Pretty Little Priest

Wicked.

2012-01-26T11:33:00.000-08:00

About a month ago my wonderful friend Kat had asked if I was interested in seeing the show, so we decided to take the hefty ticket plunge and see it. I have seen it a few times before and I absolutely love it, so there really wasn't much thought that went into my decision. Last week, my beautiful friend Marissa, called me up to let me know our friend Kevin from high school was IN Wicked and asked if I wanted to go up on Wednesday (yesterday) and see the show and have dinner with them. Duh.

I got off work a little early so I could meet them over around 5:30. We all had dinner together and some little neighborhood grill, met Neil Labute, who is a pretty well to do play writer but somewhat of a weird individual, and headed back over for the show. After the show Kevin put us on a list, we felt important, and we got to go backstage, see all of the set, the extravagant costumes, and learn a little bit more about the play. They transport the ENTIRE stage in semi-trucks. Fun. I am excited to go back on Saturday and see Kevin work his magic on the stage yet again.

1:23

2012-01-25T07:38:00.000-08:00

For the past three nights I have been waking up around 1:23 and I can't fall back asleep, it is incredibly annoying. I fall asleep at a reasonable time, am asleep for a few hours and then it is like this internal clock that goes off and tells me I NEED to be awake, I need to spend worthless time browsing the Facebook news feed and playing Words with Friends, because at that hour, there is nothing else to do! When I finally fall back asleep, my real alarm goes off and it is time for work and that my friends is the story of my life.

but...

Prior to falling asleep last night, I met with the Stake President and he gave me the green light on getting endowed on February 11. I was excited before but now that I have the official ok and my recommend, I am ecstatic. I went over to the bishop to give him my thumbs up and I told him I wanted to celebrate with pizza. The whole bishopric was in there as well as my friend Brian and they made a joke about me ordering a few extra for them. I was in the giving spirit so I went over to a local pizzeria and came back with two celebration pizzas!

Best friend flies in town in 16 days!

"Just a Small Scratch"

2012-01-24T10:31:00.000-08:00

Saturday night was one of the most amazing weddings I have ever been too, it wasn't the location, or the food, or even the amazing cake, rather it was the love between Jon and Melinda that just couldn't be denied. It was at the Marriott in Marina Del Rey- on top of the helicopter pad, totally awesome! (you can find the photos on my photography blog http://npriestphotography.blogspot.com/)

Anyway- while leaving the hotel at 3 am, I get my car back looking like this:

Upset because that obviously wasn't the way I turned my car IN to the valet, I wanted something taken care of and quick. I have never, EVER, in my entire life, experienced such rudeness and tackiness at a hotel. Although Marriott claims they are a separate entity than the valet, that valet sets an image for their hotel. The valet denied all claims, said my car was damaged when it came in and then in the claim description for wrote: Just a small scratch, told my brother to "eff off" when he asked to see the cameras, and had pure incompetence from the manager on duty.

After calling the parking manager for 2 days, leaving 3 messages with no return, I decided to call the manager of Marriott to track down this guy Aidan who is supposed to be contacting me regarding my car. Once he finally contacted me, he stated they did not do the damage, the camera shows that my car came in with the damage. Of course I asked for screen shots of the video (since I couldn't just get to Marina Del Rey that fast) and the photos looked edited. I replied asking to see the actual photos of me walking OUT of the car, to which he sent and there was nothing on my car but a reflection.

and my favorite photo of the hour is my expression when I saw my car:

I understand accidents happen, but own up! He then stated that he would go ahead and agree that my experience had been tacky, but they would not admit to the damage. Well Mr. Aidan, I just sent all your photos and a 9 page letter to Corporate Marriott, take that and perhaps even your loss of a job you little stinker!

February.

2012-01-20T10:20:00.000-08:00

It's not just a month for Groundhogs Day and Valentine's Day, but a month that I am going to remember forever because it is going to be THAT awesome. Let me give you a little back story so you can be just as excited as I am about this upcoming month! About a month ago I was meeting with my bishop to renew my regular temple recommend when he said, "When do you want to get endowed?" (I had wanted to get endowed at my year mark but the Stake President at the time told me I was ready but it wasn't the time. I hadn't even thought about it since that day in 2009.) "When I get married." The bishop looked at me and said, let me rephrase the question, "When do you want to get endowed?"

I know well enough that when something is said more than once, it is something to consider. I went home and prayed, and went to the temple and prayed and went back to the bishop the following week. "Bishop, I am ready to get endowed!" His smile said it all. Now, my best friend Cait, who has been beside me every step of the way since 2008, was more than thrilled about this decision and wanted to be there to support me. Cait lives in Spokane, so we decided the best weekend for her to get down here is February 11. I am so excited that she will be here, that she will be a part of this very important day for me.

January isn't over, and it isn't too shabby either. I am going to see Wicked twice next week! (I kind of like this play) A friend from high school is in it so my other friend Marissa is coming up and we are going on Wednesday and then I am going again on Saturday with my friend Kat! These next few months are going to fly by and before I know it, I will be in Barcelona speaking spanglish.

Barcelona!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2012-01-17T14:41:00.000-08:00

I know, I am excited, but can you blame me?! In less than 2 months I will be in Barcelona- trotting along for my 2012 European trip. In 2010 I stepped out of the country for the first time (Germany and France), 2011 I went to London, Scotland, and Ireland and now, Barcelona! I have always wanted to go to Spain so I am excited to get this place checked off on my to-do list.

I am not sure what I am going to do- I have a few months to plan that, but I do know I am leaving LAX at 8:45pm on Friday March 9 and flying into Barcelona. On March 20- I am flying out of San Sebastian and into LAX. The weather may not be perfect but I am going to make my time there perfect! Beaches, food, arts, people! I love traveling!

Eternal Families.

2012-01-16T18:15:00.000-08:00

There is never really anything good to say when someone passes away- there is no words or condolence that is going to bring that person back so it is always rough trying to figure out what to say or do. As I sat in the funeral for my aunt I constantly thought about how grateful I am to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, that I KNOW where I am going and that I WILL see my family, that they all have the opportunity to come unto Christ, even after death. I also sat in excitement. I am pulling out my endowments in less than a month and I cannot wait to serve those that have passed on, those that haven't had the opportunity to receive the blessings of the fullness of the gospel. As everyone was being sad, I got this glimmer of happiness because I know what is in store for her, I know the blessings that she can be a part of and I am so incredibly grateful for this gospel that I know is pure truth.

Too Late.

2012-01-10T10:06:00.001-08:00

Would have, could have, should have.

My aunt passed away on Saturday around 10:30pm and of course a state of shock set in, followed by doubt, and then sadness. Memories run through your mind as you come to grasp that they are in fact gone. I decided to go through pictures throughout the years and put them together because I knew they would be desired for the funeral service or at least after. In my mind I had loads of them but when I sat down to get pictures, I noticed there weren't really that many after all. I had only taken one picture of her at Christmas, ONE. It suddenly hit me how precious and valuable pictures really are and how excited I am to be involved in photography. People would stop and reconsider spending money on a photographer because it is not in their budget but once people aren't around to take pictures, all they do is wish they had taken more pictures. I am making it a point to take pictures at every family gathering- even if people don't want them taken, I want them, and I am selfish :)

Captain of your Ship; Master of your Destiny.

2012-01-03T11:27:00.000-08:00

With it being the new year and of course new resolutions and goals, this quote really got me to think about things.

No one else can live your life. You are the Captain of your ship; the Master of your destiny. Before you set sail, be sure you know where you are heading. Plot your course accordingly, even if you can't see it, it is there just on the horizon. Even when you have no energy for things, you have energy... you cannot not have it, you would be dead otherwise. Perhaps you are already dead... dead to the old way of being you, and if this is so, say "goodbye" and dream a new dream, a new life. For after all, no one else can dream your dream, or live your life. It is in your hands... so go now, go grab it with a blind faith in yourself that all will be well.

A lot of the time people, myself included, think that someone or something can make their life better. If I could just have this... things would be better. As awesome as that would be to have everything fixed by something or someone, we need to fix ourselves and make our own changes or as soon as that something or someone is gone from our lives, we will be right back where we started with the same issues and the same problems. Makes me think of why Heavenly Father should be number one in our lives. A lot of people may disagree and say, no, your spouse should be number one. The thing is, people will fail you, there will be times when they don't meet our expectations, or hurt us more than imaged but our Heavenly Father is a constant in our lives and will always be there for us, he will never fail us. I guess what I am getting at, is make your own goals, have your own dreams, that doesn't mean they can't include other people, but don't depend on someone else to make your success or be your happiness.

Princess.

2012-01-03T10:17:00.000-08:00

The other day I heard that a "friend" was talking about me behind my back, something I have never been a fan of. As much as it sucks to hear things you don't necessarily want to hear, or think you need to hear, I would rather hear them directly to my face, than through a grapevine. At any rate, I got a text from someone regarding this person. She had taken it upon herself to let my ex boyfriend know where I was at for New Year's Eve- she was at the same place. Now, let me preface this story- her and the ex were never even close while we were dating so it isn't like it was important for her to text him and let him know that she saw me. I had asked if she just randomly text him, he had then mentioned she began talking about me the other day and stated how I was mean and a princess. My first reaction was princess?! I define a princess as someone that is spoiled, doesn't appreciate anything, and expects the world to revolve around them. Having worked to support myself since I was 15, purchasing my own car, putting myself through college, working full-time jobs and going to school, moving out of home at 18, I don't classify myself with being a princess. I then began thinking, why do people waste their time talking about other people? Why do we let other people effect us so much that we spend countless hours talking about them but not to them? What I find humorous is that once I confronted this person- she denied even talking about me which clearly states to me that you aren't confident in your "princess" slander to say it to my face.

Well, it is 2012 and I am wiping the slate clean. I am me and those that love me will appreciate me for being me. That doesn't mean I am not charitable and aim to upset or hurt others but you can't live your life trying to impress others because you will end up unsatisfied.

If You Love Christmas So Much, Why Don't You Merry It?

2011-12-30T08:46:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was wonderful, a newborn, family I haven't seen in 6 years, and good food. Mom, like always, was hounding me to take pictures and as much as I love taking pictures, it is difficult when people on the receiving end do not want their picture taken! Nonetheless, here is my Christmas...

Goose and Colton on his first Christmas :)

Michael and his mittens

Chad and Kelly

Kelly and Michael

My thrilled brother

Cousin Melisa

My favorite Sis-in-law and baby Colton

Cousin Robbie

Mom

The happy new family

Goose!

Kelly's son Talon

Grandpa Grant

The Grant men

Robbie and Talon

Mom getting the best gift ever and showing it :)

Chad hugging mom

Uncle Bob

Goose and her tin of cookies

Me and my brudder

Chad, me, and Kelly

The Grants: Michael, Francie, Kelly, and Robbie

This Too Shall Pass.

2011-12-28T12:58:00.000-08:00

Every day can't be easy, effortless, and amazing. Sometimes when things go awry or you just can't get something right and you feel like you're stuck in the twilight hour, it is a sign in my opinion to step things up a notch. It is easy to give up, or start over, but it takes strength to push on through and when you do, when you fight for it, when you pay attention, when you listen rather than talk, you get to where you want to go. So when you're feeling frustrated, when you're about to give up, remember that this too shall pass.

Cupcake.

2011-12-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday a co-worker brought me a cupcake and wished me a Happy Christmas, I ate it.

Oh Wednesday a co-worker got a box of cupcakes and didn't want them so he gave them to me, I ate one.

This morning I came to work and decided to have another one...

Why is it so hard to be good this time of the year?! Cupcakes really are a golden food and I embrace them with happiness.

Review.

2011-12-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

I have my review at work today and it got me to thinking about this year in review. With 21 days left in this calendar year I have yet to successfully complete any of my New Year's resolutions... are those things good for rollover? I do feel however that 2011 was not completely a waste. Let's see:

Moved to LA (that is 100 blogs in and of itself.)
Started a new job. (Interested to hear my review: You do great at staring at the computer and editing your photos on your personal computer because we don't give you work.)
Went to London, Scotland, and Ireland.
Started my photography business.
Gained a new sister and a nephew.
Dealt with the passing of some really good friends.
Had an ulcer.
Had 2 crowns.
... ok, this is getting depressing.

I would say that 2011 has definitely had some good highlights and among them has been the relationships and friendships I have developed. My two favorite foreigners... Jan and Emma. I met Emma in Berlin in 2010 and Jan in Ireland in 2011. I love both of them for different reasons but point blank, I wish we were in the same country so we could hang out more. That is one thing I don't care for about LA. I don't have nearly as many friends as any other place that I have lived because who wants to get back in their car to go out and do things after it has taken you 1.5 hours to drive 6 miles home from work. I am however truly grateful for the people in my life. I love, love, love Cait the bestest friend ever, my girlfriends that I don't know what I would do without and I am going to get in trouble for the order I put them hahah (Jo, Carm, La, Marge, and Liana), and all the other amazing people in my life. As you get older you tend to realize who your real friends are, who you can not talk to every single day and still pick up where you left off, and who you never need to talk to again :) (People like Jerry from Starbucks.)

Thanks for being in my life and being my friend.

Jerry.

2011-12-13T07:46:00.000-08:00

Trying to grab a little free internet to finish some work this am, I hopped in to a Starbucks and plopped myself down at a table. About 20 minutes into my editing this man walks in, Jerry. He walks straight to the bar (without paying) and states his order. The man behind the bar, not very excited, fulfills his request. You can tell the type of person Jerry is. Jerry was given a free coffee once and now he feels that he owns the place. I figured maybe he would slip him some money at the bar rather than having to wait in the line but nothing. I have been to this Starbucks before and I have seen Jerry waltz in like he owns the place. People like Jerry make me think, "How often do you take an inch and make it a mile?" "How often do people do us a favor and then we expect that all the time?" With the season, I thought it would be nice to sit and reflect upon being grateful, rather than taking advantage of people and things.

Tyrone.

2011-12-08T14:42:00.000-08:00

I am not sure if you know who Tyrone Wells is, but he is awesome and hands down my favorite singer/songwriter out there. I was introduced to Tyrone about 3 years ago through my friend Lindsey and later got to know him due to my friend Stanley who was his buddy buddy. Long story short- every time Tyrone plays, Stanley and I are there... we stand in the line to say hello to him and we always laugh at that because we know him but we are standing in the meet and greet to say hi along with all of the crazy fans!

