Austin Girl

2009-09-12T09:41:00.001-07:00

Testing mobile blogging

Becky

2009-09-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

She had the most sparkling eyes, huge dimples, and a smile that could light up the darkest day. She lived with us when I was just two or three years old. She and our other sister, Kim, came to live with us when their mother went on a year-long mission. We shared a dad, and my mom was overjoyed to have the opportunity to watch over her husband's two daughters from his previous marriage to get to know them. She welcomed them with open arms. I don't think I really understood what was happening then, or why they were there, but I knew I was happy to have four big sisters all of a sudden. Kind of a mini-Brady Bunch. Her two, his two, and their one. Becky always reminded me of Judy Garland's Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Beautiful, sweet, kind and caring. A natural nurturer, even at the age of 12. Once, when I was about 3, I guess, I pulled Daddy's hunting rifle out of his closet. Becky caught me, and gave me a lecture about the danger of handling weapons- even if not loaded, she said, I should never touch them. She told me about how they could kill, and that Daddy had to kill people in Korea (he was a Marine) and how traumatized he was by it. She was firm, but kind. After she and Kim moved away again, I saw her from time to time over the years. We moved to McAllen, TX when I was about 5, and she came to visit with her boyfriend. She was glowingly beautiful- inside and out. Later she married, and I was in the wedding. She came to visit us with her new baby, Kimberly, and later came Noah, and then Lara. I went to visit her and her new husband, Bobby. A big, lovable bear of a man with a rough-around-the-edges kindness. At some point along the way, communication stopped between my dad's daughters and us. I didn't understand why, and didn't think to ask about it until much later. Skeletons started to emerge bit by bit, but I still didn't get the full picture until after Daddy's death in 1988. I was the one that tracked down Becky a year after Daddy's death, and told her. She said that she had had a dream that an angel told her he was at peace now. Somehow she already knew. The skeletons spilled out, and it was devastating. Even now, I don't know what is truth and what is fiction, and probably never will. After that, I made occasional visits to San Antonio to see Becky and her beautiful family. I never got too close because of the skeletons, but always had her in my heart. And I know I was in hers. I once told her I was sorry I hadn't been a better sister and aunt, and she said all that matters is that I say it and feel it, and no matter what we know the love is there even if we don't see each other often enough.

My father, and both of his daughters are in Heaven now. I can only hope that they have reconciled, and that all of the pain and hurt of the past has given in to love and understanding. Yesterday, a little before 3pm, sweet Becky lost her battle with colon cancer. She fought courageously for over 3 years, and fought hard. But the cancer fought harder, and the aggressive treatments ravaged her little body. She thankfully died at home surrounded by her husband, Bobby; mother, Joyce; and children, Kimberly, Noah, Lara and Julianna. She may be gone from this world, but as she said, the love is there even if we can't see each other. I know she is in my heart, my mind, and that she is watching over all of those she loves. Becky, I love you. I know that Heaven has the sweetest angel now.

I think I'll start blogging again

2009-02-22T06:38:00.000-08:00

This morning I poured myself a cup of coffee (my favorite part of the day! that first cup.) I pulled out my Texas Champion Rosebowl cup and read the date: January 4, 2006. 2006? What the....! I KNOW I celebrated my 40th birthday with a Rosebowl party when UT kicked some USC butt (I was working at USC at the time, so it was a very friendly competition.) Problem is, I was born in 1967. So there MUST have been a misprint on the cup. So I go online and look it up on the official Rosebowl site. Sure enough, the game was January 06. What is wrong with my memory? Still not believing this I decide to look at my old blog that I don't keep up. There posted on the internet for all posterity is a log of my 2006 and 2007 birthdays. So my best birthday ever was my 39th! Our L.A. friends, Shiner Bock, Texas Chili in our old funky apartment on 4th Ave. My 40th was nice too. After we made the spontaneous decision to jump in the car and drive from L.A. to Austin for Christmas, my family in Austin gave me a surprise party, and I got a day at the spa from my sister. Funny how memory works. I think 39 was a milestone, my last year in the 30s. Thanks blog. Thanks for clearing things up.

home sweet home

2008-05-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

suburbia

2008-05-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

the father of a kid in my kid's school (let's call him Buford) whooped up on the father of another kid in my kid's class (let's call him Hans) because Buford didn't like Hans' driving. this all happened in the parking lot of the elementary school IN FRONT OF CHILDREN!!!! Buford had the nerve to say that Hans was setting a bad example for the children by his bad driving as he was roughing Hans up. the WORST part is that of all of the adults who witnessed this, only one person went up to Hans afterwards to see what happened, and to see if he was ok. no one else has said a word to Hans about it since. kind of twilight zone-ish.

DOMESTICATION IS SETTING IN

2008-05-15T19:37:00.001-07:00

did it. bought a house. we're over 40 and finally own our own mortgage. i'll post pictures later. my job is the hardest thing i've ever done, except for childbirth. very challenging, but i love it. husband is working on an austin independent comedy.

maybe i should change my blog name to cali girl. I MISS L.A.!!!! (don't you dare tell anyone i said that)

so, i've been away.

2008-02-25T20:32:00.000-08:00

not feeling so bloggy these days. maybe i'll come back one day. we are in texas, and i think we're buying a house tomorrow! panic is setting in. and excitement!

oh, the best news of all!

2007-06-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

my sister who was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in around november, was just given the news that she is free and clear!!!! she has the strongest faith in God of just about anyone i know. not many stage 4 diagnoses go completely into remission like that. my faith has waned quite a bit of late, but this definitely gives me hope.

my head is about to explode

2007-06-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

i hate change, folks. like, REALLY dread it. it gives me knots in my stomach, the heebie jeebies, and i have strange dreams that i can't quite remember when i wake, but i have a strange unsettled feeling when i open my eyes. i create completely irrational scenarios in my mind about the horrors that change might possibly bring about. like if i take one step away from the path i'm on, that unknown terrors await me around every bend. yet...

at the same time, it exhilarates me! i feel empowered. on top of the world with endless possibilities before me. how can i possibly feel so powerful and so incredibly freaked out all at the same time? is that...normal? right now my emotions are going from one extreme to another within a matter of minutes. from feeling like i can conquer anything, to feeling like i want to just crawl in a hole, or better, drink a whole lotta something.

ultimately, this may sound like a heap load-o-gibberish to all of you. suffice it to say, there are some big changes on the horizon in my world. in the world of my little family. all very good, but hard for me to conceive of. my dear husband is very supportive, and proud, and even willing to make concessions. the kid is excited and positive, and always the light of my universe. i started this blog because i was homesick for texas. a place for me to pine away for austin. and now i fear losing something by leaving los angeles. friends. excitement. maybe i am more interesting as a texan in l.a. than as a texan in, well, texas. i come from a family of flamboyants. HEY! that would be a great movie title. "The Flamboyants" i digress. i come from a family of flamboyant individuals, who tend to define you and compartmentalize you, and try to fit you into their own concept of who they think you ought to be. narcissists really. ok. so there are a lot of people like that out there. but i have always longed to stand out in a crowd.

however, i think i'm taking something back with me from la la land, and that is the ability to just be me, and to realize that it is ok. my husband thinks i am much more capable than i give myself credit for. and my little girl has grown into a real character herself. a wonderful, compassionate, intelligent little human. and she loves me just the way that i am. and that is just enough for me. so whatever changes life has in store for me, for us, I... we can handle it.

My first ever meme

2007-04-18T08:02:00.000-07:00

noirbettie interviewed me.

1. What's the thing you miss most about Texas (not counting family)?
Oh, geez. That's a toughie. There are many many things. I'd say it isn't actually Texas I miss, but Austin. Town Lake hike and bike trail (even the stupid Stevie Ray Vaughn statue), South Congress Ave - (Continental Club, funky shops, Guero’s). I miss giant thunderstorms, the fireflies, and the sound of the cicadas on a hot summer's night. I miss and when the insane heat of summer slowly changes to a crisp fall with golden leaves. And there is a feeling that I have when I'm there which I don't know how to describe that I really miss. Things seem slower there, not as hectic. I miss the hippie neighborhoods and general funkiness.

