12 for 2012

keeping with tradition, here is my list of 12 things to do in 2012:

1. ride in a sidecar
2. take a cooking lesson
3. do a science experiment
4. grow a plant from a seed
5. go hiking
6. learn to make 12 new dishes
7. go dancing
8. have a bon fire
9. climb a tree
10. enter a contest
11. go some place i've never been
12. go to a fancy dinner by myself

yay it's done! uhmm, if you know of anyone with a side car, let me know!

2011 in Review

ok i'm going to try to do this from memory so we will just hit the ultimate high lights, i guess.

january
new year's day i was in hawaii with the family for a week. that was pretty much amazing. i moved in with april. i had auditions for comedy sportz. and on my birthday i saw a child fall from the second floor of the macy's. it was traumatic.

february
found out i got into comedy sportz. i don't recall anything else exciting happening.

march
sometime about here i went to hershey! they do this really funny tour / ride with singing cows and then a gift shop with all the candy you could imagine. i got a lot of chocolate and was happy.

april
florida road trip! of doom. we got to north carolina and the radiator in my car cracked. after lots of stress and money the car was running again and we made it to orlando for a couple days of fun times. in april comedy sportz opened. after this point most of my weekends involved me being at the theater.

may
after nearly six years of employment with dave & buster's, i started a new job at the aloft hotel. it was a lot of learning during may. so much information. also, the engine on the forenza died and i said good bye to my friend-za. and i bought the honda fit. oh, how i love thee, honda fit.

june
this month was a lot of working and a lot of comedy sportzing. oye.

july
tournament!! that's right july was comedy sportz tournament! once a year comedy sportz players from around the global join together for a week of classes and shows and shenanigans. it was pretty much amazing. this year was in indy.

august
we had a hurricane! and an earthquake! all while i was house sitting. it was exciting. and by exciting i mean it just made life difficult and made me thankful for electricity. i got an iphone!

september
asia fysh came to visit! this also led to me meeting biff from back to the future. so, yeah my life is amazing. we went to a baseball game in dc. we went to a party. pretty much it was awesome. any time asia fysh comes around things are amazing. hobo baby was born! yay!

october
oh october. october happened. at the beginning of the month i went on a business trip to stamford, ct. this involved me flying to new york and then hiring a cab to ct. sadly, my wallet was stolen at the airport in richmond but i didn't realize it until i was in new york. with no money. and no id. it was absurd but i got through it. a week later i went to ca to visit. while i was there my uncle had a stroke and passed away within the next week. i wound up being in ca for a little over two weeks.

november
this was a month of decisions. i decided it was time to move to ca and i started making preparations for that. spent time with diane's family... thanksgiving and also the zombie walk! went black friday shopping and got pajamas from old navy!

december
spent a lot of time packing and getting rid of belongings to get ready for the move. comedy sportz had the first annual improv festivus. it was fabulous. went to florida for christmas and had an absolute blast. my last day at work will be 12/30 and then it's off to ca!

merry merry!

merry merry from the hog's head! i had a fabulous time in florida for christmas! i spent a lot of time in the car. saw the mermaids (which were amazing), spent time with harry potter and hung out in my hotel room. also i learned for stinking awesome red box is. way to go red box! moral of the story... florida trip for the win.

Movin' on Up

as i'm sure you all know i will be soon be moving to ca. i would like to now give you my travel schedule if you would like to try to catch a glimpse of me as i pass through your town. actually, to impress you further with my current traveling situation i will tell you all my upcoming travels.

12/23 - jacksonville, fl
12/24-25 - orlando fl
12/26 - weeki wachee, fl and then back to richmond
1/1-9 - hawaii
1/9-11 - new york city
1/13 - richmond to nashville (it took my 3 tries to not type nachoville)
1/14 - dallas
1/15 - roswell
1/16-17 - phoenix
1/18 - grand canyon
1/19-21 (or 22) salt lake city (weather permitting)
1/22 (or 23 or maybe 18 if weather is crazy) california

hopefully i will see you on my cross country tour. srsly. send me a message and we will do lunch.

some videos

watch these videos. you will be glad you did. the last two are about me. ha.

#200

happy 200th post to me! to keep with tradition, 200 things i love, in no particular order:

1. daffodils
2. family time
3. chocolate
4. friends
5. harry potter
6. hiking
7. good hair days
8. playing battleship
9. dancing
10. mittens
11. hugs
12. unexpected conversations
13. when someone says to me "i knew you were going to say that"
14. cotton candy
15. state fairs
16. disneyland
17. toddlers
18. comedy sportz
19. singing loudly
20. ghost adventures
21. the beach
22. vacationing
23. new friends
24. the beginning of a relationship
25. hot chocolate
26. working hard
27. running
28. people who have an easy laugh
29. traveling
30. swap meets
31. comfortable shoes
32. receiving mail
33. road trips
34. finding cash
35. failing and moving on
36. the hunger games
37. outer space
38. time travel
39. dinosaurs
40. banana pudding
41. indian food
42. eyebrows
43. men with beards
44. home made rice krispy treats
45. cheese
46. jay walking
47. when someone thinks i'm funny
48. cooking things over open flames
49. camping
50. snow (in small quantities)
51. puppies
52. scrabble
53. sleeping in late
54. museums
55. tree houses
56. puns
57. pictures from a long time ago
58. red lipstick
59. lobster
60. bouquets of flowers
61. farmers markets
62. painting
63. play doh
64. wax bottle candy
65. jump rope
66. the james river
67. when trees make a canopy over the road
68. ice cream
69. jeans that make me feel awesome
70. new socks
71. rolling the windows down in the car
72. ocean air
73. reading on the beach
74. koalas
75. real good high fives
76. toasting
77. when people tell me i should write a book about my life
78. people who can juggle
79. really good, dumb jokes
80. butterbeer
81. watching people do cartwheels
82. the circus
83. hockey
84. breakfast food
85. kissing
86. playing on a playground with no kids around
87. trampolines
88. jazz
89. a prairie home companion
90. when someone finds something totally random and says i'm the only person who would appreciate it
91. magic tricks
92. riding a bike
93. when someone tells me i'm smart
94. finishing a book
95. when someone i adore adds me as a friend on facebook
96. playing tag
97. the 4th of july
98. public transportation
99. long walks
100. winning a contest
101. coloring
102. tuna
103. palm trees
104. new york
105. seeing famous people
106. bbq
107. playing made up games
108. going out of town on a whim
109. mermaids
110. tapioca
111. the pacific northwest
112. improvising
113. blanket forts
114. going to historical sites
115. touring factories
116. ginger cakes
117. williamsburg
118. presents that are gift wrapped
119. when people stop by my work to say hi
120. grilled cheese
121. avocado
122. scented markers
123. winking
124. small dogs
125. pushing a stroller
126. yoga
127. laughing
128. vanilla
129. laughing until i cry
130. when people email me a funny video
131. when someone i think is cool acts more awkward than me
132. not being able to stop talking when i'm uncomfortable
133. tap dancing
134. picnics
135. waterfalls
136. rainbows
137. harry potter world
138. pretending
139. pedicures
140. manicures
141. boba
142. Holi
143. kheer
144. creme brulee
145. freshly washed linens
146. new pillows
147. thinking about someone and then seeing them
148. saying the same thing at the same time as someone else
149. mcgriddles
150. new car scent
151. swing dancing
152. blue skies with fluffy white clouds
153. remembering my dreams
154. broadway muscials
155. mary poppins
156. moving
157. staying up late
158. eggnog
159. people who do good jimmy stewart impersonations
160. remembering the capital of a state
161. hats
162. crazy straws
163. funny voices
164. coke zero
165. model trains
166. people who have hobbies
167. pizza
168. baseball
169. yoyos
170. new year's eve
171. stand up comedians who are funny without being nasty
172. learning something unexpected about someone
173. my snowglobe collection
174. stickers
175. high heels
176. swim suits
177. staying in a hotel
178. becoming friends with someone i originally didn't like
179. costco sample time
180. when the time is 1:23
181. when people think they recognize me from some where
182. making people laugh
183. soft hair
184. change
185. people who smell wonderful
186. my hand writing
187. milkshakes
188. family run restaurants
189. orange juice
190. small children who are funny
191. small children dressed like adults
192. cash cab
193. cracking my knuckles
194. being not the tallest person
195. people with accents
196. weddings
197. going to the movies alone
198. going to the movies with a boy
199. fairies
200. stupid contests

that was surprisingly much easier than i expected!

