job is to make you look like an idiot. HIS compliment to me last night when we wrapped at 12am was "I know this was a challenge for you but I wanted to let you know that you did a great job and I appreciate it." Hmmmm. A challenge eh? Was he referring to the fact that it has been a challenge trying to buy and rent for this job on a budget that matches my high school allowance (and I went to high school in the 80's) with a prep time that matches the time it takes Lindsay Lohan to relapse after rehab. Or was he talking about the fact that he scouted the locations with us the day before we shot (until 2pm might I add) and changed everything that we had talked about in the Art Department Meeting that he chose NOT to attend. Hmmm, I am not sure. Maybe it was a challenge because I shopped for and dressed the parts of the sets that we had discussed and then he shot in parts of the sets that we had NOT discussed and complained that they looked "bare." Noooo, it HAD to be the fact that I worked from 7am-10:30pm the night before and then came home to work on a fake newspaper (entire companies are actually dedicated to doing this job) until 1am and when I showed it to him in the morning before we started shooting, he didn't like it and asked me to fix it. I am sure it was none of those things. I am sure he was just being polite.

Asshole.

So this morning, I am refusing to work and relaxing on my couch and dreaming of working on a job with a budget AND a prep time AND a boss who is there to guide me and teach me instead of double booking himself and disappearing. Remember I said "dreaming." The only thing I have learned from this show is that my boss doesn't know what I am really worth and at this rate when the job wraps, my Art PA will be making more money than me.

Back To School

As I scan through Blog Land and see how many students are talking about going back to school or classes starting up again, I can't help but miss those days where summer and fall had a whole different meaning then they do now. That last day of school in June when you couldn't wait to empty your locker and run off with your friends to do God knows what over the summer. Spending half your time in a bathing suit, trips to the lake or the beach, meeting cute boys and having that summer crush, part-time jobs that drove you nuts except for the part where they put more money in your pocket then your measly allowance, the drama that always ensued during some BBQ where everyone drank too much and acted stupid, dreading the first day of school, sleeping in, going to camp, spending time with your family, and never once thinking about school. Then the leaves would start changing and that fall smell would waft through the air, and you knew "Back To School" was rapidly approaching. The "sales" showed up at the local stores for notebooks and paper and backpacks and the new fall fashions for the hip student. Pre-registration started, practice for fall sports started, fliers went out for the 1st pep rally of the year. School was approaching and as much as I dreaded that day, hearing that home room bell for the first time in months, I really miss it. Summer now simply means more pee in out carport from the kids next door who are on summer break and trying to find creative ways to keep the apartment cool. Fall simply means driving home after a long day at work in the dark and digging out my warmer clothes (well relatively warm since I live at the beach). It's not really anything to look forward to anymore and to miss. It is just time. I guess I have Season Premieres to look forward to for those shows that left me hanging at the beginning of summer, but even then, the season's are so messed up right now that nothing starts at the same time anymore. I mean hell, I still have to wait until January for "24."

Finally....

...a personalized license plate that I can decipher and one that actually makes sense for the town it drives in!

OH HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!

Imagine your heart stops... shock sets in... eyes begin to well up... mind races..."when...where...why????"... fear... absolute fear... heart breaking... it isn't just a precious and expensive stone, it is a symbol of love and commitment... holy crap... I can't believe this happened... tears are coming... no, I have to stop them... what do I do? Where do I look? Who do I tell? When did it happen? Oh my GOD, WHHYYYYYY? All of this going on in your mind in a matter of 30 seconds and all of it has to be covered up and done in secret and silence until the big guy in the bright orange shirt yells "Cut!... Moving on."

The happy ending to this story and hopefully a true testament to the love that Jess and I share is that I found the diamond about 30 minutes later (just as I hung up with a very upset Jesse) just sitting on the floor beaming in the sunlight. How no one stepped on it or kicked it out of the way I have no idea. There are about 50 people on set today and the floor is concrete. I truly am blessed, and I truly love my husband more than anything in the world!

