MIA

In case you miss me, you can always check out what I'm up to over at the 366:2008 blog. They're not full posts but I have a picture a day for everyday this year. Its like a mini-diary. Everyone takes WAY better pictures than I do, so have a gander. But, in case you're all about me, 'cause you know, who isn't, you can pop over there, scroll down past Contributors and past Archive to Labels and then click the link that says "jenna." Those are all the pictures I've posted or I'm a part of.

So yeah, in case you're not getting enough of me, there's more me to enjoy.

New Year, New Challenges

Last month, I received an email from Steve asking if I'd be interested in participating in a group sort of project 365. I had tried to do this on my own but failed miserably.

But.

As a group.

This could be interesting.

So far, I've made it everyday. And yes, I know we're only a week in but I think this will be similar to my boot camp workout days. When you know people are waiting on you, cheering you on, watching your progress and might point and laugh if you fall behind, well, that's one hell of a motivator.

Works for me.

The link is up on the right. Check us out. The only thing we have in common is Steve. Some of us are friends. Some of us have never met. (Mental note, ask Steve who some of these people are.) But, for this year, we are 366:2008.

Making nice

So one of the girls I work with, her boyfriend lives in Simi Valley. Another girl I worked with in the days of Milberg lived in Simi and worked in downtown. Ok, no one told me that its in Ventura County. Wow. People commute that far...and farther...daily...wow.

I'm such a city girl. I already know that once I leave my castle I'm living in the hood 'cause I don't do valley. And really, for those of you who live in the valley, you don't want me. I should start a donation fund: Help Keep Jenna in the 3-1-0!

Ok, these two do tie together; we loaded up WHTVR and headed over hill and dale and hill and dale and hill and dale and went off to a bridal shower.

We played games, we ate finger sandwiches, we open gifts, and yours truly was asked to make the bow bouquet.

Happy Birthday Dick

Seven never looked so cute.

Happy Mother's Day

Mom actually liked her bag! So exciting.

If you'd like to make this bag, go buy the pattern from Allison. Go now. You'll need to buy yarn at your local yarn shop since she doesn't carry solid color felting yarn. But seriously, Allison has the cutest patterns. And really, if can make them, so you can too.

Of course, Eleanor almost didn't get Mother's Day bag. Mom liked it way more than I expected. (Don't tell Mom I just ordered more yarn from Allison to make her one for her birthday.)

I don't know what's cooler about this bag, that its cute, that its easy or that Allison links to the pattern so you can get it for free. I guess its all good. But the yarn is Noro Kureyon and she has a bunch of different colorways for you. And her prices are pretty damn stellar. But I warn you, once you enter the cult of Noro, you can't ever leave. The color combinations are just amazing.

Anyways, I hope all the moms out there had a great Mother's Day.

Spinkles vs. Danties - Round One

In this corner we have the defending champion.

In this corner we have the new kid.

Ok, to be honest, I don't understand the Sprinkles phenomenon. I mean, they're good. I understand that. I've had 8 different flavors and their dark chocolate is damn good. Would I stand in line for an HOUR for one? Oh, hell no. I get cranky after my usual wait time of about 90 seconds. But, I don't feel like I want my $3 back after eating one. They're pretty and yummy.

Then I read about Danties. Now this seemed more up my alley. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Granted, its not located in the heart of Beverly Hills. Its behind a Winchells about 2 miles west of Sprinkles, on the same street no less! There aren't 4 cute twenty somethings working the counter. Instead, you have what looks like a industrial kitchen with a large bakery case filled with beautiful cupcakes and very helpful business owners happy to talk to you about their product. As you can see from the picture above, the presentation is fantastic and they taste as good as they look. I have a feeling that once they sell a few thousand of these, they'll have a prettier shop with a very young eager staff.

Go to Danties, you won't be disappointed. But, more importantly, if you go, bring me one!

Serving my County

Actual conversation last weekend:

"I was called for jury duty."

Wow! Me too. How does it work here, do you call in or do you have to go to court?

"Oh, we call in. But I'm not happy about it."

Why, you're not working. Are you worried about taking care of grandma?

"No, we have a trip planned in September."

Ok...is your jury service in September?

"No, it starts in June."

Ok.

"You have to call in every day for 4 months."

OH!

Yeah, I guess we have it a bit easier here in la-la land. I've been calling in everyday this week and last night I got the recorded message of doom to report for service.

It started out pretty, even from the parking lot:

(I should sell this to MTA for one of their ads.)

It was sort of nostalgic to be back downtown. I had lunch plans with a friend I made while working there. I knew exactly how long it would take to get to downtown and park and all of that. I ignored the "official" directions. It felt good to be back on my old turf. Don't get me wrong. I still love working 2 miles from home. But downtown meant so much to me personally and professionally for so long.

When walking into the jury room, I grabbed a copy of the Downtown News. I read an article discussing an event by Jeffery Sebelia (winner of the last season of Project Runway) showing his latest collection for Cosa Nostra (his clothing line created pre-Project Runway). The event took place in a loft complex right next to the 7th street bridge, next to the L.A. River... weird it was so close to an area I spent so much time. I know I'm rambling but this morning was a bit a blur of feelings of jury duty doom and odd nostalgia...I don't know, my whole downtown life seems so familiar and yet so far away.

(Another view from the parking lot)

After a few hours reading & knitting & dreading, my name was called. And, like my life after downtown, I headed west. Though, this time instead of Century City, I headed over to Central Civil West. Yup, I was reassigned to the complex division of L.A. Superior. Obviously I'm not to talk about my case, and I won't.

But yeah, that was my day.

The roof, the roof

I'm sure you've heard...two stupid kids were playing with fireworks (FIREWORKS in L.A.?!? during FIRE season?!?) in the brush (really are teenagers really that stupid) above Oakwood apartments putting Universal Studios, the Hollywood sign and not to mention people's homes in danger. Yeah, they picked such a craptastic area that the fire department couldn't reach it by truck; they could only to it by air.

Of course, I'm so dense (stop nodding) and so focused on work (stop laughing) that I didn't even notice until C came into my office telling me to look up at the fire.