california knows how to party

you may have or may not have heard by now, i'm moving back to california. and with a swiftness. i'll be back by the end of january. i'm moving back to pursue a career in acting.

joking.

it's a long story but the version you get is... it's time.

i'm excited for the move for many reasons (i love change, i miss my family, jack in the box) but as i get ready to move there are lots of unexpected reasons to be excited for the move... like my mom has a sewing machine so i can repair all my favorite clothes that i have broken over the last 5 years.

when i get back to california, i'm going to have some extra time (i don't have a job lined up yet, comedy sportz or a group of childless friends who will keep me busy) so I want to get back into some hobbies that i have let fall to the side. new places are a great time to get into new routines. so the old hobbies that i'm going to get back into:
running
painting
tap dancing
going to museums
listening to jazz
reading

i also had a dream that i was cast in a community theater production of neil simon's fools. so maybe i will look into making that happen. i would love trying some non-improv theater again. those hobbies kind of make me sound like i'm 70 years old and boring. but i'm not. for real.

i am going to miss virginia. i live in an incredible city. if someone was to ask me if they should move here i would not hesitate to endorse this area. it's awesome, y'all! but i am who i am and i was born with gypsy blood and it's time for a new town. or an old town that's new again.

the end.

things that actually help

i saw this on the internet. and it really ticked me off. i really hope she is doing more with her inheritance than just holding a sign saying she should be taxed. for example, she could set up an after school program that offers free or low cost tutoring to kids. or she could run a technology center that teaches computer skills to older workers. or she could offer workshops in her community teaching interview skills and resume writing.

if i had been given a ton of money i would put together a work for food program for the homeless in richmond. like this.

we need to start by strengthening our communities. make a difference in your sphere of influence. or if you really feel like you should be taxed more... the government takes cash, check and all major credit cards.

who knows, maybe she does things besides hold up signs. i sure hope she does.

all in a day

my small amounts of knowledge about everything comes in handy. also the fact that i know a million people. and i'm charming and people generally like me. and my ability to roll with the punches and not get upset. all these things are helpful. when you get robbed.

yes. robbed.

so i'm in ct. but i started today in va. when i got on the little plane they took my carry on bags in a service they called "valet" or as i call it "when they steal your wallet."

anyway, i got to ny and was getting ready to hire a cab to take me to the train station when i realized my wallet was gone. with my id, debit card, checkbook and social security card. which left me stuck in white plains with no way of getting to stamford, ct.

the lady at the us airways counter kindly informed me that i should have known better and that it was my fault as i filed a report for my "lost" wallet. i then filed a police report. i called the bank and found out the the person had tried to use the card twice, unsuccessfully.

the hotel sent a car for me. so after three hours of sitting in the airport a nice, roomy, black, lincoln town car arrived. it costs $72 to ride in that car from the airport to the hotel. luckily i don't have any money so i didn't have to pay for it. the man who drives the car wanted to take me to dinner and it took a long time to talk my way out of that. i didn't feel like getting kidnapped in addition to being robbed.

i got room service when i finally got to my room and it was fabulous. especially since the only thing i had eaten was a slice of banana bread early this morning and it was after 8 by the time i got to my room.

anywho, i will be missing the first part of training tomorrow as i attempt to sort out the remainder of the havoc caused by the wallet being gone.

i didn't even cry, by the way. i'm like the world's best person for stressful situations. my plan for flying back is to not let them take my bags by yelling loudly "US AIRWAYS EMPLOYEES ARE THIEVES!!! DON'T TOUCH ME! SEXUAL HARASSMENT!!!" until they just let me take my bags with me. in my daydream this ends with me being tackled by the police officer who filed my police report today.

the end.

cream cheese

disclaimer: this post says "asshole" a lot. so don't let any five year olds read it. do five year olds know how to read? meh.

i think maybe i just hate people lately. b/c everyone annoys me. here is a list of things i find annoying about people:

1. people who are assholes.
2. when girls tell me the junk food they ate and how much of a bad person it makes them.
3. when people think they deserve things they haven't earned.
4. people who think being a medium sized fish in a small pond makes them awesome when really it just makes them an asshole.
and finally
5. people who talk crap about other people

so pretty much what i'm saying is lady friends, i don't want to hear about your diets anymore, i need a break. and improvisers, stop being assholes, i also need a break from that.

the good news: teen wolf is on and i just heard this bit of wisdom:

Coach Finstock: There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese.

now that's a lot of colons.

new girl

so i watched this and i decided i would answer the questions too... b/c i'm just as adorable as her! it's too bad i don't have a video maker thing.

#10 do i have an hidden talent? i'm really good at navigating public transportation.

#9 favorite food? pizza, duh!

#8 least favorite food? mashed potatoes.

#7 biggest fear? facial disfigurement.

#6 my hero growing up? barbie.

#5 favorite thing to do for fun? sit in the grass and eat ice cream.

#4 favorite tv show? ghost adventures.

#3 if i wasn't an actor... well, i'm not. but my dream job is to be a skipper on the jungle cruise at disneyland. or a princess. i do a really good princess voice. and then i would be on saturday night live.

#2 place i'm dying to visit? ok, philly, locally. and then london. and ireland. and india.

#1 what one thing can i not live without? chapstick.

wooopwooooooop

if you didn't know by now... i'm special. friday night we performed in the downtown raleigh improv festival. it was a lot of fun and we did a good show. about half an hour before we were going to start the show we were all sitting in the back eating dinner. i had a bottle of coke that i was drinking. i go to open it and it sprayed everywhere. i have never seen a soda spray like that. it was like someone dropped a mentos in. i was covered in coke from my shoulders to my knees. dave swears he saw me almost drop it and then catch it right before i opened it. i really don't remember that happening. but that's life... some days you're covered in coke. all in a day.

in other news improv makes strangers love me. the man who owns the pho shop saw a show and now i can never go to the pho shop ever again. i've realized i can never be an actual famous person... b/c i don't enjoy having strangers come up and talk to me when i'm out.

i'm macerating some strawberries right now.

next week i will be in ct for training. i'm hoping everything goes ok. i'm also hoping i will get to go into nyc for dinner one night. a few days after i get back from ct, i'm going to ca. i'm really excited to visit. and to go to mickey's halloween party. mickey mouse. mickey mouse is my friend. the end.