Bargain shopping...

I was in the 99 Cent Store today and saw a man buying condoms. It made me wonder if the woman or women he was hoping to use them on knew where he had bought them. It made me think that maybe there are certain things in life that should not be "bargain" shopped for.

I can be vague sometimes...

...so here is my attempt to be a little... less.

10 things you may or may not know about me:

1. It took 6 years with the wrong man to meet the right one, and I don't regret one second of those years. I made the best mistakes of my life back then and it was through those mistakes that I found the man I married.

2. 85% of my wardrobe comes from thrift stores.

3. I was born without a middle name.

4. A doctor told me I needed a kidney transplant when I was 5. My parents got a second opinion.

5. I wish I was a better photographer.

6. I have had a "falling out" with every one of my closest girlfriends. To this day, I have no idea why, but we are closer now then we were before the "fall outs." Go figure.

7. I am terrified that I will never be able to get pregnant.

8. I learned how to skateboard when I was 25. Later that year I got my first tattoo.

9. I have lived in 8 different places since I moved to California in 1997.

10. My greatest fear is losing my husband and knowing I will never find anyone like him again.

Chicks will dig this! I swear!

Spent the evening with my husband watching what I thought would be a "man's movie" yet I found myself truly enjoying every minute of this film. Now, you might think that is was the half naked beautiful male bodies that litter the screen throughout the movie that enticed me, but no, this movie is about more than that. Trust me when I tell you that if they had shown this movie in my Art History class when we were learning about Greek Tragedy, I might have actually paid attention. It is pure and raw maleness. The fight scenes are beautifully choreographed and the cinematography is unbelievable. The idea that these men believed so strongly in honor and love for their families and their country that they would die fighting for both is enough to make any woman weep. But have no fear, the men are not the only strong willed characters in this movie. The woman kick ass and that is putting it lightly. But regardless of what I think, check it out for yourself. Oh, and if you've got surround sound, be sure to turn it up!

Health Insurance

The Health Care system in the US SUCKS! I am not even going to go into why... just trust me on this one!

This past weekend we went to Huntington Gardens in Pasadena for a little tour. Now, it was hot when we left the beach, so you can imagine what it was like up there. We arrived late after having swung by my mother in law's favorite cactus place in Pasadena and then grabbed a quick bite at Whole Foods. The Gardens close at 4:30 and we arrived at 3. No where near long enough to truly enjoy the place, but enough time to not die of heat and still get to see the Japanese Gardens and the massive Cactus Garden. On my journey sharing a camera with Jesse (not an easy thing to do when everything you see could be a great shot) we ran across a beautiful and shady bamboo forrest. There were signs posted all over the area asking people to please not de-face the bamboo with graffiti. Seems it does no good and I spent a good deal of the rest of the afternoon trying to figure out why anyone needed to leave their initials or profess their love on the side of a protected garden.

That's R. Simpson to you!

Jess and Dave have introduced me to the wonderful world of Simpsonizing myself. You should try it too. I'm a hotty, eh?

Save Venice!

Having lived here in beautiful Venice for 10 years (minus about a year in Mammoth, CA rotting brain cells), I have seen the changes that my home has gone through. Some for the best, most for the worst, but that is only my opinion. Venice has become the "trendy" place to live and with "trend" comes "corporate." My little neighborhood stores are being bought out by large corporations and we are becoming gentrified by the standards of every other "cool" place to live. There is something we can do to help this process. There are people in this city by the sea that care about it's future. They are Venice Unchained Check it out.

I love my neighbors...