Fire?

This pic was taken from my desk so you'd think I would have noticed the large plume of smoke right next to my computer monitor.

Yeah, not so much.

But, once I saw it I couldn't take my eyes off of it. I mean, the city is on fire. We could see flames shooting off the hill...very freaky. But, in true hunky fireman fashion, they got the fire under control and no homes or lives were lost.

Stupid kids.

Stay off my lawn.

Take a Stand

Yeah, vacation's over...have to work to pay those credit card bills.

Upon my return I was greeted by our newest restaruant, The Stand. Owned by a local family, as I understand it, this is the second in their "chain," the first living in Encino. When we heard rumors of having our own Stand, I inquired with the valley folk and heard nothing but fabulous.



Yeah, they didn't lie. Even with the issues that face a business in their first few days, they were awesome. The food was great, not just in taste but also in quality and presentation. I'm not usually a fan of veggie burgers but I'm totally hooked on this one. I tried one of their saussages but since I'm not really a sausage girl apparently I don't appreciate their selection, or so I've been told. But yeah, if you dig the dogs, you should visit.

Oh, and the fries...yum! And, if you like pickles, they have a huge bin of them that they replenish all the time, so help yourself.

Ok, I need to stop...I'm geting hungry.

Best of the Best

Did you know there are people who drive from Phoenix to Flagstaff for the Champagne brunch at Little America? Yeah. We didn't quite understand that. Don't get me wrong, it was a d@mn fine buffet, but I don't think I'd do that drive.

After brunch, back to Vegas. Again, over the Dam. But this time, for people heading to AZ, there must have been a 3 hour line to get over that Dam. We couldn't get over the line. We wanted to yell, go back, take another route. But there was not time...we were driving too fast. Heh.

Very excited, we checked into the Belagio. Let me tell you, Steve Wynn really did create a masterpiece with this place. From lobby to pool to guest room, this place is gorgeous. You really can't ask for something prettier. We were in a standard room, and even had to take one with 2 queens instead of a king, and still it looked new, it was spacious and the bathroom rocked...I would stay there again in a heartbeat.

However, I would not eat there, order room service or try to talk to hotel management about any of the issues I'm having.

Anyone who knows me knows I come from a service background. I'm pretty damn nice to people and tend to over tip. I understand if they're busy and stressed and really only bother someone only when I really need to. That being said, they locked me out of my own credit card so I couldn't charge things to the room, they didn't honor our dinner reservation and wouldn't seat us...instead placing us on a waiting list, room service ordering was challenging and the manager who promised to make everything right, didn't.

Lets be honest, I paid $160 for a room at the prettiest hotel on the strip with a tub I could have entertained several friends in...I got the good end of that deal. I would stay there again but I would make reservations at Valentino's or any one of Pierro's restaurants (all located away from the Bellagio), and just not expect anything in the way of service, instead, just enjoying my beautiful room and my beautiful hotel.

Looks like a movie set

I know, cheesy, but seriously, the Grand Canyon doesn't look real to me. I mean, look at the back of the picture. I just expect someone to punch through the canvas or something.

It didn't help that it was a perfectly clear day, with highs in the 70s. It was seriously picture perfect, something out of a movie....something you'd expect from la-la land.

***

We took the Grand Canyon Railway to the canyon. For two people that spend far too much of their travel time in a car, this was an excellent option. If you have the means, I recommend it. But, do one of the first class cars. The lower end options looked painful...crowded, no a/c, a whole lot of not good.

We did the dome car and it was very cool. And I'm not just saying that 'cause it was a dome and had air conditioning and it was first class and we had our own "hostess." Well, actually I am just saying that. And, what seemed to be incredibly cheesy entertainment, was actually quite fun. There were singing cowboys, a "robbery" and a wild west show...very fun. But, keep in mind, as the website tell you, this is an old restored train. You might have technical problems. We did. And it was fine. But, that's just something to remember.

Something else surprising...the food at the Canyon. Most everything (including most recently the train) is owned by a private company that does public park stuff. We ate at the Arizona Room. As you can see from the chandeliers, this place rocked. For a national park, I have to admit that the food was quite tasty. Though, I'm sure it helped that the big boss sat down at the table next to us about 5 minutes after we got there. (If you want bad food, you can find it next door, but it was nice to have the choice.)

The Canyon was amazing and I definitely want to go back. Of course, I want to stay at El Tovar which will require more than 10 days advance notice, but that's ok. Someday we'll be capable of making travel plans more than 10 days in advance.

Get your kicks

After fueling up on the breakfast buffet at Mandalay (quite tastey I might add and looked *much* better than the lunch buffet they were setting up), we headed out to Flagstaff.


One thing you should know is that there are two ways to Flagstaff, the slow way or the long way. Not knowing there was a slow way or a long way, we took the direct way which translates to the slow way since you have to cross over Hoover Dam. Now, we've been to the Dam before so we knew we were in for some traffic but we didn't know it would take an hour to go 3 miles. Oddly enough, it didn't really bother us. It just was what it was. But, I'm just warning you in case you need to cross over it for *any* reason.

After surviving the Dam we were lured to Seligman by the promise of root beer in a frosty mug. (Well, one of us was lured by the frosty mug and one of us was lured by the promise of a little girls room. I'll let you guess which of us was lured by which.)

Finally we arrive at our destination. Seriously, if you're going to Flagstaff, I can't recommend Little America highly enough. I booked the hotel based on the website and let me tell you, Karen didn't let me down. The sign for Little America is a bit motel-ish but the service was amazing, the concierge knows her Flagstaff food in every price range, the rooms were really nice and the price was beyond reasonable.

One last thing and sadly, it was WAY too dark to take a picture, but we had the BEST pizza for dinner that night. OMG, fabulous. Seriously, you need to go here. And if you do go, bring me back some 'za.

Oh, and here's the obligatory tub picture:


And a taste of my new obsession of taking self-portraits in every well-lit mirror:

Bathtub Revolution...continued

Yup, its a bathtub. That's why we got the "Honeymoon" Suite. But, in all honesty, if this were my honeymoon and that was my suite, I'd be cranky.

