Age…is just a number?

It’s about that time again folks.  The winds are shifting, leaves are turning, ACL is quickly approaching and I’m about to be another year older.  Every year i tend to do things to take my mind off the horrible fact that my youth is slowly slipping away; I’ll cut my hair, get a great new outfit, maybe even pick up a new hobby and definitely start the whole “re-evaluation of life choices”  This year I did all of that annnnnnnd had to go to the DMV this week to renew my drivers license. 

Dane Cook is right, in the future everything will be done in seconds…but the DMV will still take four freakin’ seconds!  The person at the information desk never knows what’s going on, the DPS officer hanging around is just obviously the socialite of the task force and the women behind the counters taking your picture (and I say women because i’ve never seen a man working at the DMV ever…unless you count that episode of Family Guy) are always in such GREAT moods (read: did their dog just die, why do they hate everything? And why can’t i review my picture without them rolling their eyes…that picture is going to be on my ID for freakin ever!)

This visit was dreaded from the time i got my renewal notice in the mail so of course i wait as long as possible to actually go get this done.  Even the day of the big trip i procrastinate to the point that the DMV closes in 45min.  As i pull up three cars-fulls of bright eyed teenagers unload and rush to the door before i can pull my old feeble body out of the car.  Then as i walk up now knowing that the line will be that much longer with the these newbies waiting to cash in their permits i get to the door and it informs me they only take Cash, Check or Money order….WHAT????  Way to save the planet!  First off, i never cary cash, i was told by my bank that ordering checks would be the stupidest thing ever because i can do that online now and who in the world would thinks…hmmm lets go get a money order.  GREAT!  i have 20min at this point to find an ATM get cash and get back to this shotty building before they close because i refuse to just come back another day.  

Accomplished, as i walk inside i realize the building hasn’t been updated since the 1970s and i’m not sure what was on that door handle but i sure do hope i don’t get a disease.  Information desk lady looks younger than me…but doesn’t everyone these days…and pretty boy DPS Officer finally decides to help me out and give me the form i need…following up with, “You are 18 or older right? **wink**”  I reply with a smile and as i turn around a glare.  Fill out the form….not before the 16 year old that came in after me though…damn their quick…and get my number and wait.  Meanwhile, little Billy (not his real name, i didn’t know the kid) and his grandfather are waiting to get his license.   Poor Billy, his grandfather was one of those people that thought pacing and talking loudly made the help work faster.  You could tell Billy was thinking “Grandpa shut your freakin’ pie hole!”  Don’t worry Billy, so were we.

Finally my number gets called!  I make my way back to the desk and try not to piss this lady off because what if she purposefully chose a bad picture for my ID…that just wouldn’t work!  No luck because she is so soft spoken and my hearing sucks that “huh?” becomes my response to everything she is asking.  I check my vision…thank goodness i passed…these contacts are waaaaaay passed their life expectancy.  We change my address information and my voter registration info then she begins to verify my other info…such as height and eye color and weight…which isn’t even on the card so why the heck does she need to know. 

“You’re still 5′6″ ma’am?”

“Sure am.” (really i’m 5′6 1/4″)

“Your weight is 120lbs…”

“Huh?”

“Do you still weigh 120lbs?”

“Haha SURE!”

She looks up at me

“Okay, no. No i no longer weigh 120.”

“Current weight ma’am…”

I told her…..just like her you don’t need to know….

She glanced up.

“I mean that ID was from High School…i was like 16 then so….

“please step on the white line for your photo ma’am.”

“alright then…”

Snap….

Now feeling old and fat i left…without reviewing my picture because she hated me already so what’s the point.  I’m sure i’ll get it in the mail a few weeks from now and look old, fat and quite possibly cross eyed.  Perfect.  At least ACL is next weekend!  Between picking my line up for that and watching this really cool channel Grande has added for the months of September and October that plays scary movies i’m sure i can distract myself long enough to get past my birthday.

Fall…aka the season that awakens my addictive personality.

Sorry for the lull in my writing…i’m sure some of you are sad and others could careless, but either way i have been remiss, just know “the truth is i never left you”  i could catch you up on my month that you missed out on, tell you all the funny things, the rants, the really really really …boring things, i could even let you know what topic gave me such writers block.  However, i could skip all that crap and tell you that i’m afraid that the coming of fall brings on a whole new dynamic to my personality…it might just bring my addictive tendencies to the forefront!  

Exhibit A: The ramp of to TVs Fall Line Up! (Duh Dun nah nah nah, duh dun nah nah, Kish Kish)

Mondays (Gossip Girl), Tuesdays(90210) and Wednesdays(America’s Next Top Model) this fall please don’t plan to move me off my couch between the hours of 7-8p….it would take a lot!  

