I have OBAMA FEVER!!!

Oh, George. I miss you!

Comedian, Philosopher, Social Commentator, Wise Old Sage, George Carlin has passed away at 71. I've spent much of the past week since his death thinking about how he made me laugh, think, get angry and sad. He made my inner maniac fell much less alone! I miss you, George. We all do.

Finally!

R.I.P. Harvey Korman

Comedian/Actor Harvey Korman died yesterday at the age of 81. He was one of my favorites since I was a little girl watching reruns of the Carol Burnett Show. He and Tim Conway would create moments of comic gold together. I especially used to love when Conway would make Harvey break character and start laughing. I don't think I had ever seen that before on television, it felt so organic.

Working in live theatre for so long I was able to meet many people I admired and I was lucky enough to have met Harvey Korman a few years ago when he and Tim Conway came through town to do their show that included many of their old sketches. They were still hilarious together, they seemed good friends, and you could tell they just totally loved what they were doing. They made each other laugh and that made all of us laugh even harder. Harvey made me laugh that kind of laugh where I also cry! Laughter is the most beautiful sound, a fine expression of life and I want to thank Mr. Harvey Korman for all the good times.

road trip

My pal Lisa drove us up to Santa Cruz this weekend. On the way up we stopped at a photobooth that I located using the amazing photobooth locator on photobooth.net

I'm on a mission to go to as many of them as possible. Woohoo!

I meant to write this in March

and now April is half passed! holy cow the time is flying around here. Slow down, Time! My highlights from March:

Whilst walking with Lulu along the chain link fence that runs alongside a graveyard, we discovered a pig. A pig in the graveyard. Lulu and the pig touched noses. I couldn't believe my eyes. I ran home to put Lulu in the yard so I could go back to get the pig and bring him to a safe place. The neighborhood kids were interested and followed me down the street like I was the Pied Piper. I was on a mission. But I could not catch the little piggy rascal. Animal Control came out and they chased the pig all over the cemetary. I wanted to keep him. He must have been somebody's pet...he was a little pot-bellied guy. Hope that his family finds him at the shelter. In my head, I named him Sampson.

I bought bamboo sheets for my bed. OH....MY.....GOD. These sheets are So Soft and they feel quite luxurious. I've never ever bought nice sheets before so I splurged a bit when I got my first paycheck from my new job. I have been sleeping so beautifully lately. Bamboo sheets are good for the soul. Also good for the environment as bamboo is a renewable resource AND it's naturally anti-bacterial. Love it!

Walking alot. Walking early on a Saturday morning. Walked to pick up my car at the mechanic. Maybe 3 miles. It was a gorgeous day and really made me remember how much I love walking. You get a different vibe for a city when you walk. My city is very laid back. It's not like walking in New York or anything. People don't really walk here because most things are too spread out. There used to be red trolley car but it was the first thing to go when the big oil men came to town. Sad.

Settling into my new job. Making a few friends and then finding out there are 6 other vegetarians at the office. I don't believe any of them are vegan like me but when they found out I was, they decided to throw a vegan potluck in my honor. We are having it next Friday. I feel so excited by this because A)these people are open and B)I feel respected and honored that they are doing this potluck.

gratitude

My sweet friend, Yenny, sent me an email the other day about a news story that was running in her home country of Colombia. The email said:

A woman found an injured, malnourished lion that was near death. She took him home and took care of him.

When the lion recovered, she called the local zoo to give him a proper home.

This was the reaction she got when the lion saw her again for the first time.

Here is the video link to the woman and lion reunion.

a little less conversation; a little more action

i've been busy. here are some things that've been happening lately in my little world:

*I'm the audio assistant on the regional premiere of the musical, All Shook Up in long beach. it's a fun show with big dance numbers and cool orchestrations of elvis hits. It was a long week last week in tech rehearsals but now the show is open and it's just fun. everyone in it is talented and kind. a good mix. plus, i'm assisting my friend, the amazing sound designer & engineer, julie ferrin.

