caLIfe

Lando Gets a Bad Deal

2010-02-20T11:01:00.001-08:00

One-Take Music Video

2009-10-15T23:32:00.001-07:00

Have you seen this? 172 students at a university in Montreal put it together in a little more than 2 hours. I love it!

Rockin' at the Hotel Cafe

2009-03-12T10:24:00.001-07:00

In long-distance celebration of my brother's birthday (Well, mainly out of coincidence, but Happy Birthday, Ethan!), we went to the Hotel Cafe for a great [sold out!] concert.

Sara Bareilles was the headliner, and her voice - especially live - is A-MAZING. Wide range with perfect tone and pitch. And she has personality to boot! I was especially excited to see that Tony Lucca was one of the opening performers (as my previous post would support), and it was a treat when Sara and Tony sang together at the end.

I highly recommend seeing either artist in concert - their passions in playing and singing are best heard in person. :)

We were actually closer to the stage in the tiny venue than my blurry phone pictures would depict...

Lighten up

2009-02-19T13:34:00.000-08:00

This short article struck me as "right on"... I know I overreact to things that ultimately don't matter. I especially like this part of the piece:

...your spouse does something objectionable. And you get angry. You say, "I can't believe you did that." Here's the thing: The angry part is always about you. It doesn't matter how in the right you think you are, how in the right you may actually be. The fact that it bothers you so much — that's your problem. I can't tell you how much I wish it were otherwise, but it's true.

So... awkward...

2009-02-12T22:41:00.001-08:00

The more I see of his weird behavior, the more I believe that it's all a hoax.

Strong Apes = Dumped by Entertainment Industry

2009-01-20T00:13:00.001-08:00

Remember these posts? If further proof of why apes shouldn't be used in advertising is needed, here is what became of one of the CareerBuilder chimps...

(Thanks, Ida, for passing along the article.)

Living in L.A. means...

2009-01-14T18:23:00.000-08:00

...I spent 2 1/2 hours in traffic during a drive yesterday that should've taken 20 minutes.

...when Leah and I took a walk at a local park, a film crew was set up along the sidewalk and middle grassy area shooting a commercial. (Look for guys playing football outside when you next see a Coors commercial.)

...$22 at a locally-run produce/deli shop can buy fresh white onions, two kinds of lettuce, apples, oranges, Italian parsley, grapefruit, tomatoes, mushrooms, blueberries, green onions, avocado, carrots, two kinds of potatoes, a jar of roasted red peppers, a bag of sliced almonds, and chocolate-covered pretzels (the last one isn't healthy, I know)!

...Jon and I will be seatfillers for the third year in a row at the SAG (Screen Actors' Guild) Awards show in a week (Sunday, January 25th).

RIP Earl

2008-12-23T23:45:00.000-08:00

About this time two years ago, Jon and I brought two $2.99-each, "fancy" goldfish into our home, Jazzy and Earl. Jazzy didn't last long, nor did Dart, nor did Franklin (the two goldfish friends we bought for Earl after each one subsequently died). We weren't sure if Earl was killing off his "friends" or if he had some deadly disease afflicting his tank-mates... After Franklin, we decided Earl needed to live alone for awhile. He didn't seem to mind, as this meant all the food went to him. He would always get especially excited when you talked to him - his body would wriggle expectantly to the top of the water.

Well, Earl started having some health issues. We tried about four different "tank" situations - first just a round bowl, then a fancy filtered set-up tank, then a large hurricane glass, then just a shallow glass bowl. He would get sick, we'd remove him from the tank and thoroughly clean it, and continue to medicate him in a shallow plastic tupperware. He'd recover, and we'd put him into a pre-medicated tank. He'd inevitably get sick again, and we'd repeat the process. His final "tank" was the shallow glass bowl, as it seemed to most closely mimic his environment in the plasticware in which he best recuperated.

Today Jon informed me of the news we had anticipated for the past several months - Earl was dead.

I have to say, after all of this, goldfish are MUCH more high maintanence than hermit crabs. We spent money on fish aquarium set-ups, food and antibiotics, and spent cumulative hours cleaning and fretting over our $2.99 fish. My hermit crabs only require water, food, and the occasional wettened sand and cleaning. But sometimes I forget they're even there - and they're fine. Happily surviving without issues. I think we will be a fish-less family for awhile now.

Rest in peace, Earl - well-fed in your warm, spacious pond in the sky. Maybe with other goldfish friends... unless you had been killing them because you prefer to be a loner.

Seen the new Bond movie?