...really I DO!! Had the idiots next door not left the pile of garbage at our dumpster, Jess would not have had the opportunity to get to know Eric better (who lives in front of our building) as they both shoveled the garbage back into the dumpster, and Eric may not have offered the "if you guys ever need anything, just knock" favor. Why is this story important? The couch I am sitting on is our wedding gift to ourselves courtesy of Sofa Company. If you can't tell, it is MASSIVE. The side to my right is 10ft long and if you have ever been to our apartment, you can understand how impossible this would be to get in the conventional way... through the front door. We had crossed our fingers in hopes that at least the other side of the couch would fit and the movers could do that part and we would deal with getting the long side in. Needless to say, neither side went in and we called on our good friend Rick (who had just helped us that morning to move our old couches into his and Robin's apartment) to come over and help. "Help" meant, heave the couch up the front of the rental Uhaul truck we got, onto the roof of the rental truck, let Rachel hold the couch upright as it balanced on the edge of our railing (which is 20ft up from the ground), then have Rick and Jess pull it into the apartment through the balcony sliding glass doors. SUCCESS! That worked for the first one. The second one was way too heavy for me to push from the bottom as they pulled it through the slider. We tried, but no luck. In comes the Eric favor. We needed him... he came with bells on! Jess and I heaved from the bottom (which was the top of the truck) and Eric and Rick pulled from the top. I do not recommend anyone do this! If our mothers would have seen this, they would have all stopped breathing. To make a long story short, we now have our couches, Rick and Robin have their couches, we have a better friendship with our neighbor and spending $14.00 for the Uhaul insurance was the best $14.00 we ever spent!

I Love My Neighbors!

Not really!

After & Before... YIKES!

So I am just sitting at home doing some research for a shoot this weekend and I run across this picture. WOW! That's a pretty amazing diet she's got going on there. The image came courtesy of Daily Mail (a UK newspaper) but it can be found all over the internet now with a new story saying that she wants to get pregnant. Again, I say WOW! I have to admit that I love her music; I mean she truly is an old soul with a fantastic voice but for God sake woman, please eat something!!

How Responsible

After a wonderful visit to the new addition of our extended family (who came into the world 5 days early), I remembered that I had shot this in the postpartum room. Not having ever given birth, it never occurred to me that you would need to be reminded to call someone to watch the baby while you go pee or take a much needed shower. I learned that you shouldn't wait until you can't hold it anymore because it takes about 10 minutes for the nurse to show up. But you can call her and ask for her by name since there is a dry erase board next to your bathroom that shows you who your nurse happens to be at that point. Good to know. I feel more prepared now for when it is my turn.

It's A Girl!!!

Who knew when I asked to shoot this last picture that the first signs of labor would kick in that very morning. It's a good thing I thought to take this then and not wait until closer to her actual due date (July 4th). Being the calm 2nd time mom that she is, we actually met at the beach that day to shoot this and then went and grabbed some lunch. I sat by the phone for another day and a half just waiting for the good news and checking in for updates. At 7:42am Friday morning, I got a text message saying they were finally heading to the hospital after already enduring about 18 hours of smaller contractions every 30 minutes. (Kinda breaks into your sleep schedule at that point, eh?). Approximately 9 hours later on June 29th, at just over 6 lbs, a beautiful baby girl "came out" as her big brother said. I have to tell you, as far as labor and delivery stories goes, this one is the one I hope to emulate when it comes time for me to experience the joys of children. I've never seen a more calm, peaceful, relaxed and confident mother than this one. Dad too though, but he wasn't doing the hard work, so he gets just a little less of the credit. We visited the family in the hospital today and things are wonderful. Two happy parents, one beautiful baby, and the excitement building for the introduction of big brother and new baby sister. I can't wait for our turn!!!

Furry & Round

I have been fortunate enough to borrow a friend's camera for a while. It will ultimately be mine when he buys another "back up" camera for his kit, but until then, it is on loan to me when he is not shooting. It is a Nikon D2H and I love it. It actually makes me shoot more. I am still getting used to it but here are some of my latest.

