Wild Weekend

This past weekend was probably the busiest we have had in awhile. Just go, go, go. All the while trying not to breathe because the air is so disgusting from the fire just over the hill.

On Thursday, I had the audacity to try Disneyland. It turned out to be the hottest day of the year. The park was empty, but man. It was really hot and uncomfortable. You'd go on something like Pirates or Small World to cool off, but no ride was long enough. My cheeks would still be radiating heat by the time it was over. I can't say I didn't have a good time, but I will really try not to go on a day like that again. At least not any time soon. Unless I'm just BEGGING for a migraine.

On Friday, we had a wrap party for the new show hubs has been working on. I met some of his new co-workers and we ate some delicious rice crispy treats. It was a pretty mellow night at a cool little place called the Snack Bar. We weren't out too late as we needed sleep to prepare for the next day.

Saturday was moving day for our friends. They just bought a great house in the valley and it was a pretty exciting day. At least 10 people showed up, ready and willing to move some stuff - which was good as we were able to load and unload the truck fairly quickly. The guys handled the big furniture and the girls helped move boxes and whatever else we could lift. During our lunch break, my husband was bet $25 that he wouldn't eat a large jalapeno pepper. He ate it, and regretted it later. Said he should have done it for no less than $50. He always knows how to add a little 'spice' to the day. (Get it?) Anyway, we are very happy for our friends and hope they love their new place. Can't wait to see it when its all set up and decorated!

Later that evening, we had a birthday party to go to. Actually, 2 birthday parties. One was for Mr. Gene Simmons - turning the big 6-0. It was in Hollywood at Lucky Strike Bowl and I'm going to guess there were over 200 people there. They had some good food and free drinks and we had a great time with my hubby's old co-workers. We talked to Gene and Shannon and were bummed that we missed Paul Stanley. But we still got a picture with him:

We left that birthday party around 11:45pm and headed back to Burbank to say Happy Birthday to another friend. This was much more low-key at a bar called Michael's, but just as fun. Our friends are hilarious. So we just sat around and talked and laughed for a little while until everyone was worn out and ready for sleeps.

Sunday, we had ONE LAST BIRTHDAY PARTY to attend. This was for a friend out in Fullerton and he's one that we don't see too often, so it was good to reconnect. The best part was that it was supposed to be a surprise but as soon as his girlfriend opened the door, before he even looked in the house, he said "I already know!" and we all just laughed. Oh well. We got home in the early evening and I started packing for my trip.

Off to Salt Lake City for some family, friends, and Dave Matthews Band.

Nothing Like a Sale to Bring Out My Artsy Side

I had to go to Michael's today and they just happened to have a sale going on - 50% off select canvases! So I bought a couple and painted one right away. The Chicago skyline in acrylic paints:

Inglorious Basterds

Dude, this movie was so cool. Freakin' cool, even. Quentin Tarantino's best movie since Reservoir Dogs. Brad Pitt's best movie in awhile. It was so funny and it was so bad-ass. I was thoroughly entertained. I honestly didn't really have high hopes because Tarantino movies are really hit or miss for me. I did have to close my eyes in a few of the gorey parts - which was a LOT less than I expected. But I loved all the characters (even the ones I hated) and all the drama/revenge. This is how WWII should have really gone down!

Brad Pitt is still sexy, even though he sounds like George Bush. That's saying something.

Mixed Emotions

The last couple of weeks have been hard and fun and just a mixture of emotions!

I'll be honest - I'm still having a tough time dealing with baby thoughts. Trying not to think about it and just letting things happen in their own time, but man. I just thought babies were the next step, and babies are still not coming, so I start wondering - if I'm not supposed to be a MOM right now, what the heck am I supposed to be doing?? Most of the time I do OK, some months are harder than others. This month we hit the 2-year mark for trying, and I guess we just... keep trying. There's not much else we can do. Doctor's say everything is normal and I'm still not sure I'm willing to spend a fortune on further testing and hormones and all that other stuff yet. I wanted it to happen as naturally as possible. Perhaps in the near future we will reevaluate. But I still just get that gut feeling...

So we wait. And try to take advantage of "Life Before Children".

We have had some fun this month too. There have been lots of birthday celebrations, which is always good. *CAKE!* The boys from Wisconsin came for a short visit, so it was fun to see them again. And we just returned from our annual camping trip to Kern River. Minus my stupid migraine, we had a great time. Most of the group arrived Friday, but with hubby's work schedule we didn't get there until Saturday. Just spent the day by the river, fishing and taking pictures. We had a beautiful spot this year! Nice and shady, close to the river and the water was calm enough to swim. I loved it. The guys made some awesome food on the campfire and we had fun just hanging out and gettin' dirty.

My summer Dave Matthews Band shows are right around the corner too, so I'm getting excited for those. I'm going to Salt Lake City (my 30th show!!!), Chula Vista and L.A. For the first time in many years, we are not going up to San Fran. I'll miss that annual little weekend trip.