Gossip Girl is back for its long anticipated 2nd season, can i get an amen….alright.  I really just can’t get enough of these spoiled rich kids sluting it up on the upper east side.  The clothes are ridiculously stylish for kids…because mind you these people are playing high schoolers and the situations are a little above and beyond dramatic/plausable…aka the Cougar secretly sleeping with Nate is the Duchess/step-mother to the love interest of Blair, who is Nate’s ex and she is really/secretly in love with Nate’s bff Chuck Bass who arranged for the Duchess to meet Blair and disapprove of her, but his plan backfired because Blair found Nate with the Cougar/Dutches/step-mother getting it on the the Library!  How, HOW! could you not get sucked into that juicy drama.  That was only the second episode of the season, and i didn’t even mention the part where Serena and Dan get it on in the Jitney on the way back from the Hamptons.  As Austin pointed out, they joined the three feet club…get it…since they were in a bus not a plane… duh!  I’m not gonna lie gawker covered this much better than i did, but they did leave out the best line of the entire episode.  Blair, when revealing to Chuck his plan had failed says “I guess she (the Duchess/cougar/step-mom) recognized some of herself in me, or should I say I recognized someone in her.”  Brilliant!  Makes Mondays so much more worth while now that it’s back!

90210- Same Zip, All New Drama…and a little of the old residual drama is sprinkled in to add character.  If you haven’t realized it by now the “Duh dun nah….” from earlier was the theme song.  I don’t have as much to say about this as Gossip Girl, it’s in it’s first season.  I will say I LOVE IT!  I was the first one to be hesitant about this little gem coming back from retirement…yes, as a child i loved, loved, LOVED this show, and yes i realize i was a little too young to watch it but i totally did.  The new generation is just as cheese-o-rific as the old one.  Too bad when they did Saved By the Bell: The New Class it didn’t have the same beginners luck.  Once they slut it up a little more it’ll be GREAT…and i can already see it coming, i mean Brenda is back, bring out the claws sister!  OH and there is Ryan Matthews, the english teacher,  ouch!  He was on Dirt last season and i’m sad he won’t be this time around but welcome to West Beverly Hills!  I’d love to give you a tour if you ever needed one.  

This leads me to Wednesday and ANTM- the season of the transgender model.  Personally i can’t stand to hear most of the girls carry on conversations about how beautiful they are all the time, but i’m so addicted to the photo shoots!  This year i already have my favs and am thrilled to say the girl that got on my every last nerve was the first to go!  It will be interesting to see how far the transgender contender stays in the comp.  Her pictures are great and she’s definitely not going to take crap from the other girls as horribly rude as some of them are.  This is just one of those moves that you’re not sure how far Tyra will allow it to go to make a statement.  Another highlight thus far in the season is Tyra flat out said if she tried to book a fashion shoot for herself right now no one would taker her…thank you!  …the first step to solving a problem….

Three shows have me in their clutches already!  What happens when The Office, Kath&Kim, Grey’s, Lipstick Jungle(yeah i know but i’ve gotta give it another chance), Burn Notice, Dirt and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia get thrown into the mix!?!?  I don’t have a DVR!!!!!  On top of the Television addiction with Fall also comes football, more importantly College Football!  AGH!  This Saturday is the big UT vs Arkansas game and i have to help a dear friend of mine pick out her wedding dress!  Do you think they’ll have TVs set up at David’s Bridal?  Why am I such a boy?  If that’s not bad enough i’m totally in knots waiting for the NBA to kick things into gear (yeah October pre-season games!)  The Olympics were such a tease!

Sadly, that’s not all.  This one, this one is just B-A-D BAD!  Not like my addiction to Diet Coke.  Nothing like my affinity for Halloween…which also is around the corner…the Halloween Superstore is now open!!!  Not even like my new love for the game of rummy…which i would like to play again and soon.  i’m not even sure if i can fully admit to this one!  What i will say is, it’s not something i found on my own, it started off as a joke and now it’s all kinds of blown up.  There may be a story line to a video game that i may be slightly addicted too…like i’ve spent at least an hour watching cut scenes from said video game on YouTube and would have probably stayed longer but the connection on my wireless sucks and they were taking to long to load.  THEN! i found out you can watch them all on DVD and i could get caught up through the current game.  What is a girl to do!!!!!  And there are those of you who are aiding this addictions, my dealers if you will…you know who you are.  This is an all new level of i-don’t-know-what! I couldn’t play a video game to save my life…unless of course it was guitar hero, rockband or house of the dead…i’m damn good at those.  It could be worse…but not by much…try not to tell everyone.  

Now that i have all of this consuming my time when am i going to get anything done in my real life?  Is this a case of pure escapism?  Probably… but eh…the fall won’t last forever, i’m sure i’ll eventually get the semblance to a real life back.  Until then, i hope your couch is a comfy as mine and if you have a DVR you’re using it to it’s full potential.

Vacation all i ever wanted…

Per my previous post i did indeed take an actual vacation.  Not just a weekend get away, i had a good four days away from my office.  This was a much need escape from the inner sanctums of the stations and luckily i was able to get away before the olympics got underway…i’m sure there were a few crazy running arounds that day.  Instead i was at the beach getting tan (read: i’m red as a lobster) and spending time with family… Mom just turned 50 ya know.  The 70s bash was a totally groovy success and Mom had a great time (read: and i had to drive Mom home).  Now that its all over part of me wishes i did one of those new fangled “stay-cations” that are all the rage.  i know, i hate the term too.  People that did this used to be called boring.  While the rest of the world was jet setting they were staying in their suburban homes doing local things.  The new twist is…it’s trendy now!  Actually i think it’s because it’s A. cheaper and B. i think its a way to get local economies to boom…but really it’s just cheaper and the cool thing to do now.  Either way i think that might be the way to go next time.  To be honest i was a little homesick for Austin, my little rental here on the East side and my favorite neighborhood bar. 