I so dig Mandalay Bay. I've wanted to stay there for YEARS and the pools were all I hoped they would be. But, let me tell you, the room was boring at best. Now, they're totally redoing all the rooms. Of course, the new rooms are more spendy than the old ones (which I learned after booking ours.) But yeah, the tub was nice, the room was huge and boring and the wave pool rocked. I can't wait to go back!

Though, I need someone to explain the $20 inner tubes for the lazy river to me 'cause I know I'm going to pay for one next time and I need to justify it. Heh.

Rollin' with the homies...

Seriously, you'd never know that these two had just suffered the trauma of standing at the vet's office for 2 WHOLE minutes to have 3 stiches removed from Dick's head. They were the ONLY dogs there and Jane's only purpose was to keep Dick calm and yet she was shaking like they were going to take a kidney.



Drama queen...no idea where she gets that from.

Love Pink

Ok, true story: there's a woman who has lived in Los Angeles for 35 years. And this woman has never eaten at Pink's. And, this isn't some vegetarian-type of chick. This is the type of woman that loves her a good hot dog. I know, a travesty isn't it. Of course this is the same woman who thinks that anything east of Beverly Hills is East L.A. So yeah.

Well, despite protests of wanting to get home to write report cards, the hot dog gods were on our side. Thanks to the time change, everyone was discombobulated and didn't realise that they all should be at Pink's for lunch. So we enjoyed our dogs and let me tell you the yummiest fries I've had in the longest time.

And one more thing...I was going to link to Pink's website but the Google told me it may harm my computer. Well, I dig my wee mini so I was lost on what to do. Suggestions?

Dear Abby

Normally I'm totally Get-Off-My-Lawn. To say I haven't reacted well to random contractors blocking the street and even going so far as parking IN MY DRIVEWAY would be an understatement. I don't like kids playing in that same driveway 'cause they're usually there super early on weekend mornings, and frankly, I'm tired and want my precious sleep.

Imagine my surprise when I walked down to my car and met Abby. She was very cute, and very sweet so its not like I could be cross with her. But, she really liked playing in the driveway. No matter how many times I asked nicely for her to come into the front yard so we could call her mom, she just wouldn't listen. Seriously, my driveway just sucks kids in. I totally understand, I used to play down there myself. Luckily Abby isn't too big so I just picked her up and carried her out. She was ok with that; she would have rather stayed in the driveway but I think she understood.



How can you not love a kid with ears like that? The hand and skirt belong to two random Japanese students parked NOT IN MY DRIVEWAY after they spent the day at UCLA. They were sucked in by Abby's charm as well.

As luck and good parenting would have it, Abby had her tags and her owner was located on the third ring. Someone left the gate open and Abby went exploring. Abby's mom came quickly and Abby wondered home.

She was cool. Abby is the one neighborhood kid welcome in my driveway ANY TIME.

What am I looking at?

The car battery died. I know, its tragic. I think I should ask for my money back...it only lasted 8 years. (I kid, I kid.)

Since my personal auto consultant is currently living abroad, I had to take it to the shop to have the battery replaced and the oil changed. I took her to the same mechanic she's been going to for awhile. I dropped her off at the same shop to the same nice girl. Later that day, I talked to Ricardo, not Tony, finding out the shop was sold. Now, the name and look of the shop are EXACTLY the same so that was a bit odd. So whatever, they did the work for which I asked and told me I needed new rear bearing thingies. Here are the pictures I took of what they said was worn. I don't know about you, but I don't have a clue what we're looking at. These could be the healthiest bearings in the history of bearings...what do I know.

So yeah, just thought I'd share.

Murse

The man bag lives on...with a surprising sighting in Century City.

I can resist anything but temptation

Ok seriously, the dress was talking to me. You don't walk away from talking dresses. Bad things happen when you do that. I could tell you what exactly happens but then the potty monster might get me.

But seriously, this dress was for me. I mean, I'm taking pictures of myself in a dressing room. Even *I* don't do things like that. Well, I guess I do now, but I don't normally. This is what certain clothing drives me to do.

Now, the other sale dress I bought was for everyone else. Now, that might sound weird but think about it...there are the things we do for ourselves and the things we do for others. It can be in terms of time or money or work, doesn't matter. Everyone has a different button.

I've noticed with the clothes I wear, some of it is for me and some is definitely for others. I never really saw the distinction until recently.

I can walk out of the house feeling like a million bucks because I'm wearing something that makes me happy. You might not completely understand my Imitation of Christ sweatshirt but holy crap does it make me happy. I've had people look at it and go, huh, ok. Doesn't matter to me, I freakin' love it.

Ok, here's an example that might make more sense. Two baby showers, two very different audiences...one young, one not so young. For the first one, I wore something that made me happy, for the second, I wore something that I knew would go over well. Here's how it played out.

"Young" Shower: I bought this adorable Free People dress/long shirt. Its fun and plaid and green and low cut and just happy. I wore that with a pair of denim capris and fabulous brown heels. Not one compliment, nothing. I mean, that's ok. I love it; it makes me happy so I really didn't care. But the shirt was just so happy...I was a little sad no one else saw the happiness I saw.

"Adult" Shower: There's the blue Three Dot dress I bought. Its fine...kinda boring for my taste...navy blue, to the knee, low cut, fitted, 3/4 length sleeve. I wore it with a fitted tank under so my cleavage didn't attack the attendees of this shower. You would have thought I was a Princess in that dress. I got more compliments than I knew what to do with. I was the picture of demure beauty everyone wanted me to be. There wasn't anything wrong with the dress...its quite nice...but I bought it for work, for ease of wear, not because I LOVED the style. But everyone else LOVED it, loved me in it; it was flattering and nice...that's dress for everyone else.

Its been years since I've seen people that pleased with what I've worn. It was a little weird. I mean, I'm a girl so I'd be lying if I said I didn't appreciate the compliments. But it was just so odd because the dress wasn't me and yet that's what everyone else liked.