lists

things i don't like:
*when people say someone is a character
*when a lady says she is sick and someone says 'maybe you're pregnant'
*mashed potatoes


things i like:
*disneyland
*old goofy movies
*gingerbread


things i'm neutral about:
*flipflops
*apple juice
*going to movie theaters

did you hear that?!? shhshhhshhh!

i'm willing to admit it. i'm addicted to ghost hunter shows. it started with ghost adventures. i started watching it b/c the guys were hilarious and goofy and i'm into that. they *never* actually find anything that is even some what impressive. if anything the show just proves that people don't actually see ghosts.

and then i saw ghost hunters.

have you guys seen this show? they get ghosts to turn flash lights on and off. and they record it. usually on these shows they're like 'man i wish we had the cameras rolling...' but on ghost hunters they will be like 'hey ghost, turn on this torch' and BAM light on.

is no one else concerned? and obsessed?

at any rate i'm totally dead to the world whenever one of these shows comes on. and luckily it's fall, the scariest season of all, so these shows are on a lot. the wife of one of my co-worker's goes on ghost hunts in real life. my co-worker has gone a couple times and said it's really boring. i'm glad it's boring and hopefully that will stop me from ever actually going on one.

besides i'm totally afraid of everything. especially the dark. speaking of which, i saw dont be afraid of the dark last night. that movie was so scary that a couple times i thought was going to throw up. did you catch that? i was so scared i almost puked. i had to keep telling myself 'it's just a movie, keep breathing.' and that's really why i should never try to go on a ghost hunt expedition adventure of doom.

i get my eyebrows threaded. if you currently get your brow's waxed i suggest trying threading. my eyebrows look so much better when they're threaded.

i bought my plane tickets today. i will be in california for 10 days and i'm super excited. it's going to be amazing.

also hobo baby was born a couple days ago. she looks adorable and chubby. i'm excited to meet her!

she bangs, she bangs

so i woke up this morning with the clap o'meter song stuck in my head. i think i've only heard it once and the words are just "here comes the clap o'meter" over and over. and because of this i think i can plead insanity for what happened this morning.

you know how sometimes you think to yourself 'this is a bad idea... but i'm going to do it anyway' and then you realize you are holding a fist full of your hair that is no longer attached to your head in one hand and scissors in the other hand?

yes, me too.

so i cut my bangs this morning. it was a bad decision. i mostly was hoping that it would just turn out ok by some sort of miracle. i did it in one big slice. i've never in my life cut hair before. unless you count that time when i was 6 and i was mad at my sister and i cut a chunk out of the middle of her bangs. i don't count that. she probably does, though. at any rate my entire head is pretty much a disaster now. i'm thinking i should buy a box of brown hair dye tonight... and then maybe no one will notice the crazy cut. *if anyone reads this soon, please stop me on the hair dye idea*

i'm coming to california in about a month. hopefully all my hair grows back by then. speaking of california, should i rent a car while i'm there? do people in california still use cars? it's been so long!

the good news is that it is likely that cutting my own bangs is probably the dumbest decision i'm going to make today. probably. *if you would like to help me make more dumb decisions today, i'm game.*

roads? where we're going, we don't need roads!

so i met biff from back to the future aka tom wilson. biff of the 80s and i totally would have made an adorable couple, as you can tell from this picture. and he was hilarious. here is a clip of one of the songs he does. you will enjoy it.



i'm going to be making a trip out to ca soon-ish. i'm coming out for a week in october and i'm *super* excited. hobo baby should be arriving any day now so i will get to see her and hopefully everyone else, as well.

ok that is all.

he's a fighter!

so no updates have happened in a while. i know, i'm sorry. i've been... busy. there's the new job that is not really new anymore, the earthquake, the hurricane, the improv, the relationship that came and went, shaking hands with biff from back to the future, dance mom marathons, visits from asia and so on and so forth. there are babies to be had and parades to plan and festivals to attend and tap lessons to take. and also the general feeling that everything and nothing are happening at the same time.

anyway, that's my reasoning... take it or leave it.

i left my apartment this morning and the weather was making it quite clear that summer ended yesterday. today has been gray. it's raining and just cold enough to make me realize i should have worn a jacket or a sweater or some sort of leg covering. the entire thing is odd to me b/c i think it was sunny yesterday. though, honestly, i can't remember.

i don't know what the world has against my hair. you see, for the last few years I can't get a normal haircut. i've tried all sorts of places with varying price points and skill levels and with and without referrals and i can't manage to find a person who can just cut my hair in any sort of normal fashion. the problem i always have is that they never seem to make the two sides of my head match. one side will be perfectly fine and the other side is just a totally different haircut.

this last lady gave me side swept bangs (like i wanted) on one side and bangs cut blunt at my eyebrow on the other side. she gave me long layers (like i wanted) on one side and then just kind of cut random chunks from where ever on the other side. so i have weird bangs with nice layers on the left and nice side swept bangs with weed whacker layers on the right. my solution has been to just wear my hair curly all the time and pretend like it didn't happen.

in all reality, i'm very aware that my hair troubles aren't nearly as bad as they could be as far as hair trouble or any other sort of trouble is concerned.

halloween. i'm really looking forward to it this year. because i love to dress up. i'm going to be a zombie again this year. but not just any zombie. and not a cowboy zombie... again (though i did enjoy wearing that moustache). i'm going to be marilyn monroe zombie. i'm really excited about the makeup. i love zombie makeup. and i love saying 'braaaAAAAAIIIiiinnns!'

hey, have i mentioned lately that i love trader joe's? b/c i do!

TWO WEEKS UNTIL THE FIRST CAPITALS PRESEASON GAME. so, ya know, no big deal or anything.

*note: i know there are a lot of random-y things that have been mentioned briefly. please just email me if you want further clarification on anything. you know how i do.*

call it macaroni

i'm spending the afternoon hydrating in an attempt to avoid a recreation of last night. i haven't been drinking enough water so i spent the second half of last night's show trying not to, uhhm, toss my cookies. not fun.

hey so this new feather in the hair thing, that's awesome. i think i will probably wait like 5 years until it's not cool anymore and then i will get one.

oooh dance moms marathon starting now. i guess that's the end of this update.

whales and dolphins live in the ocean

ok, i wanted to write down this dream i had before i forgot it. you know how sometimes you have a dream that is so vivid that when you wake up you're confused about where you are? that's what happened to me.

so in my dream i was at the beach. i was on this sandy part and on either side was the ocean. there was a bridge / boardwalk type thing built across the sand. it was 10 pm and it was still light out and i thought that was odd but then someone told me it was because we were so far north. except we were in florida but that didn't matter to me, i accepted the fact that in northern florida it stays light later. i called my sister b/c i wanted to show her that it was still light out on my phone but she was like uhmm you called my house line i can't see where you are. so i hung up.

anyway i look to the ocean on my right and i see this uhmm herd of dolphins jumping out of the water and i'm like hey everybody look at this, except at the same time on the other side of the water there are killer whales doing the samething. so i'm like hey lets all stand on this bridge. and the dolphins and whales each start doing tricks like they would at seaworld.

and i was like oh my gosh they're having a dance off just like in west side story! it's like they're the jets and the sharks except they are dolphins and whales.

and then they start coming up on shore. like you know how at seaworld they come up and lay on the side? except we were at the beach so that's dangerous. and when they they came out of the water they weren't dolphins and killer whales... they were HUMPBACK WHALES. which are surprisingly smaller than i would have expected. because humpback whales are HUGE or so i've heard but in my dream they were between the size of a killer whale and a dolphin.

