A Day in the Life

I'm watching Eat Pray Love.
I read the book several years ago. I loved it. I related.

The thing is, I can go to Target and see couples and remember what that felt like and miss it, but then I look at life now. I'm prepping to go to Africa for 5 weeks. I didn't have to ask anyone's permission. Get anyone's opinion. Justify the trip. Explain that I need to do this for me. Have someone feel like I didn't care enough about him because I didn't invite him. Except for my boss, I didn't really even need to schedule it with anyone.

(I'll have friends in tow, so it's not like I'm venturing off alone a la Elizabeth Gilbert.)

One day I'll be in a long-term couple again. And I'll be excited. And we'll go to Target. But for now this is my life. And it fits. I have to take advantage of the lifestyle that I've become accustomed to. And crave. To a fault? Perhaps.

I just got my taxes done. And once again I was penalized for being a successful single person with no kids or mortgage. I refuse to get in over my head with a mortgage. Truth be told, I have issues signing a one-year lease, so I'm not sure I'm at the point to even contemplate a 30-year mortgage. But I'm saving for it, and one day when that time comes, there will be someone watching my episode of House Hunters who says "What a great down payment!" My thing is, I don't want to be house poor. And I don't want to buy what is essentially an apartment, but is called a condo. And I for SURE don't wanna settle. On anything. Or anyone.

Real estate in LA is crazy. Especially in the neighborhoods I would want to live. And how long will I be here? Is there any way to know? Luckily, I don't currently have to worry about it. So I won't.

The weather is doing a perfect little thing lately. Beautiful sun one day. Rain/sometimes with thunder the next. That means the sky is blue and clear on the sunny days. The mountains within view have snow on them.

I have yet to get very far on my to-do list for while I only have one job. I just got my gma's sewing machine fixed, so the sewing should commence soon. I didn't hike as much this past week as in previous week, (I like to blame the intermittent weather), but I'll get back into it. A visiting friend this coming weekend means cleaning and (gasp!) baking will happen this week. I'm reading Nelson Mandela's autobiography in preps for my South African journey. It's 625 pages, so that should keep me busy. I haven't been writing enough, and I have no good excuse. I have multiple ideas. I want to finish the screenplay. The spec. The tv show idea that started as a joke, but now has legs and possibility...Just need to get better at scheduling and discipline I guess.

I've been watching a lot of Oprah. I love her BTS show more than the actual show. But she's big into meditation/quiet time and now watching Eat Pray Love, I'm reminded of its importance. So I'll leave you with this.

http://www.donothingfor2minutes.com/

Start with two minutes. Work up from there.

Greetings From Skunksville, USA

If you're a friend on Facebook, you may know that I've been struck down with what can only be described as the plague this week. You may think I'm being dramatic, and well, I guess since I'm still alive, it wasn't REALLY the plague, but I can't remember ever being so sick when it didn't involve a lot of quality time with the toilet. I spent two full days in bed and a third one on the couch and am finally starting to feel closer to fine.

I knew I was getting better when I took a look at myself in the mirror today and was horrified at the caterpillars crawling across my forehead. I'll take care of them tomorrow. Nothing like a good eyebrow wax to mark a recovery.

But first, this story. Or tale...

So I believe I've mentioned before the fact that skunks love my neighborhood. And how much one little guy in particular (aka Juan) loves my specific part of the neighborhood. As in my driveway, my front step, my welcome mat.

Don't get me wrong. Juan is freakin' adorable. We've watched him grow. Or her grow. I've never gotten close enough to tell the difference. We know Juan's coloring. We know Juan likes us. But we also know Juan doesn't realize what kind of havoc he could wreak (or reek!) on not only our actual persons but also our home.

You see, it's nothing to with inside and outside lights on, door open, tv on, and people talking to look over and see Juan chilling on the welcome mat...Yeah. Can't really walk away from the open door because I'm pretty sure the little dude would just waltz in and make himself at home.

So far he has only lifted his tail when FACING us, which would mean he wouldn't be technically spraying us, but still...nothing's an exact science...

Alright, so anyway, sorry if that is all old news, but it's only to tell you about what happened last night. Like I said I've been sick and I stepped outside to leave for my night job and my neighbor was on her step. Outside lights were on. We were talking. When all the sudden, she told me to look behind me. I didn't. I kept talking. Then - a little more forcefully - she told me to walk forward to her step..."right now"...That time I listened...once I got there, she told me to turn around...and there was Juan. Basically RIGHT behind where I was standing, as if he was walking up to me...Again he put his tail up, but he was facing us, and he didn't spray. Once he realized we were doing the stomping our feet and shaking our keys move so I could get in my car, he sauntered down the driveway and into the front yard.