2. What do you love best about Los Angeles?
The weather, the cultural diversity, the amazing restaurants, our friends, the fact that we are only 30 minutes away from the mountains or the beach.

3. How did you choose Helen's name?
It was my grandmother's name, and her mother's, and her grandmother's,and her great grandmother's, and maybe a few more before that. They were all Helens. My sister is a Helene, my cousin is Elena- variations. I chose to go back to the traditional. The other name we thought about was Lucie. Luke for a boy.

4. If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
Ireland, because I think I'm part Irish, and I love the music. And Scotland (to hunt for the Loch Ness Monster, of course)

5. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Oh, do I have to? Grow up that is? Honestly, I want to be a puppeteer. Jim Henson was my hero. I dabbled in it for a while, and did a lot of research on the history of puppetry. I wrote my master's thesis on the famous Czech puppet duo, Spejbl and Hurvinek, and me hubby and I actually toured through the Czechlands on the puppet bus, and hung with the puppeteers. I'd really love to run my own children's theatre.

I think I'm supposed to offer to interview anyone who reads my blog, but I think there are only two or three of you. But if you are out there and have a blog (or hey, even if you don't) let me know and I'll think of 5 questions for you.

Taxes Stink

2007-04-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Tax Day! Oh, how I miss getting a refund.

AG phone home

2007-03-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

we're thinking about moving back to austin. it would mean a lot of back and forth for the husband, but my mother needs me,we can buy a perfectly acceptable house in a decent neighborhood for under $400K, and i am pretty disgusted with the hollywood types right now. there. its out there.

2007-03-06T19:10:00.000-08:00

my yoga teacher read this to us in class today. it has been circulating on the internet, but i'd never heard it. it seems highly appropriate right now. enjoy!

TWO WOLVES
An old Cherokee chief is teaching his grandson about life:

"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.

"One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego.

"The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

"This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old chief simply replied, "The one you feed."

2007-03-02T16:24:00.000-08:00

me and my dear hubby at a party in Austin, December 2006

the famous face painting lady. she painted my face at a bar on 6th street called Toulouse (long gone) back in the '90s

2007-02-27T10:09:00.000-08:00

Well, did you watch the Oscars? Did you see my buddy Randy Newman with James Taylor? I was bummed he didn't win, but he's got enough wins under his belt I guess. He is really such a nice nice man. His wife, Gretchen, is great too. He brings his family, kids and all, every year to this big fundraiser that I work for. He was honored several years back at this fundraiser, and he has attended every year since. I know I'm name dropping a bit, but it was just so exciting to see him there on the TV playing at the Oscars, and then seeing he and his wife in the audience, and knowing that I've had actual conversations with the guy.

In fact, here's a great story to rival the one about me sitting in a hot tub with Yakov Smirnoff (I know what you are thinking, and NO. It wasn't like that.). Last year, I was wearing these new high heeled pumps and my feet were killing me from running around all night while working at the fundraiser. Randy asked what the trouble was because I suppose I was grimacing, and I told him I was wearing new shoes. He looked down at my feet, and then looked at me and said "do you wanna wear mine?" CAN YOU IMAGINE???? I could have walked in Randy Newman's shoes! Literally! I LOVE that man.

I went to see him at the Paramount Theatre in Austin way back when I was in my early 20s, and I remember thinking he was a sarcastic bitter man. But now that I've met him, I know that he's just got a biting wit, but he is just a big teddy bear. When I first met him we had a conversation about Austin, and now every time he sees me he calls me "Texas."

While I'm often not feeling very positive about my job, I guess I can say that one perk is that I've gotten the chance to meet some ledgends and famous people. So here, I'll name drop a bit more. People I've met at work (I work at a school of music): Herbie Hancock, Randy Newman (of course), Quincy Jones, Pepe Romero, Placido Domingo, Bonnie Raitt and her dad John Raitt, Burt Bacharach, Bobby McFerrin, Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, John Williams. Mind you, none of these people have any idea who I am, but I've shook their hands and spared a few words. Now, if only I could meet Donny Osmond! (YES! I admit it. I'll write about my love for Donny in another post.)

HAPPY VALENTIME'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-02-14T11:43:00.000-08:00

A big HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to my dear husband who is far far away right now in Germany. I MISS YOU SCHMOOPY!!!!!!!!

Another story: My friend Jill had a boyfriend once who said Valentime. Jill's birthday is on Valentine's (HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEW MAMMA JILL), and it just so happens that one of her biggest pet peeves is mispronunciation. She broke up with the poor schmuck. I've already revealed my biggest Valentine's horror story (the Paul breakup).

And my dear smallest Schmoop, my sweet daughter, gave me the cutest card today that started with "hi, its me. Helen." She makes me laugh so much. I think we'll do something special tonight, like make tea, do some silly dancing, have a nice dinner together, and then read "Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentime." If you haven't ready Junie B. books, you should. Even if you don't have kids. The writing makes me laugh so hard, I can't breathe! Another of our faves is "Junie B. and the Beauty Shop Guy". That one's a real side splitter. I've heard people say they don't like the Junie B. books because the grammer is all wonky. Because she talks like a kid! I say, what a great opportunity to discuss language with your kid when you read together. And you don't have to have a girl kid to enjoy the stories. Our good friends read them to their son, and he loves them too.

Well, signing off. Must work now. Happy Valentine's to all. No roses. No candy. No jewelry. Just a simple Happy Valentine's. Tell someone how much they mean to you. That's all its about.

SO SORRY PAUL

2007-01-11T14:44:00.000-08:00

i read that this is national breakup day. while i'm not breaking up with anyone today, i'd like to share a story about something i did in seventh grade that i am not proud of. i had decided to break up with my boyfriend, Paul H., and SENT HIM A VALENTINE POEM!!!! this is how it went:

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
A.E.W. wants to break up with you.

not kidding. not proud. but it's kinda funny, don't ya think? I WAS 12 YEARS OLD!!! if i had it all to do over again, i'd tell him "this is hurting me more than it's hurting you." well, paul, i apologize.

I'm 40!!!!!

2007-01-08T15:15:00.000-08:00

i am proud to announce to anyone who is listening, i turned 40 on thursday. it wasn't such a shock, because i've been gearing up for it for a year. i didn't have the rocking disco party i was hoping to have, but i did get an awesome 2 hour massage and spent the evening with my family in austin.

homeward bound

2006-12-21T14:11:00.000-08:00

howdy pardners!

we hit the trails at sunrise. our annual trek to texas for the holidays. have so much to do before the morning. this year i will make a list of things i want to do in austin. somehow we always have so many things we want to do, and then the vacation goes by in a blur.

#1 on my list this year, go to 37th Street to see the most awesome lights and display of neighborhood unity in the universe. this little hippy neighborhood pulls out all the stops, from junk vehicles filled to the brim with lights, to a guy who has so many lights, he has a path of lights leading to his electric meter which is surrounded, of course, with lights where you can see the needle spinning out of control. this is truly a spectacle to behold. neighbors come out and serve hot chocolate and cider as people stroll down the street.

#2- the ZILKER PARK TREE. also a thing to behold, and a tradition from the time i was born. didn't make it the last two years, but the kid will get a kick out of spinning under it. it stands 155 feet tall, and is composed of 39 streamers made up of 3,309 lights!

#3- SHADY GROVE for the hipie sandwich and a margarita.

#4- Out to hear a band. My childhood friend Paul LeMond's band will be playing at THREADGILL's on January 3rd.

this is it for now. probably will think of more later.

Our new friend Jamie from Manchester

2006-12-18T15:54:00.000-08:00

We had our annual Solscice party this past Saturday (not on the solstice this year, so I suppose it was really just a Holiday Soirée). Unfortunately, we didn't take many pictures, but Ludek snapped this one of me and Jamie Draven (he was Billy Elliot's big brother in the film... BILLY ELLIOT and is in the upcoming film BADLAND which my talented husband scored). Isn't he a cutie pie? An AMAZING actor, and just a really nice guy.