so anyway, people were running up to the side of the bridge to pet them and i was like STOP you will kill them because if they smell like you their moms won't take them back. and hey they might eat you or smash you with their giant tales, which are getting larger by the moment.

and then i left and i was talking to someone about how crazy it was that animals were doing those tricks in the wild and the person was like yeah well they just use their natural behaviors to train them at seaworld. and i was like oh yeah their natural behavior is to jump out of the water and spin? get out of my face!

and then i woke up and i was confused as to why i wasn't at the beach.

the end.

boots and pants

mb is moving to dc so the ladies (mb, jenny and i) went to galaxy diner. that's my dinner from tonight. an omelette with hashbrowns and a biscuit and a chocolate malt. it was the absolute best way to wrap up the evening after comedy sportz practice. hanging with the ladies, eating delicious rva classics and beatboxing.

that's right, beatboxing. while i was at tournament i decided that it was my new goal to learn to beatbox. i've been asking around for help and it turns out that mb is a really good beatboxer. i was super impressed.

i've been practicing for a couple hours and right now i can mostly just spit on everything and get light headed and start dry heaving. i'm not sure people can rap to that, but hey it's a start.

it's hard to be a lady beatboxer. i don't know what it is, but it seems like us ladies aren't really taught how to make weird noises as children. and we really aren't taught how to make weird noises loudly. but i don't care. i don't care about any of it. i'm going to be the best lady beatboxer there ever was or ever will be. when i die my tombstone will say 'here lies elaina, lady beatboxer extraordinaire, boooobooooo keeer cheeer boooboooo keeer cheeeer.'

boys, auditions and a pep talk!

do the dude is back. i'm pretty sure the dude is just around in my life to make sure i maintain a consistent level of neurotic behavior. it's quite charming, i'm sure. anyway, the dude popped back up last week as i was driving to my audition.

the interaction didn't go as he planned, i'm sure b/c i was taken by surprise by his arrival and claims of best friend-dom.

anyway today i asked him f he wanted to get together some time this week and he said yes. i said when are you free? and... no response. and he wonders why i act crazy when he is around.

in other news the audition went really well. we were all in tears with the laughing and they are definitely interested in me performing in their october show. i will start working with a producer soon to put my piece together. i'm super excited.

a girl like me shouldn't let herself be driven crazy. especially not now that your jaw line stress acne is starting to clear up! pull it together woman!

donuts make me go nuts

so a week or so ago i told jimothy i would take him to my favorite donut store. you see, the donuts in virginia aren't like the donuts in california. in california you have cute little mom & pop donut shops on every corner. here, you have krispy kreme and dunkin donuts. the end. it's awful. the donut situation is a real let down, except for...

country style donuts.

this place is amazing. so after months and months of us talking about it, i finally scheduled a time in my blackberry to get donuts with him. it literally said in my blackberry 'donuts with jimothy.' i'm really hoping my boss didn't happen to look at my calendar for the that evening. anyway we make the half hour drive out to the donut store and...

it's closed.

why?

because it's closed every monday. did i know that? YES. this was the third or fourth time that i had driven the half hour to this donut store to arrive and realize BAH it's monday and they are closed.

we were both really sad and decided to stop at dunkin donuts on the way home in hopes that it would be just as good.

we get out donuts, head to his house and settle in and start watching mystery science theater 3000. i grab a donut (i think it was maple) and take a bite. and then i started crying.

i was actually crying tears of sadness. the donut tasted like what i can only describe as despair. the donut was despair flavored, people... you would have cried too.

anyway, today i was working at a hotel by the airport that is about 3 miles from the donut shop... i double checked my brain to ask whether or not today was monday and it turns out... today isn't! i got inside the donut shop and got roped into a half hour long conversation about the economy and how terrible children are and social security with two old guys. eventually i was able to get the donuts and get out.

i'm meeting jimothy for dinner. i'm planning to bring the donuts. i'm going to tell the waiter it's jimothy's birthday and those are his birthday dessert. b/c i'm a liar and i want to be able to eat the donuts some place that isn't a parking lot.

and hopefully tonight i will be crying tears of joy.

we wear nice shoes

this past week was comedy sportz tournament.
it was a fun experience. a lot of learning and playing and just generally running amuck.

i learned a lot about myself and about improv. i also have come to terms with the fact every picture ever taken of me performing will have me making a funny face. because i stand around making funny faces.
and i'm ok with that.
clearly.

silly willy nilly old bear

ooooook. i saw winnie the pooh this morning. super cute. buuuuuuuut more importantly, i saw the preview for the muppets movie.

CAN

NOT

WAIT

look up the trailer on youtube when you have a chance. it makes me so happy whenever i see it! i just want to bounce up and down.

the little movie before winnie the pooh was super cute. it was about the lochness monster and how it's ok to cry b/c sometimes you figure things out when you cry. such a cute little cartoon.

woo girl

the other day my boss went to refer to me as "the new girl" but by mistake said "the crazy girl" instead. that cracked me up. she was like oh wow, i'm really sorry. whatevs. they really like me there, so that's good. on friday my boss decided that we're going to go on a roadtrip to florida some time soon. so she may think i'm crazy but she must also think i'm awesome. i can accept that.

i pick up random manerisms all the time. the latest is shrugging to my own thoughts. i'm trying to get me to stop doing it. but that seems to only make it worse. i'm wondering where i picked that up. hmph.

man, i'm super obsessed with the show ghost adventures right now. i love it b/c a few nights a week they play it for like 4 hours in the middle of the night. so it's awesome b/c i get to see it regularly. but even better than that is zak bagans. ok so zak is a good looking fellow. not exactly my type (he's lacking in the facial hair department) but he's still a handsome fellow. but the best thing is his reactions. he's always like look at the hair on my arms! or feeling energy going through himself. i don't know... it's just hilarious. if you haven't seen that show, please check it out.

i hate the commercial for the perfect meatloaf pan. gross. why do we need meat in a loaf? why do we have to cover it in ketchup? why can ketchup also be spelled catsup? i just don't get it.

i was watching an interview with anthony bourdain (LOVE him, beeteedub) and he was talking about how americans eat too much crap ground meat. i agree but i also love cheeseburgers. that's life.

anywho, tomorrow is my audition / screening for the mortified project. I feel kind of like this isn't the greatest decision but this is the second time i've signed up so i need to just do it. the mortified project does dramatic readings of things you created when you were under the age of 21. i have my journals from my high school theater class that i'm going to do readings from. i don't know why i get myself into these things.

comedy sportz is going well. hey did you know that pterodactyl is spelled like that? b/c i didn't. that the silent p? tuesday we go to tournament. looking forward to it.

i'm pretty upset that rebecca black took friday off youtube. it mostly makes me angry b/c that song has been stuck in my head for about a week and i can't listen to her sing it. what a let down.

hmmm.

whenever i try to do a southern accent i sound like foghorn leghorn. it's so weird. if anyone wants to help me with that ::imagine a southern accent aka foghorn leghorn speaking:: i would be much obliged.


so i just decided that my favorite episode of the twilight zone is kick the can. some of my favorite quotes:


Maybe the Fountain of Youth isn't a fountain at all. Maybe it's a way of looking at things. A way of thinking.