One thing i did plan rather well was my vacation from my vacation.  You might think that’s excessive…but no, it’s not.  After driving back from the coast to my one and only ATX i was so thankful to have the next day to do entirely anything i wanted/needed to do,…that should have been unpack and do laundry, but i got so much of that done the night i returned i opted for sleeping in a bit, lunch with Ash, errands with Ash, trying on the bridesmaids dress (with Ash) and then dinner …with Ash …obviously.  It was eventful and well worth not putting away the massive amounts of now clean laundry.  Then i realized it was back to work come Tuesday….and dun dun dun! i would have a new manager!  

Reluctant to get out of bed this morning, probably due to the lovely morning rain and quite possibly my awesome memory foam, i made coffee and made my way back to a desk i had been away from for almost a week.  Don’t ya hate it when you get in and first thing in the morning your message light on your phone is blinking…oh crap, either i forgot to get a spot to master control or it’s something that i have no way of doing/fixing but i’m the lucky extension that the call got transfered to…gotta love viewer calls.  A sigh of relief when it was only an invitation to a happy hour on Friday…er last Friday.  Checked my e-mails, organized what i could of my desk, worked a little, went to lunch to catch up “240” and we both decided there were some things about being adults that were less adventurous as when we were in college, got to meet my new manager and scope out some music venues with the big boss…all in all not your typical first day back after a vacay.  Usually you are running around trying to fix what broke while you were out.  Not today, today i actually love my job.

Now i’m setting an alarm to see the “peak” of the Perseid meteor shower.  i prefer to call them shooting stars, that way i can wish on them duh.  On my wish list this time;

get out of debt
world peace
lower gas prices (which would help #1 and probably be solved by #2)
plan an awesome Stay-Cation for next time

AND…

well i mean this one is awesome …so if i tell you it might not come true.

Google Reader…or how i learned to let the internet work for me.

This just in. i have been using the internet the wrong way, for years. Lets not lie, i’m a tinsy bit technophobic. Not that i don’t love technology always and forever, i am just not quick to throw out perfectly good technology as soon as the newest flashiest upgrade comes along.
Por ejemplo:

VHS- outdated! Horrible quality! Why did they ever chose this over beta (which are still used for media storage even in mainstream television stations) oh the size thing? Haven’t you heard size doesn’t matter… However, with all this said, and DVDs edging them out i, A. still have all my VHS tapes and B. still have and use my VCR. i can’t just throw it out… it’s history. (for the record i also own a beta tape deck and camera…that’s a long story though) Don’t even get me started on Blue Ray…. Can’t get into that.

Text Messaging- why can’t you just friggin’ call me?! Okay, i got over this one really quickly, especially after i actually conducted a large part of a past relationship via this little technological advance. i’m a moderate texter now days but nothing beats the brevity and pure human contact of a good old fashion cell phone call. P.S you can’t text message break up…and if you do and i’m in Hawaii at the time how the heck do you even expect me to care.

Film- in general, still and/or moving film, will always be superior to digital/HD whatever. i don’t care what you can do in post, if you can’t shoot in film you’ve got nothin’! if you’re shaking your head right now, in complete and under disagreement that is probably because you can’t shoot in film…because if you could you would see the validity in this argument.

HD- i am not getting rid of my huge TV come February 2009 just because the government is mandating a nation wide change. Yes the picture is clearer, cool. Wow, it does look like i’m at the game GSG!…but i’m not. Per my above paragraph i kinda like the grain, because what i’m watching isn’t real life, that’s what getting outside the house is for. Basically i’m too cheap to go buy a new HD TV right now k.

PDAs- well i’m a little skidish about the original kind too. Nothing’s worse than seeing a couple going at it like they don’t have the back seat of a car or a dark movie theater to be at. Gross. The same shudder runs down my spine when i think of putting all my precious information on a small portable device. i mean i’d be done for if my cell phone got erased… i don’t have any of your numbers memorized…sorry. Could you imagine if my to do list got deleted! Ay Dios MIO! i mean i even back up this blog on something more concrete then the internet…since it’s just a series of tube right… and i know it’s not the end of the world if this information is lost and gone forever. i also simply adore my list book and planner and the time of year when i have to go searching for a new one, nay, i love it.

MP3s- This one was an easier transition, but i still like to have a my albums in disc form. i can’t say i buy vinyl, but CDs i would almost rather have than just downloading the album from iTunes. Lets not lie i sometimes miss my discman…did you know you can make really cool designs on CDs with one of those and a sharpie? You can. Above all else the mix tape is becoming a dying art. How do you say, “Hey, i made you a playlist for your ipod.” Not as romantic as handing someone a mixed tape…or in more modern times a mixed CD…i mean it’s not romantic…at all! But just for future reference, if you ever do want me to fall in love with you a mix tape is a damn good start. Maybe it’s the era i grew up in, or the memories of sitting around waiting for that song to come on the radio so i could copy it to my blank tape…i just think they’re the best.