Long story short, I need a screen door.

This Just In

1. The adorable pair known as The Civil Wars ARE married, but to other people. I can't wait for the album debut on February 1. Do yourself a favor and plan ahead to purchase it.

2. I love Austin. Everything about it. It's the clear frontrunner in the Austin-Portland-Nashville race to be the next MAB city. The recent rains in LA have really dampened (pun intended) Portland's chance. I'm glad to know I have lovely friends to visit there tho because I do love it. That being said, if I were to get a fantastic job there or meet someone who wanted to move there I would likely not turn down that opportunity. After all...



3. I'm inappropriately very much looking forward to the movie No Strings Attached. All I can say is, I liked A Lot Like Love, the idea of a Period Mix makes me laugh, and some of the lines in the trailer hit home...so I have some hope for it...

4. I'm working on my 2011 To Do List. There are important things that I need to remember to do in the next couple of weeks like traffic school, and then there is everything else, which is all fun stuff. I'm especially excited to gain half of my life back when Let's Make a Deal goes on hiatus on Jan. 16. What will I do with all that dayside free time?!?! The list for that is growing too...I need to go through my lil garage thing and get rid of things I don't need or haven't used in forever. Trim it down/clean it out...I have a way of accumulating nothing at all...

Which brings me to the early stages of the list.

Daytimes will soon be filled with farmers' markets and flea markets and classes. Classes for sewing, classes for trapeze-ing, classes for some sort of physical fitness (either yoga or a combo pilates-yoga-barre thing offered in my hood), maybe cooking...sign language...all things of interest that I want to know more about.

2011 will also bring a lot of travel. To near and far away places. I started the year in Austin, and wouldn't mind going back (sxsw can you hear me?) But there are other places to go...like, Hicksville Trailer Palace in Joshua Tree, maybe Vegas, and um, oh yeah...AFRICA. So excited. And people just keep telling me to get more excited. By the time I actually go I won't be able to contain myself...post Africa I'm more-than-tentatively planning a bday trip back to the Kauai condo...and then I may have to hunker down depending on the job sitch...my parents are planning a trip out during the summer...and I feel like I should spend some time in Nashville this year to help my decision-making process...you know, just to be prepared for the next step...

Meanwhile, here I sit, in the last two weeks of double-dipping. Somehow I've made it six months. I don't know how. I've been very fortunate tho, so for that I am thankful. I want more space than my little bungalow offers, but the price is unbeatable for the locale and amenities (read offstreet parking, onsite laundry, no attached neighbors). And frankly, I want more space just so I can buy more chairs. I'm obsessed with chairs. I don't need lots of chairs. But I want them.

That'll do, pig.

Dance Me to The End of Love

First of all, can I just say I have no idea what happened to my layout that cuts the right edge off all these videos. Not sure how to fix it or why it seemed to just change one day. So sorry about that.

I can't put into words how mesmerized I was by The Civil Wars show. I want to be in a room with them and just have them play and sing and never stop. Ever. I mean, maybe for sips of water and whiskey or to share little anecdotes, but that's it. I remember feeling this way about Glen and Mar.

Their chemistry is the stuff that envy is made of. Maybe I just love being in the same place as talented people in love singing about being in love. Or not being in love anymore. Or wanting to one day be in love. Again. Or still.

That's right. They use the word "darlin'." No need to win me over anymore, The Civil Wars...I'm already sold.

Nants Ingonyama Bagithi Baba

It's happening.

When I decided to double dip, I knew I would be sacrificing things like sleep and a social life during the week, but I'm also reaping some mad benefits.

Over Thanksgiving break, I went to Kauai. On a last minute fare. Bought my ticket Monday night, left Wednesday, and came back Sunday. It was dreamy. Sure it took me a day to decompress and be still, but once I got to that place...whoa. I read a whole book by the time I came home. Magical. I'm seriously thinking of going back for my bday. I've got a friend who has parents with a condo. I'm basically one degree away from Hawaii.

To be in a place in my life that allows me to do such spontaneous things is thrilling. There are things I desire, but in the meantime, I will enjoy everything my current lifestyle has to offer.

Which brings me to Africa...or should I say, will...

It's been on my radar for a while, but I'm finally jumping in. And I'm super excited. I'll be volunteering for a bit and then traveling for a bit. I'll be playing with lil bits at an orphanage in South Africa. I'll try really hard to not fall in love with every single face, as I hear it's nearly impossible to bring them home in your carry-on luggage.

I'll be less resistant to falling for a Doctor Without Borders.