There is magic in the world, I know there is. When I fell in love with Mary, kissed her for the first time, that was magic. When my boy was born, that was magic. Friendship is a magic thing. Maybe I'm right, Ben. Maybe Kick the Can is the greatest magic of all.


Ben, you're afraid. You're afraid of a new idea. You're afraid to look silly. You're afraid to make a mistake. You decided that you were an old man and that has made you old.


Charles: You believed in magic then...
Ben: Me? Magic?
Charles: Yes you did. When we walked on different sides of a street lamp you'd say "bread and butter" and when your baby teeth came out, you'd put them under the pillow for the tooth fairy. Yeah, you believed in magic. What happened, Ben?

too much!

i'll be the first to tell you i'm not a very patient person. i'm not particularly fond of animals or children or people who annoy me. not that anyone enjoys people who annoy them... but i have a very low threshold for tolerance.

the thing that drives me nuts lately has to do with the fit, my new car. i've never owned a hatchback before. i never realized how close people pull up behind me. especially dudes in trucks. anyway, before i had the trunk space to prevent people from pulling their car into the back seat of my car. now i have nothing.

if i look in my rearview mirror and the only thing i can see is the grill of your car... YOU ARE WAY TOO CLOSE.

i was super tempted to get out of my car and punch the guy behind me today. 'hey bud, don't you know this is a new car? get your ugly truck away from it before i rip your headlights out!'

definite shortage of patience lately.

last night i went to get some breakfast in the middle of the night. because that's how i do. i was driving jimothy home when some random car decided to run a light and pull out right in front of me. i slammed on the breaks and didn't run them over. a normal person would shout out some expletive but as we all know, that's not my style. instead i say to jimothy 'it's a good thing i just had eggs!' i'm still not totally sure what that means. i'm sure there was some chain reaction in my mind that made that pop out of my mouth but i can't remember what it was.

i'm watching the twilight zone. man, i love this show. it's even better than ghost adventures (which is like my all time favorite show to watch in the middle of the night). i really wish someone would just go about making the exact episodes of the twilight zone again exactly like they are but let me be in it. that seems like a good plan.

anyway, it's the fourth of july. and i was born in this country. just like springsteen. so, happy 4th of july!

why would anyone ever need TWO slice-o-matics? i can see needing one, but two? do you need to double fist slicing vegetables? how many sliced onions do you need? are you having some sort of crazy bbq where everyone demands mounds and mounds of sliced vegetables? because maybe you should get some less pushy friends.

so i'm watching this twilight zone marathon, right? and they keep coming up with crazy euphamisms and ways to get around saying drunk. it's pretty funny.

this episode is about a couple who was driving home from a party and when they woke up they were in a city that was like a movie set. the lady thought that maybe they had died and had gone to hell. just then they hear a train and the man says "did you ever hear of a railroad in hell?" that cracked me up... because why wouldn't they have a train in hell? the lady looks a lot like amy poehler.

WAIT

did amy poehler steal my idea about remaking the twilight zone?!?

"and the moral of the story is: if you drink don't drive. and if your wife has had a couple don't let her drive either." thanks twilight zone!

itchy

fun weekend trip to north carolina. i went down on friday night for anne's birthday. so much fun. we played croquet and human chess and we ate delicious alice in wonderland themed foods. at the party a bunch of mosquitoes showed up. and now i have over 30 bites.

saturday we mostly lounged around the house and then we got lunch at carrburrito. best lunch ever. the shredded beef was amazing. i really want to go back there. right. now.

after that i took anne to the airport and then i went to a hotel in raleigh where i had a hotel party. it was a good time with pizza and such.

this morning i went to the north carolina state farmers market. it was really busy and i didn't tay super long b/c i was starving. then i went to the museum of art. some high lights were the giant mosiac of the mona lisa made out of spools of thread, seeing a few new rodin pieces (favorites: the kiss and danaid) and my incredible ability to recognize paintings of california landscapes from across a room. then i had brunch at the museum... crab cake benedict. so good.

after that i decided to drive home. about half way i stopped to get some gasoline. i went inside to get some snacks and when i came back outside there was a dog there. who managed to get himself into my car. and then refused to get out. after a few minutes of me telling the dog that he couldn't com with me and asking him to please exit the vehicle the gas station owner came out and got his dog.

anyway, now i'm back. YAY!

beeeee beeee boop

we have this company out here in virginia called relayfoods.com. they did a groupon and through some awesome planning i got $50 worth of groceries for $10. basically how this company works is you order your food online, they provide items from local farms and bakers and such and then you meet a truck in a parking lot and they give you the goods. i just made pork chops, sauerkraut and sausage from the food i got today. it turned out delicious. i'm totally letting the food take the credit for dinner being delicious b/c i've never made pork chops before and it's after midnight... so it totally wasn't me.

i've been watching 500 days of summer obsessively. if you haven't seen it, do that right now. i saw this movie for the first time a few months back and it convinced me to get bangs cut into my hair. i would usually watch it every couple weeks. but right now i'm watching it at least once a day. it's a good get you over heart break movie. once i stop feeling like i need to watch this every day then i will know i'm better.

yesterday i pulled out my old high school drama notebooks and read an entire year's worth of journaling. i started b/c i was feeling very sad but after a few pages i realized that it was hilarious. and then i pulled up getmortified.com and submitted for an audition with the dc chapter. so that i can read these journals on stage for other people's enjoyment. i was telling someone about this tonight and they were like why would you want to do that?! but really it was 10 years ago. i don't think it matters. it's just funny at this point.

the new job is going well. i've started settling in. actually i moved my stuff into my office today. i also got some chalkboard paint and turned one of my walls into a chalkboard. really at this point it just looks like i painted the wall black. one of my coworkers walked by and i was like uhhm what made you pick black? i'm sure they all think i'm out of my mind but what's new, eh?

my favorite mental image right now is the idea of a person drinking wine out of the bottle through a crazy straw.

i think i'm going to get my hair colored brown.

new cup, new cup!

real fast:

i got a new car. it's a honda fit. it' dark blue. i love it.

i got a new job. i'm the sales manager at the aloft. it's working out ok and i haven't missed dave & buster's one single moment.

the same guy is around and it just gets more and more complicated. why is being a grown up like this?

i'm excited for memorial day weekend. we're doing a beach trip and i'm going to think about nothing the entire weekend! woo!

just another manic... tuesday

ok i'm going to be self esteem-y here for a moment. it's my blog so i can do whatever i want. feel free to go away now if you aren't on board.

last saturday was my first comedy sportz show. i feel like it went alright. not as great as i would have hoped but i didn't vomit on anyone or run off stage crying. i even got out two 185 jokes (so what if they were both on the suggestions of shoes... it's something). this idea that it didn't go fabulously was only further solidified in my mind by the fact that a couple people asked me the absolute thing worst thing you could hear after a show:

"did you have fun?"

this is theater code for 'i have nothing good to say about what just assaulted my eyes for two hours but i don't want to squash this poor fool's dreams.' the only thing worse is when someone tells you that you looked pretty in your costume.

at any rate, i checked the show schedule today to see if i would be working show support (box office) this weekend... and i'm playing friday and saturday night.

so either it didn't go as badly as i thought it did or the artistic director thinks i enjoy acting a fool. either way, i'm way more nervous about this weekend's show than i was last weekend. i already am in the 'i think i'm going to vomit, sweating profusely, can't make sentences' stage of my anxiety. i'm so excited that i get to be like this until the weekend. yay!

