Since Then...

So everything before this post was from April 5th or earlier.  So what have I been doing with my time since?

Playing a little kickball (part of my team, the Kicking Puppies):

Looking for work:

Knocking on doors:

Thinking about my next move:

Painting my nails:

Exploring new avenues:

Avoiding crime in my neighborhood (such as homicides and aggravated robberies):

and sleeping:

I contacted a creative placement agency who told me that my presentation was years beyond my experience. After working with them for exactly one week, I was offered a position, with the company I interviewed with before I left UM, National Cinemedia...the position I did not get.  Apparently something happened with the other candidate and this past Thursday, they called me in the morning and asked if I was still available for work.  I told them yes and they told me to stand by.  Later that afternoon, they called me and asked if I was interested in the position.  I told them yes yes yes.  They will be paying me a substantially higher salary than I've ever made, about a 20% raise, and I have pretty set hours from 8:30 until 5:30.  Of course benefits, 401k, everything is included.  I had to submit a form for a background check and it just came back clear today...so I was officially offered the position today.  I only told those close to me about the job until I actually got it, so please don't feel slighted if you weren't told. I will be working as a sales assistant helping the online and offline sales managers.  I will make contacts with all of the agencies out here as well as contacts in Denver (the HQ) and NY (another huge office).  Even though I don't have everything figured out just yet, this at least gives me something to pay my bills while I figure out my next move.  In the meantime, I've gotten involved with a theater near work as a stage manager and will be starting next week, along with starting work next week.  It's a great way to meet people and it's a passion of mine, so it just makes sense.  I've met most of my friends through theater in one way or another, so I need to go with what I know...

That's life for now...Who knows what will happen next, but I'll try to keep you updated!! 

Easter in Hanford

Thursday morning, mom and I woke up and went to Target. I knew we were headed up to Hanford for the weekend, but I wanted to avoid the traffic. I had interviewed for a job with National Cinemedia before I was let go from UM, and they called me Thursday morning telling me that they loved me but they had decided to go with a different candidate who had more experience. They told me there was nothing I could have done differently, the other person was just more experienced. Booo, but I accept it and respect that they called me to let me know. Mom and I ate at Carl's Jr. for lunch and then got on the road. Mom can't decide she and Dad drove up that way with Ms. Sandy and Mr. Al, but nonetheless, she enjoyed the ride. We got up to Kerry and Boz's house around 4 and started playing with Reagan right away.


A few minutes later, Kerry put her in her adorable little easter dress and we went to see the Easter Bunny. I thought she would be terrified like she was of Santa, but she went right to the bunny, climbed in her lap and was having a blast!

We'll See How She Does Near The Bunny Without Mommy...

Now We'll Try The Lap...

Yay Bunny!!

Friday, we took a family trip to Wal-Mart to pick up last minute Easter supplies. We had lunch at Applebee's where Reagan fell in love with the little boy sitting next to us. She wouldn't stop staring at him. Kerry tried to teach her the concept of "let him come to you" but she didn't quite get it. I'm worried about this little girl when she becomes a teenager!!

We went home and dyed easter eggs. Well. to be honest, I don't remember when we did this. It was either Friday or Saturday, and for our sake, we're going to say Friday. Reagan loved throwing the eggs in the dye and watching it turn colors. She loved it so much that she wanted to dye Mommy!

I Do What? Um, Ok...

Yay!! This Is Actually Pretty Fun!!

Oops...Sorry Mommy, But I Thought You'd Be Cute Dyed Orange!

Reagan's Finished Product...She Wants More To Dye!

Friday night, Boz suggested the adult girls go out to a movie so we did just that. We saw Our Family Wedding with America Ferrera whom I love. It was super cute.

Saturday morning, we spent cooking, shelling eggs, etc. Kerry and Boz were going away for the night so they wanted to prepare for Easter as much as possible. There was some dancing, some laughs, and overall a good time...

Kerry and Boz left when Reagan was put down for her nap. Mom and I decided that Reagan needed a new fun outfit for Easter since she didn't have one, so to take her mind off of mommy not being there, we whisked her off to the Carter's Outlet as soon as she woke up. She didn't really miss mommy too much...she had a couple of little moments, but was easily distracted. Kerry and Boz got back a few minutes after she woke up in the morning. That's when the real cooking and the real fun began!!