So... when I decided to start my photography business I began reaching out to people I knew regarding pictures and an opportunity for me to build my portfolio. Michael and I had ran in to Tyrone and his wife Elina at a Forever 21 and she mentioned they were expecting. Not only was I excited for their little bundle of joy, I was excited to take her baby bump pictures. Elina so graciously was up for the shoot. I drove out to their house in Chino- which was quite a drive from Hollywood but in my opinion well worth it. Trying not to be a "fan" and more of a friend/professional I arrived at the house ready to go. I was greeted by their adorable dog along with pregnant Elina. She walked me through the house, into the nursery, told some awesome little stories about artwork and a stuffed lamb she had and then into their bedroom and her closet to help her pick out a few outfits. Although I do KNOW Tyrone, it was still completely awesome to be standing in their house. I felt like my excitement for who's pictures I was taking may have made me a little awkward and nervous but nonetheless, we packed into my car and headed to a beautiful park up the street.

We took quite a few nice shots and I am excited to go through them and edit :) I always get slightly discouraged every now and then thinking I could be a better photographer or I want to know so much and I don't know it all yet but needless to say, the pictures did turn out great and I will post them on my photography blog as soon as I get her approval!

On to other news, I won an iPad2 last night at my company work Christmas Party. I am stoked to play around with my new toy but unfortunately it is going to be a while. Tonight I head to Coto to get some more newborn pictures of my nephew. Tomorrow is Sara Bareilles with Michael. Saturday I have two photo shoots and then off to San Diego for 91WREX where we will see Florence+the Machine. Sunday and relaxation can't come fast enough!

Pooped.

2011-12-01T16:52:00.000-08:00

This year has sure been very eventful and I don't mean that in the best possible way. I feel like I can blink my eyes and I am right back to December 31, 2010 making my New Year's Resolutions... all of which I have failed to hold my end of the bargain on. There are many things that I wanted to go better this year and well, they didn't, but sometimes you just have to face the road blocks and obstacles and make due.

I keep stating that I am fed up with Los Angeles but then I hear horror stories of doctors in Spokane, WA as well, where my best friend lives. It seems like I get the pick of the litter when it comes to dentists, doctors, jobs, all that jazz. Let me give you a run down:

My doctor told me I had IBS and failed to treat me.
Come to find out, I have an ulcer which I was treated for in the ER and received ulcer meds.
On my follow-up with my dr he claimed yet again that I had IBS and when I asked why ulcer meds were helping me he had no answer.

My dentist filled two crowns.
She placed the temporary fillings in and I was in massive pain.
She had me come back in to place the permanent crowns on but they weren't fitting. Rather than numbing me, like a normal dentist, she jabbed, pierced, and shoved the crown in trying to make it fit all the while my adjacent tooth was an open socket receiving air and water on it. I have had the filling in for a week and I am still in pain. I went in today only to find out that my gum was hemorrhaging, probably from her poking and prodding.

Fun.

On other news, my photography business is starting up and I am excited to see where this will take me. I have two photo shoots on Saturday, Colton's newborn pictures and Carmen's family pictures!! So exciting. You can check out my photography page if you haven't had a chance to yet, I am proud of it!

www.nicolepriestphotography.blogspot.com

Thief.

2011-11-29T08:47:00.000-08:00

There is nothing more thrilling than the confirmation of your UPS package when you are expecting a shipment. I had tracked the package earlier in the day to see that it was delivered. Quiet skeptical and WHO my package was delivered to because I was at work the whole day, would be another question. After arriving home and noticing the package was not on my front door, nor was it with my apartment manager, I called UPS. The representative kindly told me that the driver left my package with the neighbor in apartment 106 and she apologized that he didn't leave a note (which he should have.)

Great! Apartment 106, I don't even know this person but perhaps this may prove to be convenient and I wont have to go track the package down at a UPS center. Michael was eating dinner and reading so I went to go knock on the neighbors door.

"Hi, UPS just informed me that they delivered my package to you and I just wanted to pick it up."

"Ohh, I don't have your package, I gave that to my mother, I thought it was hers."

"Ok, can you please call your mother?"

Lady leaves and comes back

"She didn't answer."

"Well, I really need that package, can you go get it from her?"

"No, I don't have a car."

"Ok, can you tell me where she lives so that I can go get my package?"

"She lives far."

"I really need that package tonight. Is there a reason you gave her a package that had my name on it?"

"I signed my name though, they gave it to me."

After a few minutes of not coming back Michael came outside to see what was going on. Bless his little heart, he got quite mad. We continued to ask her why she signed for a package that wasn't hers and she stated she signed for it with HER name. UPS however had on their records that it was signed for by PRIEST, lying stinkers!

Michael continued to inform her that she had stolen our package and that if she didn't get it back we were going to have to call the cops. I think I said that a lot more composed and nicer than he did but you catch the drift. She slammed her door and said, "Fine, call the cops."

I sat on the phone with UPS for a good 20 minutes explaining to them my situation and telling them that they need to speak to the seller of my lighting equipment and pay for it to be at my door by Thursday. While in the process of speaking to a supervisor, since no one wanted to help with my missing package that THEIR driver delivered to the WRONG house, I hear a knock on the door. Michael answered and it was the neighbor with my package.

"Did your mom bring this back?"

"No"

"Oh, so you had our package the whole time and lied to us?"

"No, I didn't lie."

With that she walked to her apartment, we shut the door to mine and I inspected my lighting equipment to make sure it wasn't damaged. Welcome to Los Angeles where your package is our package.

Fraud.

2011-11-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

Your mother always warns you about people that will take advantage of you in life. Or she tells you some story where you have to be extra careful, you nod your head and think internally how overprotective she is... until you run into people that are trying to scheme you. I am trying to sell my Canon T2i to help fund the 60d that I just purchased. Anytime I have needed to sell something in the past I have listed it on Craigslist. I am the person that rants and raves about how wonderful Craigslist is because I am also the person that has never had any issues with it.

Thursday when I received an email from someone that sounded too good to be true (which is normally right) I decided to let my guard down and perhaps except the fact that someone wanted to buy my camera! He had everything set up in PayPal and said the email would come to me when he had disbursed funds into my account. He was quite persistent regarding the email. I found it in my spam only to note that the actual address of the PayPal account was off. I emailed it to PayPal to verify that it was spam and sure enough, it was! Saturday night I received another email from someone that was interested in my camera and she wanted to meet up yesterday. She gave me some story about how she could only withdraw $300 from an ATM so she would have to meet me on Monday. I replied back asking what time on Monday but she didn't answer. This morning she sent me a text asking if she could meet me tonight at 7:30 at the Beverly Connection.

Pause.

Last night I was kind of bummed that she wasn't writing back because I really thought I had sold my camera. Michael made a comment that sometimes people aren't who we think they are and just to be safe. What he said really stuck with me and put me in this overcautious mode. I went back to the initial email from "Mia" and her email address was ahhhnonymous@gmail.com. Could that be someone's real email? Yes... Does that make me want to meet her at the Beverly Connection with her "father" at 7:30 when it is pitch black dark outside? No. I have this vision that I sell them the camera and then someone jumps me in the parking garage and gets the camera AND their money.

LA is seriously such a rough city and you can't trust very many people. As annoying as it is to be overcautious, I would rather have my face in tact and be careful when selling things. If Michael weren't busy tonight I would take him with me but going by myself is NOT an option. Part of me thought about telling them to meet me at the temple grounds haha! Then I KNOW I would be protected.

On to other news, I saw Breaking Dawn with Michael on Friday night and it sucked. I was so disappointed in their poor production and the script. Saturday we went to see Tyrone Wells in Anaheim at the House of Blues which was also a dual celebration for my friend Kat's bday. I love all of them. Tyrone is such an awesome guy and I really do look forward to taking him and his wife's baby bump pictures. Sunday it rained REALLY hard and all I wanted to do was sit in bed all day, so for a majority of the day, that IS what I did.

Rumbly in my Tumbly.

2011-11-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

Winnie the pooh said it best and although his was in reference to needing to eat, mine is in reference to what happens WHEN I eat. I was diagnosed with an ulcer on November 2 in the ER. I came back from Iowa and was seen by my general practitioner, who is a nut job, and he told me I did not have an ulcer I had IBS. Now if that wasn't far from the diagnosis. When I asked the man WHY ulcer pills made me completely better his answer was, "I don't know." He wanted me to get another CT Scan but I don't like putting that much radiation in me if I don't need to and so I declined. He got inside my head and I thought, "Maybe I don't what's wrong." So, I cut back on my pills and I was ok but low and behold, my tummy is starting to hurt again.

My friend Cait has been going through similar problems with her doctor in Spokane. It seems that the healthcare these days is just not what it used to be. No one really cares, they are just out to make you do tests which in turn puts money in their pocket. I hope for my body's sake that the ulcer is what is wrong and it is not something more serious. I wish that people would do their jobs, whatever they may be. If you are in customer service and I ask for help somewhere... don't get mad because you have to help me, that is your job.

On to other news, I contemplate which blog to post this to but maybe I will just do a variation of it on the other :). Yesterday marked 5 months together with Michael. As I was on my way home he kept texting me and asking, "Where are you?"... "Where are you now?" I knew something was up because he was acting very giddy and adorable. As luck would have it, it took an hour to get home. I rushed in the door to see him sitting on my couch. With a big smile he jerked his head to the right, implying I should look too. As I turned to my left I noticed the most beautiful tripod! He is so incredible. He keeps supporting me with this decision emotionally and now even physically!

Tonight: Breaking Dawn. Yes, I said it... I like Twilight.

You Haven't Posted in a Week.

2011-11-16T19:19:00.000-08:00

Says my best friend. I apologize, I am horrible... I should be FIRED from the blog world. Thank heavens I have Cait to remind me when I have gone past my acceptable (24 hour) posting mark! I love you Cait!! Things have been busy on my side of the street and I suppose that is a good thing. I am one to believe that if you aren't moving then you're quite possibly sinking! I know how to swim but I would much rather be sailing to see the beautiful sights and things I can do!

I will be an aunt in a week, yes a week. I am overjoyed and I can not wait!!! Although I am slightly disappointed because I wanted to have me and my lens in the room when baby Colton was making his way into the world, I have come to accept that I will just have to take pictures before and after. Genna is going in for a C-Section (she has a tilted uterus and the baby is breech) so, since it is a large surgery only my brother is allowed in the operating room.

I can't believe it is November. I can't believe how fast this year has gone by and I know that I say that every year but someone should just put a slow motion on the years from here on out because I can't take the speed. I can however give away all the complications this year has brought: Car accidents, sickness, death's, another car accident, and an ulcer! I suppose if I am going to embrace the good things I have to embrace the not so good as well.

With the end of the year however things ARE looking up. I took the sacrament on Sunday, yes I can be open about that because we all make mistakes and things happen and it felt amazing to be taking the sacrament yet again.

Although I put it off for a very long time because I was afraid of the criticism and rude comments I would get about just another person that decided to pick up a camera and call themselves a photographer but you know what?! Screw those people. I am good and I have talent. I may not be the best photographer out there but there is something to be said about raw talent. You can go to school to learn just about anything but knowing all the ins and outs of a certain subject matter does not make you the best at it. Taking your passion, using your God-given talents and expanding your knowledge to meet the current needs can make you the best and gosh darn it, I am going to be the best! (or do my best)

First: I bought a new camera- Canon 60d and then I bought another expensive wide angle lens. I got myself a pretty little logo and THEN I started a photography blog and you can go meander there by clicking here. In the words of Cait, I still have to update my life on this blog but I am going to be posting my photo journeys on the new site. The first that will probably showcase there are going to be of baby Colton! Then I will take pictures of my beautiful and lovely friend Leilani and her children on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The following weekend I am taking pictures of my beautiful friend Carmen and her amazing kids, and the list goes on! If that wasn't exciting enough, I have the opportunity to photograph my most favorite artist, Tyrone Wells and his wife with her baby bump! I honestly couldn't do all of this without my super amazing and supportive boyfriend who tells me to keep it up even when everyone else tells me that I shouldn't do this. I am sure anyone that is great in the world today didn't get there without a few murmurs from people that said they shouldn't do it!

Garbage Post.

2011-11-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

Just like they serve garbage pizza (with everything) or a garbage drink (as you run your cup under every drink flavor and mix them together) this is a garbage post.

Let's see: First and foremost I was rear ended driving home from work on Tuesday. I had just left the store and was headed home to make the most delicious chicken parmesan burgers (mmm) when I was hit in the rear on Melrose by a young little lady (18) with no insurance. She didn't hit me that hard but hard enough to leave a mark and scratch it up. The irony of all of this is that when I called my insurance they told me that I would have a $500 deductible if they had insurance and if they didn't, that deductible would be waived. The more I think about it the more I realize and understand how corrupt and backwards our government really is. You can get away with anything these days and it is simply not fair.

I am going to be an aunt in 13 days and I am so excited for baby Colton Michael to get here in this world. I am blessed and honored to be there with my camera to take the pictures of that first memorable and amazing moment.

I am in love with this weather it is nice and brisk and amazing for walks. After dinner the other night, Michael and I walked to Yogurtland and back to his house, about 1.5 miles, and it was wonderful! It doesn't get cold here but when there is even a glimmer of coldness we Californians embrace it.

Lastly, something I was thinking about today and what brought me to write this post is how I miss old friendships. I was looking through Facebook and came across my old roommate page and I thought for a minute, I miss that friendship and being a part of her life. Then I stop to remember how her and her family really did screw me over. I tend to want to over think situations; Did I react wrong? Were they really that mean to me? Was it something I just imagined? Although I forgive and definitely forget, I can't sit and blame myself for the reason I am no longer friends with her.

On another note, the friends that I do have are amazing.

I miss Orange County.

Sioux City.

2011-11-07T10:59:00.000-08:00

Michael and I flew to Iowa this weekend for the Sioux City Rockestra, a forty piece rock orchestra that his father John put together about nine years ago. Michael always sings and plays cello when he can so he wanted to be there for their first concert, a Beatles tribute show. It was so relaxing to be in Iowa especially after the start I had with an ER visit and an ulcer as a parting gift! On Thursday we lounged around and hung out with his family and then went out to a nice dinner with his friend Dan from high school, his parents, and his aunt. On Friday morning we went to the dentist... for Michael and then out to lunch with his family. I love watching Michael around his family. Friday night was rehearsal for the big show and then of course on Saturday we had the real deal. Saturday morning I had some quality time with his mom where she treated me to some wonderful sweaters and jackets from Kohls! We piled into the car and headed to the Orpheum. It is amazing to see how many people come out to the concert. The Orpheum theatre in Sioux City seats about 2,500 and it was packed! I was the camera (wo)man and was all over the place snapping pictures. Michael came out in his vintage leather jacket singing Helter Skelter and with a quick wardrobe change did Paperback Writer. He has such an amazing voice it was great to watch him perform and the energy he has on stage. On the second half of the show Michael sang part of Imagine and part of Hey Jude for the encore and of course played amazing cello throughout.

After the show we all headed to this restaurant called Famous Dave's which is a BBQ place up the street from the Orpheum. It was really cool because they stayed open late just for us. On Sunday it was nice to just lounge around with his parents and talk about random bits of things from the weekend and in life. We packed all of our clothes (barely) into our carry on luggage and made our way to the airport. It was so nice to get away and it really made me realize how much I don't care for Los Angeles. This city really drains the life out of you and it's easy to see.