in other news i'm in the process of purchasing a new vehicle. the forenza's engine died. she is gone now. when the man took her away on the tow truck i thought i might cry or be sad. but i wasn't. it kind of made me feel like maybe i'm a robot. but i guess robots don't vomit at the idea of not being able to think of jokes. unless, you know, it's that kind of robot.

freedom day

i've decided that today is freedom day.

here's what i have to say about the death of bin laden:

in no way do i think this makes the world safer. things are only going to be more dangerous especially these first few months following his death. that's not what this is about.

to me it's about a sense of unity in a country that is so often divided. it's about feeling like there is some control in a world where a man can order people to take planes and fly them into office buildings. today was a day to reflect on the horrific events of the last 10 years. a day to have closure on the the memories we have all been carrying around with us. it was a day that for the first time i was able to say do you remember the news footage of people falling from the upper stories of the world trade center? do you remember the people covered in ash running from the falling towers? do you remember the little girl crying on the news holding a photo of her father asking people to call in if they had seen him?

i remember those things. they were horrific. they were scarring. i was 17 when 9/11 happened and it has affected the way i view the world. and it has defined us as country for the last ten years. as much as we like to pretend this hasn't changed who we are, it has. i doubt there is one among who doesn't watch others in the airport looking for the left behind bag.

anyway, i guess my point is just that for me today was a day to have a little closure to a tragedy that has hurt in my heart for a very long time now. and i'm sure many others feel the same.

nothing at all

first, i hate getting old. my body has decided that a good reaction to spicy food is hiccups. hate it. it started around my birthday in january. my body said 'uhmm you're 27 now... no more enjoying life. or at the very least you will be in pain while you eat that glorious, lip tingling hot chicken pasanda.' as long as i don't start hiccuping from chocolate i'll be ok.

anyway, do you ever have that feeling like everything you do is golden? that's how i feel lately. like someone sprinkled me with glitter that makes me charming and funny and just generally the most amazing thing anyone has ever seen. i had an old man say i was a "nice broad" today. amazing, right? if my life had a theme song right now it would be this:



for real, y'all.

the drive-in is open again in goochland. i'm practically shaking with joy. ::joy:: i really want to go this friday night. wants to goooooo.

my sister and i are doing a half marathon in january at disneyland. i am beyond excited. but i need to seriously get in gear. i got one of those website discount things today for 20 bootcamps classes for $20. i figure that will be a good way to jump start my workout routine.

yesterday at work one of my coworkers was talking to me about how i have a lot of guys friends (the last few years, but especially since i moved to virginia, i haven't really been able to find many female friends that stick around. it's usually the opposite and i'm starting to worry. i always tell guys not to trust a girl who says she doesn't have any female friends. it's not that i don't have female friends... it's just that i seem to have more guy friends these days and they seem to have better friendship longevity.) but i'm never dating anyone and i was like yeah i know, that's life i guess. anyway, i went back to my office and one of our managers comes in. he's probably in his early 50s and is an adult. anyway, i was being goofy and i say 'why don't boys love me?!?' now usually he will just humor me and laugh and walk away, which was the reaction i was expecting. but every once in a while he's like 'bam truth bomb.' yesterday was a truth bomb day, i guess, because he turns to me and says 'because you're scary.'

me? scary?

to adult men?

what?

...

what?

i still don't believe it. and i'm now asking all the dudes out there to please reassure me that i'm not actually scary. and this isn't even the dude that when he told me he loved me i responded with 'i know.' now that guy should think i'm scary. the rest of them have no reason to be afraid of me. no. reason. there are actual things in this world to be afraid of. like heights. socialism. the fact that they never did catch that anthrax guy.

hey, did you guys i know i collect plastic snow globes? pretty awesome right? the collection has grown substantially since i moved to virginia. anyway, i just wanted to let everyone know, that's all.

my lips are still on fire from that chicken pasanda.

woos to woes.

i feel like i've been ridiculously busy but i can't exactly remember what i've been up to. isn't that just always the way? anyway some thoughts so you know i haven't died.

comedy sportz is set to open may 7th. we will be ada compliant and ready to make you laugh until you pee your pants. we even had the chairs scotch guarded in anticipation of this happening. you're welcome!

i read tina fey's book bossypants this weekend. actually, i read it saturday. the entire thing. if you do improv, are a woman or like jokes i suggest picking up a copy. i do improv, am a woman and i like jokes so i totally loved it. it's a very funny, engaging book and a very fast read.

i went to florida for spring break. what a story that is. i suppose the trip was a lesson in expectations versus reality. the funniest thing is that before i left work i drew what i thought i would be doing on each day of my calendar and the trip mostly didn't turn out how i expected at all. but i still had a lot of fun and was glad to be away from the j-o-b.

i feel like everything is happening at once or nothing is happening at all. isn't that just the way things always are? water, water every where.

pledge today!

so we're in the final push of our fundraiser for the new comedy sportz theater here in richmond. click here to go to the kickstarter website. you can see a video that shows you what we're up to and how you can help! even small donations help a lot (you can even pledge $1!). if you pledge $25 we will write your name on the bathroom wall. totally. worth. it.

feel free to also check out our website where you can see my name listed as a player! just remember to hate the game and not the player. that's how that goes, right? it's rare that i get to use that expression. anyway, if we reach our fundraising goal you might even get to see a picture of me on there one day!

thanks friends and we look forward to you laughing at us soon!

unicorny

i have this unicorn at work. dan bought him for me for my brithday. dan and i have this thing about unicorns which started with me giving him this absolutely hideous picture of a cat brush the hair out of a unicorn's eyes. i bought it at a grocery store. it's pretty, uhmm, awesome. so dan bought me this unicorn that when you push it, it says things like 'wheee unicorn power.' it's pretty much amazing and the best gift ever.

i attached the unicorn to my dry erase board at work. this provides hours of fun b/c the unicorn can do or say anything he wants. i'd like to share some of my favorites.

magically delicious

ok so first, i totally should be packing the stuff i need for the wedding on friday since i'm not coming home tomorrow night. but i'm not. i just got out of comedy sportz practice and i have been thinking and now i have things to say. so there you go. i'll sleep when i'm dead. actually i don't know that we will have to sleep when we're dead. i mean i will probably still enjoy sleeping so i might do it but i don't know that i will actually need to sleep. but that wasn't my point.

anyway.

tonight at comedy sportz we were talking about stuff because the theater opens in less than two weeks and i realized that i am extremely, over the top, some times cry about it, passionate about comedy sportz. and i said self, why is that? and now i would like to document why.

when i was in high school i was a dork. a nerd. uncool. whatever. mental picture for you... josie grossie in never been kissed.

bad hygiene, didn't relate to other humans outside my brain, thought tucking in your shirt was a requirement, had about as much self confidence as i did friends. like for real i'm not just saying this. it was bad. any one reading this who knew me freshman / sophomore year is welcome to back me up when i say it was kind of horrific. whatever i own it, that's life.

my junior year of high school i began sitting in for the comedy sportz lunch time practices. i would just sit and watch in amazement as they kids fearlessly just got up and did things. yeah most of the time it was terribly bad but they got up they tried and they carried on.