*i lost my voice due to a wee bout of laryngitis. on sunday i sounded like a pubescent teenage boy a la peter brady in That Episode of the brady bunch. now my voice is half back and sounding like a raspy wind, my housemate calls it "sexy" and tells me i should open up a phone sex biz on the side. i think i would laugh too much so that's not gonna happen.

*i interviewed for a full-time video production job. it would be quite different from my crazy theatre job and my freelance editing. i would have a salary and opposite hours of what i work now but i think i can do it and i need a nice change. they are already sending me through the process to be hired so i should hear soon if they are officially offering me the gig.

*the weather has been beautiful. i slept on the couch the other night because i was up really late and i woke up to what seemed like a backyard symphony of bird chirps. it was so cute. for a second before i opened my eyes i pretended i was waking up in a forest under a canopy of trees and i was snow white. the days are getting longer now too and that makes me insanely happy.

thoughts for today

The pic is from last July...Josh and I in NYC atop the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They have a kick-ass garden on the roof with sculptures and such and of course it's overlooking Central Park.

I found this Buddhist prayer yesterday and I can't stop reading it because it gives me such a great feeling inside:

May all beings be happy, content and fulfilled. May all beings be healed and whole. May all have whatever they need. May all beings be protected from harm and freed from fear. May all enjoy inner peace and ease. May all be awakened, liberated and free. May there be peace in this world and universe.

I really do wish for all those things and sometimes I feel very overwhelmed with the troubles of our world. It is easy to get wrapped up in the cycle of confusion and immobility but what gets me out of it is focusing on how I live my life day to day. I think about what improvements I can make no matter how small, how I can bring joy to my family, friends and strangers in my community, how I can live more simply and be more positive.

I'm awaiting to hear if I will get an interview for a job I've wanted for some time. They called me the other day to tell me they are passing on my resume to the head honcho. I'm feeling uneasy about it because although I want the job for financial security reasons, I feel scared of how my whole life will change. Wow, look at me go, worrying before I even have an interview! Freak! This is sometimes how I am.

In other news, today is a lovely day and I am going on a bicycle ride.

good deed indeed

I was walking with Lulu today after the rain stopped. I love the smell after a good rain. Anyways, we were walking up the street and I noticed a car with its headlights on in the driveway of a house I was passing by. There was no driver in the car. I don't know these people but technically I'd say they were "neighbors". They live around the corner and I walk by often. I paused and thought I should go ring the bell and let them know but then I just kept walking by. I kinda thought maybe they were about to leave but ran back into the house for something and they'll be back out to the car. I honestly thought, as we all have done at times, "that's someone else's problem".

On the way back home we passed by the house again and I paused again. The lights were still on. I thought of the last time my car battery died and I was stranded and missed work and it was a crappy day. I cringed at my memory and knew what I must do. I stomped up to the door like I was Wonder Woman or something (I honestly don't know why I had to walk so purposely) and knocked. An older man answered in his Sunday leisure suit (so cute). I could tell he was hesitant to answer the door. Nobody wants to be bothered by salespeople or worse, I could be some escaped crazy-ass dude from the hospital a few blocks away. Anyways, I told him what was up with his car. He was so thankful and I felt really good while I was walking away. I felt like skipping. So I did. Lulu looked at me sideways and seemed to want to skip too but working that out with four legs is quite a challenge. Maybe I should teach her how.

In doing a good deed today, I was reminded that I should always opt for helping out someone even if it's inconvenient or seems odd. It's way better than not doing it. Now that guy's car battery won't die tomorrow when he starts it up and it won't ruin his morning. Besides, if we aren't looking out for each other in our own communities, how do we expect to change the world? Who else will look out for us?

Oh, Sundance!