2008-11-26T18:27:00.001-08:00

We did last Friday. It was entertaining, though not as good as Casino Royale. I think the difference came from the director change between movies and seemingly-less witty banter. Quantum of Solace is mostly just action sequences with a plot that relies heavily on how much you remember about Casino.

I saw a red-carpet picture today of the "Bond girl" Olga Kurylenko from Quantum, and I didn't believe it was the same person... Judge for yourself:

They made her a different ethnicity!

Secretary of State video reactions

2008-11-05T14:02:00.000-08:00

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/11/05/rice.election.reaction.cnn?iref=videosearch

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice seems pleased to be passing off the presidency soon. (It has been a rough several years for her, so I'm not surprised...)

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/11/05/colin.powell.reaction.cnn?iref=videosearch

I really respect former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and I appreciate that Powell reiterates that both McCain and Obama said essentially the same thing in their speeches last night: "This is now over. Let's come together. We are all Americans again. Let's pursue a new agenda.... Let's get on with the challenges we are facing and solve those challenges."

I'm excited to be an American during this historic period.

First Earthquake

2008-07-29T12:15:00.001-07:00

Well, I suppose it was inevitable that we would feel an earthquake at some point in our L.A. tenure... Today was it! I made a map to show where we were in relation to where it started... (You might need to drag to the right to view it all.)

View Larger Map

It felt like it lasted 10 seconds, but that could also have been because I work on the 2nd floor of an office building. (We might've been swaying longer than the actual quake.) Jon said it only felt like 2 seconds where he was (on the first floor of a clinic).

I always thought being in an earthquake would feel more like vibrations, but it seemed more like my office was being picked up and swayed and twisted around. I don't have anything on the walls, so I stayed planted in my chair until it was over. When it stopped, everyone at my office came out into the hallway and was like, "woah - that was crazy".

Pictoral updates

2008-06-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

Poor, widdle stagnant blog. You've been verwy, verwy neglected recently. No new postie-wosties! Hopefully adding some travelling updates with pictures and links will suffice for now... :)

April
Jon and I took a weekend trip to Las Vegas.
We had a Spring Cleaning day with our Cornerstone neighbors.

May
I went to Oklahoma for my brother's OU graduation!

June
Per my previous post about a multitude of Fall pregnancy announcements, I've recently been attending baby showers.
Our "big" vacation was going on a cruise with a few other couples from college. It was SO relaxing to just hang out and be fed every three hours. :)
Upon our return, we had a beach bonfire with our church small group.
And last Saturday, for my birthday, we went to Disneyland!

July
We will move to Azusa, and Jon starts his new job!

Pasadena, Home of the Stars

2008-06-07T21:11:00.001-07:00

Today, while waiting in our car at a stop sign, Jon pointed out a guy walking across the intersection with his dog. It was Rob Schneider. Yep, he lives here, too.

Holidays, Every Day

2008-06-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

In honor of "National Leave Work Early Day", I left a whole 4 minutes early from work. I wanted to go earlier when I first heard the Day announced on the radio at lunch, but my husband encouraged me to be a "good employee." Pffft! So I stayed.

In confirming the radio's announcement, I also found that today (June 2nd) celebrates National Bubba Day and Yell 'Fudge' at Cobras in North America Day (<--if you live north of the Panama Canal). Didn't you know cobras gag at the thought of fudge? Duh.

I know I'm looking forward to July 27th when it is Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day ("because your houseplants will become healthier from knowing their environment"). And I'm certain my mom has been eagerly anticipating August 13th: Middle Children's Day. (I think Jan Brady made up this one.)

Movin' Down the Road

2008-06-01T16:20:00.000-07:00

Because I "heard" that Jennipher S. gives updates (via our blogs) to our NorthWood home team, and Stephanie H. has expressed sadness for my lack of blog posts, I wanted to give you all a quick notice of changes for the Sampson duo...

Jon has decided to take one class per quarter at seminary from now until May 2009 because... he scored a new full-time job as a residential director at a local university campus (20 minutes east of Pasadena)! We will move into one of their apartment communities at the beginning of July, which is... SOON. We are both excited (and maybe a little nervous?) to have college students as neighbors, but the perks are fantastic. (Free housing in a 2-bedroom apartment! Free utilities! A meal plan! Benefits! Jon working with a demographic he enjoys! Stuff like that!) I'm sure we'll get some interesting stories from the experience that will appear on our blogs. :)

For now, please enjoy the below completely unrelated picture of one of my hermit crabs burrowing deep down in the sand only to run into the side of the aquarium.

(Sorry for the blurry pic - it's tricky through glass!)

Conversations Past Our Bedtime

2008-05-06T22:44:00.000-07:00

While watching a commercial...