Sorry this is sideways, but it's my favorite video...This little family has so much fun together!! (This is taking forever to upload...I'll try it again later...)

Kerry had invited her neighbors over for Easter dinner. Greg and Nancy had us over for Thanksgiving and Dan and Marcy had us over for Christmas and Kerry wanted to return the favor. Kerry also invited her friend Karen and her family. Karen and Kerry became very close while their husbands were away and Karen has become one of my favorites. Total, there were 12 children under the age of 13 there. It was slightly chaotic and the best form of birth control a girl can have. They had a huge Easter Egg hunt and the kids had a blast!

She Found An Egg!

Reagan has a little boyfriend in the next door neighbor, Andrew. Andrew is 3 and cute as he can be. As soon as he woke up from his nap, he came over with his dad and immediately went up to Reagan and said "wanna go into your room?" Of course, he didn't know what he was saying, but it was the cutest thing in the world. This little guy is going to be a heartbreaker when he gets older.

Mom and I left early because we needed to get back to LA. The next morning, we got up super early to go see Dr. Phil! We got there rather early and were ushered in. After going through everything to know, we were seated in the very front row!!!! I don't know when the show will air, but when it does, look for us in the front row!! The topic was a family in chaos and then a guy who wrote a book. They gave the audience the book, but we didn't get a copy. Mom's flight was supposed to leave around 2:30 or so, so we wanted to get her to the airport in time and only stayed for the first show. They give everything away after the second taping, so we didn't get the book. Boo....

We ran down to the airport and I dropped Mom off. Her flight was delayed and we were so mad because we knew we could have stayed for the second taping. I came home and straightened up because I had plans with my cousin Sara. She lives in NYC and was in town for the week, so we made plans to get dinner. Around the time that Sara arrived at my apartment, I got a call from mom that she had been bumped from her flight and could she come stay with me again for the night. Of course! Sara and I jumped in the car and drove back down to the airport. Sara hadn't seen the Grove, so we decided to go there for dinner. We ate at the Cheesecake Factory, then Sara and I dropped Mom off at my apartment and went out for a drink in Echo Park. It was great catching up with my cousin and bonding with her. I really admire her and respect her and think she's just a pretty cool lady.

At 4:00 the next morning, I took mom back to the airport then came back to sleep and unwind from the whirlwind couple of weeks!

Tour Guide

We left San Diego super early on Sunday to take Dad to the airport.  It was really sad to see him go, but we were grateful that we had the time with him that we did.  After we dropped Dad off, Mom and I went back to my apartment because she had never seen it before.  We came in, I checked my mail, fed my fish, did little stuff like that, then Mom and I decided to check out some sights.  We started with the La Brea Tar Pits.  Although I worked across the street from them for 6 months, I never actually had the time to go over and see what it was all about.

The tar pits are not what normal people think they are.  The area where they are located, between Hancock Park and Miracle Mile is built on natural oil reserves.  Asphalt, a semi-solid fraction of the oil (not to be confused with asphalt concrete that builds roads) breaks away from the oil and forms pools.  This has been happening in Los Angeles for thousands of years.  Way back when, the asphalt pools would become covered with leaves or debris, and animals, thinking it was water, would walk into the asphalt pool to drink.  They would get stuck and ultimately die there.  According to Wikipedia : 
"As the bones of the dead animals sink into the asphalt, it soaks into them, turning them a dark-brown or black color. Lighter fractions of petroleum evaporate from the asphalt, leaving a more solid substance, which holds the bones. Apart from the dramatic fossils of large mammals, the asphalt also preserves very small "microfossils": wood and plant remnants, insects, dust, and even pollen grains."


There is a museum there, the George C. Paige Museum where the fossils are put on display.  A friend told me that it wasn't worth the price of the admission, so I told mom that we shouldn't.  It turns out that it probably would have been worth it, so I wish we had gone.  After that, we went to Burbank and had lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen.  Later that afternoon, we went to the Grove and Farmer's Market.  After looking around the Farmer's Market, we decided to have ice cream for dinner!  It was so yummy!

The La Brea Tar Pits with Woolly Mammoths Drowning In The Sticky Tar

The Farmer's Market

Tuesday, we got up early to meet Kerry, Boz and Reagan at Universal Studios.  We started out going on the Studio Tour.  They were filming Desperate Housewives and Parenthood (my favorite).  We saw them filming Desperate Housewives, but I'm not a fan so it didn't mean anything to me.  After that, we did a few rides/experiences until we went to the Animal Show.