It wouldn't be traveling with Nicole Priest if something didn't put us on the edge of our seats...
Trying to find a ride home from the airport was another adventure. We had both text everyone we knew that we could think of in the immediate LA area and couldn't get a hold of anyone to give us a ride. My lovely friend Leilanli who lives over an hour away offered to come pick us up but I declined. Finally as we landed in LA my neighbor Jenn text me that she was there waiting for us. We were finally home and fast asleep by midnight only to start the wonderful work week all over again.

Ulcer.

2011-11-07T10:29:00.000-08:00

Nothing says adventure like an ulcer.

Let me take you back in my time machine so we can be on the same page. On Monday I woke up with really bad stomach pains and when they didn't subside I decided to make an appointment with my doctor. I went in on Tuesday to see the doctor and told him all about my symptoms. He took 3 vials of blood and said we would need to do a CT scan in order to determine what was causing all of my pain. On Wednesday morning I woke up and the pain was even worse. I came to work but began feeling nauseous and started to break out in a heat sweat. After calling the doctor he advised me to drive myself to the ER. By 5:00 I was at the ER and by 5:30 I had an IV in my arm. Michael rushed over to be with me and it was nice to not be in the ER alone. The ER doctor came in and I expressed to him that I had a flight to catch at 12:35 am, was it going to be possible? He looked at me and continued to listen to my symptoms and then stated that I wouldn't be traveling tonight, he was concerned it was my gallbladder and that surgery was going to be necessary. I went in for my ultrasound and gave Michael a list of things to pack in the event I was able to leave the hospital and board the plane. After 4.5 hours of waiting he came back in to tell me that he was pleased with my test results, I didn't have pancreatic cancer, no tumor, no gallbladder problems but.... an ulcer! Michael and I turned to each other with a huge smile. He said I was cleared to fly and he would discharge me, it was 9:30. I rushed home to meet Michael and my friend Jenn who was taking us to the airport. We made it just in the nick of time to board our plane and venture off to the grand state of Iowa. His aunt Ruth picked us up from the airport and drove us to Sioux City where his parents live and THAT was the start of my weekend!

Here is a pretty picture of my new friend....

Frumpy.

2011-10-31T09:01:00.000-07:00

As I hit the snooze for the third time this morning I finally decided I needed to get out of bed. Quickly jumping in the shower, blow drying my hair and throwing on some moisturizer and a dash of powder I stood before my closet contemplating what to wear. It's always cold in the office so my first thought is something warm and comfy. Black pants a sweater and then shoes... what shoes do I choose? I have numerous adorable heels to choose from but going with my comfy theme I grabbed a pair of neutral flats and was out the door.

It was chilly and I wanted something warm so I popped into Starbucks. I am standing in line with wisps of hair going every which way when the front door opens and in walks blonde bombshell. Long blonde hair, cute grey suit, makeup done perfectly, and a figure to die for. I look down at my thrown together outfit and think to myself, "I am homely." As I walk to my car I pull out my phone to text Michael... "I am homely looking, I never spend any time getting ready."

He replies, "You're never homely. Every time I see you, I see everything I've ever wanted."

... and with that my heart melts.

Michael is so amazing. I don't see myself the way that he does, clearly but that very concept got me to think about Heavenly Father and how he sees each and every one of us. We all tend to judge each other on material things, what car we drive, what clothes we wear, etc., but if we took the time to see others through God's eyes perhaps this world would be a little less materialistic and a little more loving.

I imagine this is how Michael sees me and I aim to see others this exact same way:

Damn Indiana EP Release and Halloween Show

2011-10-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

Michael's band had their EP release last Thursday and here are pictures from the show! On Friday night they had a Halloween show at CIA which is this crazy weird venue that is decorated like a haunted house all year round and has a real dead body in a coffin there... I kid you not. Anyway- It was fun because Michael and I got to dress up in our Halloween Costumes as well.

Weekend Getaway with Mom.

2011-10-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago mom took me up the coast for my birthday present. Although it was about a month delayed it was well worth the wait. We set out from Los Angeles around 7:00 in the morning and made our way to Ventura where we stopped at some amazing thrift stores! I laid my eyes on a beautiful Mrs. Potts costume (from Beauty and the Beast) along with some really cute articles of clothing. From there we checked into our hotel in Pismo beach, walked around the town and then made our way to the hot springs. These springs were gorgeous and it was a serene little place where we had our own hot tub and could just gaze at the open scenery. We finished up with the relaxing hot tubs, showered back at the hotel and went out to for a nice dinner only to be surprised with a guest appearance by Bob Smith (a long time family friend). The day was perfect and we had so much fun. In the morning we made our way back down the coast, through a cute little town called Nipomo and back to Los Angeles. Here are pictures from the fabulous journey! Thanks mom...

Who Put the Good in Morning?

2011-10-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

I am trying really hard to keep a smile on my face because it is Friday, which means it is the weekend and I don't have to come to work tomorrow. I do however have to drive down to Orange County to meet my mom at Goose's house to clean her house out. Goose has dementia and it is getting really bad and she is not being very nice to mom. I know it is the disease that is taking over her brain because I am sure that she doesn't have one mean bone in her body. Mom on the other hand is overwhelmed and having a tough time taking all of this on her plate, so I volunteered to help... but I digress.

Today. Wait pause. Last night was Michael's band, Damn Indians (politically correct name I know), EP release. It was at this cool little venue, El Cid, in Silverlake. There was a good turnout and they sounded great! After piling all the gear inside the car and unloading all the gear out of the car my little buns hit the hay only to wake up to a nice little present. I thought to myself, "Gee, it isn't Christmas yet and my birthday has already passed, what could be on my car?" To my pleasant surprise it was a nice white and red piece paper stating I was in violation of no front plate with a hefty little fine attached, I love LA. Now, I have to state that my car is a lease, there is no spot for a front plate. I do understand that some people choose to rebel and not place theirs on but in all honesty, I didn't even know (before I had my first citation a month ago) that I needed to have one. It would be an easy fix if I could put it on myself but I have to make an appointment with Infiniti and take it to Glendale and get it done. I know I have the nicest car in my neighborhood, and I know there are people getting their car stereos stolen I think the kicker is, he ticketed me at 6:36 am. I was out at my car at 6:45... not even 10 minutes later (I should not have hit snooze).

Livid I drove off in the frigid 60 degree California weather and made my way to Starbucks to warm myself up! I order my drink and go into my purse only to realize I had taken my wallet out last night for the show and left it in my camera bag! I turn to the barista and say, "Never mind, I don't have my wallet." Within seconds the man in front of me in line and the two behind him said, "I've got it" while the barista said simultaneously, "Don't worry you're fine." I suppose for every idiot police officer there is in LA, there are some wholesome people at Starbucks that will offer to save the day! I have to pay that forward now of course, if I see someone that forgot their wallet, I will offer to help them out!

Now I sit and watch the clock for 4:30 so I can rush to a yoga class at 6 and then off to the BPM Halloween Party that Michael is playing at. I get to dress up as Velma so I am getting quite excited for that. Hope your weekend and Friday are a little less stressful than mine!

TRUTH.

2011-10-27T12:36:00.001-07:00

What's your Interest.

2011-10-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

So... I have countless hours to waste away each day at work and there is really only so many websites you can browse, books you can read, xm radio stations you can listen to... or maybe my eyes just needed to be opened to Pinterest. I don't know if you have ever been there yet or not but it's really a girl's dream! And maybe even some guys...

www.pinterest.com is a website that is like a pin board. You find things that you like and you add them to your little online cork board! You can browse other people's interests and look at yummy recipes and ideas and all of the fun stuff that you can think of. So, I will go browse and do my thing while you all work your 8 hour days.

Oh and ps... I cut my hair and my bangs and am ready to be Velma for Halloween.

Your baby is cute.

2011-10-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

There are many things in life that people tend to attach a common mandatory response such as...

1. Did you cut your hair? It's so cute.
2. (you have a child) Your baby is soo cute

Those are my first two favorite responses. A compliment is not a required or mandatory statement, it is something that should be given only if necessary... as mean as that may sound. I know that every person thinks their own child is the most adorable thing to walk the earth but if I am going to be a person that doesn't lie... then I need to be a person that doesn't say something just to hear myself speak. I am not saying to go out and tell someone they have an ugly baby or that their haircut is the worst thing you have ever seen but you can he honest and nice at the same time. So next time you see someone that had a baby and it looks like an alien, just say, Oh, congratulations on your new addition!

BFFFTAE.

2011-10-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

For inquiring minds that means, Best Friend Forever For Time And Eternity which also means Caitlin Rose DeFord Hennessy. It was love at first back in August of 2008 when we first laid eyes on each other. I fell in love with her cute shoes and bubbly personality and well, I am not quite sure what she fell in love with BUT it works. Cait is the bestest friend a girl could ever ask for and as I was going through our pictures I noticed that I am still mad at her for leaving and moving to Washington, but I still love her incredibly because she left me her bed to constantly remember her love.

And I can't believe that we didn't take pictures the last like 3 times we have seen each other, UNACCEPTABLE. Alas....

I love you Caitlin and I hope you have the most amazing day and year ahead of you! Thank you for always being there, for loving me unconditionally and for giving me a place to stay, oh and for having an awesome husband.

Pay Attention.

2011-10-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

When coming down the elevator from the office, there are two options, street level and ground. Once on the ground level you take another elevator to access the parking garage. While waiting for the elevator to go down to the parking garage, there is a line of people surrounding. The parking garage has four levels and they are below the main elevator drop off. The elevator dings and a door opens. Without even looking the people pile in and I stand alone on the outside. Everyone was too busy to care that the elevator they boarded was not going down, where they had intended, but instead was going up to the street level. This very act made me pause and think: How many times do we go the wrong way because we are not paying attention?

This very simple question can be quite complex when applied to our lives. As humans I think that we are easily distracted by pretty objections, quick fixes, worldly happiness, ice cream with sprinkles, you name it! Yes, I just threw sprinkles into that mix and you liked it! Sure, the people that got in the elevator going up eventually reached their destination, it just took a little longer. In the great plan of happiness we do the same thing, sometimes even knowledgeably. For instance, we think we know a better way to get something done than Heavenly Father, or perhaps we are too impatient to await his answer, so we choose to go about things on our own timing and in our own way. Although taking the long way is not always the hard way, it does have the opportunity to throw you off your course.

The lesson I learned today was to pay attention. Whatever that may mean to you, open your heart and your mind, listen to the spirit and don't let yourself be misguided. Why add forks in the road when life has plenty to offer on it's own?

Stumbling Block.

2011-10-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

They teach you about building blocks in elementary school but they tend to leave out the oh so dreaded stumbling blocks that tend to approach everyone at some point and time.

I was reading my scriptures this morning and came across a verse in 1 Nephi about stumbling blocks. After reading numerous cross-references, I began to think... What are MY stumbling blocks? When you think about your stumbling blocks you give yourself an opportunity to figure out what is holding you back from your true potential. They don't have to deter you from your goal, nor do they have to be something you dwell on. I made a list of my, "stumbling blocks," and I found myself slightly depressed.

Then I saw this quote and I realized perhaps it is just my way of viewing things. Perhaps my stumbling blocks can be effective stepping stones in helping me achieve my goals.

How can I learn and grow from the stumbling blocks in my life and slowly but surely become the person my Heavenly Father would want me to become?

2011-10-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

Being sick and in bed is the perfect movie watching (and according to my best friend Cait… blog writing) time. I just got through watching All Dogs Go to Heaven. I have not seen that movie since I was a wee one and it made me think about the luxury of being an animal. All of their meals are provided for them, they get constant attention, belly rubs, head scratches, they get someone to ALWAYS clean up after them, they sleep ALL day long… man, this is the life! Hahah. I like responsibility but sometimes it is fun to have a little relaxation and carefree days.

Lately. I went to OC this weekend for the circle of life, a friend’s funeral, another’s wedding, and my sister-in-law’s baby shower. I am really excited to be an aunt … or shall I say another aunt. My sister had Jordan when I was really young and they lived in Northern California so I never really got to be a part of that process and I am more than thrilled to be there for baby Colton.

Work is blah- I am really missing the challenge of a job and it sucks to say that the last time I felt that way was when I worked for the law firm in Florida. I have decided that rather than being upset about my current situation, I am going to make the most of it which means focusing on saving money and working on my masters. I shouldn’t complain that I have time to write a 15 page paper at work :)

I picked up my bike from my mom’s house this weekend and that serves two purposes: I can now keep my good parking spots I find (if you live in LA you know how valuable those are) and ride my bike to go get yogurtland or ride over to Michael’s house. Also, I am thinking about riding to work a few days a week because I am really over the hour-long commute to drive 6 miles.

I talked to my dad last night and that was nice. I don’t talk to him nearly as much as I like to or should and it was nice to hear his voice and about his life right now. I was on my way to the gym so I somewhat rushed him off the phone and I felt bad after the fact. I think in life we tend to rush everything and then don’t appreciate all of the small things we tend to miss. That is true for me at least.

It was my first day working out at the super sport 24 hour fitness in Hollywood and boy, that place is nice. I couldn’t run because I didn’t want the impact on my back but I did the elliptical and it felt amazing. I am thinking about where I will move when my lease is up in 6 months. I can’t stand Hollywood nor the amounts of people here and it is plain right dirty!!! So, I am thinking that Venice or Manhattan Beach may be my next step.

Although I don’t feel comfortable charging for photography because I just want the experience right now, I am really enjoying taking pictures and my new lens. My friend Austin who is an amazing photographer has taken me under his wing and is going to show me the ropes which I am extremely grateful for. He is actually about to be on a reality TV show! His sister is Misi Bauman who is married to Nick Perri who is Christina Perri’s brother. They opened up a tattoo/piercing/barber shop/photography studio on Melrose and MTV has already been in contact with them.

Life may have speed bumps but it is still possible to make the most of the ride.

Baby Bump.

2011-10-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

Genna is cooking and I took some pictures of their little bump...

I win.

2011-10-05T09:23:00.000-07:00

When I was young I distinctly remember playing one of my favorite games: Life. I could choose my car, how many people I wanted inside of it (which represented my family), what my job was, and where I would live. Everything was at the tip of my fingers and I utilized it well. I used to be a firm believer that it was all about playing, "the game." This reference would entail dating for the most part, that was until I met Michael and with him, there were no games. Yesterday I decided to add another portion of life to "the game;" work.

I learned a valuable lesson yesterday; If you play the game, and you play it well, you WILL succeed.

Everyone is caddy. Everyone will gossip. Everyone will fend for themselves no matter what you think. Everyone tries to play the game but only succeeds if they are the mole. Yes, I said it... the mole.