Venice Reconstituted

So I spent my evening yesterday, during the "Golden Hour" of course, shooting my very dear friend down at the beach. She is due to give birth in the next couple of weeks, and I have become quite fond of photographing my girlfriends in their 8th month. Big round bellies. Beautiful! Anyway, I walk my neighborhood all the time and feel like I am pretty good at taking note of the new things that are happening to it and enjoying the things that have managed to remain untouched. Maybe I am not as aware as I thought because yesterday I noticed a horrible addition to Venice Beach that I feel I am quite sure I would have noticed by now. At the corner of Winward and Speedway there is an iconic mural that was painted in 1989. You have seen is a million times in movies like "La Story" and dozens of TV shows. It is called "Venice Reconstituted" and painted by a local artist named Rip Cronk. (Check out some of his other Venice work here- Rip Cronk.) I remember the first time I saw this mural in a movie. I wanted to know what Venice Beach was all about. When I moved here, it became one of my favorite things to ride my bike past. It IS Venice. Which is why I am so upset at the current condition of it. This "tagging" is new. Within the last month kind of new and it makes me so angry. Have a little respect! The worst part about it is the kids who are tagging it are local Venice kids. They grew up here. I guess I must have come from a different thought process and a different upbringing. You don't destroy that which defines and embraces the area where you grew up. And it's not just murals that are getting tagged. It is getting out of control and getting harder and harder to deal with. I think it is funny that there is so much money coming into this area right now, to the point where even the locals can't afford to live here anymore, yet there is so much more crap coming into the area as as well. Venice Reconstituted.

Mr. Who wants my appointment???

Just a quick note before I let the Darvocet kick in and I head to bed. I got the stitches taken out of my mouth today (hence the evening chemical addition to my nighttime routine) and there seemed to be some confusion about when my appointment was supposed to be. It seems Mr. Vidal Sassoon desperately needed to see MY Endodontist at 11am (my appointment time) and I got instantly bumped to 10:30am. Hmph. Wasn't he famous in like the 80's??? Geesh, I went home feeling very unimportant. Brad Pitt, I can understand, but Mr. Sassoon??? Oh please let me go get my Sergio Valente jeans back out and feather my hair. The nerve.

You can call me Mrs. Barber

I gave my husband a haircut last night for the first time. It may sound strange, but I felt so close to him during our brief new adventure... as if we were taking another step forward in our marriage that no one ever tells you about. Just the way he rested his head on my chest as I took the clippers to the far side of his head... made me smile. I am a firm believer that it is the little things in a relationship that keep it together and not so much of the grand gestures. Yes, the big events are memorable and wonderful, but it is the little everyday things that have always made me smile in times when smiling seems impossible. The notes left by the door, the flowers for no reason, the text messages simply saying "I love you, " the silly gifts given just because... the little things. **SIGH** OK, so yes, cutting his hair saves us time and money if we do it ourselves in our narrow little bathroom with our newly purchased hair clippers, but part of me thinks it isn't so much the time and money we will save that prompted my hubby to ask me to cut it. I felt like it was an effort to share something new with his wife. (That and the fact that it was getting too long and he just didn't want to go to Supercuts again.) There are very few things we won't do in front of each other and there is nothing we won't tell each other, so our comfort level is pretty high, but let me tell you when it comes to cutting a man's hair, there is a bit of nervousness that accompanies the act. I am honored that he let me do it. I did a pretty good job considering that I have never done it before, and I was too tired this morning to see if he left with a hat on or not, but he is still talking to me, so I must have done something right. I figure by the time I am cutting our children's hair, I should be pretty good at it. Maybe I'll even have a little area in our house named "Rotten Haircuts" where my family will happily sit while mom cuts their hair and creates memories that will last a lifetime. That is of course, until it is just too embarrassing to admit that mom cuts their hair, and I will simply be left again with just my loving husband as a customer.