Kerry, Reagan and Boz on the Tram

Wisteria Lane

War of the Worlds Set

Boz Wearing our Shrek Glasses for the Shrek 4-D Experience

After lunch/before the animal show, Reagan was acting a little cranky.  She was teething, had just had a few big days and it was hot so we all understood.  When we went to the Animal Show, she didn't want to sit, so Kerry walked with her.  Turns out, Reagan was ready to go back for her nap, but we got separated so Mom, Boz and I watched the Animal Show while Kerry and Reagan waited for us to get out so they could get their room key.  We enjoyed the show though!!  Afterwards, Kerry and Reagan went for a nap while Boz, Mom and I rode rides and saw the sights...

Reagan Waiting For The Show To Start

A Monkey With Clothes On

Boz and Me On The New Simpson's Ride

That night, we went to Bubba Gump at City Walk.  Reagan played a rousing game of hide and seek which amused us all.  

Where's Reagan?

There she is!!

I'm so cute!

Tuesday, Mom and I took it easy.  Personally, my feet were aching.  Standing/walking for 4 days straight in stupid shoes had left my ankles aching.  Note to self, next time wear sneakers!  Anyway, we decided to just drive around and see what we could see.  We started at The Hollywood Forever Cemetery.  There we saw the graves of Cecil B. DeMille, Jane Mansfield, Valentino, Larry Tate from Bewitched, and Johnny Ramone.  

Johnny Ramone's Grave

From there, we decided to try out Pink's on La Brea.  Pinks is well known for their outlandish hot dogs and even more outlandish lines.  It's a celebrity hot spot, I saw David Hasselhoff there one day (I pass it on my way home from Target)!!  Their menu has items such as the Martha Stewart Dog (10" Stretch Dog, relish, onions, bacon, chopped tomatoes, sauerkraut & sour cream), The Three Dog Night ( 3 hot dogs, wrapped in a giant tortilla, 3 slices of cheese, 3 slices of bacon, chili & onions) etc.  I had the Lord of the Rings Dog (10" Stretch Dog, Yummy BBQ sauce topped with onion rings) and mom made her own dog.  To be honest, we weren't all that impressed.  The hot dog skin was tough and almost over cooked.  We are happy that we went for the experience, but it's not somewhere I would go again unless specifically asked.      

Pink's Hot Dogs...they've now celebrated 70 years, so this picture is old...

    After that, we decided to drive up into the Hollywood Hills.  The roads up there are windy and narrow.  The houses are beautiful, and it was a great time just driving around, looking at the sights and the houses.  My goal was to get as close to the Hollywood sign as possible.  The area we were in was very interesting.  It went across several canyons, from flat land to mountains and canyons.  I can't find my mother's pictures of the sign, but we got really really close.  

A Topographical Map of West Hollywood, The Hollywood Hills and The Hollywood Sign.  

We got about this close...It was pretty awesome!!

Later that afternoon, we went to Griffith Park and the Griffith Observatory.  I can see the Griffith Observatory from my window and have always wanted to visit but didn't have the time.  It's pretty amazing actually.  

Griffith J. Griffith was an industrialist in the later part of the 1800's.  He moved to what is now Los Angeles and purchased 4,000 acres from the Rancho Los Feliz Mexican Land Grant.  I can't determine which came first, the donation or the shooting, but the way Wikipedia spins it is that he and his wife donated over 3,000 of those acres to the city of Los Angeles to be designated as a National Park.  Sometime later, GJG shot his wife in the head while they were vacationing in Santa Monica.  She survived but there was a trial and all of that ooey goodness.  She was granted a divorce and he was sentenced to 2 years in San Quentin and "medical aid for his condition of alcoholic insanity." The way we originally heard it, the donation was a part of his sentence, but now I'm learning that isn't the case.  In his will, he left most of his $1.5 million fortune to the city to build the Greek Theater and the Griffith Observatory on his land.  The Observatory was great...it's nestled on a cliff, so it had breathtaking views of the city...I can't wait to go back...