That show was never one that interested me but I do see the value in it to an extent. Making sure that everyone likes you but not picking sides on a team is really the key to succeeding in a work environment, at least from my experience. If I were logical and honest, I wouldn't talk to half of the people I work with because a) I don't find them insightful, thoughtful, intelligent, or all of the above b) we would not be friends outside of work so I don't need to pretend to be friends with them inside of work.

You can't be logical though... you have to be wise and appear to be interested in the mindless things people converse about. It is only when you choose to rise above others, seclude yourself, and ignore the fakeness that you fail. It is really quite sad that you get paid to form and maintain superficial relationships that only last as long as you work in that certain environment. As sad as it is however, it is Life!

Repeat Offense.

2011-10-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

I am a firm believer in if I hear something more than once, I feel there was a reason behind me hearing it. I was reading my scriptures this morning in conjunction with the Institute Manual and there was a quote from President Thomas S. Monson.

Decisions determine destiny.

You can't make eternal decisions without eternal consequences.

Pathways to Perfection, May 2002 Ensign

That exact quote was used in Conference this weekend so I thought it would probably be wise to look up the talk. President Monson uses an analogy of Alice and Wonderland:

In Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice finds herself coming to a crossroads with two paths before her, each stretching onward but in opposite directions. She is confronted by the Cheshire Cat, of whom she asks, “Which path shall I take?”

The cat answers: “That depends where you want to go. If you do not know where you want to go, it doesn’t really matter which path you take!”²

Unlike Alice, each of you knows where you want to go. It does matter which way you go, for the path you follow in this life leads to the path you will follow in the next.

We KNOW where we are going, or where we want to go for that matter, then why do we make decisions that lead us off the path? He breaks it down into four categories one of them being devotion to discipline. Self-discipline becomes a necessity. I cringe at discipline, not because I hate it because I am bad at it and I don't just mean in gospel principles but I mean with life! I am horrible at discipline when it comes to food, to exercise, to priorities... it is bad.

“You can’t be right by doing wrong; you can’t be wrong by doing right.” Your personal conscience always warns you as a friend before it punishes you as a judge. Courage is required to think right, choose right, and do right, for such a course will rarely, if ever, be the easiest to follow.

We all want life to be easy, to be painless and effortless but it is not. The refining fire is not called the refining fire because it is easy. Take baby steps along the way, pray for strength and guidance and you will eventually reach your goal... if you want it bad enough.

Plan of Salvation.

2011-09-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

For anyone that has investigated the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the above illustration rings a bell. Although I don't remember my life pre-earth, I have an innate feeling that I did exist before and this explanation seems to make everything connect, have meaning, and of course purpose.

Ever meet a person and you connect so well that you feel you have known them forever? I don't think that is a coincidence, I feel that you knew them in pre-existence. Call me crazy, many people do, but I know this is true. According to the LDS faith, everyone on earth existed in pre-existence and was in the grand courts with Heavenly Father. Jesus had made the decision to come to earth for the glory of God overruling Satan's attempt to come to earth for his own glory and thus the war began. We knew that it would be difficult but we made the choice to come to earth, to obtain a human body, endure life's trials and tribulations so that we could one day return to our Father in heaven.

I don't write all this to preach, but I write it because today I will be attending the funeral of a good friend, George James who passed away on September 20. Death gives me the constant reminder about this wonderful Plan of Salvation that we have. It reassures me that although it is easy to be sad in the present because we have lost a friend, that we know where they are going. George knew I was LDS and we had quite a few conversations about faith and religion but I never seized any opportunity to invite him to church because in my head, it was never the right time. Why is that for me to decide when the right time for someone is? I have learned from my membership in this amazing church that if we do what we are supposed to do, the Lord will present opportunities to share his gospel. The Lord will prepare people, we just have to open our mouths.

General Conference is this weekend... even if you don't have a TV, you can watch it live HERE. I have a testimony of conference and it's power to change lives. I need to hear these words now more than ever and I know there is something for every single person, we just have to open our hearts and listen.

I am THAT Girl.

2011-09-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was leaving work and had gotten in the elevator to the garage. When the elevator stopped at street level, I went to get out and immediately as the doors opened this man was pressing himself into the elevator without giving me an opportunity to leave. As I paused to think how annoying that was, I realized that I do the same thing. I sit and wait to get on the elevator and as soon as it opens, I am trying to get on... without giving someone the opportunity to get off.

This incident made me think about all the other hypocritical things that I probably do on a daily basis. When I was young, I remember making really annoying taps on wood or tables, or something to make noise... when you did it, it was fine but as soon as someone else tried to replicate the sound, it was the most disturbing noise my ears had heard.

Life. (deep breathe) I have learned a lot lately, especially with two friends passing, that it is both the little things that count and don't count. Let me explain. The small gestures count. The little worries or stresses, don't count. You hear the saying all of the time: Live every day like it is your last, but do we ever actually DO that? I sure as heck don't. I know for a fact that I am not prepared or ready to leave this world, so I should start making changes... on the things I have control over.

Change 1: I went to institute last night, I haven't been in who knows how long... it was across from UCLA which made me not only miss college, but miss running. All those little kiddos running their hearts out. Not to mention the weather has been slightly gloomy which is PERFECT for running.

An aside... since I haven't been able to run yet (from the car accident in June) I have been doing Bikram yoga which has been wonderful on my back. It hurts but I know that it is good hurting and hopefully I will be back to running shape in no time. I also have a boot camp Groupon that I purchased and I am determined to start that mid October.

Anyway- Institute, it is the Book of Mormon this year and it is starting from square one. Reading through 2 chapters a week and reading the entire thing! I read through the entire thing when I investigated but I am thoroughly excited to read through it from start to finish, before I skipped around. You can follow along too.

I will start with Change 2 next week. Hopefully if I do one a week I can stick with them and not simply make a million changes and forget every one.

George.

2011-09-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

Every morning at 10 am his ear to ear grin would walk into work and say, "Good morning Nicole." Monday morning he came in with the biggest smile, "I got my bike." George had a bike but it was under warranty and being fixed, had been in the shop for almost two months. He was impatient on getting to ride it and had gone out Saturday to purchase a new bike. Ryan, George, and I were about the only employees left in the office after 5 most days so we would always sit and chat to pass time before we left at 6. Monday night I had my bowl of cereal and Ryan and George had their sandwich as we discussed hanging out Wednesday night.

Tuesday I called out of work to deal with the loss of a childhood friend, Jeremy Harvey, that had passed away from Oxycotin.

Wednesday I walked into work. Emily from HR walked over to my desk to see how I was doing from losing my friend. She looked at me and said, have you heard anything else about George?

With a blank stare I said, "George?"

"George James, he passed away Monday night. We all thought that was the friend that passed away, we thought that was why you were out yesterday."

Every emotion I could possibly have sunk in and I began to cry.

Emily felt horrible that this was the way I was finding out.

His father called reception Tuesday morning... I am calling for George James. Reception said, he doesn't come in until 10. His father said, I don't think you understand, my son will never be coming in again.

George was on his motorcycle Monday night on the 101 near Highland. The details aren't confirmed but somehow, he was killed. George was the safest rider I knew.

George hits me harder than Jeremy. Sure, I have known Jeremy since I was in elementary school but I saw George every day and now coming to work to his empty desk is only a constant reminder that he is gone. 23 years old, such a tragedy. George was so full of life, love, and passion. I want to be filled with the drive he had.

Damn Indians.

2011-09-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

Don't hate the name... or the music, until you hear it. Michael's band changed their band name and this is it... Here are pictures from their photoshoot that I did at Griffith Park.

Jewish.

2011-09-19T09:38:00.000-07:00

Living in Hollywood there is not a road that can be taken where you wont see a number of Orthodox Jewish (OJ) members roaming the street. They are easy to spot; long beards, black hats, black suits, a briefcase. On my to work I see all the business men starting their days and on my way home from work I see all the school girls hanging out in their long plaid skirts and blazers. I often pretend I know what they are talking about as they laugh and hang out by the Starbucks on Beverly. From observation alone, one can tell this is a very close knit society of individuals that are dedicated to their religion and their families.

Today, as I passed by a large number of OJs I decided to "google" them and see what I could find. Now, I am not poking fun or degrading their religion by any means, I suppose I ask in amazement. There are numerous synagogues the OJs can belong to, I am not sure how one decides which synagogue they are a part of or if it is something that is assigned geographically like the LDS wards. There was a page for membership that I clicked on, then I saw something called, "2011/2012 membership dues," as well as an application. There was an annual household fee of around $6,000.00 to attend a specific synagogue.

"Please visit us, participate in our activities, and get to know us. If you decide to join our synagogue family, you can download a membership form and send it in with your check, or you can use the "Buy Now" button below, which will process your credit card or PayPal payment through the PayPal service."

Membership fees include a seat in the congregation and a spot in sisterhood for the women. It doesn't make sense to me that people would have to pay to go to a church, to worship the Lord. I just can't help but think, we don't have to fill out an application for the Lord to accept us, why would we fill out an application for a specific church to accept us?

I Believe.

2011-09-15T15:17:00.000-07:00

I am the luckiest girl on earth.

September 13 was a double "birth" day for me. In 1982 I emerged from my dear mother's womb; in 2008 I emerged from the waters of baptism. Joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was one of the most amazing moments of my life. I must be honest, it has not been the easiest journey but no matter how many times I stumble, I continue to have the deepest desire in my heart to live and obey the commandments. I am so blessed right now with the most amazing boyfriend, a great job, and a little nephew on the way. Michael is the most supportive man I know. A lot of people may frown upon dating a non-member, and I know the risks that are involved in that choice, however I also know how blessed I have been to have Michael in my life. He told me last night that he will support and be behind me 100% in my faith as member of this church.

The Grass is NEVER Greener.

2011-09-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

I left my last job in July. I had worked there for almost three years and I couldn't wait to get out of that office. Of course as I said my, "goodbye's" and "I'll miss you's", to some, I had my thoughts of, "you're the reason I am leaving" and "I can't wait to not see your face daily," to others. As cruel and harsh as that may seem, it's the truth. I had high hopes for my new job, as does anyone that is switching positions and atmospheres and although my new place of employment is 90% better than the last, the honeymoon stage has ended and there is one girl, make that two, that have chosen to make my life miserable.

Let me describe my job to you. I am a floater. When people are out of the office, I fill in for them. I sit at their desk, answer their professional's phones, schedule meetings, make sure that there are no fires. When everyone is here, I sit at my own desk and well, if there isn't a project that someone puts me to work on, I sit on my rear and well... blog! Or whatever else tickles my fancy. There are two different phone groups in my company division. My desk sits in the professional group that contains the senior partners and portfolio managers, the other group covers senior analysts. Last week I covered for a girl in the other group. I could tell the two other girls were making snug comments and remarks any time I would ask a question regarding the job. This morning, I covered for another girl in the group, who had already made me feel uncomfortable on Friday. We use a messaging system at work in chat form to communicate with everyone. Some people choose to save their conversation history, she is one.

I stumbled upon her chats on Friday where she and the other girl not only mocked me, made fun of me, degraded me, and then accused me of flirting with a professional of theirs. I was appalled, hurt, and saddened at the immaturity of grown adults. As I contemplated how to handle the situation my body couldn't stop shaking from anger. I decided to write a draft email to this girl. I felt relieved after writing the email and although I have cooled down, I will be taking this to HR after lunch. I just don't understand the caddishness of girls.

I suppose wherever you are, whatever you do, there are always going to be those individuals that want to bring you down. Misery loves company.

Simple Stroll.

2011-09-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

The other day I went to physical therapy for the first time. Among the list of exercises I was given to do two times a day (which I have yet to do) she said it would be good to go for a 30 minute walk every day. Michael and I normally head to Starbucks around 8pm for his Cinnamon Dulce Latte so instead of getting in the car, I asked if we could walk there. We have been watching Penny, his band-mate and my apartment manager's dog while he and his wife are out of town, so a walk was great for all parties. It was so nice to just go for a stroll and talk. One of the things I love about our relationship is our ability to communicate. We love just sitting and talking... or in this case, walking and talking.

REWIND a few hours...

When I got to Michael's place last night he told me he had a little surprise for me. I closed my eyes, he went into his room and then said, "Open." I opened my eyes to three presents and a wonderful handmade card. The card was absolutely adorable. I will take a picture of it and show you all later. He then wrapped up my favorite candies and then.... PHOTOSHOP! Each present had a name that he calls me written on it in permanent marker; Pumpkin, My one true love... These were all birthday presents for me that he just couldn't wait to give me :) I love my impatient boyfriend.

San Fran Getaway.

2011-09-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

San Francisco was wonderful, or shall we say an adventuresome time. Saturday morning at 4:30 am we rushed to get ready and out the door by 5:00. I must say, for not being a morning person, Michael is great. We left the house and headed towards Long Beach airport for our 7:20 am departure. There are pros and cons to a small airport. The pros may be obvious; the cons are the $17.00 parking. After complaining for a short while, 10 minutes, I bit my tongue and parked the car. We made it to San Francisco and headed to the BART and then ventured the 9 blocks to our hotel, the Hilton, in the financial district. It was too early to check-in so we left our bags at the front desk, grabbed a quick bite to eat at a little bakery, that messed up Michael's order, and headed out to explore.

First tourist spot: The Full House house.

My iPhone claimed it was 2.8 miles away, and both of us felt up for the walk so we made the trek. I am not quite sure I was thinking correctly with a brand new pair of boots on my feet but hey, at least I looked stylish and cute! Michael suddenly became my male model as I took gads of photos. Disappointment arose as we approached the house, they had painted the red door black... sadness. Haight-Ashbury was only another 1.2 miles away so we headed towards the burning incense. My feet began to hurt at this point so we decided to rest in a park, amongst all the other homeless and cracked out people in San Fran. We gathered our belongings and walked the remained 600 feet to the famous landmark. I must say, I was quite upset with the lack of originality on that street, it had become completely commercialized. When I was there, almost 20 years ago, it was so unique and non-touristy. What had once been the only spot Michael wanted to visit in the city became a place neither of us could wait to get out of.

At this point my blisters were the size of silver dollars and the 4 miles back was not sounding appealing. We kept looking for a cab to hail but this was not like New York city. Finally about 1.5 miles back in the direction toward our hotel, Michael found a cab and our feet were in heaven. Back at the hotel to shower up and get ready for Alcatraz, as we went to place our room keys in the door, they wouldn't work. I went down to the front desk, huffed a little, and received new cards. After changing into more comfortable shoes we headed to Pier 39 for a quick bite at Wipe Out (great burgers/horrible service), and onto the boat for a night tour of Alcatraz.

We both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and have the pictures to prove it. As we de-boarded there was a spot where couple/group photos were with the fake Alcatraz background. Swarms of people surrounded the area and there was no real direction or spot for purchasing them so, yes, you got it... I five finger discounted the photo of us.