Each year we ask guests to share a song, story, poem, an interpretive dance to ring in the season. Ludek started the evening with Randy Newman's "Great Nations of Europe" which was a big hit. Then several of our other brave and talented friends joined in, including our friend Jonathan and his cheery rendition of "Killing Pidgeons in the Park." David P. did his annual ode to Texas (since our living room is filled with Texas kitsch, and Jenn and I joined in. Quite embarassing that the two Texans in the room (Jen and me) only knew the refrain "deep in the heart of Texas". I'll have to learn the lyrics before next year. I was so ashamed. Of course the kids were adorable and sang several Christmas songs, and our dear little one did her Hanukah song she learned in school for the one Jewish friend there. Thanks to everyone who participated. It was a fun evening!

Anonymous said...

2006-12-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

I think I know you from somewhere. I have seen you and your husband crazy drunk...before you were married...and before your baby...as a matter of fact, we've been in a hot tub together before...all of us...drinking...in Austin...at least, i THINK its you...I could be wrong...but i doubt it...HA!

Ok. Who IS this? I'm trying to think who we sat in a hot tub with, drunk. There were so many. Willie? Yakov Smirnoff? (not joking, but i was with a different gray haired guy then) Identify yourself!

Bringing new meaning to ‘firing blind’

2006-12-13T10:19:00.000-08:00

ok. only in texas would the blind be allowed to hunt. i am from texas, and this frightens me.

a strange day in north hollywood

2006-12-12T13:52:00.000-08:00

so, ludek and i were leaving a screening yesterday, and stopped to get a sandwich. an indian man (turban, not feather) came up and grabbed L's hand, and began telling him his fortune. it was all good, he will have a long life and lots of good fortune in the next few years. the weird thing was that he said a lot of things that were dead on accurate. he pretty much pegged ludek's personality, and what is going on in his life right now. he wrote a number on a piece of paper and put it in ludek's hand crumpled up. he asked L. a bunch of questions, then asked him to pick a number, and it was 7. then he told him to look at the paper. it said 7. he said this is his lucky number, and that in 2007 he will have much luck and success. of course, he then got to the part where he wanted us to give him some money. we only had 7 dollars in cash! weird.

he said "in two years time you will see me again, and will remember me, yogi. and all that i have told you today will have come to pass." but wait. this is the kicker. he then looked at me, took my hand, and said, "you, my lady, have a kind heart, but an angry mouth."

of course, i will never hear the end of that one.

we're getting her started early on challenging authority

2006-11-09T11:32:00.000-08:00

aLOha!

2006-11-08T14:12:00.000-08:00

Hubby and my bestest friend Leanne

I decided I haven't posted any pictures lately, so here are a few from our recent Hawaii trip.

and other depressing news

2006-11-03T10:47:00.000-08:00

two weeks ago i heard that farrah fawcett was diagnosed with colon (anal) cancer. two days ago i just posted about a girl i don't even know who is a student at usc who has colon cancer. two nights ago my mother called to tell me one of my sisters has been diagnosed with colon cancer. what's with the universe? luckily i just started therapy. for the two of you who read this blog, i will be posting something very positive and upbeat next. i promise!

in 2050, we will all be singing "goodbye and thanks for all the fish"

2006-11-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

happy halloween!

2006-10-31T10:53:00.000-08:00

For Halloween, I thought I would post a list of some of my favorite scary movies I like to watch this time of year. I pretty much keep watching until after Thanksgiving.

THE HAUNTING (1963) (the remake was awful)
SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES
THE OTHERS
CARNIVAL OF SOULS (newly discovered this year)- 1962 (aka Corridors of Evil)
NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

I need some more! If you know of any, let me know. I like atmospheric and creepy rather than gory. Black and White is always good (unless its bad....)

I offer as an example of BAD- THE TERROR with a very young Jack Nicholson and Boris Karloff, directed by Roger Corman. I bought this one for a dollar at Target. It was HORRIBLE. Might be ok if you were drunk and watching with a big group of rowdy individuals, with popcorn you could throw at the screen.

Hydeus Kiatta

2006-10-31T10:39:00.000-08:00

Hydeus is a student at the USC Thornton School, and a jazz vocalist. She is battling Stage 4 Colon Cancer.

Benefit Concert for Hydeus Kiatta

Friday Nov 3, 2006

ASI Auditorium on the USC Campus

2006-10-10T14:24:00.000-07:00

just so you know, there was no meaning in my posting the lyrics to "thanks for all the fish". i wasn't saying a cryptic farewell. i just watched hitchhikers guide to the galaxy last night, and loved the song. it hasn't left my brain for one second since. i think i was singing it in my sleep. i'm hoping by posting it, it may leave me. its kind of driving me insane.

the movie had some fun elements, but kind of lost its fizz about midway through. it did inspire me to dig out my collection to start reading them over again. its been years.

and now, a few words from our friends the singing dolphins...

2006-10-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

So long and thanks for all the fish
So sad that it should come to this
We tried to warn you all but oh dear?

You may not share our intellect
Which might explain your disrespect
For all the natural wonders that
grow around you

So long, so long and thanks
for all the fish

The world's about to be destroyed
There's no point getting all annoyed
Lie back and let the planet dissolve

Despite those nets of tuna fleets
We thought that most of you were sweet
Especially tiny tots and your
pregnant women

So long, so long and thanks
for all the fish

banging banging banging in my brain

2006-09-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

the landlady is having the other three apartments in our building completely demolished. the banging was so powerful that a couple of framed pictures hanging in the hallway fell to the floor and the glass shattered. and this could go on for WEEKS! she is putting in new plumbing, new kitchen counters and floors, adding a bathroom (in what was a closet, thereby eliminating any storage space), and renovating the existing bathrooms. walls have been bashed out, and the 1920s architecture has been ruined. such a shame. she came to talk to us yesterday, and was "so so sorry" for all of the inconvenience. well, i'm so so sorry but she may have to give us a break on the rent! UGH!!!!!

tea for two

2006-09-25T23:08:00.000-07:00

the husband was out of town for a screening at fantasticfest in austin this weekend. last night, helen decided that since daddy was out of town, and it was just us girls, that we should have some tea. she got out her little tea set and was in the kitchen with the dish gloves on, washing out two cups and two saucers. we made chamomile tea, and put out the honey and milk. i made pasta with butter and cheese, and broccoli, and we had dinner while watching the wizard of oz. we played go fish, and she taught me how to play another card game called slamwich (i never really got the rules, but it didn't really matter).

how much better could it get?

thoughts on a sunday

2006-09-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

it has been eons since i last wrote anything in this journal. there is so much that has happened, and so much on my mind.

i was very sad to hear about steve irwin, a.k.a. the crocodile hunter. all that danger he survived, and he loses his life swimming with a typically peaceful stingray. crikey! rest in peace, matey.

husband has been in a whirlwind this entire year, project after project. it is wonderful he's getting so much work, but its been trying on our home life since his studio is in our living space. we rarely get down time, though he's been really trying to balance the work and time with us. if the housing market in L.A. wasn't absolutely rediculous, and a couple like us who both work full-time in professional jobs with better-than-average salaries could actually afford to buy a home in a decent area, things would be peachy and he could have his own office with a door he could close. if we were in austin, we could buy my mom's house for just over $300k, and she lives in barton hills and has a swimming pool! her house here would cost at LEAST $850k. its depressing.

all of my dear neighbors in the 4-plex we've lived in for almost 5 years got evicted. we were spared, presumably because we paid the highest rent and live in the apartment that needs the fewest rennovations. we believe they were all evicted under false pretenses, but i don't want to say too much about that right now. let's just say that the property situation in the areas in and surrounding korea town is out of control. lots of property flipping, and people doing horrible things to these beautiful homes built in the 20s. they have completely ruined at least two of the units here, replacing the charming archway between the living and dining areas with a wall and doorway. somehow the general philosophy of these new property owners is that rather than preserving the charm of the period architecture by keeping with the style of the original, it is better to make things shiny and new, and as cheap as possible with absolutely no personality.