Now before you get all judgey on me, think about what you wear around the house or on the weekends...comfy boxers, an old t-shirt, jeans, whatever. Then think about what you wear to work or to dinner with grandma or that first date. It reflects all different sides of you. Think about how much time you give the start of a relationship, how you hardly think about staying up all night and then think about it 3 months later and how tired you are. Apply it to whatever, but think about it, it makes sense.

I don't think people will love this dress...but holy crap does it make me happy.

If you don't want attention don't ask for it

[Saturday, mid-afternoon, pan to a fabulously cute couple in a very stylish '98 civic....]

M: "Wow, that's the most obnoxious Lotus I've ever seen."
T: "Every time I'm in L.A., I see one."
M: "Yeah, but that's a really obnoxious one."
T: "Yeah."

[Pulls up to the red light next to the obnoxious Lotus.]

T: "Ya know, that looks like the guy in 'My Name is Earl.'"
M: "What's the rule in L.A.?"
T: "That if it looks like the celebrity, it probably is."

[M looks over; the driver has his left hand covering his face and his right hand holding a cel phone. A few seconds pass and he puts down his hand and reveals that he is indeed that guy.]

M: "Yeah, that's him."

Ok, public service announcement to celebrities...if you don't want attention don't drive tricked out cars with fins and stuff, don't hang out at the Grove, don't eat at the Ivy, and don't shop on Robertson. That's all you have to do. You can go to Fred Segal, shop at Marc Jacobs, whatever you want. But, you just have to avoid a few key places. But, that's just it. They want the attention. There are plenty of good cars, food and shopping without falling into those paparazzi traps. Seriously. I don't feel sorry for you.

No self-respecting Beverly Hills mom takes her kids to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. And its not because they're snobs or its not good enough...not that at all. Its just that if you're a mom with two small kids, you're not going to go to a restaurant where you have to wait in que for a table. And, if you're Posh, with more money than doG, you're really not going to Cheesecake at the Grove unless you want your picture taken. Seriously. I have no sympathy for that woman on any level. She hits EVERY spot in L.A. where the photogs just sit and wait and then complains that she has no privacy with her kids. Hell, she could have gone to the Brentwood Cheesecake and been left alone. But she didn't.

Same thing Jason. Your car SCREAMS for attention. The Grove is crawling with tourists and such what not. If that's what you're after, that's cool. I don't know you so I can't say either way. But yeah, the fins just cry out. Just so you know.

Obligatory Oscar Post

Like I said last year, drive anywhere this weekend in L.A. except Hollywood. So, we didn't drive, we took the Metro Redline. Wow, that was a good idea. We found free parking around Vermont/Beverly, and paid $3 for our happy Metro day pass...up to Hollywood & Highland to see the preparations for the Oscars and then off to Universal CityWalk just 'cause it was the next stop on the Redline and we could...so yeah.

Hollywood has chanced so much in the last few years. It used to be such a pit with nowhere to eat other than an icky McDonalds. Now there are all these new shops and cafes (nothing fancy but still better than the icky McDonalds) and ever a Gelato place and yes, the McDonalds, but now an all spiffed up McDonalds. Its a weird combination of old and new with Jimmy Kimmel shooting his show there and the Kodak and then the old Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum and the tshirt shops and tattoo parlors. Finally, I can actually recommend out-of-towners go to the the Graumans Chinese Theater to see it and the hand/footprints out front instead of fearing for their lives if they dared wonder into that area.

Don't read this and think you can show up and watch the red carpet arrivals by jumping the Metro. Nope, not at all. They shut down that station for Oscar Sunday.

But, I will say, even as a jaded native Angeleno, the entire red carpet thang, in person, really is larger than life. And those Oscar statues are ginormous....just in case you were curious.

Oh yeah, blurry much?

They sell this picture

but you can have it for free. Cut, copy, enjoy; make it a postcard or print and frame the picture. If you feel the need you can send me all the money you've saved by not buying it at one of the places on Hollywood Blvd. But, that's up to you. Really. No pressure. Seriously. Its not like I'm saving for a trip to Europe or a house or anything. No, just take. All you all the time.

A Cold Winter Day in L.A.

Yeah, I'm a wee crazy but I really do find this city pretty.

Maybe I'm feeling better

'cause everything was interesting today. Of course, I also planned a trip to Vegas & the Grand Canyon so that might have something to do with my mood.

Today I saw something that I also saw yesterday.


Yeah, that's right. Recognise the mad photoshop skillz...no, I didn't see the same truck both days; they had different license plates.

Do you remember the Blackwood? Its a cool looking but utterly useless pickup. I remember seeing this at the L.A. auto show years ago. (s.ly has the pics to prove it.) The truck didn't sell too well which is why I'm surprised to see two of them in two days. If I remember correctly, the bed liner doesn't allow for actual use since it scratches so easily. And why have a truck this pinstriped-pretty if you're just going to scratch it up.

I have Phoenix shopping tips, ramblings about L.A. traffic and the announcement of a new drug (to me), but I'll save those nuggets for another day.

Instead, I bring you the gratuitous puppy shot. Seriously, she is just the cutest thing ever.

So NOT cool

Ok, first of all, for the record, you haven't fed me. So, taking pictures of me from outside of the house is just not cool. I don't care how cute I look up here. Second of all, taking me to the vet and then leaving me there for HOURS is so not acceptable.

Now that we've done the crazy lady who types for her dog routine...

On Friday I was told that a specific vet was working at my beloved BHSAH on Monday. Apparently there was a miscommunication (i.e. someone didn't read the schedule when talking to me) and that doctor wasn't taking patients Monday morning. But, because BHSAH rocks, they offered to sit on Dick for a few hours so the doctor could look at him when he was available. We took them up on their offer. And, when I say we, I mean me with no agreement from a very annoyed greyhound.

After a few hours and a couple of in depth exams, it was decided that Dick's 5th toe and 3rd eye need to go. And when I say 5th toe and 3rd eye I mean two growths that need to be removed before they get dangerous. We've been watching the 5th toe (located on his leg) for about a year now. Its behaving badly these days so after 2 rounds of antibiotics, its time to say goodbye. As for the 3rd eye...it appeared last week and has been growing pretty rapidly. So, that's going to run away as well.