I tried to take a self-timer picture of us and this was the result. Michael was joking and saying that I am just a figment of his imagination :) I loved this picture.

We got back to the room only to be locked out yet again. This time I wasn't so nice at the front desk. Michael had suggested I try to get free breakfast, so I did. Two days of complimentary buffet breakfast. We slept in Sunday morning and ate our free breakfast. I had noticed there was a charge on my account for the hotel, which I had already paid for so I decided to talk to the front desk basically stating we had nothing but inconveniences since we had arrived and if they continued I would need to speak with a manager. The guy was rude and could care less about my problems. I couldn't get to the elevator before he was mocking and making fun of me. I turned around and said, "Really, you couldn't wait until I got on the elevator, real classy. Can I speak to a manager?" The manager was appalled at his front desk representative and gave us the last night on the house, which saved about $150.00. After this gleam of satisfaction we went to Ripley's Believe it or Not, had some yummy birthday cake remix from Cold Stone, tried to look at the Golden Gate bridge but the fog wasn't having that idea, walked through Fisherman's Warf, stopped for a slice of pizza, and back to the hotel for a rest... er jump on the bed. Yes, we got on the bed and acted like we were 5, then we showered up and went on a date like we were grown adults.

This was funny. There was a mirror that you were supposed to roll your tongue in... little did we know we were being video taped and someone, somewhere was watching. We were able to roll the live feed back and see ourselves on camera!

The mirror maze- Kinda cheesy but good for photos.

Literally, a kid in a candy store. He couldn't even decide!

Farallon, the most amazing restaurant ever! It was so nice to see Michael all dressed up in a tie. We had this amazing white peach salad, garlic and artichoke pasta and then the main course; Salmon for Michael and White Bass for mua. The waiter then brought out a beautiful chocolate display of "Happy 29th Birthday" on our yummy chocolate mouse, perfect night!

San Francisco was dead. We thought it was the end of the world or perhaps that we had reserved the city just for us for the entire weekend, no joke. Starbucks were closed, that never happens! Monday morning heading back the BART was even closed, so we caught at cab at the nearest hotel and made our way back to the airport and to sunny Long Beach. Great getaway weekend with my honey. I love that man.

Ian Axel.

2011-08-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

The Seth Cohen of piano. If any of you ever watched The OC, then you must be familiar with Seth Cohen . I wouldn't necessarily say that my reasoning behind comparing Ian to Seth is looks alone, although their cute curly fro-like hair does share a lot of resemblance. I am referring to their unique quirkiness. I have liked Ian for quite some time but last night was my first time seeing him do a live performance. He played at Hotel Cafe, and I love that venue, so I knew it would be a great night.

A couple months back I had shared Ian's song, This is the New Year- with Michael and stated that it was my song to him. When Michael saw that Ian was playing at the Hotel, he really wanted to see him and hear that song. He had made a joke prior to the set that if he didn't play it, he'd go up to him and kindly request he got back on stage to play it. Ian was standing in the back talking to his brother and some friends when I approached him and asked if he was going to play, "This is the New Year." He nodded and continued with his conversation.

The idea suddenly passed in my mind that I should pass a note to Ian and let him know that was Michael and I's song, if he would dedicate it to him. Just as I jotted my quick note on a piece of paper, Ian shifted through the crowd and was no where near me. I now began praying that Michael would get up so I could approach Ian without him seeing. Sure enough, he left to use the restroom and within seconds I hopped off my chair and into Ian's inner circle to give him the low-down. He was the sweetest and graciously agreed to dedicate it to Michael. Something in me lead me to believe that Michael was going to ask him the same thing if he had the chance.

It was the last song of his set and Ian lead into a little background to the song. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for him to say Michael's name and ... nothing. I lean back and tell Michael what I had done and how I was kinda disappointed. He said, I was going to do the same thing but I never had the chance to get him alone to talk to him! The set ended and I approached Ian. He looked at me and immediately reached out his arms for a hug, "I am SOOO sorry. Right as my mic was falling in the song, I remembered I was supposed to say something. Michael, I am sorry!"

Ian is a good man. His live set was awesome and he has incredible talent. His quirkiness and willingness to dedicate that song still earns points!

(oh and Dominic Monaghan (Charlie from LOST) as well as Lucy Schwartz where there... The night was grand.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHw2VbFn0fM

...I was Going to Get You That.

2011-08-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

I am notoriously impatient and in turn, it is very difficult to surprise me or purchase a gift for me especially if it is something that has been on my radar to purchase. I feel horrible for my boyfriend, Michael, because he has been going above and beyond trying to make this birthday very memorable and amazing for me. Michael constantly tells me how he wants to buy me everything. How he wishes he could buy me everything that he wants and I love him for that, for his desire to give me the world.

While I promise I am not one of those people that fall into the category of, "I have a nice camera; I am a professional photographer," I do enjoy to snap shots. It is not something I want to do as a profession but I love being able to capture moments that are special to me and my family. Photography really amazes me and I love looking at how an individual can artistically capture what the eye can see. With that being said, I have been becoming more familiar with my Canon T2I. I do believe that photography, as with most creative arts, half of the talent comes from learned knowledge and half from the innate ability to be creative by nature. I do have an eye for great shots, I just need to learn more about natural light. My brother and his wife are expecting their first child, Colton Michael, on November 30 and I couldn't be more excited. Genna is slightly hesitant to allow a photographer snap maternity shots but has agreed that I can take them for her. I am overjoyed and obsessed with taking these pictures in like a field or something with tons of natural light. I have been mentioning how I want to learn more about lighting and Michael has chimed in a few times, "You don't need to learn anything about lighting, you're great."

Just as women supposedly have a masked meaning behind things they say, what Michael's translation of that statement would have been was, "Don't buy yourself a book on lighting... I just got you one for your birthday." Fail number one for Nicole.

Today I was talking to my friend Austin, who I think is an amazing photographer, and asking questions about lighting and lenses. He was informing me of which lenses were good for the work that I wanted to do, specifically the baby bump pictures as well as pictures inside venues (that I would love to take of Michael and his band). I want to learn everything that I possibly can regarding lighting before the birth of Colton because I am also trying to convince Genna to allow me in the delivery room to shoot the delivery. I think that you can take some amazing shots of those first few moments of life that will be cherished forever and I KNOW she would not allow a real photographer in that room with her. Michael came into his bedroom as I was chatting with Austin, I showed him the lens that I wanted, which was close to $400.00 and Michael looked at the screen and walked out of the room.

"What just happend?"

I walked into the other room and Michael says, "That's THE lens I am getting you for your birthday. I have talked to two different photographers and that is what I was told was the best lens."

Nicole, fail number two.

I felt horrible, he had done all this research to get me the most kick arse present EVER and I had to go and somewhat ruin it. I love him, he is so thoughtful and I hope he really knows (perhaps after reading this blog) how much I appreciate his sincerity and thoughtfulness in my birthday present and even though I KNOW what he is getting me, I will be just as appreciative, if not more, especially since he has to deal with my inability to allow others to give me gifts.

Exception to the Rule.

2011-08-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

I sit next to a girl at work that will fight or complain about anything. If the meat in our catered lunch isn't to her liking, she will complain. If the bathrooms aren't up to par, she will write an email, if she bought something online yesterday and today it is 10% off, she will get that adjustment refunded, whatever it is... she finds a way to find a problem.

I am a fan of, "If you don't ask, you will never know." Sometimes however, I just simply don't have the energy to complain. I felt as if all my efforts to complain about something came with my AT&T bill last month. My bill was close to $600.00 from traveling in the UK. I decided to call and beg AT&T to help me out on my bill, the worst they could say was, "no". After spending 30 minutes on the phone with a representative, they kindly knocked my bill down to $247.00, a much easier number to swallow.

Today while sitting at work the mail room guy came by with a box, Steve Madden. My heart began to race and I recalled the two pair of cute shoes I had ordered a few weeks ago. I rushed to open the box, pulling the two boxes out, slipping my current shoes off and slipping the new ones...well, I tried to fit the new ones on but they were too SMALL. In a matter of moments my glee turned into disappointment. Unlike a dress that doesn't fit, my feet cannot go on a diet.

I tell myself it is fine, I will just reorder them in the next size up, only to read in fine print, ALL CLEARANCE ITEMS ARE FINAL SALE, NO RETURN, EXCHANGES, OR CREDITS. Well, I decided to try my luck and went into a physical store in Beverly Hills. The manager decided to make an exception and refund the sandals (of course, those were only $30 and the leopard ones were $60.) I decided to test my luck with their online support. Each person on the phone kept telling me about their policy and I kept explaining, I understand your policy however, I know you can make an exception, the store manager in Beverly Hills just made one. After being transferred to two different managers with the same answer, my final words were, "Fine, I will never purchase anything from Steve Madden again and I will be writing a letter to corporate."

I came back into the office building and saw there was a message on my phone, it was a manager from Steve Madden. She informed me that although it was not their policy, they would make an exception for me and send me a return label to return the shoes. Persistence pays sometimes and after all, the worst thing that can happen is they will say, "no".

I am getting old.

2011-08-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

I can recall a time my father told a story about a Santana concert he went to and how upset he as that he had purchased seats and the people in front of him stood the entire time. I remember when I heard him complain, my initial reaction was, it's a concert- people dance and have fun.

Last night I was my dad. Well, I didn't necessarily grow man parts and the unibrow he has, BUT... I adopted his method of thinking for the moment. I went to the Adele concert at the Greek.

The concert was sold out and the seats were pretty pricey. I had gotten them during presale so I only spent about $70.00 and had decent seats. My back is still hurting me so I knew I'd be in my seat and stay in my seat for the duration of the show.

Let me talk about Adele first- she was brilliant, cute girl, didn't move much and was quite stationary but her voice was great. I still prefer Sara Bareilles live to any woman that is out there. Her vocals in concert are out of this world. Now to my favorite part (a tad hint of sarcasm)... the crowd.

There was this lovely (once again hint of sarcasm) girl behind me that thought it would be appropriate to yell, screeching sounds probably every 2 minutes regardless of if Adele was singing, talking, or simply sitting there. It got to the point where I found myself cringing in expectation of the next screech. I felt myself with a bold ultimatum in front of me; be rude and go off on her or approach it in an adult-like fashion. I was grown up and made the wrong decision. Asking her to please wait until the song is over to screech. She laughed in my face and then continued, but this time, louder. She was even so nice as to laugh in my ear, well... 2 inches from it. Lucky for her my back was killing and I wasn't going to risk punching the broad for the sake of my back. I listened to a good portion of the set and ultimately ended up leaving early. I didn't have the energy in me to fight.

What goes around comes around. One day she will get hers.

The end.

Date Nights and Fun Times.

2011-08-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

Outside of oversleeping and missing my alarm clock, haven't figured out if that was consciously or not, Friday was a great day. Michael has been in the studio all week and originally I had planned for him to be there until the wee hours of the night but he has been getting out early and we have been able to spend time together! I can't remember Friday night so I am sure it consisted of, Starbucks, OC re-runs, and cuddling... oh and bra wearing.

Saturday however, I do remember! We were laying down when we both checked our bank accounts only to find out we had been paid. It was like Christmas morning as we turned to each other, gave high fives and said, "We aren't poor anymore!" For a moment we sat and discussed what would happen if we were millionaires, how he would take $200,000 for a studio and give the rest to me. I said, so what happens when we run out... a slight pause and then he said, "Ya, maybe you should just keep your job and I'll just quit mine." He is a funny one!! An awesome thing about being "poor" was that we were able to enjoy each other without spending a dime, I highly recommend that to everyone. Michael said today that those days when we were poor he felt the richest! (awe)

Michael had to be in the studio around 1 so after showering I picked up his roommate, Jroq and we headed to the studio. Jroq is a good kid and conversations with him are always on the entertaining side. We showed up and I was able to see Michael do harmonies, it as nice! We had a little lunch at Panera and headed home around 4. Michael was going to get some work done, arranging strings for the EP and I had an itch to go thrifting. I found some really awesome jeans, a skinny tie, and shorts for Michael and a few shirts for myself. I got to his place with the new purchases in hand, he slipped on the pants and fell in love. Win for myself. We decided since we looked nice in our new (to us) clothes, we should go out. We had dinner at The Counter and then made plans to see Crazy Stupid Love. There was some time to kill so we made a stop at Off Broadway Shoes where Michael fell in love with a pair of boots.

I did one last walk through to see if anything tickled my fancy, it seemed as if every shoe I liked, they didn't have my size! I found a pair of boots and decided to try them on. Just as I had slipped one foot in I said, "Michael, how do these...

I couldn't even get my sentence out before he said, "Those are hot, you are buying them, and if you don't buy them, I am buying them for you. Scratch that, give me them, I am buying them." And with that we left the store with two boots in hand. We looked at each other and said, "Let's just skip the movie since we just spent money on shoes and watch OC re-runs."

Perfect night. Perfect boyfriend. Perfect weekend.

I promise, he is not gay... just in touch with his feminine side.

Self-Pity.

2011-08-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I like to wallow in my own self-pity. It's saddening but then again I realize I am not the only one. Not like that is a bandwagon I should be proud to be a part of, but it happens. Lately I have just been gloomy. Partly because I feel I have gained weight from being in the UK and then coming home and not being able to run or exercise because of my back. Funny how something so small can control your entire manner of how you conduct your day-to-day life.

I went over to Michael's last night and had determined I was in a bad mood. I couldn't figure out why but I was grouchy! Michael is so sweet, he was like, "What's bothering you?" Sometimes I refrain from talking about the small things because they are just that, things. I never want to be that person that complains. It was nice because he just listened as I vented and got it all out. He told me how he was there for me to listen to me and help me. That if I wanted to be better at things, he would help. Teamwork, it's really all about that.

I woke up at 8:20 today; I was supposed to be at work by 7:30. That is always fun and overwhelming but they were super cool here at work, I just can't let it happen again. I am still enjoying my new job and will enjoy it even more on Monday when I get paid.

Tis True.

2011-08-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

The book is always better than the movie. I have never done this before, read a book and then watched the movie and I honestly don't think I will do it ever again, it is too hard to appreciate a movie or truly enjoy it after reading a book. The entire time I watched the movie I couldn't help but think, they left this out, they didn't do that right... I suppose I should back up a little bit.

Michael has been busy in the studio- he is recording this week and next week and has been really busy. He had to come up with a lot of money for this EP and I am still trying to catch up from all the expenses of the UK and with starting a new job, basically, the two of us decided we were broke for a little bit and were going to be very frugal. Especially with our San Francisco trip coming up... it meant no opening night movie for Nicole. I was bummed and somewhat of a baby about the situation. Selfish, pure selfishness. I got an email about 4:26, not to be precise or anything, "Hope you're not busy and can go with me..." with a confirmation of the movie tickets. Pretty sure I smiled like it was Christmas morning. Michael had told me he was super busy and had to practice for the studio and we had both decided we wouldn't spend money. It's the little things that count. I stopped by RiteAid and got his favorite; snickers and Swedish fish (ok, maybe those are my favorite too) oh and can't forget the pretzel M&Ms- greatest invention EVER.