i am, needless to say, angry. i was never that excited about living in this part of town, but my neighbors made this a community. we watched each other's kids, and called in the morning to borrow coffee or milk. our dear friends don't live too far now, but it just isn't the same. my secure universe has been tampered with, and we have absolutely no control. did i mention i am angry?

we had a wonderful labor day weekend in northern california with our dear friend jenny. we went to visit with my husband's brother and his family. they have the CUTEST baby boy who is 7 months. we went camping up by this lake their friend's family owns. we had to hike up a mountain, and the kid did really well. at 6, it was her first hiking/camping trip. it was so beautiful up there, and peaceful. we slept under the stars and it was absolutely amazing to wake up at 2am and look up at the milky way. no helicopters or sirens. we did hear one wild scream around 3am, that sounded like a banshee. it was awesome! we think it may have been a mountain lion. i'll post some pictures soon.

my new L.A. friends

2006-07-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

there is no such thing as global warming

2006-07-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

it is at least 90 degrees in my apartment. i am melting.

george the silly cat

2006-07-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

george was such a silly cat. we inherited him when we moved in about 4 years ago. he was scrawny and wouldn't let anybody near him. we started feeding him, and he started coming to our door every morning to meow in that siamese, raspy sort of way. being my mother's daughter, he became my pet. eventually, he would let me pet him, only when i was giving him food. one day when we were having a cook out on the back patio, out of the blue, george jumps on my hubby's lap and starts purring and asking for rubbage. he loved to lay in the sun, and for one summer, the V in this tree was his favorite location to lounge and watch the world go by. he woke me up every morning at 6:30 am by crying at the door, and there he'd be, waiting for food and a good scrub on the neck. well, george. i miss you very much. rest in peace among the roses. you were a silly, wonderful cat.

george - RIP

2006-06-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

? - June 28, 2006

my friend is a stud

2006-04-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

my friend andrew is a total inspiration. he is doing the arizona ironman this weekend. i can't even begin to comprehend how anyone would want to do that. both the physical and mental endurance it takes to just get to the start line. all i can say is, wow. i haven't even done any sort of exercise for about a month, but he says we will begin running again in may after he recovers from this, and i get through crunch time at work. i missed my marathon before 40 goal, so i'm going to work toward marathon at 40, and aim for the L.A. Marathon next year. so to repeat. my friend is a stud.

INteresting article

2006-03-25T21:42:00.000-08:00

were you a whiny, uptight kid, or a fun-loving free-thinker? it may explain your political bent today.

the many lives of me

2006-03-23T13:41:00.000-08:00

my hubby and i were talking about the many different "careers" i have had in my life. they are:

• Picketer/Activist
• Gymnastics Instructor
• Cheerleader
• Modern Interpretive Dancer
• Musical Theatre Actress
• Theatre Producer
• Commercial Actress
• Tour Guide
• Vocalist for a Movie Soundtrack
• English as a Second Language Instructor
• Drama Teacher
• University Lecturer
• Puppeteer
• Office Worker (many capacities)
• Grant Writer

Here’s the list with some description:

• Picketer/Activist (at the age of 5-"save our fire house!")
• Gymnastics Instructor (in high school- helped toddlers do somersaults)
• Cheerleader (I was told once- “Amy, you look like you are afraid to move because someone might see you.”
• Modern Interpretive Dancer (the husband witnessed this one when we were dating...)
• Musical Theatre Actress (and this one, and STILL married me- I starred in "Donkey Hotey"- the musical- as Sancha the catnip pushing cat)
• Theatre Producer (a most horrendous piece of experimental college theatre)
• Commercial Actress (a few cheesy local Austin commercials and print ads- Tip Top Cleaners, Texas Hot Tubs)
• Tour Guide (Wild Basin Preserve-led scavenger hunts to find pine needles,rocks, Twigs, various types of animal poo and such)
• Vocalist for a Movie Soundtrack (Horror score. It was truly horrible.)
• English as a Second Language Instructor
• Drama Teacher (Creative drama, to be exact)
• University Lecturer (Puppetry, of course- history of and how to make)
• Puppeteer (did marionette shows for seniors at Texas-Czech Heritage Society meetings and events)
• Office Worker (blah-my least favorite)
• Grant Writer

I guess you could say that I enjoy following whims, and like a life that is random. I mean, come on. I married a Czechoslovakian musician who used to be a mermaid!

on a lighter note

2006-03-20T10:54:00.000-08:00

For those of you who missed the midnight show at the Laemmle this past weekend, Voodoo Moon, starring Charisma Carpenter, Eric Mabius, John Amos and Dee Wallace, will be airing on the Sci Fi channel in May, and will go to DVD after that. The Sci Fi cut will be 2 minutes shorter, and minus the boobies. But you will get all of that and more when the dvd is released. I have to say it was pretty cool to hear Ludek's music in the theatre. (even though I slept through at least half of the movie).

EDIT/UPDATE: Just for the record, I didn't sleep through the movie because it was bad or boring. It was MIDNIGHT and I had just gotten over being sick FOR WEEKS. My husband wanted me to clarify. Thank you.

Please pray for Charlotte

2006-03-20T10:21:00.000-08:00

A friend from high school and her family recently received some very sad news regarding the health of their beautiful 8 year-old daughter, Charlotte. I was never a close friend of Missy's, but always thought of her highly. We went to a small private school in Ft. Worth, Texas, and so we all knew each other pretty well. (48 in my graduating class). As a mother of an (almost) 6 year old, this hit me pretty hard. Charlotte has a beautiful smile, and sparkling eyes. This about the disease Charlotte has been diagnosed with:

Charlotte (8) is suffering from a "Demyelinating Disease", which destroys the protective layer of proteins surrounding the central nervous system in her brain. The symptoms thus far have included weight loss and rapid deterioration of her motor skills and cognitive abilities. We first noticed some changes in mid January. Multiple doctors are working furiously to try to identify the disease causing the de-myelination in hopes of delaying its progress. Unfortunately, the prognosis is not encouraging.
There is a strong chance that the disease is genetic, meaning that William (6) and Mae Mae (4) could also be vulnerable.

It is so easy to get wrapped up in our day to day routine, and to focus on work or finances (TAXES), or the messy house or unnecessary grudges. This makes me take stock of life, and realize that every day is precious. Because you never know what can happen tomorrow.

Voodoo Moon at the Laemmle

2006-03-17T23:33:00.000-08:00

A fun movie with Charisma Carpenter and Eric Mabius. zombies, a demon, and the dad from Good Times! OH, and an AWSOME film score. Midnight. Somehow the husband thinks we will be able to stay up past midnight to go out. He is always asleep by 9pm on the couch. Is he NUTS????

the cough that keeps on coughing

2006-03-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

i am sick and tired of this damn cough. i have it, husband has it, and the poor little girl woke up this morning with a 100.5 fever and ... the cough. on the up side, i am home posting on my blog. i started antibiotics today. i am pretty much against them, and haven't taken any in years. but THREE WEEKS! this cough has been lingering for THREE WEEKS! the doctor said i either take them, or end up with chronic bronchitis or pneumonia. i have been coughing so hard at night, i feel like i broke a rib. ok, so it's probably just a strained muscle, but IT HURTS! the doc also gave me the super duper codeine cough syrup that will totally knock me out. i am taking the little girly to the doc this afternoon, then i just need to convince hubby that he needs to go asap. he's got deadlines and is totally stressed out, but he needs to take care of this thing.

ok. enough about me and my sick family. that's depressing. i got to spend a few days in texas, which was really nice, and the kid got to spend 5 days with her dear grandmother (my mommy). i miss austin i miss austin i miss austin! but, i do love los angeles in many respects (and hate it too). (i'm probably repeating myself here, but...) austin does seem smaller when i go back, even though it is expanding rapidly. every time i go there, there is something new, and it is definitely starting to sprawl. so many of my old haunts are gone. i just found out last night that the vegetarian restaurant, west lynn cafe, that my hubby and i met at while working there, was sold by the owners, and is now some trendy indian cuisine place. it was such a groovy little restaurant, with excellent food and wine. the owners also own a place called mother's cafe, and many of the dishes from west lynn are served there as well (also vegetarian). if you're ever in austin, try it. the food is outstanding, and not at all bland like some veg restaurants. but west lynn was classic, and i'm sad it is gone.