Think happy thoughts for baddog #2 on Monday 'cause he'll be back at BHSAH for his procedures.

A Picture is Worth 11 Words

Ok, so that covers work.

Fast forward to dinner time...its about 6:30pm and Dick & Jane and I are out for our nightly walk. Its quiet out. Eerie quiet. Weird quiet. Dick is on high alert, I'm a little freaked out and Jane is just fine, limping along sticking her nose everywhere it shouldn't be. It was like a scene out of a Stephen King novel. Here we are in the middle of this HUGE city and its just silent out, no movement, no noise. Either the world is ending or everyone is out to dinner. Jane, as taught by the zen-master Hanna, knows everyone is out to dinner. Dick & I still aren't so sure.

Happy Valentine's Day - - - hope yours was filled with pretty flowers, yummy treats and lots of people and/or dogs and/or cats to love and torment.

All sorts of Suss

In my quest to create items for people older than my dogs, I hit my favorite brick & mortar yarn shop today. Suss has beautiful yarns and killer sales twice a year. Everytime the announcement goes out, I heed the call and head over. (Of course, that doesn' t mean that I don't head over when there is no sale, but I feel less guilty when the yarn is discounted.) Its a great store with beautiful yarns and knit items. Of course, I could be a bit biased since I learned how to knit there and I just adore Suss's patterns and designs.

This time around I couldn't get over there until this afternoon, the tail end of the sale. It worked out for me; I was able to score on the supplies I needed for what I hope to be Gramma's Christmas gift. (When it comes to me knitting something more complicated than a scarf, the gift often rests on a hope and prayer.) So yeah, finding beautiful yarn I needed on sale is very exciting in my happy little world.

Something I realised when I was babbling to T about my good fortune...for all the non-knitters out there in blog land, I'm guessing you don't know the full life of a knitted item. Of course you get the reading books for a pattern and then heading over to the yarn shop to fetch yarn and then spending the time actually knitting the item. But, what you might not know is that if you buy the purtier yarns, you need to wind them. No, you can't knit with the yarn the way it comes; it gets tangled. Trust me, I've tried to skip this step. I don't advise it.

Most stores, when offering yarns at deep discounts, don't offer their winders for your use. That space is taken up by the sale tables. So, you either sit and wind them by hand, which to say takes a bit o' time is a bit of an understatement. Or, you buy a winder. And, you can't just buy the winder, you have to buy this thingy that the yarn sits on while you wind it.

Here's the thingy on which the yarn spins in its quest to be wound.


And here's the winder itself....


You can see the already wound balls o' yarn next to the winder. I know, pretty damn exciting.

Hey, I'm recovering, I'm still trying to get back into the swing into this whole writing and taking pictures thing. This will get more interesting...hopefully....

This is how we do it

It was a bit of an odd day today. Check out the cloud that looks like a smoke stack. I watched that happy cloud for most of the morning. (Yes, I was getting work done. I got me mad skillz. I can watch clouds AND work. Seriously, I think I'm underpaid for this sort of talent.) Over time our odd little cloud spread out horizontally so it looked like the other clouds to the right and out of the frame of the picture. But for the first of the morning, seriously, freaky cloud.

Speaking of freaky clouds, spotted in the lobby and I could have sworn I saw him driving himself out of the building...

Lots of pretty people

Ok, for each of the obnoxious comments I've heard from our new neighbors, I've also seen just as many really cute friendly people. And, thanks to the new neighbors, we got us 8 firetrucks of firemen... mmmmm... firemen... and that's always a good thing.

Yeah, its a crap pic, but even TMZ didn't get better pictures of the gas explosion. Besides, when you see a bunch of people sitting on a curb being attended to by firemen (mmm... firemen), you don't want to take pictures of them. And, that's really all we saw of the situation. Well, that and a bunch of building security and parking valet attendants hanging out. Lets be honest, I could take pictures of that everyday.

Oh the Horror!

So, I could write about the unmarked parking lot behind Jack Sprat that you would never know was there unless you were told, in a speakeasy sort of way, since that's how parking in L.A. works....rumors and innuendo.

I could write about my new expensive take-out habit (see Jack Sprat reference above). I could talk about my knitting or my new Ott Lamp. No, what truly motivates me is my dog being bratty about putting on her pj's. Yes, I did just put dog and pj's into the same sentence. See, I have very skinny, very fur challenged animals (a.k.a. greyhounds). So, when the temperature dips down, they get light coats to wear. My room is mostly windows so we're a little insulation-challenged around here. And, since they won't sleep under blankets and I've caught Jane on more than one occasion tucked into a little ball shivering, they kids get coats.

Now, Dick is a weird one. He likes to wear stuff. So he isn't my issue. Jane, the gimpy old girl who finds all clothing offensive no matter what the purpose, is my drama queen. I wish I could have gotten a picture of the look she gives while I put the coat on her. But, this will have to do.


Oh the torment this one must endure. And yes, please note that princess sleeps on top of two beds since one does not do for the princess. She had hamburger mixed into her kibble and has her own custom covered ottomans to lounge on during the day thanks to gramma. Also, please note her lovely coat courtesy of the raffle at the NGLA picnic. If you have the means, I highly recommend you attend....a good time was had by all. I'm hoping to go stalk the Giley Girls again this year.

New Babies

The shower was good...lots of baby stuff for the mom'n'dad to be. But, as people took pics of people at the party and the happy parents opening gifts, I was very busy taking pictures of myself holding the newest baby in the family.

Isn't she cute? She's going to be huge, seriously.

Where did my appetite go?

Ok, seriously, karma has a wicked sense of humor.

I was joking last year when doing research saying "Why can't I have 'anorexia' as a side effect of my meds?" As I understand it, 'anorexia' is just another term of loss of appetite and let me tell you, mine is just gone. Its the weirdest thing. And, for those of you who know me or have looked at even one picture of me on this dear diary, you'd know loss of appetite ain't one of my issues. If anything I relate to Laurie and how she summed up her weight/eating issues. Hell, I even scored You on a Diet from paperback book swap a while ago. (No, I haven't read it, but that isn't the point.) Diets just don't work and I gave them up long ago, trading up to a life filled with yummy food and fun not to mention a bunch of image issues.