Considering all of these hang-ups, it’s no wonder i had no idea how beautiful an RSS feed could be! i am the newest believer in Google Reader! it has caught me up on photo news, local news and all of the crap Perez Hilton is spewing about my girl Miley…that’s right Team Miley Por Vida! if you are hesitant about technology working for you like i am this is one thing that i guarantee will allow you to work more efficiently on keeping up-to-date on the latest crap going on world wide…that and legit news if you’re looking for that kinda stuff. i mean and not to plug myself but you can put this on your feed too and you won’t have to check back 50 times a day because you’re chomping at the bit to see what i’m rambling about now…you’ll know as soon as i post! Amazing right! i know most of you are now reconsidering the validity of my blog now, knowing how far back in the early 90s/darkages i was stuck. Well all i have to say is the first step in correcting a problem is admitting you have one. And the second is to get with Google Reader and catch up as quickly as possible. So now that the internet and it’s tubes are working for me…well i think i’ll just go on vacation.

That’s A Wrap!

Today was the last day of shooting for our image piece.  Four non-stop days of stairs, moving equipment, up before the sunrises, gorilla tactics, interns and back to the station for logs.  After this many 12hr days i thought for sure i’d be more out of it by now, but i’m not as bad as i could be.  Now, i may not look as great as normal..i mean if you ask my boss she’ll promptly tell you how all of us look like we’ve been at an all night lock-ins for a week straight.  However, i’ve seen production stills where i’ve looked much worse on set… much worse.  All in all it went rather smoothly for a spot that wasn’t given the maximum amount of time to develop in pre-prod but came together right when we needed it to.  Beyond the rookie mistakes of not having a few extras show, the correct battery adapter, the gels or ya know the lap top needed for the shot the only major problem was on day two right around 4am, aprox. and hour and a half before our call time.

Not being a morning person…at all…the first day of waking up a little before 5am to drag myself to set at 5:30am was horrible, but i was definitely on time to avoid missing the crew call completely.  Mission accomplished, to our first location check, last minute change to get better view check, beautiful sun rise check, dying battery check, just change it out for the other kind with the adapter… oh crap, i’ll be right back…who took it out of the freakin camera bag.  Run down 7 flights of stairs, across the way to van, make it to station run upstairs find adapter, run to van, hit every red light, make it to location, run up 7 flights of stairs…nope, make that 3 and try not to die on the remaining 4.  We got the shots, you were worried, i could tell.  One more location then back to the studio to do a log, review footage and set up the steady cam (which might i add is awesome) to get some weather center footage. 12 hrs later i’m on my way home so tired i might just die.  Couldn’t make myself go to bed at 8:30p though, watched Step Up 2, the streets.  Don’t judge me.  Not a good story, but please don’t talk trash unless you can pull the dance moves these kids were doing… not easy i know, i’ve taken a break dancing class.  Again, don’t judge me, and you can stop laughing too.  Now pumped and maybe thinking about learning some of the aforementioned moves… i can’t go to bed, so i make a few phone calls, that helps a little and somewhere right before 11p i’m out.  

Day Two,

I am woken up by the sound of my phone ringing and i look to see what time it is thinking it’s my alarm.  Oh man it’s actually ringing and that’s a work number!  I slept through my alarms and missed my crew call!  (I’ve done this before, the writer and director of the short then came to my house rang the bell and when i didn’t hear that found my bedroom window.)  i panic and answer to find out it’s my supervisor and he’s calling to tell me our actress bailed and i had to find someone else.  It’s 4am!  WTF.  For the record, i don’t care what the heck is going on never cancel one and a half hours before your call time, especially if it’s at 4am!!!  She’ll never be cast again!  i wait until about 5:15 and give the beautiful, talented, gracious, Ashley a call and she agrees to save our asses.  The location of the unmentioned coffee house we were to be at was great, the people that work there not so much.  Ash was perfect for the roll of “girl checking weather on lap top” …shit the laptop, i’ll be right back, why didn’t this get put in the van!  Beautiful shots captured and back to the station….i get to do more logs, but i’m out a little early today and i get to come in later tomorrow.  Obviously i’m going to go see the free sneak of “American Teen” with the boys at 7:30pm….what oh the tickets were for August 5th.  UGH!  Sorry i needed sleep.  Flare bar-tending competition at Sherlocks instead…awesome.  Anything to stay out of the house, because oh yeah the A.C broke in the dead of summer.  Perfect.

Day 3

A later start and Dolly is biting at the heels of the Texas Coast….aka my old hood.  I get a phone call later that informs me my parents house is beginning to flood and the power is out.  (the power was still out today as of 6pm, not fun in the very humid South Texas.)  Meanwhile in ATX we begin to feel the wrath as well and have to think fast to fit in the days shoot and what to do in case of rain in the morning.

Day 4 (today)

Solved and solved, Dolly decided to cooperate and we wrapped today and even got all our pick-ups done a day early.  Crazy lady from 7th and Congress was there today too!  Lucky for the both of us she was quite today and didn’t try to rid us of the “poison”  Come to find out, after further research, she used to be a UT Admissions Counselor, lives off a pension from the University and has a photographic memory…crazy!   

After all that i must say i’m itching to shoot something more narrative again, with lots of crazy lighting set ups.  For now i’ll catch up on some sleep and enjoy my late start tomorrow.  Happy Friday to you all.

Directive.