Grete: They make foam in a cup!
Jon: I do that, too.
Grete: Can I do it with you?
Jon: No. It's a personal hobby.

Las Vegas evening in heels

2008-04-29T21:57:00.000-07:00

From MGM Grand to Monte Carlo: about 0.292 miles
From Monte Carlo to Bellagio: about 0.648 miles
From Bellagio to Excalibur: about 0.967 miles
From Mandalay Bay to our hotel (off the Strip): about 1.216 miles

Total (not including the walking around inside hotels): 3.123 miles in heels for one evening in Las Vegas

OUCH!

Facebook in Real Life

2008-04-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

What would Facebook be like played out in real life?

Sneaky health

2008-04-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of those books that give ways to sneak nutritious foods into meals kids will eat? Yeah. I do that for myself.

Pictured was my attempt to hide broccoli in my spaghetti sauce. (Ok, it's not really "hidden", per say, but it allowed me to eat broccoli without having to taste it!)First I pulverized it in the handy chopper...

Then I mixed it into my meat sauce. [Yes, I need to work on better "plating" of my food if I plan to post it for all to see.] :)

Can't resist...

2008-04-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

There are a couple things I can rarely pass up:
1) things that are free
2) cookies.

When the two are combined, it's dangerous.
This situation happened for me at work today. There were dozens of remaining cookies from yesterday evening's catered work event, and they all ended up on the counter of the break area. With most food items, this normally would be okay because I only go back there to get water. But cookies were involved today. Lots of them. For free. So every trip for water turned into a cookie break.

Eight cookies later (and by "eight", I mean, eight big-fat-thick-catered cookies), I feel a little sick. I didn't eat lunch because the bazillon-calorie cookies kept me satiated throughout the day.

My name is Grete, and I have a cookie-eating problem.

Yet another reason not to like apes in advertising...

2008-03-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

As if my rant about not liking the Aflac commercial that uses the orangutan seemed excessive before, here is new research highlighting why the overuse of apes in advertising has an adverse effect...

Because many people in the researchers' survey see apes widely used in the entertainment and advertising industry, many assume "wild chimps must be plentiful and thriving." This is a blow to conservation efforts for the highly endangered species. Here is an excerpt from their statistics:

The number of wild chimps in Africa is thought to have shrunk from perhaps 2 million across the continent in 1900 to an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 and falling today. Only four nations now have significant chimp populations.

[The World Conservation Union] blames the losses on expanding human activity, spread of deadly diseases such as Ebola and political instability in some nations, leaving chimps with no protection and vulnerable to slaughter.

Chimpanzees are endangered, folks! (Though, my Clever Blog Readers, I'm sure YOU already knew this.) :)

Pictured is Ramona, a sweet chimp I used to work with in Fort Worth. (I didn't take the picture, though.)

Great Lyrics

2008-03-01T16:29:00.000-08:00

It won't always be easy to love,
when you give and you never get back.
But, no one's intended to die,
with their heart still intact.

-from "Proud Father" by Jon McLaughlin

Night in Hollywood

2008-02-24T09:53:00.000-08:00

Last night my friend Krissy and I got a taste of the L.A. music scene… And it left me wanting more of it!

THE GOOD
Tony Lucca: Ever heard of him? He’s a very talented singer-songwriter who is great to watch perform live. He doesn’t always play with them, but his band last night (bass player, electric guitar player, and drummer) was all in sync with everything he did – grooving, swaying, bouncing, rocking. They were VERY entertaining! As we were watching him, I was curious what his face would actually look like – unobscured by his thick-rimmed glasses, full beard, and newsboy cap. When I was reading his bio online later, I realized I had seen him before – on the Mickey Mouse Club! He was one of the older mouseketeers – then clean-shaven with gelled hair. [Jon said that’s probably why he’s trying to look so different now.] :) He’ll be playing at the Hotel Café venue for the next three Saturday nights, if anyone’s interested!

THE BAD
The guy who went after him was visibly less talented as a performer. His voice and guitar skills weren’t bad, and Krissy even commented that we might think he was good, sight-unseen. But his sight WAS seen, and it was awkward if you made eye contact with him. It was like he rehearsed his playing expressions in the mirror… He thinks: Now I’ll do my sexy face and strum. Krissy pointed out when he was making weird eyes at me (small venue), but I pointed out when he was making the same weird eyes at one of the guys in our group, too! [Steven said it made him uncomfortable. Ha!]