This picture is from 5 years ago when I went to the Sundance Film Festival with some friends from college. I've been thinking about it so much lately because the festival is happening right now in the beautiful,snowy Park City, Utah and I wish I was there again with my chums but I decided this year I really need to save some money. Argh! Stupid money! I hope they have a blast and come back and tell me about all the sweet new films they got to see.

Luckily, the Sundance Institute has a great interactive website where you can watch a bunch of shorts and read the latest news from the fest!

monday monday

I just stumbled upon this artist...david shrigley...i like what he's done, take a look.

His name is Arlowe

This is my handsome new housemate! Well, my housemate's new dog I should say. She adopted him from a rescue in Long Beach. He's a year and a half old. He's a Brussels Griffon and if you actually read about this breed you will see they are often compared to Ewoks..which is hilarious because that is the first thing i said when I met him, that he looks like a little ewok face guy! He is! He's a real sweetie and gets along okay with Lulu, except for the fact that he doesn't like to run and play with her which annoys her greatly. Sorry, Lulu, you just get to run and play with me and the dogs at the park.

Gertrude & Stella

click on image to play movie. this is a little video i made for my rat friends. they are the cutest and sweetest old timey gals.

My Patriotic Fervor

In the summer of 2007 I visited the great city of Boston for the very first time. I should preface this story by telling you that it's only been in the past 7 years that I've become Very Interested in our political process and I'm somewhat of a nerd about it; listening to talk radio and reading books with subtitles like "And Other Great Documents of American History". I never thought this is what would happen but it's happening and I love it. I follow scandalous political moments like my grandma used to follow All My Children.

So picture me in Boston on the guided tour of the Freedom Trail. My lady guide, dressed as a colonial woman, walked us through the streets of bean town telling vivid stories of the American rebels, most of whom we were not told about in History class, like James Otis. I fell in love with these bad-ass patriots, fell in love with their ideas and the promise our youthful nation! I am one who believes with all my heart that the true patriots of this country today are the activists against our present administration. There are too many reasons why to list right now but just know that the list is the longest and most corrupt that our nation has ever faced. It's pretty disgusting, really.

I feel moved to pass on a tidbit I read today in one of my dorky books. This document I was reading was titled "Washington's Farewell Address". I found it so moving because he had first written it when he wanted to resign in 1792 but found that after his first term there was much demand that he be president again that he served the nation for another term as to not let the people down in a time when everything was new and unknown. In describing how important it will be in the future that parties put the will of the people above all he gives us a prophetic look into the future;

"However combinations of Associations of the above description may now & then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious and unprincipaled men will be enabled to subvert the Power of the People, & to usurp for themselves the reins of Government; destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion."

Okay, I'm a dork because that brought tears to my eyes. Also, for your information, his farewell address was never delivered as a speech. Twas only printed in the newspapers, and it's quite long so I'd imagine it was a few full pages in type. Amazing. The picture is a statue of the father of our democracy not just a beer-maker, Samuel Adams, in front of Faneuil Hall, Boston, Ma.

two-thousand-eight

this 2008 business feels hopeful.
i don't remember feeling this positive about a "year" before except for maybe turning 21. this year i'll turn thirty. freaky! this year is also bush's last as the fraudulent president of my good country. lots of things feel good about this One.

i decided the other day to get back into the raw food shenanigans i've been missing. it's only been a couple days and i'm buzzing with energy and optimism already. i also randomly decided today that i'm gonna try an experiment in this great oh-eight...i'm not going to buy new Stuff. by Stuff i mean clothes, books, dvds...random shit i spend money on. i totally love clothes but i really don't Need any and now i can force myself to think up new outfits with what i have or go to thrift stores if i have the desire;at least that's recycling. As for books and dvds, i will simply borrow from friends and libraries. I'd much rather spend my hard-earned money on delicious organic foods, necessities, and going out with friends.everything else seems frivolous at this point. that's my plan. it seems like a good one. you know? it's time to live simply.