Pretty sure Michael was the ONLY straight man in that theatre. After initially criticizing the movie from the opening scene on, I decided to just watch the movie and appreciate it as a movie without trying to compare every last detail. In that essence, it was a good movie. Michael really enjoyed it and maybe even got a little teared up at one part! He's so in touch with his feminine side :)

Procrastination.

2011-08-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

I am constantly surprised at how fast I can whip out a paper- or shall I say, how well I work under pressure. That in and of itself is probably why I wanted to write for a newspaper, or do something in the journalism field. I like pressure. Speaking of pressure, I even enjoy putting pressure on a bruise, I like the feeling. Yes, I completely understand that I am odd and I have come to accept this at this point in my life. At any rate, I suppose I should give more time and dedication to my masters but when it is just so easy to write a 7 page paper in a few hours with research, I tend to be prideful and leave that until the last given moment. I hardly ever read the assigned books, sometimes I feel my personal experience is just as good as any research on certain subjects. I figure if I am not specifically asked to cite a book, my personal "book" is much more useful, and requires less reading!

Speaking of reading, I just finished The Help

My current job is great however when I am not training or sitting in on another assistant's desk, I have a lot of down time. They have oh so graciously blocked Facebook which leads me to believe that was a sign I should be more productive with my time. I did just that; 477 pages in one week. I felt quite accomplished actually, especially since it is harder to keep my attention than a young child with ADD. I was actually excited to finish it in perfect timing to watch the movie which comes out today. I have never done that before- read a book and watched a movie partly because you always hear the movie never does the book justice. I suppose I will report back on that theory after I see this marvelous work in production. If you haven't read this book, read it.

Stereotypes.

2011-08-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

This course I am currently in for my masters has a reoccurring theme which talks about stereotypes and the importance of avoiding them. I write my papers and do my daily posts discussing how I am not a person that forms stereotypes or believes them to be true... until I stepped into the elevator at work today. I got in the elevator and a man rushed in. He had somewhat of a presence about him, also known as prideful prick. I sized him up like no other from his cheap shoes to his gas station coffee. I heard my brain thinking, "He doesn't even have Starbucks." He stepped out of the elevator and I felt bad, well, actually I felt like I couldn't wait to blog about this experience. It is so true though, we tend to judge people for everything, from the style of their shoes to the coffee they drink, name brands tend to give a status. It's a shame that our society has formed these stereotypes and while they aren't anything bad about someone's race or culture, at least we tend to think they aren't bad, in all truthfulness, they are horrible. We place status judgements on everything. I am guilty, yes, I can admit it.

On other news, Michael is amazing and I am madly in love with that man. I was sitting with my friend Jonell on Friday night and she asked what Michael and I do for fun, I said sometimes we just sit and talk. She was like, isn't it amazing that you can spend countless hours with someone and not get bored? Yes, I agree... I could spend countless hours with him and never get bored.

Hunchback of Notre Dame

2011-07-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

I feel like I am headed in that direction. Let me give you a little piece of advice, if you ever get into a car accident, NEVER, and I said NEVER sign any release of liability. So, as many of you know, I was in a car accident on 6/30 prior to leaving to the United Kingdom. Being gone for two weeks I obviously hadn't resumed any of my regular activities such as a desk job or running. On my second day of a new job the Farmer's Insurance representative came to my work and met me to go over the injury and to sign documents, that was where my mistake lies. I signed the docs, I signed over EVERYTHING and basically released them from any further claims or issues I would ever have in the future.

That next night I went on a 2 mile run and ever since then, my back has been in complete pain. Thankfully I have insurance but this is something I am going to have to pay for until the situation gets resolved which I hope is not a long time. I received a blessing the other night and was told that this is not a lifelong ailment, that if I do my stretches, my back will be back to normal. Although it is currently very inconvenient, I am grateful it is not something I will be dealing with for the rest of my life. I still don't have my car back, I should get it August 2, which is right around the corner, I can't wait!

In terms of the new job, it is great. I love being so close to home. I still hate LA traffic even on surface streets. I have a biter feeling about the catered breakfast and lunch. Or shall I say my butt does. They even have baskets full of feminine products. I am in work heaven.

July 17: I am Home

2011-07-21T09:09:00.001-07:00

Which makes you all incredibly happy I am sure. Let me tell you how exciting my welcoming home was.

I left the hostel and walked up the the airlink that would take me to the airport, short little ride that took me out of the city seeing all of the last bits of sigh seeing I didn't seem to catch in my 3 short days there. Once at the Dublin airport I was the lucky winner of random security searching. As mentioned previously, they do US customs IN Dublin so you need to plan on more time there to assure you make the flight. My gate closed at 11:35, it was 11:28 and I was selected for this lucky screening. My head hung low, I looked at them and said, "Are you serious? Will I still make my flight?"

They opened up the line to let me get through, escorted me with a private security agent and unloaded all of belongings. After going through security they did a swab wipe on all of my belongings, did a pat down and let me go on my way. It was uncomfortable but not as bad as it could have been, or as bad as I would be treated in the states, don't worry- we will get to that part in the story. Once at the gate agent they went to scan my ticket and a red light came up, they secretly conversed, handed me over to an agent who knew my name and escorted me on the plane. Nothing like being a celebrity.

The flight into Chicago wasn't bad, much too long for my liking 7 hours and 40 minutes, but it was ok. Once in Chicago we had to go back through security, not customs, just security. I go to the first agent and I hear, we've got a quad. Two other agents come over, escort me through the line. I said, "But I already did all this in Dublin." The man looked at me and said, "Well, they selected you to have screening here as well." I went through the scanner when the woman agent came over and said, we are going to need to search you, are you comfortable with us doing this right here. I had no clue that she would pat me down more than a mammogram. It was intense. After about a 2 minute thorough search I was allowed to leave. I made my way to the gate only to have it switched to another gate as well as delayed an hour. There is nothing worse than wanting to be home and being prevented from that happening.

I looked down at my ticket and realized I didn't have a seat assigned, when I went to the gate agent to request my seat she told me that I had to wait, that I was number 4 on the list and there were 9 seats available so I should be fine to get one. Wait, pause. SHOULD BE?! I paid for my ticket, I went through intensive searching two times and I SHOULD get a seat?! Let me speak to a supervisor. Shortly after a supervisor came over and gave me a seat. I feel like I need to write a letter to United, they were rude! At any rate, I am home, I am safe. The hot water is out in my apartment (nothing like a warm welcome) but they are fixing it by noon so I can take a nice warm shower.

Thank you all for listening to my journey! Hope you enjoyed the adventure as much as I enjoyed the experience.

July 16: I Don't Know Why You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello

2011-07-21T09:08:00.001-07:00

Goodbye Ireland.

I say goodbye to this country with actually a little bit of hesitance. I have enjoyed these three days in Ireland more than the 11 days in the rest of the UK. Actually, Dublin is considered to be part of Europe unlike other portions of Ireland so maybe that just means I don't like the UK, or that it has left a bitter taste in my mouth. I am headed to the bus in about 20 minutes to ride to the airport. It is about a 30 minute ride. My flight is at 12:50 but I would rather be safe than sorry and at this point in my travels my backpack is incredibly too heavy to be running around trying to make flights.

Last night after I came back to the hostel I met up with about 5 people from the hostel. We all sat around a table and talked. I love the camaraderie of random people in hostels. I have thoroughly enjoyed this hostel, Four Courts Hostel. The common room has been so much fun and I have made some good friends, which in my opinion is a large portion of the excitement of traveling. I now have an Italian, a Canadian, an Aussie, a German, and a Belgian that I can visit when I travel again. All sentimental feelings aside, we gathered our belongings and went on a pub crawl. It was 12 euros but all my new buddies talked to the bar crawl coordinator and got him to give me a free armband so that I could trek along to all of the bars. We went to some awesome Irish pubs with great music and great picture opportunities with all of the drunks!! Drunks tend to hate the sober person because they can remind them of all the stupid things they have done in the morning :)

After the third bar I ended up leaving them to stroll across the river and meet up with Katie for one last time. She was at the bar her boyfriend works at so I stopped in to say goodbye to everyone there. We left the bar and went for some "chips" or as we would all call french fries with vinegar. I was back in bed around midnight and my entire room was now filled, that of course is a joy of a hostel on the weekend! I have to say, they were not happy with me at 7 am as I showered and packed my belongings. I am saying goodbye to everyone and off I go! See you all soon!

July 15: Music

2011-07-21T09:06:00.001-07:00

I was on a hunt last night, to sit my bum down at some Irish pub and hear traditional Irish music. While I was up in my room getting ready Jann (pronounced Yohn) from Brussels had no plans so I said, come explore with me. I then came downstairs to check my email, let you all know I was safe and another girl that I had met earlier that morning at breakfast said she had no plans for the night so I invited her out as well. We set out to go to the Temple Bar, a famous and very touristy bar but when we got there, there was no live music and none of us were that excited to go there so we decided to explore some more and finally landed upon this cute little quaint bar where we grabbed a table and listened to some traditional/modern Irish music that was super cool. The girl Leslie that was with us ended up being totally weird and odd but other than that we had fun. As we went to leave the bar we ended up running into 3 other people from the hostel, this guy from Italy that spoke very little English, an Australian girl and the Canadian rugby player Shaun- I think I mentioned him before, the one that gave me back my passport which I left at the reception desk.

It was raining and we wandered on back to the hostel where we all just sat and talked until quite late. Jann That was not a bright idea. Jann and I talked about how annoying the snoring man was in our room and then I was off to bed for my 7:30 spin class. I completely underestimated how long it would take me to get to the studio so I hauled but the good mile it was and finally made it to the spin class minutes before it began. Katie kicked my butt, there is no other way to put it. I have never been to a more intense spin class in my life and she had no mercy on the fact that I was her friend on vacation WHO was also sick. I showered at the gym and headed back to the hostel for my "free" breakfast. I had no plans for the day but had to meet Katie back up around noon when she got off work. Shuan and I decided to go to the Guinness factory- which was totally not worth the 14 euros but he paid for all of us that that was nice. We then met up Katie to go to an Indian restaurant for lunch which was AMAZING! After lunch Shaun left us and we went to go roam around the city but got sidetracked in a store, go figure. I broke. Yes Steve, I bought not one but two pairs of shoes. However, to my defense one pair was 2.50 euros and the other was 3 euros, which together amounts to about 10 bucks so I scored!

I am back at the hostel now because it is raining outside. Katie and I will meet back up tonight to go for one last hurrah in the city. Tomorrow morning we are doing breakfast before I head to the airport around 10 am. My flight leaves at 12:30 and I don't want to miss it. Dublin is the coolest city- they check you through customs here so I don't have to do it again in Chicago. The crappy part of that is that I have a 4 hour layover in Chicago and I booked it that way THINKING I had to go through customs on my layover, which is typical. Well, I am going to go make the most of the rest of my time in this city. I love Ireland, I want to come back. I am so glad this trip ended on a high note!

July 14: Cobblestone Streets

2011-07-21T09:05:00.001-07:00

I love them. I love everything about this place, it is so much fun, well, I mean outside of the snoring nasty Indian (dot head not woo woo) that is in my hostel room. Funny thing, my mom had asked me if hostels had age limits and to my knowledge, or all of the ones I have stayed in for that matter, have all been an age limit of around 35... apparently not this one. I am in a room with 8 beds, co-ed (they are cheaper that way). At any rate, there are only two other people in my room, and one is an older snoring Indian man who kept me up until the wee hours with his lumberjack soundtrack streaming from his nostrils.

I woke up around 8 am, freshened up (which means brushed the hair, did a little dry shampoo -best invention EVER, it is basically talcum powder in an aerosol can-washed my face, brushed my teeth) and came down for breakfast. As I was waiting for Katie to wake up and ride her bike over to the hostel I found myself talking to two people, this young chap Matt I think was his name from Hawaii that just got out of the navy and this young girl Leslie from Georgia, both interesting characters. They are the reason you stay in a hostel, contrary to popular belief, the smelly, snoring Indian is NOT a benefit of a hostel rather something you just accept. I stayed talking to the both of them until Katie came around 11. She needed her morning coffee so we walked to the cutest little coffee shop, Butler's chocolate and coffee shop. I had a tea, she had her chocolate and the best part of it all, you get a complimentary chocolate with your order. Well, as sweet as that is, one chocolate truffle is not enough for this girl so I opted for double chocolate heave truffle as well as a hazelnut truffle and my palette was happy. Her uncle met us up at the coffee shop and we had a nice little visit, he is from Limerick and his accent was cool.

We then took a walk throughout the city, stopping along the way for some pretty awesome shops. We went into this place called lush, they make all of their skincare and it is AMAZING. I bought a face wash and a body butter which is also massage oil and a scrub. They all smell so delicious and make your skin feel amazing. They are made with almonds and lemons and herbs and all these pleasant smelling natural ingredients! We then stumbled upon a few thrift stores (HEAVEN!). The first one I went in to I was able to find this cute little coat for 10 euros. I did not NEED it but Katie talked me in to it. The following thrift store I got the most beautiful skirt. The lady behind the counter said, you are the 3rd person to try on or look at that skirt in the past 10 minutes. I said, "Yes, but no one has bought it." She then informed me that it didn't fit anyone else... of course the windows of heaven opened, the clouds aligned and the doves flew as I tried on the skirt and it was perfect! I also found a neat little alligator skin wallet. Katie had to go to work so after we grabbed a quick bite to eat I went strolling through the temple bar area, grabbed a few souvenirs and made my way back to the hostel. I am not quite sure what the plan is tonight, maybe I will get some dinner and sit by the bridge on the water. I was going to walk to the Guinness storehouse but it is 14 euros and I don't drink nor do I care about how they make beer.

Tomorrow morning at 7:30 I am going to Katie's spin class and then doing some more exploring. We will end the night with a great meal and a stop by her boyfriend's bar so I can get the real feel for what most come to Dublin to do...drink! I leave Saturday at 12:30 so tomorrow is my last full day in this beautiful city. I was going to take a bus up to Belfast and see the Giant's Causeway but with my recent luck I am too afraid I'd get stuck somewhere and not make it back home so I will save that for next time.