WALL-E was wonderful.  Before you read this next paragraph i assure you there will be spoilers, but fear not, per usual, if you skip this paragraph and go on to the next i’ll be talking about something completely different.  Damn it if i don’t love that adorable little robot that looks like Johnny Five’s son.  It only took a moment for me to realize this would be much more than a children’s cartoon as the sound track to one of my favorite musicals played through the credits to reveal it was coming from WALL-E’s little chest tape player.  The animation was amazing and the most enchanting part of the movie was before any of the real story began and WALL-E was just trying to get EVE’s attention.  Besides all the obvious cute stuff i give the movie props for bringing up some real issues.  Usually i would argue they were beating us over the head with some things, including the idea of American’s being apathetic and egocentric however, the other parts of the movie were redeeming enough to make me overlook it…and well they’re right, lets not lie.  Towards the end i started to get a little restless, but there were other factors at play here, mostly that it was a late showing.  If you have not seen it yet GO!  Well worth it to see it on the big screen, unlike Wanted, which i also watched this past week.  Not a total wash, the action all be it kinda ridiculous was cool and the witty remarks got a laugh or two…not worth two hours of “Angelina Jolie is so hot!”  Yes, i know, mmhmmm i get it, i’d totally do her in a New York minute too.  Sorry, i’m over it.

Between the two movies, that i must add i willingly and happily attended, i managed to; go to a swanky party at unsaid location where there was flowing champagne and Belvedere (please don’t tell Tito!), attend a beautiful wedding, sleep in..sorta…, take some skyline shots for work and get accosted by a Vietnamese homeless woman.  This is why it took me so long to post, i’m still recovering!

Friday night at the party Jake, Meredith and i scanned the rooms to find, a) we were in fact the youngest ones there and b) if we wanted to sit it was going to cost us roughly $200 American dollars.  We stood, for the most part.  After our second drink the room began to fill up and a booth by the door became vacant.  Quickly we swoop in knowing eventually someone is going to ask for a credit card number to run or tell us to move along.  It was right about that time a woman with a clipboard came around, we thought for sure with the orders for us to get out.  She sat next to me and began to point out a gentleman wearing all black with a backwards baseball cap…oh no!…the muscle!  Not at all, instead she explains he is one of the owners and would like to extend an invitation to the Playboy Party coming up as well as the Dolce & Gabbana Party.  Sweet, we were saved…for the time being.   As she gets up she asks, “Oh, and who’s Birthday are you celebrating?”  Looking back at the wall, we were definitely sitting in a booth with a “Happy Birthday” banner proudly displayed as well as balloons free floating…how did we miss that?  Without missing a beat Meredith simply looks up and smiles and points to me….oh yeah it’s my Birthday!  Then Mr. Black Baseball Cap comes over with three glasses and proceeds to fill them with champagne, again and again and….well i go close my tab because there was no logical reason in buying anything else.  When i return Jake and Meredith have been replaced by about five other people i  have never seen before in my life!  Crap, too much champagne!  Then i spot them at a roped off booth with Baseball Cap!  He had sold our table out from under us for some good cash money from what i understand, thank goodness we hadn’t really paid for it or that would have ruined my Birthday!  So behind the velvet rope, if you will, we continue to drink Belvedere and Champagne and fight off creepy kids as if we were interested just to stay in the hip spot in the club.  i would like to apologize now to Jake and Meredith, 1) jerk of the year should have been punched in the face 2) i wish i would have seen who grabbed your purse because 3) if i had not had so much to drink i would have taken care of 1&2!

Saturday was ushered in by the worst hangover headache in the history of mankind.  Okay, not really but i just didn’t want to move… even my eyes!  The wedding was at 6p though so i had to get out of bed and make myself presentable at some point and let me tell you after Friday nights escapade that was going to take a lot of work.  Finally around 3p i get a move on and am out the door by 4:30-5p and on my way in yes, the same “see through” dress i wore to the last wedding.  The dress= way too cute not to wear and really if you can see the outline of my legs OH NO!!!!!  We’re not all living on the FLDS Ranch.  Besides all of that and the heat wave of the century, the wedding was beautiful and i got to eat great food, visit with Austin’s fam, got them to dance too, wish Billy and Gretch the best in life and see the best wedding photographer in Austin!  That’s right i knew the wedding photographer, lets just hope she got my good side.  That time of night when the bouquet was to be tossed found me standing smack dab in the the middle of the single girls politely telling everyone around me “i don’t want to catch it…just so you know…”  Gretch gave it a toss and the room went into slow motion.  The beautiful bunch of flowers was in trajectory right towards my face.  Heather took a slight step left to avoid even getting a breeze for the air-born flowers and i just shook my head and shrugged my shoulders as i put my open palms up in front of me ready to cradle the flowers when they plopped right into my hands.  Then from no where all i see is a clinched fist right in front of my nose.  This girl had lunged from the back of the crowd to obtain the very symbol of happily ever after i was avoiding.  Unfortunately she dropped it and a scuffle ensued on the floor right in front of me and all i could do was shrug and look up to see Austin shaking his head at me.  Not in disapproval, i think more in a “Really?!?!” like he couldn’t believe what had just almost happened either.  After sending the Newlyweds off to happily ever after and Austin off to the after party (yeah their wedding had an after party..what?) i retired to a night of comfy shorts and some TV.