So I guess summer is winding down. It's over as quickly as it began and in just a few month the holidays will be here. Yikes.

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard

Oh, this movie was just silliness. The story line was all over the place and I did not like the love interests, but I still laughed pretty good. It's just one of those flicks that you have to know what you're getting into and take it for what it is. Brilliant? No. Funniest movie ever? No. Pretty good? Yeah. I liked it. I think it had a lot of quotable one-liners and soon everyone will be speaking Don Ready.

The cameo with Will Ferrell and his singing angels was my favorite!!

Ar-teest

Yesterday I was in a pretty rotten mood. I've been going through a "what's next" phase, and with no clear answer, it hampers with my temperament some days. But that's an issue for a whole other blog...

So I started with my daily chores, ended up rearranging some things and then decided I wanted to paint. As my faithful readers know, I sometimes get this urge - I am not an artist, by any means, I just feel like doing it once in awhile. (Here & here) And since I had the canvas and the paint, I plopped myself and down and painted most of the afternoon. (Minus a trip to the hospital for poor Mom #2. Again, another blog...)

But here's what I painted:

Funny People

This was a great movie. The cast was awesome and the writing was really good - especially the jokes. And it wasn't just joke after joke - they were well placed and clever. My brother said it best when he said, "I couldn't tell if the guys in this movie were really great actors, or just playing themselves." Which is so true, because you could totally see this was a realistic depiction of what they do in real life. Some parts of the story went on a little too long and the reasoning of certain things was a little silly, but overall I thought they did a great job. This was probably Adam Sandler's best role by a mile. It was such a perfect mix for him to play the funny guy with a dark edge. I enjoyed it!

At 2 and 1/2 hours running time, make sure you don't drink too much soda in the previews! The length was probably the only thing I would've changed.

Blog Tags are Fun...

Egomaniac Tag:

Areesha Ree did this and I want to be just like her. :D

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What is your current obsession? Photography and getting my business off the ground. I can't soak up enough information. And if I'm not taking pictures, I'm editing them on a daily basis.

What do you hate the most that everybody else seems to love? Bananas.

What are you wearing today? Orange Target dress and blue Havaianas flip-flops.

What's for dinner? That's like 4 hrs away...

What would you eat for your last meal? A LOT of food. Just go all out, ya know? Pizza, fried chicken, cookies, ice cream. I'd stuff myself.

What's the last thing you bought? Two new bras and some orange sandals.

What are you listening to right now? ADELE Live in Soho

What do you think of the person that tagged you? Alicia is one of the coolest chicks in the whole world. We met at Raintree Apartments in Provo, UT while she was roommates with my friend Shelley. They welcomed me into their apartment as one of their own and we just clicked. Many, many adventures ensued. I will never forget our Valentine's Day drive by cookie-ing, and endless 64 ouncers of DP and Diet Coke. Eating ice cream straight out of the container while complaining that we were getting fat. Crimping our hair and dancing to BSB out on the balcony. I will always think fondly of her for just being so funny and understanding and accepting. There should be more people in the world like Alicia! (And I think its time we had a reunion.)

If you could have a house, fully paid for, and totally furnished anywhere in the world, where would it be? Paris, France

What is one of your hobbies? Does watching TV count? Wait, that is really sad...!

What is one way you don't want to die? Drowning.

What are 3 "guilty pleasures" you indulge in? Diet Coke, Sex & the City, Shopping (I should not be allowed in Target or Macy's unsupervised).

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your wardrobe? AE Jeans - they are just broken in so perfectly. Even though I have like 30 pair of pants, I seem to wear these almost every day.

What is your dream job? Professional Photographer. Like for real. Making lots of $$ doing it.

Describe your personal style. So very casual. I used to dress up for work every day (3 inch heels and all) and now...not so much. Jeans and flip-flops are making an appearance more often than not.

What are you going to do after this? Edit pics from Chicago

What is your favorite "happy hour" at Sonic? I don't know what that is! We don't have a Sonic. Don't feel bad though, I'd pick In 'N' Out any day.

What inspires you? Nature, movies and TV, walking through the city, other photographers

Who was the last person you kissed? Hubby.

What are you currently reading? When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris

What delighted you most today? Shopping for presents.

By what criteria do you judge a person? I try not to judge at all. But my friends are typically hilarious.

What is the stupidest movie ever made? Transporter 2 is so deliciously awful. Same with a movie called Black Sheep (not the Chris Farley movie). I never watched the whole thing, but the parts I did watch were A-mazing. Those Australians...

What was the last really great movie you saw? Away We Go

Where was the last place you went on vacation? The midwest.

I tag... anyone who reads this. Do it! (And leave me a comment, so I can read your answers too!)

The rules: Respond and rework; answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your invention, add one more question of your own.