i never in my life thought i would ever get up and talk in front of people. especially without preparing in advance. please keep in mind that this was during the time period that i was utterly convinced i had a lisp (actually i still think i have one... but enough people have told me i don't that i think it's maybe not noticeable to anyone except me). anyway one afternoon before a game the team wound up randomly being short a person and for who knows what reason i volunteered to play without ever having actually played in a practice. i had been to many practices, knew the games, but had never had the guts to get up and try but no big deal i would love to do that in front of an audience. and out of sheer desperation and maybe the geniusness of mr conacher (our advisor) i was up on the stage that evening.

and i fell in love.

absolutely head over heels in love with making people happy. making them laugh. making them feel connected to me. and that day my life changed. my life changed for ever. and for that there is no amount of money or good words that can pay the debt that i owe to comedy sportz. that day and the months that followed taught me to be my own person. to take ownership for my decisions. to have a voice. to commit. to be who i was going to be, to own it, to love it and to take others there with me.

i doubt that i would have learned that lesson anywhere else. i doubt that i would be even a fraction of who i am today if it wasn't for this organization.

it is my hope that some day i will be able to share that with others. to have others see that this isn't just about a comedy show. it's a way of thinking about yourself, about others and the things that are given to you. it's about building relationships and learning to trust and to commit and to be honest and real. to live a life that is bold and passionate and isn't sitting in a chair watching other's live.

comedy sportz also taught me a very specific lesson that i am extremely passionate about. it can be summed up in two words: FAIL BIG.

those instructors would always tell us to go out there, make mistakes, jump and don't have a plan but try something. if you're gonna do something you might as well fail big and you'll be surprised how more often than not when you go all in it works out. it's improv magic. and you do you know why it's improv magic? because it's also life magic.

life is here waiting for you to step out, take a leap, be passionate and open yourself to possibilities. whenever i'm wondering whether or not i should do something or say something or go somewhere i always remind myself to fail big. because years down the road i want to be able to look back and think of all the amazing things i've seen and done. i want to be able to say i lived in arizona for two years and i bloody hate the desert. or i told some guy that i wanted to date him and he said no thanks. or remember that time i tried to drink a gallon of milk in an hour and it started pouring out my nose instead of going down my throat? do you know what it feels like to vomit half a gallon of liquid?!?

in life if you aren't getting dirty, if you aren't scuffing your knees and and stretching your brain, what are you doing? what's the point? forever i will be grateful for being taught this lesson. and i am grateful for the hand comedy sportz played in molding me into the person i am.

“I realized the point I was trying to push with these two programmed robots was the desire for them to try and figure out what the point of living was…It took these really irrational acts of love to sort of discover them against how they were built…I realized that that’s a perfect metaphor for real life. We all fall into our habits, our routines and our ruts, consciously or unconsciously to avoid living. To avoid having to do the messy part. To avoid having relationships with other people. of dealing with the person next to us. That’s why we can all get on our cell phones and not have to deal with one another. I thought, ‘That’s a perfect amplification of the whole point of the movie.’ I wanted to run with science in a way that would sort of logically project that.”

- Andrew Stanton, director of WALL-E

on that note, i have sent in my resume for a job in la. with comedy sportz. i don't know that i will get it. i don't know what i would do if i did. but i feel like i would closing myself to the lessons that comedy sportz taught me if i didn't try. i know that i will wind up where ever i'm meant to be. part of me would love a new adventure in la... the gypsy part who is dying to move. but part of me knows that i love richmond and that she owns a a very big piece of my heart that i don't know i'm ready to be without. in the meantime, i will be here loving every possible moment i have in this city who brings me daffodils every spring and finding the joy in my journey. i have a ring i wear every day and on it is engraved the saying 'it's not the destination it's the journey' and that's who i am.

in other news i just joined twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ElainaToGo follow me and life will be awesome.

mittens!

so mittens got a tramp stamp.


i'm thinking about getting a matching one.

not really.

anyway, i just think she looks so cute representing the caps.

speaking of the caps, they won tonight which makes for 9 in a row. amazing. here's to hoping they can keep it up.

silly penguins acting all fancy

fun things that happened this weekend:

i ate goat.
i got my eyebrows threaded.
i went to a caps game and they won (they are currently up to 8 in a row).
i got my car washed and now mittens is so happy.
i watched the finale of an idiot abroad (loves it).

next weekend i'm going to hershey. so excited. i am going to be living my dream. i've never been to pennsylvania before so this is going to be a real treat. when i was in fifth grade we had to do a big report on a state. this report ended with all the fifth graders making floats and having a parade for the school. looking back it seems like maybe that was just a way to traumatize us against states that weren't california. i remember this one girl dressed up as a giant michigan. which mostly just looked like her mom wrapped in her blue felt and put a mitten on her head.

i had a pen pal starting in second grade who was from allentown, pa. and so i, of course, selected that great state. i had long since blocked out this memory until today when i started making plans for the hershey trip. and then i remembered the state report. for which i paraded around as a giant hershey kiss. it was pretty much amazing. i'm waiting for my mom to hook me up with some photos. but in the mean time to give you an idea, check this out:


i feel fairly certain that this is the exact pattern that my mom used to make the costume. man, i wish i still had it. how awesome would it be to roll up in hershey all shiny and happy and ready to get my chocolate on in that outfit?!

in fifth grade, i thought that costume was the most amazing thing in the entire world. in fact, i still think it is. it makes me kind of proud that even as dorky as i have been / am i've never been too ashamed to work a hershey kiss costume... or much of anything else, for that matter. remind me one day to tell the story of how we went to winter formal dressed as disney princesses my senior year of high school. we were pretty much the coolest thing to ever happen to that high school, even if no one else knew it.

the hershey bears have a hockey game on saturday evening. there are a total of 4 tickets left for that game so i doubt that we will be attending. such a shame. the bears are the feeder team for the caps and i hear they play a great game. better luck next time.

if anyone has any hershey special requests let me know asap. i'll do what i can to accommodate.

if you haven't heard me say it yet, i think lush is the most best store in the entire universe. i discovered it while i was in maui and my life has never been the same. they make soaps and scrubs and such from organic ingredients. i just love how luxurious and fabulous they feel. if you have a store near you, check it out. my closest stores are in raleigh, nc and washington dc. both of which i have visited. loves it. the workers are always super helpful and nice and willing to answer questions and let you take samples home to try. the smell can be over powering when you first walk in but it's totally worth it.

also, i'm totally obsessed with india these days. there is this fabulous indian restaurant like 2 blocks from my house. the food is just the best! i'm a big fan of their samosas and kheer. anyway, next weekend is holi. i would love to see that.


some day!

buuuuurnur

so it's official, i live in virginia. you may have thought that happened about two years ago. but no, it happened today. i finally got virginia license plates. in my head i had convinced myself that acquiring virginia plates would be the most difficult thing a person could ever do. turns out it was pretty easy.

after the dmv handed me the plates and sent me on my way a friendly 'you're done,' i headed back to work to attach the plates. as i did this i started to get overwhelmed with the realization that i live in virginia. for real i live here.

as that fact sunk in, i did what i do when i feel emotions... dry heave. i don't why this has become the go to reaction over the last couple years. but whenever i feel excited, overwhelmed, stressed out, sleepy, basically anything, i start dry heaving. it's terrible.

i never actually throw up in these situations. i just get really close. i think that is a testament to the power of my brain. good job brain for not letting me throw up several times a day.

my brain also managed to convince that it would be a good idea to get a job at disneyland working on the jungle cruise. sometimes i wonder what happens to me in the night time. because more often than not i wake up in the morning thinking that some totally random thing is the most important thing i've ever thought of. like getting a job at disneyland, bringing my facebook back or going to hershey pennsylvania.