what i love about l.a. is the many cultures, the beaches, the mountains, the arts. so what do i hate about l.a.? well, for one, all the fake folk out there that make the rest of us look bad because they can afford to spend hours at the salon, with their personal trainers, and at the plastic surgeons'. (do i sound bitter? i am) has anyone else noticed that marcia cross's forehead does not move? does it look freaky to anyone besides me? the oscars are fun, but do we really need two hours of after-party commentary? and come on, sure the dresses are pretty for the most part, and everyone looks all tightened up and spray tanned. but GEEZ. get over yourselves. sorry. i'll step down from the soapbox now.

what else can i ramble on about today? the hubby has decided we are going to prague in june for the wedding of a brit film friend of his. it will be really cool to take the kid there to meet her czech cousins. i am interested to see how she will communicate with them. maybe she'll learn a little czech, which is a really useful language here in los angeles. (hee)

well, gotta run. (running? what's that? haven't run in 3 weeks! no marathon in my near future.)

confessions of a sicko

2006-02-24T16:25:00.000-08:00

blah. that's how i feel today. i've been home sick in bed for two days with a hacking cough and body ache. i could have been re-reading goblet of fire (i never made it to the theatre to see it, so i figure i'll read it again before i buy the movie). instead, i've been gorging myself on junk tv. i've watched regis and kelly, martha stuart (donny osmond was on today! yeah. i'm a dork) i've watched several episodes of i love lucy, mash and kojak. i even watched a little mo po, and a few seconds of jerry springer which made me feel dirty. i watched at least 4 episodes of blind date (ack!) and, lest i forget, all my children. i haven't watched that since college! can't believe susan lucci is still on, and still looks the same! but the guy who plays duke lavery sure didn't age well. i just sent my family off to see a movie so i can sit here and stew in my misery. i'm planning to be better tomorrow so i can attend febrewary fest 2006 at jonathan and jan's. as my czech hubby always says, beer has vitamins! and fittingly, the title of this year's brewfest is "Deep in the Heart of Czechxas" featuring Ludweiser pilsner (named for me hubby, of course!).

passion

2006-02-21T16:06:00.000-08:00

"Passion has little to do with euphoria and everything to do with patience. It is not about feeling good. It is about endurance. Like patience, passion comes from the same Latin root: pati. It does not mean to flow with exuberance. It means to suffer."
-"Daphne Kaplan, The Courage to Withstand"; Mark Danielewski, House of Leaves

it's a boy!

2006-02-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

a good friend just gave birth to a baby boy last night. his name is luca! she had a home birth with two midwives and had him in water. they are both doing great! they said his head was a bit misshapen, but that is normal.

my kid looked like a boxer when she came out, her face was all swollen, red and lumpy and her head was a bit flat. but that all corrects itself. babys are EVERYwhere.

i had a frightening thing going on in my head this morning. when i woke up and looked around my room, i tried to envision where the kid's old crib would fit best. then i started thinking about asking our neighbors if they are finished with it. they borrowed it when they had a baby 3 years ago. i can't believe all of this was going through my brain! what's wrong with me??? i think i have brain damage or something. one of my work buddies has the CUTEST 6 month old boy, and he was up here the other day. i was squeezing on him. and what was worse, my husband was here too and he was getting all gushy.

i guess i'm at the point that if we are going to have another baby, it has to happen now! i turn 40 in a year! eek! but i am TERRIFIED. working a full-time job, having to pay for daycare again, sleepless nights, dirty diapers, rashes, BREAST PUMP!!!! on the other hand, tiny toes, soft cheeks, unconditional love, new discoveries, a baby brother or sister for the kid.

well, the jury is still out.

what an idiot

2006-02-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

britney spears never ceases to amaze me. who endangered the child more. a couple of photographers, or the mother driving with the baby on her lap. couldn't her body guard who was in the car have put the kid in the car seat as she was driving off? i don't know why i even ask. the answer is painfully obvious.

frustration. disappointment. dissatisfaction. disillusionment. anticlimax. failure. letdown. defeat.

2006-02-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

i'm not quite sure i'm ready to talk about the "marathon". it was not a good experience. if i hadn't had someone to go through it with, i would have cried. let it suffice to say that we arrived to the starting line almost an hour after official start time due to a series of unfortunate events*, and were told that we could run, but it would not be official since the start mat had been deactivated so our timing chips would not record our official start and finish times. we almost turned around to go home, but decided to run the half course. so we started the run, reluctantly, completely alone. it was pretty sad. our enthusiasm had completely fizzled, and we were in such a funk that a mile felt like 3. but thanks to my good buddy ironmaz, i readjusted my thinking, and this turned into just another sunday training run. it was decided i would be doing the la marathon in march. so my training has not ended, and my goal has not yet been reached. actually, i'm more excited about running la. there will be a lot more people running, a lot more aid stations, and a lot more people cheering me on. that's all the stuff that helps me keep going. in huntington beach there were no people cheering us on, few aid stations, and nobody running with us until we rejoined with the marathoners toward the end. of course my family and a couple of friends were there at the end, and my baby's smile absolutely made my day.

so, as i started this blog saying i was not ready to talk about it, i guess i really did want to after all. now that i am putting this out in the universe, i think i can move past the disappointment and on to the la marathon and beyond. its not like my life depends on this. this is just a personal goal. but i guess personal goals are important.

r u a simple friend or a real friend?

2006-02-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest.
A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps herself.

A simple friend has never seen you cry.
A real friend has shoulders soggy from your tears.

A simple friend doesn't know your parents' first names.
A real friend has their phone numbers in her address book.

A simple friend brings a bottle of wine to your party.
A real friend comes early to help you cook and stays late to help you clean.

A simple friend hates it when you call after she has gone to bed.
A real friend asks you why you took so long to call.

A simple friend seeks to talk with you about your problems.
A real friend seeks to help you with your problems.

A simple friend wonders about your romantic history.
A real friend could blackmail you with it.

A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument.
A real friend calls you after you had a fight.

A simple friend expects you to always be there for them.
A real friend expects to always be there for you!

gettin' cold feet

2006-02-03T12:17:00.000-08:00

ok. so i head out tomorrow for huntington beach for the marathon sunday morning. actually, i'm quite looking forward to it. i'm predicting at least 6 hours on my feet. no, i'm not one of those 4 hour people. i am nervous, but sometimes nerves can be good.

2006-02-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

i just figured out how to add links to my sidebar! i know this probably isn't a big deal to most bloggers, but it is for me. html gives me hives. so, i've only added two links so far, but since nobody reads this, i guess it doesn't really matter anyway. poor me. nobody cares.

wait a minute! somebody out there does. leanne, i know you look at my blog from time to time. i think. and coach. you check, because you said i hadn't posted in a while.

and YOU. i know who you are! i know you are there. i know you check in every once in a while when you are really bored.

so for pete's sake. SOMEBODY LEAVE ME A COMMENT!!!!!

i feel like i'm sending my blogs out into the universe, and there is no life out there. i mean, i know i am not that interesting most of the time. but i try to be mildly humorous some of the time. well, at least my kid thinks i'm funny. the husband thinks i'm "unique". that should be enough. no? so why do i need the approval of some total strangers who might run accross my blog, or even from friends who i know i can just pick up the phone and talk to? not sure. guess i'm just trying to avoid doing some actual work here.

marathon checklist

2006-02-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

shoes
two pair of socks
shorts
dry weave shirt
throw away jacket
sunscreen
watch
flip flops for after
hat
6 gels
camel back (aka. hydromacation system)
power ade
recovery drink (borrow from ironmaz)
water
camera (recharged)
ipod w/ arm strap
breakfast (yogurt, eggs, coffee)
energy bars
vaseline
blister goo
pain cream
a hammer to put myself out of my misery when i'm done

26 miles. how difficult could it be?????