Sunday, after sleeping in…sorta…watching yet another movie and some tv i met Ashley for some Chipotle and then went to capture some images to spring board our shoot coming up at work.  It was about 7p with plenty of sun time left as i headed down town to a Chase parking garage i knew would give you a clear shot of the Capitol from a previous photo taken after one crazy night at ACL.  i park stroll down the street and head for the elevator….the door was locked.  Okay, the stairs won’t be that bad, it’s only 7 flights.  On the 3rd floor i stop and try to swallow (that’s what she said) the Chipotle that is making it’s way back up and realize i’m so very out of shape and should probably never eat anything, much less Chipotle, ever again.  6th floor, almost there…no roof access?  umm what?  i exit on the 7th floor only to find i’m caged in!  WHAT, a quick call to NYC for some answers, no luck.  i know we were at the Chase parking garage I KNOW IT!  With absolutely no view of the city i make my way down stairs again…this direction piece of cake..mmm cake..NO!  Defeated i walk back to my car and decide i’ll just find a new great location.  Back in the car i turn the corner and what the deuce!  It has to be THAT Chase parking garage.  Man they’re not kidding when they say there are over 9,000 ATMs across the US.  i decided i’m not going up unless i can get to the elevator…victory. Bingo, i’m in the right place and get the shots and head down to get street locations now.  On Congress with prime parking i snap some shots on 6th and Congress.  Then, right after being asked for money, a homeless man tells me i’m going to need a permit.  Thanks man, i’ll let the film commission know you’re looking out for them.  I make my way towards 7th to get some good tree coverage and avoid the ginormous Starbucks taking over the shot.  i’m about to cross and in front of Art House a woman sits on the bench talking very loudly in her native tongue (not English or Spanish…i understand those… most of the time)  As i make my way across the street her loud talking turns in to yelling.  She’s probably not yelling at me in particular…just at anyone who can hear…right?  I stand on the corner and take a few shots and the yelling has stopped.  Oh good, or is it?  i then notices she is standing right next to me.  Now, if you know me you know that i don’t scare to easy, i’m from a boarder town, and that if i can shoot footage of the desolate conditions of Rio Grande City with packs of wild dogs running around then i’m solid.  Well, not so much this time because she proceeds to grab my shoulder and and turn me around so she can yell right at my face.  The only thing i gathered was “i had the poison” ?  Trying not to show fear, but i’m pretty sure she could already sense it, i scream at the crossing signal (in my head) to TURN!!!!  It does and a speed walk to safety…thus ending my picture outing a little early.  Good news they liked the shots i got and 7th and Congress will be are location, so this time i’ll be prepared and won’t go down without a fight…i’ll show you “poison!”

That’s all really…sorry it’s a week late, but nothing too crazy happened this week.  Shooting starts at 5:30am…  it’s been a while since i’ve been on set, i hope it’s like riding a bike…like all great things in life, you never really forget.  Pictures will be up shortly…i swear, i’m just trying to keep you hooked. are up! enjoy !

Sunset from the dam

new building

told you my house was haunted

the right location

where the bum told me i needed a permit

where i was accosted

Eagle Vs. Shark…i feel ya sister!

Well it would seem i tuned out for more than the weekend…my apologies.  Truth is this is what i got accomplished from my to do list for the weekend at the lake: 

1.  First rested nights sleep in two weeks (to be honest the bed and i were not compatible and i may have gotten two phone calls in the middle of the night/morning)
2.  Work on my tan…i’ve actually got a base tan started woohoo!
3.  Did i mention peace and quiet
4.  Tan, tan, tan. (i ended up spending too much time on #3 to get this one done)

When i returned home to the lovely ATX i was greeted with the most wonderful thunderstorm ever which allowed me to finally knock out #1 on the above list in my very own comfortable bed, mmmm memory foam.  And of course, this great weekend was followed by a short work week which ended in what i like to call “early release,” because lets face it, not much has changed since elementary school.  We still have our cliques at work….i think i might actually have evolved to be in the cool clique though! partly because we’re all the same type of people….but i assure you the other departments feel the same way, lunch is still the best part of the day, and we all still count down to quiting time, the only difference is it’s two hours later.  

4th of July weekend proved to be a much needed long weekend and an adventurous time was had by all.  I’d like to note that mine started off with a bang and ended with a new furniture adventure and the righteous feeling of accomplishment when Ash and I got the stupid draw to fit.  In between was A) 3 amazing diet cokes, 2 of which were bought by very thoughtful friends of mine, thanks Austin & Ash, B) a trip to Kyle to get fireworks… here Austin and I met “firecracker”….the James Avery clad young man wouldn’t even speak to me…just had to point that one out C) explosions in the sky…not the band, actual explosions over Town Lake (I refuse to call it Ladybird Lake) that lit up the city in such a way my soul danced D) sparklers and “The Circle of Trust” in my backyard E) i finally crossed off #4…woohoo for completing my list! F) mmm BBQ and discovering what level of hell i’d be on…thanks Dante, Travis and i will spend eternal damnation on the river, i hope our property taxes aren’t too high…Jake you’ll have to come visit, i hear the water is actually hot spring fed so the temperature should be absolutely perfect year round G) Actually owning at pool… perhaps you can learn through osmosis! and finally H) “You like doughnut?”— if you have to ask, you’ll never know…unless we force you to come with us the next time we go to the best kept secret on Airport Blvd.  It was wonderful.