So here I am, forcing myself to eat. Its just the weirdest thing. But, I think I know why. [mental note, add image.] I recently switched meds from Advair to Qvar. Let me tell you, for a fashionable asthmatic freak like me, Advair is just a gift from the gods. Seriously. I went from 3 long-acting inhalers to 1. I no longer needed my rescue inhaler and I was able to just enjoy my life, like the commercial tells you. (Although that commercial did not let me ride a bike or go running with my dog 'cause Advair doesn't CURE asthma...just a note to those of you who don't really understand what exercise-induced asthma is....no, no issues here with people thinking I'm lazy or not trying hard enough. Nope, not at all. How did I get on this tangent? Back to my point...) But, my hands shook like a leaf and for someone who has to type and read and hand things to people and likes to take pictures, freaky shaking hands are not a good thing. So, I'm back to trying different things for the asthma. First stop - the long acting 'roids, Qvar.

Last time I was on the 'roids was the mighty brush fires of '05 and I still hold that only threat of death will get me back on prednizone. But, Qvar never did me wrong, so I'm trying this again. I bring up the brush fires 'cause that was the last time I lost my appetite due to meds. And, with all the meds I was on then, I couldn't eat anything processed. And I seem to be back to that again. I mean, in 2005, if I ate anything processed I'd litterally get ill. Now, its just not appetising. I look at my happy $2 Lean Cuisines and then walk over to the mall to have my $10 salad. And that's weird...when do I ever want salad? Yeah, I'm thinking its the 'roids talking.

There are donuts & bagels in the kitchen FREE and I'm sitting here with my $3.50 naked juice. Seriously, wasn't my idea...the 'roids made me do it.

Because the fam doesn't read the blog

I bring you the latest creation...I'm not sure exactly what's more fabulous, my knitting or my standing on my bed to take this picture with my cloud sheets serving as a backdrop. There's just so much obvious talent I can hardly stand myself.

As you can tell by this second 365 picture of baby goods, I've entered this new phase of my life...the baby phase. Now, don't you freak out thinking I'm pregnant; I'm not. Nope. No child. Seriously. Been on the same pills since I was 18 years old. Seriously. What I am saying is that I'm entering that phase in life where everyone around me is having children.

Truth be told, its a little odd. I mean, kids are cool and I dig them muchly. Its just weird to think that me and my Christmas-hat-wearing self is getting older, even if I refuse to grow up.

Night in the Office

same view as yesterday.....but with a bit of a glare.

Sunset from the office

View from Conference Room 4.

On a Lighter Note

Enjoying the newly elevated temperatures...


But not amused at me taking pictures of him enjoying the newly elevated temperatures...

Workin' 9 - 5

What a way to make a livin'

Sorry, that song is currently stuck in my head. So yeah, enjoyed my Saturday from the view of the 37th floor. I actually got quite a bit accomplished since I didn't have to compete with anyone for the copy machines or answer the phone or any emails. But, more important than that was my break in Beverly Hills.

I head into the big 90210 once a month to go visit Chroma. And, although it is a fabulous make up studio, I rarely take advantage of that. (Seriously, go see Lisa. When she does do my full makeup I look so naturally fabulous its overwhelming. And yes, I really do mean that.) However, Santa decided that I needed makeup so after my usual maintenance we got makeup. I know, very exciting. But, I was looking cute (and btw, the hair is pulled back for the other part of the appt. and no, I didn't wear it like that all day) and got quite a few nice looks from people so maybe this makeup thing could work for me.

After that I headed down to Tiffany (finally) to have my watch repaired. The idea of going into Tiffany on a Saturday is usually more than I can stand but the weather was rather off so I figured it wouldn't be too crowded. My sweet watch is off to NYC tomorrow for its 3 week vacation in the big city.

Any for those you that aren't overly familiar with Rodeo...Tiffany lives in a "Collection" (not a mini-mall) called Two Rodeo. Its very pretty and is designed to look like a small street in any European country. But, let me ask you, do you really think this is necessary?



I mean, I know there are poor out of work actors that need the money, but really.

And lastly, here I am awaiting my watch's fate. They took him in the back and left me waiting long enough for me to get bored and start taking pictures of myself.

That doesn't look very comfortable

but Jane's happy.

Priceless

Airplane ticket = $759
Taxi fare = $42
Brochures for meeting with potential client = $61

Not looking like a nimrod carrying your wife's luggage = priceless

A little fuzz goes a long way

Yeah, she's fuzzy but I just couldn't resist taking a picture of Jane with that odd look on her face.

I was sitting on the other dog bed reading through the Sunday coupons eating dinner. Don't look at me like that. Its totally normal to sit on a dog bed eating dinner and reading through a paper from 3 days ago. Yes, we have tables and chairs. I was talking to Mom. Whatever, it makes sense. Stop looking at me like that.

Anyways, so I'm sitting there with Dick sticking his head under my arm reminding me in his oh so subtle way that his dinner is late. I mean, obviously I forgot since I'm eating and he isn't. In walks Jane, plops down on her bed and just gives me a series of the oddest looks. I think she was just basking in the glow that it is to be Jane since she's had a good Jane day. In her amazing Houdini-esque way, she was able to not only steal a box of croutons but also get out her coat. The croutons fit her usual M.O. so that's not really anything to write home about. The coat, however, is another accomplishment. I mean, we're talking a double strip of velcro and a hood. And this is with a bad leg that's really bothering her in this weather. So, despite the leg, it was a good day to be Jane.

Something in the water

Ok, so on the westside, really only one person lives here....you. Its all about you. If you want to be in this lane, if you want to be first in line, if you want to cross the street, its all about you; no one else exists. Watch people and you'll understand, odd but amusing to witness.

That is of course unless you want to get into your own HUGE driveway and someone who is too parking-impaired to park less than FOUR FEET from the curb takes the spot blocking your driveway.


Seriously, if I hadn't been at work for the previous 11 hours, I would have not only grabbed the camera but also the tape measure.