2006-02-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

today is Thursday. only 3 days till marathon day. yikes. the furthest i've run is 20 miles. what's 6 more miles, right? RIGHT????? hopefully i'll have some pics to post when its all over. i know lots of people run marathons, but i never even thought i would be able to, and never wanted to. in fact, it was one of the things i said i would never do. i think i said this before, but every time i say i will never, i do. so, here goes. i will NEVER be a billionaire. i will NEVER do a triathalon. i will NEVER be in a play again. i will NEVER learn to sing. i will NEVER paint again. i will NEVER learn to do a triple axle. i will NEVER roller skate down venice beach in the buff.

sporadic thoughts

2006-01-19T14:19:00.000-08:00

i'm a rotten blogger. since my last post, we ended up going to texas for christmas after all on the spur of the moment. decided the thursday night before christmas to leave friday morning early. jumped in the car with our kid and our bird, drove a day and a half, and were in austin by 3:30 christmas eve. didn't even tell my mom we were coming. she cried. she laughed. she was completely beside herself. so much fun. ate a lot. drank a lot. saw some friends and family.

no time to say anything significant. i am so lame.

OH! texas texas yee haw! GO LONGHORNS! GO VINCE YOUNG!!! we rock. the game was on my birthday. we had chili, shiner bock, velveeta queso dip, good friends and the longhorns won. it was absolutely perfect!

and i'm running my first marathon in two weeks.

fin.

Holiday Blues

2005-12-14T14:36:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in a LOOOOOOOOONG time. No time for it. Thought I'd say something, even though nobody reads this. But maybe one day I'll come back and see what I was thinking at this time in my life.

On Christmas (yes, I'm not going to be PC) I love Christmas and all it stands for. I'm searching for the magic that it used to be when I was young. May never find it, but I do see it in my daughter's face, and that may be enough.

I hate shopping. I've never been good at giving gifts because I wait until the last minute, and then just give up. And I do so hate the commercial side of Christmas. I would love to just take the Kid and the husband out and do something in the spirit of the season, and just give to the community instead of giving a lot of presents to friends and family that they will think are "nice", but will either re-gift or stuff in a drawer somewhere.

We're not going to Austin for Christmas, and that stinks because I am so ready to spend the holidays at my mom's house. But I think it will be nice not to travel. I did a lot of that this year already.

So, that's all for now. The boss is calling. Aaargh.

i am a cyborg

2005-08-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

bachelorette #2, will you please stand up?

2005-08-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

i am nearly 40 years old, and we got thrown out of a bar for causing a ruckus. though, it was not my doing. but i was in the group, so was guilty by proxy. the husband is already starting rumors that i got into a knock down drag out fist fight, and that i was literally tossed out of the bar. that's what he does. inflates stories.

our waiter at the drag show was cash-mere. she was awsome. the waiters were also in the show. she was big and buxom, and had hairy armpits. but she took good care of us.

i think i've had my fill of bachelorette parties. i can't top this one, so i think i'll quit while i'm ahead.

"where distortion is a cause for celebration"

2005-08-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

www.jowlers.com they've gotten it back up and running! most of these are much funnier than mine. i don't think i got quite enough jowl action going before i snapped my photo. however, suffice it to say, i don't think there is another jowler in my future. my head really hurt after that. yes, i do have better things i could be doing with my time.

like spending TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS on the kid's school uniforms. 100% polyester. they stand up on thier own. the kid is going to catholic school. i can't believe we are actually sending her to catholic school. just one more instance where saying "i will never...." backfired. in my life, i've come to realize that any time i say i will never do something, inevitably, i do it. luckily, they have no nuns there in the classroom to rap them on the back of their tender little knuckles with a ruler. all i can think of is my mom's story. she and her older sister went to catholic school. her sister had a sweet kind nun, sister mary francis. but my poor mom, who always seemed to get the short end of the stick, got stuck with big, mean 'ol sister brissimo who had pegged out one little girl in the class to pick on relentlessly. if i ever write that book that i'll never write, sister brissimo will have to be a character. (see how i did that? i said i'll NEVER write that book, so that maybe i WILL. of course, now that i've said that, i WON'T)

i'm going to my second wild and crazy bachelorette weekend in san diego on saturday. i sure have been on a lot of trips this year sans husband and kid. we're going to some drag show, and have to wear tank tops with some dirty pictures on them. 14 girls staying in two rooms at some resort. we'll be hanging out at the pool all day, and then 7 girls per room will be fighting for the showers to get ready. sound like fun? i am very psyched about the drag show. i've never been to one, except for a play we saw in hollywood last year about a beauty pageant, all men in drag. i LOVE men in drag.

th....th...that's all folks.

2005-07-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

WARNING: jowlers can cause enormous headaches, and perhaps whiplash.

jow-ler- n. an image created when the subject of a photo shakes his/her head violently from left to right continuously, causing the skin of the mouth and cheeks to flap, creating a distorted and often disturbing image whilst the picture is being taken.

Apparently this past-time has become so popular that the Jowl Brother's web site is under construction. www.jowlers.com

2005-07-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

and it opens!

2005-07-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

we have a bench!

i'm a loser...but we have the bench

2005-07-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

i had these great plans to journal during my trip to texas. obviously that did not happen. must have been that the texas heat temporarily stunned my brain, or it could be that my mom has an ancient tiny computer that is slower than molasses, and you can only log on early in the morning or late at night so that it doesn't tie up the phone line.

if i could remember my trip, i'd recount. but at this moment in time, it ain't happening. i do know that the kid played in the pool every single day. this is the same kid that hid her bathing suit the night before we took off so that she wouldn't have to swim because she was so scared. but thanks to my mom (and senior discount day at ross dress for less) the kid had a new suit the first day we got there.

the husband worked nearly the entire time we were there. he took his computer. not a laptop, mind you. his big ol' hunky mac with the large screen. he did make it to the pool a few times, and we got out to hear some live music at least one night. but he's done with his big project (for now) since we've been home he's taken to the back yard and is building a bench for us to sit on. it is *(&)*^%$ hot outside, and he's spending his days outside building a bench which he feels it is very important to have. he is very proud of this bench, and wants me to come look at it every hour or so to see the progress. it is a very nice bench. it will be very nice to sit on. it is a big bench. it serves as a nice storage space (the seat opens up and has a large space underneath).
i will love the bench. i will sit on the bench. the bench will be awesome!

texas log: day 1

2005-06-21T05:36:00.000-07:00

can i just say that the heat in El Paso is INSANE!!!!!! i went for a 30 minute walk with my sister yesterday accross the FRICKIN DESERT. i'm not kidding. unfortunately they are turning said desert into plots of land for sale for a new housing community. so we were walking through dirt, rock and sand, dodging the bull dozers in 103 degree weather. again. not kidding. i haven't sweated so much since.... well.... since i ran 7 MILES ON SATURDAY!!!! actually, i don't think i even sweated that much on saturday.

the poor kid has been miserable in the heat. she could never live in texas. we turned on the hose in the afternoon and let her run through as we squirted her with the spray nozzle. she had a blast! it reminded me of my summers as a kid growing up in the texas heat. the husband has been miserable and sluggish too. so the kid squirted him with the hose.

but last night in the early evening a storm rolled in from the mountains with big black clouds, lightning bolts and thunder. it didn't actually rain where we were, but it was awsome to watch. my sis has a view from her house of the mountains, and we sat in the back yard drinking wine and watching the storm. husband and kid splashed around in the warm tub (it was a hot tub, but we dumped in 5 huge bags of ice to cool it down)

today we're headed for austin. all i can say is thank God my mom has a swimming pool. i'm sure that's where the husby will be spending his time, with a cold tecate.

we're such studs!

2005-06-18T23:41:00.000-07:00

ok. my friend batman and i ran this morning. we ran almost 7 miles, doing an 8 and 2 minute cycle. just a couple of months ago i wasn't sure i could get back into running at all. now we're changing our strategy from training for the long beach half-marathon to training for the LA marathon! I wanted to have some crazy thing to do before i turn 40. a tatoo, navel piercing, jumping out of an airplane. but i think the LA marathon is an admirable aim. i think i'll stick with that. well.... maybe one teensy weensy little tatoo. i've wanted one for such a long time.

so we're off to texas tomorrow. hittin' the trail. on the road again. texas, texas, yee haw!