Southern Side of the Observatory

The Northern Side of the Observatory Which Looks Out Over the City

The Observatory at Night, Overlooking Downtown Los Angeles (near where I live)

Overlooking Hollywoodish area from the Observatory

Wednesday, we had to go back down to San Diego to get my car.  We decided to take our time, drive down the coast.  Mom wanted to re-visit Redondo Beach and I had never been, so I eagerly agreed.  We started out around 10, made it to Redondo Beach around lunch time and had lunch there.  It was freezing but really pretty.  On our way back to the car, we saw a seal in the harbor!  I saw a seal from about 300 yards away when I was in Maine but it was little more than a speck on the horizon.  This is the first time I saw a seal up close and not in captivity.  I was so excited.  We took a book out of our adventure the day before and just drove and drove.  Saw some amazing and gorgeous scenery.  At 3:00, we hit the Los Angeles Harbor.  In a panic, we realized that we were taking way too much time since we had to be at the shop by 5:30pm.  I was getting tired so we switched drivers.  Mom was a rock star and quickly got us to the PCH and then the I-5 and got us to the shop on time.  We had dinner near our former hotel and then headed home.  It was a very fun day and I'm glad I got to bond with mom!!

Some Of The Gorgeous Scenery On The Way Down The Coast

I was so lucky during these days that my mother did basically what I wanted to do. She had already done the Hollywood thing and didn't feel the need to do it again, but we just kinda woke up in the morning and let the wind take us where it decided to.  It was great.  I'm lucky to have such a cool mom that I actually have a lot of fun with!  I'm also very grateful that she took care of her poor, unemployed daughter during this time.  Thanks Mom!!!

*Disclaimer: Thanks to Mom and Google Chrome for the images...they are not mine!

Homecoming and San Diego

Almost immediately, I noticed a change.  It was like the world had been lifted off of my shoulders.  The week after I was "involuntarily terminated," I took my time...I filed all of my paperwork, cleaned my apartment, and watched TV.  I figured that I had been working my butt off for 6 months, 9-18 hour days, no vacations unless I was actually sick...I deserved it!

That Thursday, I left for San Diego.  Mom and Dad had flown out the night before and Kerry and Reagan were driving down from Hanford.  Boz was finally coming home!  I met Mom and Dad at Seaport Village for lunch, then we went back to Kerry's hotel to meet her.  We hung out in the Gas Lamp district while we waited for Kerry's room to be ready.  Reagan took to mom and dad right away which was great because she's usually pretty shy.  They've been Skyping so I think that helped a lot...

Reagan and Opa walking together

Me, Reagan, Mom getting ice cream!!

That night, we had dinner on the base with some of Kerry's friends.  These women have kept my sister sane during the last few months and have my undying gratitude because of that.

The next morning, we got up early to be on base by 8:00.  We had to use a different entrance than Kerry and Reagan, so we were going to meet up with them.  We saw the adorable munchkin come up in her adorable outfit, and Reagan followed by her side...haha!

Her super cute outfit

She kept saying "Daddy boat!"

Mom and Dad got in the spirit!

Finally Home!

She didn't want to go to him at first, but then she realized who he was...

"Missed you Peanut"

On the way back from the base, my car suddenly stopped.  We had just gotten off of the highway and were driving down hill in downtown San Diego.  I couldn't accelerate, I couldn't brake, I started to panic.  I pulled up the emergency brake and steered the car off to the side of the road.  Then I really panicked.  I had just had almost $3,000 put into my car and now it wasn't working again?!  Ugh!

Luckily Mom and Dad were with me.  We called the tow truck and dad and I took it to the shop.  We got a rental car and went back to the hotel for a much needed nap.  Long story short, my timing belt broke and with that came broken spark plugs, pistons, engines and an additional $3,000 bill.  In the last month and a half, my car has had $6,000 worth of work put into it.  Granted, half of that was from my accident, but my car is only worth $4,500!!  

The next day, we met our cousins Bob and Elaine at the San Diego Zoo.  They showed us around and were fantastic tour guides.  We saw polar bears, elephants, koalas and baby koalas...it was such a wonderful and fun day!

Playing in the new polar bear exhibit

Buddy was chilling on the rocks...

(there was glass between us, and I had Dad's good camera with a super zoom lense...don't worry, we weren't really that close)

Mom played with the kids

Family picture, plus an elephant

"Elphant!"

Baby Koala

Kerry, Boz, Mom, Reagan, Dad, Janet, Me, Elaine and Bob

Sunday morning, we had to get up super early to take dad to the airport in LA.  From there, mom and I spent a super fun week hanging out and having fun!