And you want to know what else? The owner of this car claims to be a Yale graduate. Seriously. They announce it on the frame of that license plate. If that's true, this school should be embarrassed that its graduates behave in such a manner. I mean, I have University of Arizona and honestly, no matter what I do, it won't exactly bring down the great name of the school.

But yeah, this is what greeted me after a long day...


I was seriously 2 inches from this jackhole's bumper the first time I attempted this. Silly me, I didn't want to jump the curb of my own freakin' driveway.

And people wonder why I favor small cars living in this city.

Seriously Freezing

Ok, I'm so not being melodramatic when I say its cold. I once knew a person who would often accuse me of getting cold looking at ice cubes. But seriously, do I need more proof than this?


Guess where this was taken? No, really, look at that frozen water stuff on the ground, now just take a guess. I can wait so take your time...

Would Scottsdale, Arizona be one of those early guesses? I think not. But, that's where I took the picture this morning. Part of Scottsdale Road was closed off and I saw this while waiting in line at the light to turn left. Freakin' ice. It was in the 20's while I was there. Hello? This is supposed to be the high season. People are supposed to flee cold climates for the desert. Asthmatic freak right here...I don't need cold air messin' with me. I paid top dollar of my hotel room for ice? I did not see ice on the hotel webpage when I was making my hotel selection. I want my money back. Well, I'll pay for the jacuzzi and the nice fireplace, but I want the money I paid for a warm climate 'cause I didn't get any of that.

Cowboy up

Ok, when I was told "yeah, sit at my table...its the cowboy table" I didn't take it literally. I guess I should have.



Yup, this was on the wall next to the table. This is the center table across from the serving area of the kitchen...a spectacular view. As much as "Top Chef" or whatever that goofy Fox reality show is called, it is pretty close to how a kitchen is supposed to run. Watching these guys work was like poetry in motion and I really do mean it. "If you have the means, I highly recommend it."*

Unless of course you go the restaurant hungry, then I would say you should sit as far away from the kitchen as possible since you will eat or at least want to eat every d@mn thing that you watch being plated. I mean, everything looked amazing. Seriously. As luck would have it, at this point, we had been eating for about 24 hours straight so a vague sense of willpower (i.e. sharing dessert) was felt at the table.

*Ok, you really should know this quote and if you don't you should be embarrassed and ashamed.

Warning: Vicious Attack Dog

If you go to the ranch, you'll be facing this. I know. I feel the fear through the net. You shake just looking at this wild creature. And then there's the dog holding that odd red & blue tennis-ball-for-feet creature.

Yup, upon our arrival, Laslo was at his appointed back gate station guarding the ranch from evil. When your home is gated you must bark to let all that pass know you are in charge of the property and all neighboring properties. As we all know, bicyclists and construction workers are very threatening.

Love Muffin

Yes, this is the original love muffin. Isn't he cute? He has lots of ribbons and trophies and even won a chair...seriously. I don't know why he won a chair since its like a director's chair and its not like he can sit in it. I mean, why win something you can't even use. This dog show business is an odd one.

But yeah, the muffin of love doesn't like to stand still to have his picture taken so I'll try to get a better pic of him up. I mean, for a champion, he should have the best.

This is his sister...


Super cute and a total ball o' terror when she's excited to see you. Let me tell you, 150lbs of excited to see you can be a wee bit bruising. There are no two better guard dogs on the planet. You could put me into an unlocked house in any neighborhood and I'd sleep through the night.

But yeah, love the puppies...

Backdrops

Yeah, I know, my keyboard is pretty sexy; the Diet Coke can is a fabulous accessory, not to mention the extra pair of "comfy" shoes under the desk. Do I know how to compose a picture or what? I'm overwhelmed just looking at my masterpiece. Though, I have to say, the Hello Kitty eraser has to be the best part.

But, yes, here are the booties in their completed glory. The pom-poms took longer than the actual knitting of the booties. Though, you have to admit that pom-poms make EVERYTHING better. Seriously.

Its weird...I'm more tired today not working crazy hours than I have been working the crazy hours so I wasn't focused on taking any pictures at lunch, hence the gratuitous bootie pics at my desk again. Well, that and Bloomingdale's frowns on people taking pictures while they shop. So, there's that.

Any suggestions for a title?

Today was a weird day. I walk into one of those ASAP projects that you know nothing about until you fire up your email, where you look at the clock at 8:15am and then you look at the clock again and its 10:56am....yeah, one of those. Its been a long time since I've litterally lost time like that. But, I was being stubborn and really wanted to do something my way so I just had to not check personal email and just roll with it.

So, after the hours that time ate, I ventured outside. They're filming something at the not-yet-done building next to mine. Its not often you see production trucks in Century City (compared to downtown where they park on Wilshire EVERY DAY blocking AT LEAST one lane of traffic when I was trying to commute home at the start of rush hour, not that I'm still bitter or anything...) and here's the weird thing: they only seem to film in Century City in unfinished buildings. Remember Nakatomi Tower*? Yeah, unfinished Fox Plaza. At the time, that was like *the* building in Cenurty City. Now this one is. I mean, the amount of business being built around and dependant on this building is crazy.



That's my building in the background. In between the buildings is this pretty park area. You can see the wee signs asking us politely to stay off the grass until the seeds take root. Once everything is done is going to be pretty sweet. In the meantime, we just try to stay out of the contruction workers' way and wait for the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to open up.


*Die Hard

3 + 3

Ok, seriously. I do understand my pictures are about as interesting as my life right now. I mean, I'm pretty much living at work and I can't really tell you about the interesting parts about work because of that whole work privledge thing. (Yeah, its a problem.) So, until that madness ends, you have to deal with boring pictures.


Technically, this is supposed to be one of the busiest intersections of the world. And, let me tell you, it certainly feels like it on some days. But, thankfully today was pretty chill.

Living in and driving around Westwood can often be a challenge...not just for the busy intersections but living with a lack of parking and tens of thousands of undergraduates. You think about that statement for a minute and then come back to the blog...

Ok, you're back...I mean, UCLA is a super tough school to get into. I had no chance in he!! of getting in (not that I wanted to go to college 5 blocks away from home). I understand there's a certain level of intellegence needed for acceptance. But, let me tell you, when you're trying to get your grocery shopping done, you certainly question the testing ability of the SATs.