2005-06-18T07:16:00.000-07:00

my what BIG eyes you have

ok. somebody say something

2005-06-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

ok. i know SOMEbody has to read my blog. and i know who you are- all two of you. leave me a comment. a word of encouragement. a thought for the day. just say hello. ANYthing.

got you sucka!

2005-06-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

killed the basilisk. now what?

summer fever

2005-06-08T14:46:00.000-07:00

ahhhh. what a beautiful day in southern california. sky is so blue. i'm cutting out in 15 minutes to head to the beach with the husband and the kid. so excited i am (watched return of the jedi the other night for the first time in ages) i'm gonna take my jog down there while the kid rides her new pink bike.

so i've been obsessed with this harry potter and the chamber of secrets pc game. in my sleep i am fighting slugs, trolls, gnomes, fire crabs, spiders and basilisks. i've gotten to the chamber of secrets, but i cannot for the life of me kill the bloody basilisk. he keeps chomping on me. i'm sure there is some trick. i was stuck in this one room for EVER, and couldn't find a way out. i threw spells at almost every brick and crack, until i finally just walked up to the only door (which i had tried to cast alahamora on over and over again) and it opened....just like that.

all i can think of right now is the trip to texas. we hit the road a week from sunday, and i can't wait! my mind is already on vacation. i'm hope we get to hear some music this time. just want to go to some outdoor joint and drink a pitcher of shiner and listen to some good southern rock while stuffing myself with some ribs. maybe even an outdoor concert or two.

ah. my fifteen minutes is almost up. time to skee-daddle.

bathroom humor

2005-06-05T19:51:00.000-07:00

so, i've officially started training for the long beach half marathon. my friend batman is my coach and motivation. he's already run a marathon or two, and done several trialathons and an iron man! i've officially been running in earnest for about 4 weeks (after my six month hiatus), and today we did a three mile trek/run through a rocky and brushy terrain. i thought it would kill me. so 3 miles sounds like nothing when thinking about a half marathon-but up hills, over and around rocks, through brush is no easy feat. and i had a little digestive problem that thwarted our first attempt at our run. we had to make an emergency retreat back to the bathrooms (which was no easy feat! we were already 15 minutes into our run, and had to make it back to the beginning of the trail and drive to the port-a-potties about a mile away- but i had no choice. it was baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.) so on the second try things went well, and it was beautiful up there in topanga canyon.

lesson learned from this experience: stay away from eggplant parmesian the night before a run in order to avoid severe gastro-intestinal turbulence. or else, wear depends!

2005-06-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

dreaming of texas

2005-05-31T15:28:00.000-07:00

lil' cowgirl

2005-05-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

soon she'll be an old married lady, just like me!

2005-05-23T15:22:00.000-07:00

Angels?

wild bachelorette weekend

2005-05-23T13:59:00.000-07:00

i spent the weekend in san diego with a bunch of loud skinny blonde people. it was fun, but i did feel at times like i was disappearing into the background. reminded me of college! we were supposed to go to some "hip hop" club (yes, that's what i said- hip hop), but i didn't make it past the restaurant. i went home with the hostesses mom who had come in from houston for the festivities. nonetheless, i had a great time, just imbibed a little more than i should have on the first night. white wine, champagne, and a lemon drop shot. ugh! wasn't there something in my earlier blogs about giving up alcohol? but san diego is georgeous! and so nice to get out of l.a. for the weekend. the house we stayed in was really nice, and the area is so pristine.

of course, while i was away, all went to hell at home. the husband had a hot egg explode in his face which left a big burn mark, then he burned the pancakes. the kid made sure to tell him that "mommy makes them into shapes". then he took the kid to a "groovy girl" birthday party and she had a tragic time. husband said there was a d.j. that was playing music that grated on his nerves which included hillary duff, and 50 cent! he said the little 6 year old divas were screaming into microphones, and his head almost exploded. the poor kid wasn't feeling very included since it was mostly her friends school friends.

such a good daddy, though. he suffered through blue hawaii with her that afternoon (elvis! i rented it for her because she fell in love with his music) which she loved (i had to explain to her when i got back that elvis is a real cad in that movie, and that boys shouldn't behave that way towards women) not sure she got it, but she thinks elvis is cute anyway. and i didn't even dare mention that he's dead. she'll find out one day.

and today, her sweet daddy took her to build-a-bear where she built-a-rabbit. she called me to tell me how much fun she had. they were down on hollywood blvd. and she got to shake mikey mouse's hand, and he kissed it. couldn't be a better day for a kid. though she did tell me that it wasn't all good because daddy got a ticket because it was street cleaning day. and daddy said some things that he told her she should not repeat. you can't win 'em all.

husband in arizona

2005-05-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

the husby went to sedona for a screening of a film he scored. he made it a little road trip. the movie is rounding first.

taxes stink

2005-04-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

need i say more? i wanted to use more harsh expletives, but this is a friendly site.

2005-03-22T13:56:00.000-08:00

and they call it puppy love

Jackson 5 vs. the Osmonds

2005-03-22T13:43:00.000-08:00

found this link interesting. check out the comparitive pictures toward the end. i'm a closet donny osmond fan you know. my cousin E and i were mad for him starting about age 5 and 6. lived for the donny and marie show. had purple socks. read tiger beat magazine. couldn't get enough donny. i think my first non-kid music record album was donny. wanted to marry him. E and i even wrote a "play" starring donny, E and your's truly. on roller skates, no less. if only we had a copy.

bloggity boggity blog

2005-03-18T11:13:00.000-08:00

just felt like i should make an entry today. it is a grey and dreary friday in los angeles. the day after st. patty's. oh the days when i could just pop on over to the pub after work for cold stout guinness. that was pre-kid. but on the up side, no hangover today. we watched napoleon dynamite for the third time last night, this time with our neighbor. i find it infinitely amusing. and netflix rules!!! i resisted for a long time, but finally gave in since we are resistant to cable.

just found out i've been abandoned by my right hand woman at work. i'm so sad. felt betrayed. was angry. cried. went through all of the grieving emotions. finally i've accepted it. i suppose. she's only moving down the hall to another division, so it's not too terrible. but i'm screwed work-wise. i'm still in mourning.

ok. now it is raining again in los angeles. i can't believe how much rain we've had this year. the first three years we were here we barely saw any at all. it is POURING. waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

this is sort of a blue post, so i give up for now.

2005-03-10T17:29:00.000-08:00

Kid's New Haircut

kablooie

2005-03-10T17:25:00.000-08:00

my head is going to explode today. too much going on in it. tired. people coming for dinner. messy house. have to pick up kid. husband in a whirlwind because of upcoming busness trip to europe. just got lots of assignments. lots of proposals to write. need vacation from work. need sleep.

2005-03-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

Run Hit Wonder 10K
2004

the countdown begins....

2005-03-03T15:52:00.000-08:00

so i mentioned before that half marathon i was planning to run last year and didn't. i thought i was done with it. through. out of my mind. not so fast. i got the registration form for this year's event, with the payment section marked out- "payment carryover from 2004" written very boldly next to it. now the pressure's on. i had already written off that $40 registration fee. but now i'm feeling the guilt. will i start training again? will i actually get off my duff and start running, or even walking? will i ever lift a weight again? (does picking up the kid count?) will have to wait and see. it won't be tomorrow.

2005-02-28T13:47:00.000-08:00

selkie girl

my shapeshifter is...

2005-02-28T11:40:00.000-08:00

The Scottish Selkie was a being who appeared to be a seal, but had the ability to shed their skin and roam the land in human form. If a human were to happen upon the discarded seal skin, he or she could hide it and force the selkie to marry him or her. However, if the selkie were to ever find the skin, he or she would immediately reassume seal form and return to the sea from whence they came, leaving their spouse and offspring on land to forever mourn their loss. As a selkie, you are a very withdrawn, secretive and somewhat sad person, and those around you find you alluring and mystifying. People who come into your life find it difficult to find the inner you. You are also curious, but you enjoy the comforts of home most of all.