With all this going for me something was bound to turn up sour.  I could list all the little things that really started to rub me the wrong way leading up to Monday, including how the new additions to my curtains didn’t work out, but i’m making a real effort to be more positive, so i’ll just mention how i got into a minor car wreak leaving work today and it really kinda pissed me off.  Yeah, Yeah mutual fault, but the douche bag was driving too fast on the easement to the station…not even a real road and when getting out of his vehicular wouldn’t even look at me and the only thing he said was, “i can’t stay here, i have to go get my son…”  Oh, well maybe you shouldn’t drive like that…and i have to go let my dog out before his bladder explodes so don’t look at me like you’re more important…you didn’t even ask if i had a kid!  Thanks for messing up my car, ruining my streak of greatness, making me stay at my office longer than needed and assuming i’m barren!  Basically, SCREW YOU!  Now i’m spending tomorrow’s lunch hour on the phone with my insurance company…looooooooove talking to them, love it! 

But, in the spirit of sending out positive energy into the universe in hopes that it will once again find it’s way back to me i will say no one was hurt, except ya know my pride…i’m not a horrible driver i don’t care who says i am…because most likely they’re from Dallas anyways…and my car is still drivable.  I’ve come to realize it’s just an Eagle Vs. Shark kinda world.  (If you haven’t seen the movie i recommend it for a short summer flick, not award winning but just odd enough to catch my attention, and i kinda like it.)  I would like to say that everyone is an Eagle or a Shark, but that’s too absolute…instead i think we have all been an Eagle or a Shark at some point in life.  Right now i’m most definitely a Shark.  With that being said i continue to bide my time in the water waiting for the right moment and promise to have pictures for you with my next post, along with my thoughts on WALL-E, because i’m going to see that tonight in hopes of turning this whole douche of a day around.  Deuces.

105 Ain’t Got Nothin’ on 138 Ya Heard!… and my first adult vacay (sorta)

So much has happened since my last post it’s hard to pick a starting point, that’s why we’re just going to skip over all that and introduce you to #105.  Don’t worry, i laughed, i cried, i’m sure i yelled at quite a few things, all in all a typical week.

Last weekend i may or may not have gone to unsaid dance hall, possibly with a fellow blogger and we may have been just the most dressed up peeps in the joint.  Truth be told, we were supposed to go somewhere else but plans fell through right around party-o-clock, like they do, and we were all dressed up with no where to go…yes, a lot like my prom.  Anyhow, we ended up at this aforementioned dance hall.  In front was a table with a sign for some contest, now normally i A) never get asked to join said contests and B) never approach the table…normally.  But that night not only did they sweeten the deal by asking/telling me to sign up but they gave me a free drink and the prize was $50.00….apparently i felt i needed that 50 enough to scope it out.  Basically we wore a number and there were “secret judges” aka sleezoids scoping us out as we made our way around this place.  i was assured all i had to do was go on about my normal routine and never would i have to be brought out on stage in front of the entirety of the bar.  Yeah okay…thus i became #138.  Judging from the clientele that evening i was sure that i’d get at least one of the spots….i mean they give away $400.00 a night…i mean one of those 50s was mine. 

WRONG!  Enter #105… middle aged (which if you haven’t guessed i’m a little shy of that thank you!), bleached hair, bad perm, roots…she tried with the dress but mine was A) cuter and B) i got it on sale so it makes it that much better.  i don’t mean to hate only on her…i mean there was white shirt who, please don’t get me started on her dancing…  and i don’t mean to sound so high an mighty either, i’m just sayin that 50 should have been mine!  i spent the entire night smiling at complete strangers that were probably staring for all the wrong reasons for nothing!  Ugh, all i’m getting at is, if that was the “look” they were going for then they should have called it “dream girl of the really bad 90s look.”  Okay cleansing my Karma now, sorry to sound like such a hater…i’m not always so critical…no really don’t roll your eyes i’m not!  I’m working on it anyway.

Speaking of growing up, this weekend is my first adult vacay…sorta-kinda.  My NYC trip in November was an adult vacay too but, but this weekend i’ll be actually going to the lake and staying in a condo by myself for some much needed peace and quiet!  Oh, and my family reunion is going on about four blocks away.  i’ll attend of course but my big hopes for this weekend are as follows:

1.  First rested nights sleep in two weeks
2.  Work on my tan…i’ve actually got a base tan started woohoo!
3.  Did i mention peace and quiet
4.  Tan, tan, tan.

Pictures of my little Shangri-La will follow.  For now i’m packing up and tuning out for the weekend.  Until then!

 

Sex in the City… it’s colloquial

After about a week of planning the stars and our schedules finally aligned allowing the girls *wink, wink* and i to get out and see Sex and the City.  With high, but not too high, expectations i rushed to the theater after work, got my gallon of diet coke and a pretzel and filed into the packed theater.  I was sadden by the preview of Gregg Behrendt’s blight to women being transformed from hard bound crap to cinematic disappointment which would leave an entire theater of single women depressed and women in a less than stable relationship full of doubt.  Because the fact is Gregg, i’m just not that into you!  With that being said, i was quickly cheered up when i heard the all to familiar song about my four favorite NYC ladies.  Without giving and entire review and or spoiling the movie if you have yet to see it, i will just say it was wonderful.  Not too over the top, it was more like a really good two hour episode.  And yes, i cried….a lot.  