July 13: Greetings from Ireland

2011-07-21T08:49:00.001-07:00

I left Emma's house this morning quite early in order to make it to the airport for my 8 am flight. The airport was insanely busy, of course, and after making it through the line and security, I had 8 minutes to catch my flight. I am seeing a slight theme here with me and airports. I ran as fast as I could to my gate. Ryanair is quite funny, they have cheap flights but they charge you for EVERYTHING. I was so afraid that my luggage would be over the limit that I found myself standing on Emma's bathroom scale 3 times this morning to make sure I would be ok. We think we have it bad in the states, they don't even give you free beverages...oh and get this, they sell smokeless cigarettes on the flight! At any rate, once in Dublin I went through customs the man looked at me,

"How long is your stay?"

"Three days"

"Where are you staying?"

"Four Courts Hostel"

"Be wise, keep your wits on you at all time, that's not the safest place."

GREAT! Well mom, don't worry, and Michael for that matter too- this was rated very high for student hostels and my friend Katie is on her way to meet me, she is about a 25 minute walk away. I think we are going to go grab some food and do a picnic hike today, the weather is beautiful. I included a picture I took from my phone. I need to change in some shorts and a tank top so that I don't stick out like a sore thumb. I am still sick and really wish this crap would go away. There is nothing worse than being that obnoxious girl on the plane, the bus, whatever it may be that constantly is coughing and blowing her nose!

There is free internet here at the hostel, which is nice and the people at the reception desk were really nice. I am here in the same place for 3 days. The picture I included is also what is outside the door, there is a beautiful riverbank. I will report back later with my Ireland adventures!

July 12: Brilliant Day in Scotland

2011-07-12T11:39:00.001-07:00

Brilliant, that's your Scottish word for the day that I am teaching you. The day was gorgeous! The weather was wonderful, great way to leave this beautiful country. Last night Emma, Hannah (her younger sister) and I walked to the supermarket to get some cough medicine. Her dad said that I woke him up with my coughing and he almost came in to shut me up with a pillow :) all kidding aside I felt horrible so I was walking mighty fast to that store to get some cold medicine. Whatever I got this time was superb. I had a great night sleep last night and didn't cough, not even once. This morning I woke up around 9 am, which is probably the latest that I have slept in since being on my trip. Hannah and I took a bus into down to go on a free walking tour. They have them in every large city, I actually went on one with Emma when we met in Berlin last year. They are nice because you learn a lot of history about the city and get to briefly see all the major sights so that you can later return if you so choose. Hannah thought it would be interesting to learn more about Edinburgh so she came along.

Here is your Edinburgh history lesson for the day: First we walked through Mercats Market, a spot on the royal mile (which is a mile that runs between two royal landmarks, the Edinburgh Castle at the top and the Holyrood Abbey where the queen stays when she is in Scotland at the bottom). Mercat's Market is where thieves were publicly ridiculed, they would nail their ear to a door and they had to stay there for 24 hours. During that time period people could come and throw anything they didn't want, their household waste (yes, poop and pee- maybe that is where the idiots at T in the Park got it from) rotten food, whatever it is they wanted. If the person chose to pull themselves off before the 24 hour period they would have a scar for life and everyone would always know they were a thief. Next on the tour was another story about poo! Inside sewer systems did not exist so people would throw their waste out into a courtyard, prior to emptying it they would yell, "Guard a lou." There were two designated times to do this, 7 am and 10 pm. 10 pm was also when the bars closed so imagine all the drunk people coming home when the housewives were dumping their family's waste. They claim this is where the term, sh&!faced came from :)

We then went on to Grass Market which is the history of two of Scotland's first serial Killers, William Burke and William Hare. In 1826 the Edinburgh medical school had a black market for dead bodies that they could dissect. Burke and Hare figured out a way to kill people by suffocation, so they would show no signs of wrongful death, and then sell the bodies to Dr. Robert Knox at the school. They killed between 17-35 people before they were caught. Burke ended up signing over a confession and turning in Hare. Hare was sentenced to execution and then ironically his body was donated to the school. First year anatomy students still use his skeleton to learn on!

We walked past the birth place of Harry Potter, the cafe where she wrote the books, then through the cemetery that the cafe overlooks. This is a traditional cemetery that houses over 100,000 bodies, there is nowhere on that ground you can walk that you aren't walking over bodies. If you weren't a rich person and couldn't afford a cage over your grave, a friend or family member would sit on the grave for 2 weeks until the body was decomposed to keep away from body snatchers. There were a few more interesting stories but after 3 hours of a tour I somewhat tuned the girl out and just walked along with Hannah. I leave to Dublin tomorrow at 8 am so I will be in a taxi around 6:30 am, how exciting! Once in Dublin I will probably do a free walking tour there as well or do something to kill time before I meet up with my friend Katie later that night.

I am on the homestretch and as much as I love being on vacation, this one has taken more work than play. I am excited to be back in Hollywood and of course see Michael (I know, sickening for all you to read that but you are the ones that said you wanted on my email list!)

July 11: Debriefing

2011-07-12T11:38:00.001-07:00

Not much to report to you today. I have been staying with my friend Emma and her family, that are so amazing. Her mum did all of my laundry today which I am so grateful for. I had to throw out a pair of shoes that were completely demolished after this weekend. For anyone that knows me you must know it took quite a bit of effort to trash a pair of shoes, I suppose that means it is an excuse to buy another pair :) I am watching the highlights from the weekend on BBC television, I must say... they sure do portray that festival in a lighter light than reality. I forgot to let you know that as we were leaving the festival there was this drunk man walking past each parked car, bending their windshield wipers and taking them off, stuffing them in his pants. Don't you fret, I reported him to the police officer but I would be absolutely livid if I came out to my car after a 3 day festival only to find that I had no windshield wipers!

Today I slept in, which was nice. I am trying to recover from this cold as much as I possibly can. We have all somewhat just vegged out today. Emma has to work tomorrow and it is my last day in Scotland so I will probably just roam the city for one last time. Quite frankly I don't care to do much more sightseeing, I am excited for Dublin and to meet up with my friend Katie, it should be fun. I am trying to make the best of this vacation but the world is against me! Despite the obnoxious things from this weekend and even the drama with the railway and everything else which has occurred, Scotland is beautiful. Emma's father used to work for the railway and he has some connections there so he told me who to contact and how I might be able to get my money back so I am going to attempt that. I am going to have Haggis tonight! Emma is making a chicken meal that is stuffed with Haggis so I will report back on everything to you, I am quite sure if I haven't died yet, nothing is going to kill me on this trip!

July 10: Muddy Nasty Festival

2011-07-12T11:37:00.003-07:00

That's exactly how I would describe this weekend. I suppose being sick as a dog doesn't help when it is cold, rainy, and muddy. Fun tid bits of information. First and foremost, Scots throw piss at festivals, yes... piss. If it's warm it's piss, if it's cold, it's beer. I was appalled at how rude, crude, and nasty this festival was. I have never been to a music festival before so I really have nothing to compare it to but it was bad. My friend Emma that I went with has gone for four years in a row and she said this year was the worst. There were 8 deaths on the first day from drugs and stabbing. I say this now after I am home, showered (very important) and safe. (It's ok mom). The forecast wasn't too bad on Friday, when we arrived at the festival we had to hike about a mile with all the camping gear on our backs. We got to the site and pitched our tents, everything was good. I was parched and all I wanted was some water. I saw a bottle of evian, grabbed it, took a large swig only to realize it was vodka, pure vodka. I almost gagged. Way to go good little Mormon girl getting drunk and not even aiming for that.

Friday night we went and saw some good music, the rain held off and it was nice. It was nearly impossible to see anyone on the main stage because there were so many people there. Saturday I went off on my own to see some of the bands I had really wanted to see. Got in a few and then the rain and cold started to come in. I was feeling the worst I had felt with my sickness so I headed back to the tent. The security on Saturday was horrid because of the deaths the night before so I was told I couldn't bring my camera in since it was a "professional" one. Not willing to leave it in the tent I shoved it down my pants and was able to get it in. Once inside I took a few pictures and had a security guard come up to me and tell me to delete all my pictures from my camera.

Sunday (today) we woke up and took down our tents, the girl that had brought us up for the weekend decided that her back was hurting and she wanted to go home. Our other option for a ride was leaving early, although that meant missing my favorite band, Noah and the Whale, I opted for that ride and am now sitting in the comfort of Emma's house freshly showered. I have never smelled such bad smells, seen such crazy people. It was actually quite saddening that the people cared more about getting messed up than they did about listening to the music. I take it for the experience it was and leave it at that. Not quite sure what the remaining two days in Scotland will be like, I am sure we will take it easy.

Hope all is well in the states!

July 7: Up and Down the Coast of Scotland

2011-07-12T11:37:00.001-07:00

I feel like I haven't written an email in quite some time so I have a lot to update you on. After arriving in Edinburgh and meeting up with Devin, we rented a car and drove around the city. I randomly ran into Michael, the guy from the train on the streets. We arrived at his flat and walked across the street to a little Italian place. I ordered penne with meatballs, which were highly questionable. We walked over to a small boutique where I fell in love with a dress. Devin said we needed to go back and get dinner so we left the shop, without the dress. Minutes later I went back but they were closed. Never again will I NOT impulse buy when I am in Europe, I learned that the hard way, twice now. After dinner we walked the streets of Edinburg again, saw my first set of dueling bagpipe players, walked past where the queen stays when she is in Scotland, and then hiked the Craggs. From the top you could see all of Scotland, it was beautiful.

Yesterday (Wednesday) morning, we drove up the coast. The landscape is gorgeous. Fun fact, they grow rape see like crazy, which we use for canola oil. Here in the UK however they use it for energy. Driving was definitely an experience. First, all cars are manual so not only are you driving on the opposite side of the road, but imagine having to shift with your left hand. My ONLY qualm, if you are going to ask me to navigate...listen to me. Getting started we got lost or "miguided" 4 times before making it on the correct route. We got to the highlands around 10 am, it was pouring down rain, went through Glencoe which is a large volcano. Scotland used to be connected to Greenland but was separated when the volcanic rift occurred. The Isle of Skye is two volcanoes. On the road trip we had bought a bag of Hobnobs. Let's just say that I consumed a whole bag. They are oat cakes dipped in chocolate. Girl Scout cookies have nothing on them!

We then stopped at the Ellen Dunan castle, one of the only renovated castles. Once at the Isle of Skye we did the Old Man of Stor hike. This was BEAUTIFUL. I can't even describe the scenery. After the hike we drove to Uig which is a small village on the opposite end of Skye. We drove on a small one lane road filled with sheep, talk about seclusion. There was NOTHING around, well, besides hilltops and sheep. Great place to go on a honeymoon or with someone you love, can be frustrating going somewhere that has no communication with the outside world with anyone else haha!

The shower in the B&B this morning would not turn off, I suppose that is better than the alternative of not turning ON! I headed down the corridor and was greeted with a a traditional breakfast of Haggis, which was highly questionable so I did not eat it. I promise to try it while here but not from that B&B. We started the drive down the coast, going past Lochness. Lochness is HUGE. You could fit all of the British population in it, three times over. It straddles the Great Glenn Faults. Inverness is where the Lochness Monster, or "Nessie" sighting has been told to be from. We are now in some little cafe in Fort Augustus, we saw a sign for free wifi so I pulled over to have a cup of tea and write you all. I am headed back to Edinburgh then meeting up with Emma tonight. We will head to T in the Park the music festival tomorrow am so you may not get an email from me until Sunday night. I plan to have a kilt made for me if we get back into town at a decent time today. Mom, I got you some Munro family souvenirs and tell Aunt Francie that I got her a "Grant" souvenir.

Miss all you kids!

July 7: Just Wanted you to Know I Got My KILT

2011-07-12T11:36:00.001-07:00

Well, sort of. We arrived in Edinburgh at 3pm and the shops here close quite early. I rushed to the kilt maker to see if they had our family tartan. After she did my measurements, and I cursed my father, or maybe it's my mother that gave me a large behind, she informed me it would be about 155 pounds, roughly $240 and that did not include the 50 pounds for shipping. I love my heritage, I love my name, Munro, from my mother's side however I loved the kilt from the McDonald clan just as much when it was only 60 pounds. Yes, that is still expensive BUT a kilt was one of the main souvenirs I wanted from Scotland, so I splurged, and it is ADORABLE! I am about to meet up with my friend Emma who lives on the other side of Edinburgh, I will spend the night with her tonight and then we will head to the music festival early in the AM. I can say one thing, for all you Harry Potter fans, you would love to be in the UK right now, from London to Scotland, that is ALL they talk about and it is also the huge premier tomorrow night for it. The author, J.K Rowlang, wrote the books in Scotland and most of the filming occurred in England. Emma said we will go for a walk by the beach today. It is nice when it doesn't get dark until 10pm, leaves so much more time in the day for exploring. I will talk to you kids on Sunday! Enjoy your working lifestyles :)

Sometimes a Girl Needs to Cry

2011-07-05T09:21:00.001-07:00

I could cry… in fact, I did. Poor Michael. I called him crying hysterically at about 2 am his time, 10 am my time. I left the hostel first thing this am, I was actually able to sleep well which was surprising because it has been so hot lately that it is nearly impossible to get a good night's sleep. Breakfast was a joke at the hostel, stale bread. They did have nutella so I tried to make the most of the situation. I packed up my belongings and headed straight to the train station. It was so unbelievably hot at 9 am that everyone was staring at me because I had rain boots on, couldn't I just write on my forehead that I was headed to Scotland where the only forecast is rain?

I purchased my ticket to Kings Cross, the station where I needed to collect my train ticket and head on to Scotland. I walked up to the self-serve kiosk, entered my information along with my credit card only to receive a message, "Please go speak to travel services." GREAT. I suppose if anything ever went according to plan in my life I would start to think that something was terribly wrong. It has come to my understanding that I must be really great with occasional obstacles in my course because I am constantly handed them. Between my horrible car accident, a parking ticket, the issues with traveling thus far and then today's wonderful hiccup, I am more ready for the Scotland rain than I have been for the raining that is going on in my life. After standing in a long line the agent informed me that I needed to contact East Coast bookings, whom I purchased the ticket through. I waited on hold for 10 minutes, oh don't fret, I am only charged .99 per minute, I have all the time in the world!

Once the representative got on the phone I gave him my sob story that I had left the card I purchased the ticket with at home in the states and I was in London needing to get to Scotland. He told me he was sorry, I needed to have the card used and if I didn't, I would have to purchase a FULL FARE ticket. Luckily I didn't have to wait in the line the second time around. I walked directly up to the agent and told him I would need to purchase another ticket. The next few words that came out of his mouth sent me into a state of shock, along with a set of tears to boot.

"The next train out of here is at 11am, that will be 113.60." (For all the American's on my list, which is everyone, that is $182. 72)

Are you serious? Is there anything cheaper?

"I can get you on the midnight train that will get you in at 7 am."

With tears filled in my eyes I handed him my debit card and signed the receipt.

$182 for a seat in standard. I had originally paid about $50 for my seat, it was reserved, and had a table. This trip has not been as smooth as a baby's bottom and I am really looking forward to things getting better. Thanks to Michael for calming me down and listening to me as I sound like a man (because I am so terribly sick) and cried so hard that everyone in the station turned to look.