speaking of which, i really want to go to hershey. it's the best idea in the entire world. also i want to go to philly while i'm there.

i'm back on a running kick. good times. that is all.

one last thought. i hate commercials / tv shows that have ugly guys with hot girls. i don't know why but it makes me want to throw a rock at the tv. i think it misleads ugly guys about what they should expect from life.

better from behind

the other day i was at a networking event. i met a lady who runs a gun safety and self defense school. i told her that if anyone ever tried to attack me my plan was to gouge their eyes out with my thumbs and asked if that was a good idea. she said, well at least you have a plan.

my coworker told her that he always carries his keys through his fingers so he could hit someone with them if he had to. she said 'and that's probably why you'll never get attacked b/c attackers are looking for people who look like an easy target. so since you carry your keys like that they will stay away from you.' and then she turns to me and says 'and they'll stay away from you b/c you probably walk around with the attitude that you're about to gouge someone's eyes out.'

i think that makes me sounds like much more of a bad ass than i actually am but i'll take it.

rehearsal this week went well. i'm getting used to everyone, liking people more, getting my improv land legs back, if there is such a thing. i'm excited at the opportunity to learn and grow and to make mistakes and look like an idiot and just play and have fun. i can't wait to just have a blast playing and laughing.

i feel like that's going to be the hardest thing for me... to not just stand there and laugh at the things that happen. it's been almost 10 years since the last time i performed improv. i almost can't remember what it's like to just jump. that's going to be one of the hardest things for me, learning to trust these people. i'll get there though. b/c i want it.

it's funny b/c people will ask what other improv i've done and i have to be like uhmm well i did comedy sportz in high school. which i'm sure makes me sound like i'm 19. and it doesn't help that i look like i'm 22... and that's pushing it. oh well, i'll let people think i'm just a wee lass. maybe that will help me get away with more.

it will be interesting to see what the next few months bring. ::excited::

in a couple months i will be in florida, chilling with harry potter, enjoying a butter beer. the trip has been pushed back a few times but it looks like we have a real plan now. i can't wait!

i wonder what happens to me in my dreams that i would wake up with 'grown and sexy' by chamillionaire stuck in my head. for two days that song has been stuck in my head. the worst part about it is i only know a few of the words and when ever i try to sing them they sound absurd. it goes something like this 'grown and sexy... hmmmmrrmm.... soon as you turn around... hmmmh mhhhhhh... better from behiiiIIIiind, better from behind. mrrrrrrrhhhmm mona lisa.... uhmm behiiiIIIiiiiind.' and my coworkers are like, uhm what?

that's life.

everybody wants you

etsy does a little article on a featured artist and i find them quite interesting. i've decided to try answering the questions for myself. so, here it goes!

Tell us a bit about yourself.
i think of myself as a gypsy, an explorer, an adventurer. i love seeing new places, experiencing new things and learning. i think that's what keeps me going... the learning. the falling in love with new things. i'm currently in the east coast phase of my life but i will always claim i'm a californian, no matter how long i'm away. i live for things that make me laugh and i'm always looking to grow.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
besides the 9-5 office job, i love to have things to do as an outlet. i'm in a local improv troupe, i'm a huge caps fan and i like to listen to jazz. i love to run when the weather is nice (a fair weather jogger, of course), i like to paint and read. i like to think about outer space and dinosaurs. i love traveling and using public transportation. i like finding interesting pieces of art for my growing collection.

What would be the title of your memoir? Why?
my eyes are green like my eyes would be the title. i came up with that when i was 5. i've always thought it was quite brilliant.

Where does your inspiration come from?
i think you have to draw inspiration from the things around you. you can't just sit around hoping inspiration happens to you. you have to be out doing and seeing and it will come. funny moments happen all the time if you're looking for them.

What does handmade mean to you?
handmade is something special from one person to another. i wish we valued this more in each other. those moments we take to do something small for another person. having something someone has created is having a piece of them.

If you could peek inside the studio of any artist, designer or craftsman (dead or alive), who would it be?
walt disney. i would love to see the creative process he went through.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?
the pieces of art i have collected over the years. love.

How do you get out of your creative ruts?
a change of scenery usually helps get my brain thinking in new ways again. not knowing what to expect puts me in a place where i'm more aware of my surroundings. i'm also a big fan of a good nap and some chocolate to restart the system.

Where would you like to be in ten years?
i just want to be wonderful.

happy valentines eve

move over ovi

this evening was a night for conquering fears. tonight i faced not just one but two of my fears. the first i knew i was going to be tackling and the second was a surprise. so, i have this fear of ice skating. my fear is primarily focused around falling and then having someone skate over my fingers and slice them off. also i'm afraid of falling. with ice skates on i'm over 6 feet tall. that's a long ways for my head to drop.

so we made our way to the skate nation tonight. i strapped on some skates and walked over to the rink. i was pleasantly surprised at how good i was at walking over to the rink and hoped that ice skating would turn out to be not as difficult as i remembered it being the last time i tried... 20 years ago.

right before i got on the ice i texted my friend and told her what i was about to do. she responded with what? last time i went i cracked my tail bone. and with that i got ready to take my first steps on to the ice. i got up to the little door on the ice and started having a melt down. i'm seriously surprised that i didn't puke or pass out. but after about 2 minutes of standing near the door yelling HOLD ON at my friends i went skating with i hesitantly took my first steps onto the ice.

the first lap around the rink took close to half an hour and involved me gripping the side railing in sheer terror. whenever anyone would get near me or suggest holding their hand i would yell GET AWAY FROM ME I'M AFRAID! which surprisingly works extremely well for getting people to leave you alone.

at any rate after about two hours i was able to complete a lap in a little under 10 minutes and without holding onto the side at all. taaadahhh! the only thing stopping me from zipping around that rink were the gathered masses of fear #2... teenagers.

gross.

i'm terrified of teenagers. especially in groups. they're reckless and mean and generally idiots. and they make me want to vomit on my ice skates. i would be skating along just fine and then i would suddenly find myself surrounded by teenagers which would make me freak out and forget how to remain erect on ice skates.

none the less, i survived the evening. i conquered ice skating and didn't have to rumble with any teenager gangs. so win for all parties.

in other news we had our first rehearsal last week for csz. it went well. we mostly did getting to know you games. by the end of rehearsal i had decided that there were two people in the group who i thought were cool and acceptable to me. so that's awesome b/c i generally dislike most people when i first meet them. and really 2 out of 30 is still disliking most people but 2 is a good start.

today i spent the majority of the day working at the theater. i did a lot of painting. i feel like i did tons of work but maybe i didn't really. i was there for over 7 hours though. i painted the ceiling. i got zapped by several lights. i painted a bathroom. i hung some posters. i helped move some stuff. oh, i ate some pizza. i got offered a possible job. yeah, that's pretty exciting actually. i'm just waiting to see how that turns out.

anyway, overall it was good day but i'm totally beat. i ache from my feet to my head but in a good i've accomplished things way. annnd i get to check off another thing from my 11 things to do before 2011 is over list! go me!

speaking of which i should post that list. hmmm.

1. drink butter beer
2. go to virginia beach
3. go on a boat
4. finish 5 paintings
5. audition for something - done
6. take an improv class
7. go ice skating - done
8. take trapeze lessons
9. take a cooking class
10. learn to juggle
11. finish reading a brief history of time