So I start, as I always do cutting through produce to get to the first aisle I hit. Its the biggest aisle in the store to start, salad dressings and the like on your right and the whole produce section on your left. Standing in front of me blocking this HUGE opening are three, count 'em three boys, seemingly freshmen (they tend to travel in packs) pondering ONE bottle of ranch dressing.

Dude, I couldn't make this stuff up.

So, I make my way around the market dodging adults and students alike and end up in a checkout line. Again, a different experience in Westwood. Like it takes three boys to pick out a bottle of ranch dressing, in front of me were three girls buying a bottle of vodka. When I saw the line next to me open up, I jumped into it. Getting behind the junior buying water and fruit is a hellevalot faster than standing behind three girls (one of which *may* have been 21, but I woulnd't bet the fake id on it) buying a bottle of vodka.

I don't get it...

Where did Christmas go?


Sorry Dick, we had to put Christmas away.

Tonight we took down the tree. Yes, I know, its like a week later than everyone else. But, you have to have a pretty-much-dead-Christmas tree to have a regifting-post-holiday-nothing-homemade potluck. I mean, duh. Where would you put the presents?

But yeah, the regifting-post-holiday-nothing-homemade potluck is over so its time to get the fire hazard, eh, tree out of the house. Gramma was kind enough to help. So, that was cool. Tomorrow I put everything else away and the holidays are officially over.

But remember, the season isn't over until Mother's day. And with Michele back in town, who knows if we'll even end the season there. I foresee much change; I think 2007 will be an interesting year.

And if you understood that last paragraph, you know me WAY too well. And if you don't, stick around. This could get interesting.

The Many Faces of Jane

She looks like she's sleeping. She's not. But, she does want you, dear viewer, to think that. This is her f-you face. Its not cold. There's no reason for her to be curled up like this. But, if you ask her its a whole other story.


Stupid mom. She works all week and then disappears ALL WEEKEND. Yeah, she feeds us and we played yesterday. BUT SHE LEFT...FOR HOURS. And then nice people were petting us for about an hour last night. But she's been GONE ALL DAY TODAY. When gramma's gone, mom's supposed to be HERE. And she wasn't. So piss off. I'm not even going to look at you.

You're going to hear this often

but it doesn't make it less true: I'm heading into a HUGE project and my hours are going to be challenging. I know, I know, its just an excuse, but seriously, its HUGE.

To make up for my abscence yesterday I bring you two rather HUGE events from today.

Ok, so I'm sitting at my desk just working, working, working.

This is Jenna.
"What's going on in the building?"
There's something going on in the building?
"Well, look outside, there are firetrucks everywhere."
[looks outside]
Wow, there are alot of firetrucks. Do you want me to go talk to security?
"No, just call them."
Ok, I'll call you back.

"Security."
Uh, yeah, what's going on?
"There's a fire in the north tower on 26."
Which tower is that? 20-- or 30--?
"30--"
Cool. What should we do? Anything?
"No, stay put. The elevators are locked down and we'll make an announcement if we need you to evacuate."
Ok.

So I relay that information.

Here's my view. Please note all the dots are firetrucks as seen from the 37th floor.


Oh, and I couldn't even get all the trucks into one shot.

Yeah.

Ok, number two ....


Super cute. That was my chair when I was her age so I just couldn't resist a shot when she felt comfy enough to just hang out and take everything in. Seriously, cutest cheecks ever.

Yes, I know. On both counts I should have had my real camera. But, heading into work on a Saturday for a full day...I didn't really think I'd have much time to shoot. So yeah.

Its not cheating

when you're at work until a smidge before 10pm.

I love my tub. So I share the love with you.

But, truth be told, I love tubs in general. Its become a bit of a hobby to take pictures of bathtubs. Its a new thing and yes I find it as amusing and odd as you do. But, before you start making fun of that, I could air some dirty laundry on some people who take equally odd pictures of things. So, this is my oddity. I'm ok with that. So, my odd for your amusement.

Today Was a Stressful Day

So I did what every intellegent 30-something would do, I knitted a pair of baby booties for a friend who just had, you guessed it, a baby. Yeah, that was taken at the end of my lunch break so no, at the time, they weren't sewn together. So no, they're not different sizes, I'm just too retarded to fold them right and hide all the end strings.

But, as I was knitting away my stress I was thinking about a rule I had at another job. I had an asthma attack/yelling rule. If your actions cause me to have an asthma attack or if you yelled at me for no good reason, I got to take an extra break. Now, if I deserved to be yelled at or if I was just feeling unwell, for just natural causes, that was my own d@mn fault and no extra break for me. But if you were mean or caused me harm, I got to close the door to my office and just chill and figure out how to do my job well eventhough you're psychotic.

So yeah. This job is much happier and I seem to have gotten my asthma under control so we don't worry about that anymore. But, its still amuses me that I knitted a pair of baby booties at lunch....especially since I was wearing 4 inch heels that were making quite a few friends today.

Today Was A Good Day

The sun was shining, the outfit worked, the leftovers were tasty. Hope was high for a fabulous day. It was my first day back after San Francisco and a wonderful birthday.

I had a bit of a surprise at work but, not to allow it to ruin my day, I took a picture from my desk. I was going to wait until the windows were cleaned to share this view with you but I needed to remind myself how good I have it....I have a pretty outstanding view from my desk. L.A. in all of her glory is spread before me. The Hollywood sign is teeny tiny in this picture, but its pretty easy to spot with the naked eye. But, I was more taken with the view of the full moon. So, enjoy...

A New Era

In the spirit if my goals (NOT resolutions) for 2006, here we begin the 1st picture of 2007:




This is the kitty who runs the neighborhood. I don't know his name as you can see he doesn't wear a collar. He was quite chatty tonight, which isn't usual. What is usual is that nothing and no dog scares him. Cars, people, dogs and cats are just annoyances in his world. And, from what I hear, he kicks some serious kitty @ss. So yeah. Here's kitty; he likes to hang on our back wall.