Who is your inner Shapeshifter?
brought to you by Quizilla

coincidentally, one of my favorite children's plays that i read during grad school is Selkie by Laurie Brooks Gollobin. this is a link to a teacher's guide from Chicago Playworks.

another note

2005-02-24T13:24:00.000-08:00

i've given up on not drinking for Lent, or for any other reason. i've given in to the fact that a small glass of wine in the evening is necessary for my sanity on many days.

bed wetting saga

2005-02-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

so we've totally regressed with the night potty training thing. wet...wetter...and still wetter. i think the kid is going to bed too late. she doesn't even wake up when there is a big wet spot. she just sleeps in it. i was a bed wetter until i was about seven. i read that if a kid has a parent that was a bed wetter, there's a big chance they will inherit the problem. sorry kid! some of the causes of bed-wetting include the following:

Genetic factors (it tends to run in families)
Difficulties waking up from sleep
Slower than normal development of the central nervous system--this reduces the child's ability to stop the bladder from emptying at night YIKES!!!
Hormonal factors (not enough antidiuretic hormone--this hormone reduces the amount of urine made by the kidneys) YIKES AGAIN!!!
Urinary tract infections (EEK)
Abnormalities in the urethral valves in boys or in the ureter in girls or boys DOUBLE YIKES!!!!
Abnormalities in the spinal cord TRIPLE YIKES!!!!
Inability to hold urine for a long time because of small bladder

bed-wetting is NOT caused by

drinking too much before bedtime. (no, she's not an alcoholic)
It's not a mental or behavior problem. (thank God)
It doesn't happen because the child is too lazy to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. (no one could ever call my child lazy!)
And children do not wet the bed on purpose or to irritate their parents. (well.... that's debatable)

time to turn to the infamous wee-alert from sears. my mom bought one when i was having problems. its this metal sheet that goes under your matress pad, hooked up to some sort of box by clamps. the principal is it makes this horrendous buzzing noise to alarm you when you start to wet the bed, with the result that you become so terribly shaken by this noise that your brain begins to warn you to wake up before it happens, so you go to the bathroom to avoid being frightened to death night after night. yes, my mom did it to me. it worked. am i considering it? yup. we'll try again before i resort to the wee alert.

2005-02-22T13:18:00.000-08:00

lakefront property

rain rain go away!!!!!!!!!!

2005-02-22T13:02:00.000-08:00

ok. one of the reasons i agreed to come to los angeles with the hubby was that the weather was always 75 degrees and sunny. so i can take rain every now and again, and the huge lightning storm we had the other night reminded me of texas (one of the things i really miss about texas are the big storms with thunder and lightning) but this is RIDICULOUS. we were stranded in our house yesterday watching the fools who thought they could drive through 3 feet of water, and stalled out in the street, forcing them to climb out the windows of their vehicles and wade to higher ground.

try...try again

2005-02-22T12:59:00.000-08:00

again with the sheets... twice over the long weekend. i'm sure it's the excessive rain we've had.

if at first you don't succeed....

2005-02-19T08:53:00.000-08:00

have to wash the sheets this morning.

milestones

2005-02-18T14:59:00.000-08:00

last night was a big night. the kid slept in big girl pants, and didn't weedle in the bed! it's a big deal for us. the thought of not having to spend money on another box of pull-ups is very liberating. plus, i feel some guilt being removed as we will no longer be contributing super absorbent non-bio-degradable materials to the landfill. then there's the biggest thing. our little monster is growing up. she was so proud of herself. we'll have to celebrate tonight.

Austin Girl

2005-02-18T14:58:00.000-08:00

Austin Girl testing 123

the 100 scariest movie scenes of all time

2005-02-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

http://www.retrocrush.com/scary/

doh!!!!!

2005-02-17T10:29:00.000-08:00

so i fell off the wagon last night. only 6 days into my non-drinking promise. yes, we had dinner with the cat in the hat and family, and he had three bottles of wine ready, big grin on his face. husby was strong, held his ground and stuck with soda. the cat's wife drank half a beer, and then soda. i gave in to the charms of the cat, and partook in some very nice red wine (charles shaw Gamet Beaujolais is really nice- and cheap!!). i think i had 3 glasses. have a twinge of a headache in me ol' noggin. feel terribly guilty. but i think i've learned a lesson. i like the way i feel not drinking much better. there's still beerapalooza, but husby and i have made a pact that we will politely taste a couple of the brews (it is a home brew party after all, and we can't be rude guests), but will be sensible.

down 5!!!!

2005-02-15T16:16:00.000-08:00

so i was training for this half marathon last year (which i never ran). i was running or going to the gym 5 days a week, yet the scale didn't budge from 140. now i've reprogrammed my eating habbits, and have been abstaining from alcohol for a week, and i'm down to 135! very excited. clothes fitting better. if i can just add in a few days of excercise each week i'll be in good shape. and i don't feel like i'm dieting. i just opt for the flavorful but healthy. i have always hated dieting, but for some reason this is working and i'm not feeling deprived.

and the alcohol thing isn't bothering me either. with my sig other not drinking, i really don't even miss it. we just drink hot tea. now, if we can just keep the cat in the hat from coming over with his 3 bottles of wine.....

texas, texas yee haw!

2005-02-14T13:47:00.000-08:00

i forgot to mention the kid and i went to texas (or did i?) it was such a brief trip, but it satisfied my texas cravings for a bit. got to see some of the fam damnily. got to spend time with mamma, and go to my sister's ranch. actually, her husband is a ranch manager, so they just live there. don't own it. but it sounds so texas! my sister's ranch. we all own them you know. ride horses everywhere we go, and wear hats and boots. wait a minute. sounds like me brother-in-law. they have lots of exotic critters there. a heard of zebras, kudus, ginzboks (not sure how to spell that one). the kid had a ton of fun.

now me husby wants to take her to czechland with him when he goes in april on business, so she can meet some of her czech cousins, aunts and uncles. i think she'll have so much fun. it will be so different for her. i'm glad she will make her first trip with daddy. i'm such a nervous wreck flying these days.

so we're giving up alcohol for Lent. i think it'll be good. we've both been feeling guilt when we drink lately. maybe its because we're approacing 40. but so far it hasn't been too difficult. the wine will be the hard part for me. i love red wine. beer, i can live without. never liked liquor much (ever since that incident in 10th grade!) husby even mentioned giving it up for good. i'll believe it when i see it. a czech without beer is like, well.... OMG! i just remembered we're invited to a party next weekend titled BEERAPALOOZA! with pub grub and all. with home brew. how's that gonna work? can you take a break in the Lenten promises? yikes. that'll be a toughy.

just a few thoughts for the day.
back to work.

thoughts on a rainy friday

2005-02-11T16:45:00.000-08:00

my daughter was afraid for me to leave her at her pre-school today. said she thought i was going to blow away in the wind. i'm not sure where these fears are coming from. did mary poppins scar me that much at that age? you know, the nannys blowing away and all. or was it wizard of oz?

i'm on this low carb thing. i have always been annoyed by all of the low carb fanaticism, but i jumped on the bandwagon when i had no time to work out, and was putting on the pounds. i'm not doing anything silly like eating bacon and beef all the time. i eat lots of salad and vegetables, and chicken and fish. just no pasta, bread, rice, etc. also need to stop with the wine. i'm a total wino sometimes. mainly, excercise is the way to go. i was almost ready for a half marathon last october, then i sprained my ankle really badly jumping into a swimming pool (fully clothed) to rescue my daughter who had fallen in head first. actually, i froze and my husband pushed me aside because i was standing there like a lump and so i decided that i needed to follow him in and twisted my ankle on the steps. so we were all in the pool, fully clothed, soaking wet. me with a hurt ankle. my daughter started laughing hysterically, but has never wanted to get near water since. short story long, i didn't run the half marathon, and haven't exercised since. guess its time to get off my behind and do something. before too long i'll be hitting the big 4-0. ACK!

well, time to run. off to pick up my lil' schmoopie.