Speaking of movies, I've recently seen:

The Town: What can I say, I'm a fan of Ben Affleck the director. Throw in Rebecca Hall and Jon Hamm and sign my thumbs up!
Black Swan: I'm so polarized. I'm cool with Natalie being nominated, and maybe even winning. And I really liked parts of it, but I also was really not into other parts of it. That's how I am with Darren Aronofsky, tho.
The King's Speech: I liked this. In the way that I often enjoy true stories played out brilliantly thanks to people like Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush.

Oh and that book I read Thanksgiving week? The Help. LOVED. LOVED. LOVED.
Currently on my nightstand: "Cassette From My Ex: Stories and Soundtracks of Lost Loves"...This collection of vignettes is the perfect bedside read. You read a few, think about music, turn off the lamp, enter into dreamland. I've now added Africa on a Shoestring (Southeast Asia on a Shoestring was my Bible during that trip)...and a book on Southern Africa...and I've pulled out my copy of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die...don't wanna miss anything big!

Wow. Watching Paul McCartney on Jimmy Fallon. Talking and now singing about John Lennon. Are those tears Jimmy has in his eyes? Really looking forward to the Paul Squared SNL this weekend. And tomorrow night I have the Aimee Mann Holiday Show. I've been in LA five Christmas seasons, and I've seen this show at least three of those years.

As for Christmas this year, I'll be heading back to the Lou for just under a week and then heading down to Austin for NYE with friends. I'm pretty sure that's the only way to follow up last year's Las Vegas Strip extravaganza. This year went by so very fast. The world spins madly on.

Baby It's Cold Outside

Another winter in LA
Another apartment without heat

I've been here
I know this dance
The snuggie/chenille/gnome quilt combo

Curled up on the couch
Because that's where the tv is
And the music is
And the internet is

In the bedroom
there's the duvet
And the books
But you can't turn pages with gloves on
I've tried

Hard wood floors
Like a slap in the face
For the feet

No longer snoozing for sleep
But to avoid leaving the cocoon.

Footie pajamas seem perfect
Until it's time to pee.

Fighting Dragons

So I'm still listening to The Civil Wars, and I'm excited to say I'll be seeing them play at my favorite local venue soon, but they're not the only music keeping me entertained.

Taylor Swift. Speak Now. It's the only thing I listen to in my car. And I listen to it REALLY loud. Weather permitting, with windows/sunroof open. Life is universal and has me relating to a 20 year old who has a wonderful way with words. I don't care what people say, I know I'm not the only one, and I've converted at least one person.

Joshua Radin. The Rock and The Tide. Great hiking music. Great anything music. Give me road to ride on and I'll come and see you in concert.

Mumford & Sons. So bummed I missed them when they played a sold out show here a few weeks ago. Because I super enjoy the way their music fills the air of my lil bungalow while I attempt to task it up in the mornings or on my days off.

Movies. I don't see nearly the number I once did. Long gone are the days of 6 screening weeks. But I have seen some good ones recently.

Mother and Child. I was lucky enough to have a friend with a screener as I somehow missed this in theaters. I liked it. The movie stars Annette Bening, Naomi Watts, and Kerry Washington, and follows their respective stories of adoption. Great performances and it ended with a Lucy Schwartz song...which is never a bad thing. Six months ago I would have had a very different perspective, but I'm glad that I waited. So I guess "missing" the movie in theaters was a blessing in disguise.

Blue Valentine. If you're my facebook friend, you know I loved it. It's exactly the reason I love independent film. The music. The acting. The story. The heart. I'm so afraid of overselling this movie that I don't feel like I can keep talking about it.

127 Hours. Impressive. James Franco. Aron Ralston. I still say I would have banged my head really hard against a rock if I were to ever find myself in the same situation. The strength and heart Aron exhibited in that astonishing and heroic moment is brought to life with beauty and talent. Danny Boyle knows what he's doing, but James Franco isn't overshadowed by the filmmaking...Dare I use the word "brilliant"... And you know what else? It made me wanna go on a hike. We've got a beautiful country and the scenery reminded me of Red Rock and Valley of Fire hikes. Rock scrambling. Good times.

I'm super excited to see Morning Glory. I love Rachel McAdams and I've worked in a newsroom. Win win, right?

On my nightstand (which is actually an antique child's desk, but still...):

A Gate at the Stairs: Lorrie Moore. I'm not in a book club, but my neighbor is. One day when I maybe only have one job and more free time, I'll be able to be in one again too...Until then, I'll read the books that other book clubs talk about...

I'm about 3/4 in...and have enjoyed it. It's been pretty quick but not super chick lit...which is a pretty perfect kind of book to read in bed.