With mascara all over my face I head to Scotland... that extra train ticket pretty much cost me my kilt! I slept for the first portion of the train, it wasn't until I was awoken by a man with a cart asking me to move my bag. When I looked up I had a big Scottish man sitting directly across from me. When I had gone to sleep there was a man caddy corner to me, younger man that I would later learn was 29. This older Scottish man began talking as soon as I looked up, asking me if I wanted a sip of his beer. He then went on to say that he was a "Geordie" a person from the Northeast of England. Their accents are deep and hard to understand. He was a storyteller. Called himself a ceramic engineer, in our terms that would be a tile layer, I think in English terms it would be that too he just wanted to sell himself up. Told stories about walking in on his son getting a... for lack of better words, heck, there aren't better words... blow job. Then showed me a picture of his girlfriends bum that was his screen savor on his phone. Nice man, just very vocal about a lot. I then learned how he caught crabs in Amsterdam! He left the train in Newcastle and I continued on talking to Michael (not boyfriend Michael) Scottish bloke Michael, a musician, in a band conundrum indeed. He informed me not to eat black pudding, which is deep fried pigs blood and that I should definitely try haggis, which is lamb intestines.

Scotland, I can tell you are going to be an adventure!

July 4: Waking up Earlier than the Rooster Crows

2011-07-04T15:34:00.001-07:00

It's my brothers birthday today! We should all wish him a happy birthday. I called him at about 2 am only to realize that it is the 4th here and the 3rd there. Don't you fret- 2 am was only 6pm his time, but enough about him, let's talk about my United Kingdom fun!

By the time I got in last night, showered and wrote my email it was 10 til 12. I had realized while gathering all of my stuff for the next day that the pick-up spot I needed to be at, at 3 am was not directly next to my hostel which I had previously thought. After talking to the reception staff, side note... I love this hostel, such a nice place, great showers, two per floor (which is a lot of hostels) and the staff here are very nice. It is centrally located too so that makes things pleasurable. At any rate, the underground stops at 1 so that meant I would have to take a bus. At 2 am, my alarm went off. I quietly unpacked my clothes, got dressed and went into the bathroom. Luckily I saw a mirror before leaving the hostel because I had misbuttoned my shirt and I was about to set a new trend. I walked outside to the bus stop. Purchased my single-ride ticket for 2.20 pounds which is about $4.00 and I waited... and waited. It was 2:30 and I needed to be at my destination at 3. Last night the Aussie had suggested to take a cab, then we both thought, how am I going to hail a cab that early. As luck would have it a taxi passed by and I flung my arm up to hail him. Grosvenor Victoria Hotel please. Taxi's in London are fun, they are HUGE, very spacious and the drivers are humorous. He gave me a nice tour of the city, we passed by Buckingham Palace and off to my location.

I boarded the coach bus and we were on our way to Stonehenge. Although there are many different thoughts as to how the stones were placed, not once was the alien theory mentioned so I am going to go with the fact that the Brits don't believe that. Quick tid bits, everyone refers to the Queen of England as "My Queen." No commercial advertising or development is allowed outside of city limits. All children go to school in a shirt and tie. Ok, now on to Stonehenge. It is small, well... I mean not small but it really isn't as big and astounding as you would think. There is absolutely NOTHING around it. It was about 10 degrees Celsius and leave it to me to have nothing but a t-shirt on. At any rate, 5,600 years ago the stones were build in the ugliest place in Britain. Henge means circle. The belief that is told is that the stones were built for the sun gods. The stones are said to have come from Oxford and were cut 500 years before stone cutting materials were made. People have rubbed the stones over time and their human oils alter the color, therefore they are sticklers on touching the stones.

After Stonehenge we headed to a little place called Salisbury where we visited this beautiful cathedral. In my opinion we spent way too much time here and it took away from time we were able to spend in Bath but I was only one in a group of 35. After we left Salisbury we headed to Bath where we went and saw the Roman Baths. They were soo beautiful and I stuck my hand in and touched the water! (Apparently that is a no no, but have I ever followed rules?) We had about 45 minutes to ourselves in Bath so I roamed the streets. Leave it to me to find a thrift store in Bath. The thrift stores are names after their causes so take for example one store is named, Cause for Cancer... very self-explanatory. Once we left Bath we headed to Lacock, a village founded in 1232 by Ela, Countess of Salisbury. Not much to see in this small town but it is where all of the Harry Potter movies were filmed. Everyone else in the tour sat down to have a hearty London meal in Lacock but all I wanted, and I blame this on my sore throat, was ice cream! So, like the rebel I am, I explored a little until I found me a chocolate heaven waffle cone. Yes, it lived up to it's name. We boarded the bus again and headed back to London. Once in London I thought I would walk around and go find Buckingham Palace to take some pictures. I couldn't find Westminster Abbey and it was scorching hot today so I wasn't too enthralled about walking around in jeans trying to find it.

I went over to Victoria Station to catch the underground back to my hostel. Hello entire world that decided to be inside Victoria station. I swear, it looked like a million people were just shoved into the station and we were all being herded like cattle. The hot, sauna like underground does not get any better when thousands of people are on the subway. I don't think I could live here, I would get annoyed. I think we tend to take for granted the beauty of air conditioning. Another thing about Europe, you walk around so much that sometimes you forget to eat, or at least I do. Finally, right before the hostel I found a little cafe and grabbed a sandwich. I have about 2 hours before I am off to see Les Miserables. I catch a train to Scotland tomorrow, I can't wait!!!!

Talk to you from the land of my origins :)

July 3: London Bridge is Falling Down, Falling Down.

2011-07-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

I tried to send pictures in the previous email and it didn't work so here is the email again...

London Bridge is not all it's cracked up to be, in fact, if you blink... you'd miss it. I skipped ahead a little far in the story, let me go back to my wonderful nap. After checking in, I decided to lay down for a short nap. I awoke to my bed mate entering the room. An Aussie, good looking chap... here for gay pride! I informed Michael (boyfriend) before I left that he didn't need to worry about me here. Being the most laid back and understanding man I know, he has no concerns. That being said, I am sure a good looking gay man in the top bunk is much more settling than a good looking straight man.

I went out to explore the underground rails. Their escalators here go up at a 45 degree angle for about 100 feet- Mom, you would NEVER be able to get on these if you are scared of normal escalators. After wondering over to the London Bridge, I stopped at a cathedral, found a street fair that I grabbed a nice jerk chicken wrap and of course ended with a waffle cone from an ice cream truck. Walked over to parliament square and took some pictures and then before turning in for the night, rode the London Eye and took some great shots. IT was overcast but a nice day. The subways are worse than a gym sauna and since most Europeans don't wear deodorant, the smell was PLEASANT.

I stumbled upon a pretty garden, took a stroll, got lost off the Waterloo underground and found some cool alley that was all grafiti artwork, fun! Tomorrow at 3 am I am headed to Stonehenge, that means showering is occurring after this email. I bought a ticket to Les Miserables, so excited to see a play in London! Maybe I'll buy a nice dress in Bath to wear to the play!! I am tired, here are some pictures for you to see!!

London and I Just Met for the First Time

2011-07-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

Nothing says, "welcome aboard, we hope you enjoy the next four hours and forty-six minutes" better than a 8 months old crying child. It's times like these that I briefly thank my lucky stars for the back pain I have from my car accident Thursday. Hello percocet, goodbye crying child. Unfortunately percocet makes my body temperature rise. The direct air flow above my head did not want to cooperate, so I closed my eyes and imagined myself in my string bikini on some secluded beach as I endured the reoccurring hot flashes I was experiencing. Ok, maybe that's a lie. I don't wear string.

Never a dull moment in my life. Outside of a crying child, my flight out of LAX was delayed so, by the time I landed in Newark, I had 20 minutes to make my flight connecting to London. We pull up up our gate and it's currently occupied. 8 minutes until departure. I ask the flight attendant if they will be holding flights to which he cops an attitude and raises his voice telling me to calm down. With 1 minute to spare I booked it. Arriving at the gate, gate 75 only for them to have changed it to Gate 71.

By the grace of the airplane gods my flight was held. Nothing like a little rush. Nothing like hauling butt in rain-boots and a 15 pd bag on your back. For those of you wondering, they have come out with new and improved fanny packs. The man that sat next to me on the plane was proudly sporting his. Let's just say customs was nothing shy of interesting. One thing I've learned, some ethic groups don't change their stereotype no matter what country you're in. This little girl stared at me for so long I felt violated. Don't mess with a woman that has an entire body of pain, sore throat, and needs to tinkle. Ah yes, sore throat...shoot me now! Just got to my hostel, waiting to check in at 2 and then I am off to explore. I want to go see Les Mis tomorrow, so I think I will do that after Stonehenge.

Until next time!

July 2: Goodbye Los Angeles...Hello London

2011-07-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

Good morning...afternoon...whenever you receive this time of day!

It is Saturday morning and I am packed tightly into a little backpack and headed to the airport to board a plane that will fly me over the seas, pausing in New York, and then reaching Heathrow, London tomorrow morning around 9 am. For everyone else here in the states, or in California for that matter, London is 8 hours ahead so that is 1 am your time. For inquiring minds I have attached a spreadsheet of where I will be and when I will be there. Granted, with me anything is always capable of changing but I will do my best to keep you all updated on the amazing adventures of my life through my nightly email.

Here is a quick rundown of the trip.

Fly into London. I am here for two full days. Ride the London Eye (Largest Ferris Wheel in the WORLD, that is also on the Thames)
Go to Stonehenge at SUNRISE! Tour Bath

Take a train to Scotland where I will meet up with my friend Devin (that I met in Paris last year). Devin and I are going to go on a beautiful scenic run... I know, you're already thinking running on vacation, man this girl is LUCKY! I can feel the envy and I appreciate it.

Wednesday morning, Devin has rented a car and we will head to the Isle of Skye... and I will stop at Lochness first, if I find Nessie I will send her home to your house! After spending the night in Skye we will head back to town where I will meet up with my friend Emma (that I met in Berlin last year). Friday morning we are headed to T in the Park Music Festival. Just a few bands I will see:
Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay, Beyonce, The Strokes, The Script, Jimmy Eat World, Foo Fighters, My Chemical Romance, Weezer, Noah and the Whale, and the Eels.

I will be at the music festival for 3 days and will not have email or phone access. Your lives may feel saddened and empty but I promise I will update you as soon as I can and return to civilization.

Monday and Tuesday I am free in Scotland, I am thinking this is ample time to hunt down and obtain a kilt! I hear they are heavy so I might just be that obnoxious person wearing it home on the airplane!

Wednesday am I fly to Dublin where I will stay for the remainder of the trip.

I will miss you all (ok, maybe not that much because I will be having so much fun) but when I return we will have gads of stories and adventures to discuss! Thanks for wanting to hear my journeys. Love you all!

Until we meet again... in London.

Junk in the Trunk.

2011-07-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

I should have moved to New York.

Four months ago I was faced with a decision: move to New York or stay here and buy a new car.

Had I moved to New York I wouldn't have gotten the $88.00 parking ticket on Wednesday. Had I moved to New York I wouldn't have been in a horrible car accident yesterday...BUT, I didn't move to New York and this is my life. HOWEVER, had I moved to New York, I wouldn't have met the most amazing man and been able to have him as my boyfriend. Had I moved to New York, I wouldn't have found a killer place in LA along with a killer job.

Things could be worse. People always say that but I truly believe it. Although I am incredibly sad about my car, it is just a "thing" my life on the other hand, is more than just a "thing" and I am alive and well, that is most important.

Not sure how you spent your Thursday night, but here was mine.

Around 4:30 pm I was driving home on the 91 Freeway right before the 605 interchange. The cars in front of me slammed on their brakes. I did as well, the man behind me decided my car should be his brake. Per his report to Officer Conkle, he was going about 65mph when his car ate my trunk.

I should be a spokesperson for Infiniti, I can't believe how amazing the car withheld for the impact that I took. My poor trunk is crushed in. Trying to rack my brain and think about what I had inside there is not too fun. I constantly have to remind myself that I am alive and well and all the other "stuff" isn't that important.

While at the ER last night, the nurse let me know how shocked she was that I took that kind of blow and did not have more injuries. Someone sure loves me!

Bittersweet.

2011-06-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my last day at ENVIRON International Corporation. I remember the first day I walked into this office, I remember the interview... all so vividly in my mind. As with any phase of life there comes an end, there comes a time where you have to move on and make personal steps to better your future and that is the time I am looking straight in the eye. The past three years have not been glorious. In fact, there have been numerous times where I wanted to pull out my hair, make voodoo dolls of certain employees that will remain nameless, and downright walk out the door and never come back again. Nevertheless, walking out the door for the last time tomorrow will be bittersweet. It's like a relationship that is ending, no matter how good or bad the relationship may have been, there are going to be aspects that you miss, aspects that you are glad you never have to face again (ie the two hour commute or Arial 11 point font), and aspects that simply leave a little void in your life. This is the longest time I have ever spent at a company, I tend to like change and when I am not challenged I can be quick to give up, that was not the case here.

I will miss my platonic lunches with Simon.

I will miss working late hours for Steve (no sarcasm involved). The best boss I have ever had, EVER.

I will miss Steve poking fun of my ridiculous amounts of shoes and writing down my jargon as quotable quotes.

I WON'T miss the mysterious food thief.

I will miss the banter with Pete and his hilarious and highly inappropriate jokes.

I will miss daily jokes with Casey and our hypothetical marriage.

I will miss Joy and her morning "hellos".

I will miss walking into the bathroom every day at 10 and 2 only to know that one specific employee is dropping off her .... ok, no, I will NOT miss that.

I will miss the freedom and leisure I have to blog while at work.

I will miss coming to my desk after anyone went on vacation only to find a little present from where they were.

and as I stated to all of the employees here...I wish you all the best, until next time...

Amy.

2011-06-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

She rocks. I love me some Thompson. Whenever I am feeling sad or blue, slap me up a side of her and things are better. She wanted to get together before I leave town for two weeks on Saturday, I accepted this mighty fine offer. We sat. We talked. We giggled. We walked. We watched the dog step in his own poop. Yes, I just blogged about that. We slept... and we loved every minute of it. I say we as I speak for her because I know she loves me :)

I figure I shouldn't blog too much today since after all, I will be blogging like a madwoman while I am in Europe. I can't believe it is Saturday already. I have been planning this trip for so long! Michael's parents fly in town and we are having dinner with them Friday, I am excited.

Michael Christopher Luebke.

2011-06-23T07:47:00.000-07:00

Is handsome.

Last night that ridiculously good looking boy above played cello at the Viper Room in LA with his good buddy Phil Jacobson from college.

My boyfriend is talented... and hot.