Blonde

I had a "blonde" moment this morning that actually made me chuckle out loud. It was a beautiful day and I went for a walk along the beach this morning. Sometimes I forget the fact that I live this close to the water. Walks are a good reminder to enjoy how peaceful the ocean is and how great strolling in the sand can be. Now, I have been in Venice for 10 years this October, minus a small stint to Mammoth (where I believe my IQ actually dropped 10 points but that is a whole different blog), and it has taken me until this morning to realize that the Venice lifeguard towers are numbered by the street that they are in front of. Tower 19 is actually at the end of 19th street. Imagine that! If ever I had a light bulb moment, that was definitely one of them. I never could understand why it went Tower 19 and then jumped to Tower 21. WOW! Maybe marriage really does make you wiser.

This picture makes me smile...

...but not today. I have a mouth full of stitches and just can't do it. Now my dentist did not lie to me. There was no pain DURING the one hour slicing into my gums, blood gushing ordeal that I went through this morning, but as I sit here on my couch watching "Failure To Launch" and letting the Darvoset kick in as the numbness wears off, it is starting to hurt. What was the maximum dosage per 6 hour period again???? Eating has been an adventure as well. Let's see... "no straws, no hot food, no spicy food, nothing with seeds or kernels, no crunching, no soda, no alcohol, no smoking, no NOTHING, but please be sure to eat to keep your strength up and stay healthy so you can heal." Are you kidding me? So I blended up some bananas, ice-cream, and milk in our handy dandy Magic Bullet (an "As Seen On TV" wonder!!) and sliced the crap out of a chicken pot pie after I let it get cold. (I even contemplated putting IT in the Magic Bullet) I am now starving!!! The only good thing really that happened today was that I got to relive the week I started dating my husband minute by minute in my head while I tried to ignore what the dentist was doing AND my new "married name" driver's license showed up, and now I feel official. Hell, the picture is even really good. Oh yeah, and I found out that without insurance, my surgery would have cost about $3000. I still think it is bullshit, but $790 doesn't sound so bad anymore.

HMO, PPO, WTF

My Italian cousin recently had brain surgery in Helsinki, Finland preformed by the 2nd highest ranking neurosurgeon in the world to cure a disease that was causing him to have aneurysms which one day might have killed him. It cost him nothing because his heath insurance covered it. Why the hell am I bringing up such a random thought?? I am having minor surgery on my gums tomorrow to find out what is wrong with a tooth that a hack-job of a past dentist screwed up and my co-pay is $750. The surgery takes about 30 minutes, no pain, in the dentist office, and I can drive myself home. $750!!! Are you fucking kidding me!!

My Friend Loves His Job!!

Spent the day paying back part of a favor to a dear friend. Seems when I invited said friend to our wedding, he only wanted to come if he could shoot it for us. OK, twist my arm... done! I am still sifting through the 3000+ images he shot, but I am OK with that. Anyway, when he called for me to assist for him on a stills shoot, how could I say no. And besides that, he is so much fun to hang out with and has fun and expensive toys to play with. This location, although it may not seem so, is in the middle of a desert... Palmdale to be exact. Desert air, summer heat, white ass reflective walls.... ahhhhh, livin' the dream in California! These girls are all young athletes and fit as hell. Made me feel old and so out of shape!! At least I got to come home to my sweet husband who thinks I am sexy as hell. Life is good.

Married? Yes Mawwied!!

I thought I might try blogging for a while. New changes for a new life change. I recently got married and although I spent my whole life thinking that it would be this life altering decision, in the end, it just ended up being one of the best decisions I made with very little alterations in my daily life. I love hearing "I love you my wife" from my husband in which I respond "I love you my husband." Simple and fun. It is all quite surreal as well. I look down at my wedding ring sometimes and just can't believe I am a married woman. It is like I am 12 years old again. Remembering to use my new last name is going to take some getting used to though. I can remember as a little girl signing the my name with the last name of the boy I had a crush on like it was my own. Now I have to remind myself to sign my married name. Again, very surreal. I imagine by the time it finally hits me that I am married, I'll be pregnant and having to convince myself that I am about to have a baby. Life is funny like that. It keeps me on my toes.