Later we went down the street to enjoy a Texas Cosmo…aka Frozen Margaritas.  Trying to ignore the horrible, and i do mean horrible Karaoke and a brain freeze we sat there and jokingly assigned characters to each other.  Don’t roll your eyes, i know you do it too….don’t argue, every group does this.  If its with Sex and the City, Friends or Golden Girls you’ve done it and everyone always wants to be Carrie, Samantha, Rachel, or Blanche respectively…. am i right or am i right.  Yeah, thought so…anyhow, we were pretty honest…except for me i kinda wanted to be Samantha, probably because she’s such a coug.  As we set there and validated why we each fit certain rolls i realized it was kinda true.  No, i don’t believe anyone of us was exactly like one of those characters, i just mean i could definitely see everyone’s roll in the group.  We all need the hopeful one, the one that sees good in everything, the slightly cynical one, the funny one and the one that knows (and sometimes doesn’t) the exact right time to say something inappropriate, and by inappropriate i mean sexual. It was just about that time, the time when sex because the dinner table conversation, that someone pointed out they number of partners for each of our favorite characters was so high, but then went on to explain that for NYC that was normal due to the population.  Where as you might have 20 or so partners in NYC you wouldn’t have that many in a small town like say i don’t know Wimberly, Tx… because if you did you’d probably end up sleeping with all the eligible partners, the not so eligible partners, their cousins and possibly your 3rd cousin twice removed…i mean it’s a small town for heaven’s sake!  This is when my not so fantastical brain decided to jump in and describe sex as “colloquial” and it went something like this: “Oh! So sex is colloquial!!  It’s Colloquial!”  That dim comment was paired with a very big hand gesture ( like ya do ) and left the table just smiling and nodding.  About the 3rd time i repeated it i knew what i had said…and that they were being kind enough to keep their comments to themselves.  Luckily i called myself out, then tried to rationalize what i had said, explaining i meant sex is to your area and my brain jumped the tracks to the term colloquial as in colloquial saying…do ya see where i was somewhat on an almost logical path…slightly.  I guess in that situation i would be considered Rose (see Golden Girls reference above.)  So to wrap up that neat little package here is a big thank you to all my Carries, Samanthas, Charlottes, and Mirandas, without you i would be lost.

In other news, my new home slice Kanye got a big F*You at Bonnaroo and my girl Miley is at it again!  Kanye, don’t say anything you’ll regret!!!  We’ll always love you and you glowtastic music here in ATX.  Miley, *sigh* i am going to lend you some books on internet safety…do you know how easy it is to hack something these days!  E-mail & MySpace = not the best way to share your sex kitten pics … and really, i wouldn’t do anymore self portraits if i were you.  I’m not giving up hope just yet, you can turn this sinking ship around…you’ve still got time!  This will also be my last post…from this computer!  I just got a new addition to the family and I am so excited oh to have a full screen to look at once again will be like Heaven!  

Addendum to “A Single Girl and a Gimp…” and Much Anticipated Pictures!

Austin brought to my attention a few good moments that I left out from the previous post **spoiler alert**, so I thought I’d take just a few moments to expand on them…but not too much because I cannot wait to share the pictures with you!

So as the single girl and very well dressed gimp hobbled into the last pew and shared their silent victory trying not to disturb the very nice older gentleman next to them they took a moment to join in prayer…then continued to get ready.  That’s right, we were those people and by now if the bride and groom are reading this…which probably not because they’re getting accustomed to married life if you know what i mean…they may think twice before inviting me to the Christening of their first child.  I’m sure no one saw though, and i did my best to make it look like i was holding his cast as i fixed Austin’s sleeves instead of fumbling with his crotch.  And if you are confused i assure you i was fixing his sleeves and not the latter, it just may have looked like the latter from afar due to the angle, thus why i made sure to make it look like i was holding his cast fondly as if…well whatever you get it.  right?

You might also be wondering about the spicy mac.  Well there was indeed a pasta bar at the reception which was very exciting, seeing as how i heart carbs more than anything,…besides diet coke…and a few other things.  More over mac and cheese might just be one of the best inventions ever!  What looked like the American classic was deceiving, because it was in fact spicy!  Not bad, just different…and also happened to be Austin’s favorite.  Spicy Macaroni then became the common thread in the conversation at the table (we were table 16…not table 9 thank you very much!) which consist of friends of the bride and groom, aka the only young people at the wedding, besides the group of ten year olds running around.

Which leads me to my boyfriend…
     There was just the cutest little boy who was following the group of girls around with this huge camera taking snap shots of everything.  He is most definitely destined to become a photographer or at least the life of the party when he grows up.  When the DJ finally put on the jams and by jams of course i mean Y.M.C.A he joined the group of older women (aka myself, ashley, the bridal party and parents) and busted a move.  Not gonna lie, i think he may have given me the little wink and nod but i can’t be certain.  I decided not to practice my coug skills on someone that could land me in jail.  Saying goodbye was hard, but it had to be done.

Of course i think this adventure would make a great made for TV movie!  Maybe a twist on Hitchin’ the Knot, where Melinda actually gets married and Connie is the one that’s out of luck…or maybe Melinda isn’t married and she’s at table 9…who knows!

Okay, now what i’m sure you’ve all been dying to see.  Here are the pictures of Buddy with his grill.  It’s really more of a photo essay of the events that transpired as we made him do this.  While you enjoy these I will be painfully deciding what i will and will not be seeing at ACL this year, that’s right the Sched is out and i have my vacation days set in stone!

 

  No animals harmed in the process and really Buddy loves this kinda crap –