THE RANDOM
After leaving Hotel Café, we were quickly circling the corner (in the rain) to walk past several busy clubs**. We hurried by someone I recognized as an actor, but couldn’t place or name him. Later the name “Josh” sounded right, so I browsed around the imdb site until I remembered. His character’s name was “Josh” when he was Rachel’s boyfriend on “Friends”. His real name is Tate Donovan.
Of course, he was obscure enough that I was the only one who recognized him… Because I’m weird like that.

THE BLING
So, our hook up for the concert and the parking (we didn’t have to pay because we parked in his office lot, which is a life-saver in Hollywood) was one of Krissy’s friends from her church… who happens to work for Diane Warren. While her name may not ring remembrance to many of you, her songs will. Do a quick skim of all the songs she’s written on this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Warren.
She’s worth about $600 million dollars for all the successful songs she’s written. And she only gets richer with all their airplay, movie showings, and remixes. Needless to say, her office (i.e. the eighth floor of a tall building overlooking Los Angeles) was amazing – every wall had a gold or silver album, a nomination certificate, or a photo with her and a celebrity. She had four baby grand pianos throughout the offices and lounges, and in her demo room is a Grammy she won… Krissy and I giddily touched it!

**I’m sorry, but, wearing a tiny cocktail dress and standing in a long line in cold rain just to get into an overrated expensive club isn’t my idea of fun. But L.A. is full of those scenes.

Two Videos That Make Me Laugh...

2008-02-19T19:31:00.000-08:00

(Thanks to Ethan for leading me to that one.)

(Thanks to Matt/Colleen for this one.)

It's just WRONG! Hrumpf!

2008-02-18T18:29:00.000-08:00

As I've been home from work (sick - blech), I've watched one commercial a number of times... that I do NOT approve of. It's an AFLAC commercial, where a factory worker is asking her boss if they have AFLAC insurance, but he just says they have "uhh" and points to an orangutan wreaking havoc on their workplace.

Here are the problems I have with the commercial:

1) It uses an ape in a commercial. What most viewers don't think about (or realize) is that apes used in the entertainment industry aren't full grown adults. They're young, which means they've been pulled from their moms at young ages. (Hence why when I worked at the zoo, many people thought the chimps were gorillas because they'd only seen entertainment chimps with pale faces - chimps have pale faces when they're juveniles. When they get older, they're too strong and often aggressive, so they're discarded to sanctuaries or labs.)

2) The orangutan is shown acting in an anthropomorphic manner, which encourages people to believe they would make great pets and not realize that (a) that's illegal or (b) they grow up to be six times stronger than adult humans and are unmanageable to treat as "little humans".

3) This is the most annoying of all... they over-dubbed the orang using CHIMP noises! Orangutans don't make all those vocalizations - they use long calls and grunts because in the wild they live great distances apart in trees. Chimps are the louder bunch with all the screams and "ooh ooh aah aah" noises.

Anyway, I just had to get that out there. Sorry for my rant!

Cue John Williams

2008-02-15T10:17:00.001-08:00

Jon forwarded me a link to the new Indiana Jones trailer (to be released on May 22nd this year), and I just had to share my excitement with you all! (You, especially, Erin.)

Messages from my candy

2008-02-13T18:03:00.000-08:00

My Dove wrapper told me this today:

"Chocolate. Always your Valentine."

So true. So true.

On to healthier things...

2008-02-03T20:38:00.000-08:00

Exhibit A: I had a grand time eating two scoops of Baskin Robbins ice cream during our third anniversary celebration evening!

Exhibit B: I decided I need motivation to get rid of the California-added, loss-of-zookeeper-exercise tummy flub. (Yes - that is where I gain weight! I'm sneaky like that.) So... what better way to be healthier than to reward yourself with stickers? :)

The chart's end point is June - when I can no longer hide the "muffin top" while wearing a swimsuit during the summer. My daily goals are attainable, yet are things I'm not currently doing on a daily/weekly basis. Hopefully, I'll eat and exercise more than what I am rewarded for!

And let me tell ya, the stickers are already working. I wanted my veggie sticker for today, so I ran to the kitchen to eat another serving - some celery sticks with peanut butter. Mmm...

A warning before your Superbowl munching

2008-01-30T15:23:00.001-08:00

No double-dipping! Inspired by the "Seinfield" episode, a new study shows that dipping food, biting a part off, then double-dipping the half-bitten part back into the bowl DOES in fact spread bacteria. Before you decide to double-dip, look around the room and decide if you'd be okay kissing everyone there. :P

Thanks Jon for sending me this interesting article!

SAG Awards 2008

2008-01-28T08:39:00.000-08:00

The SAG Awards have come and gone once again! Like last year, we thoroughly enjoyed our time as seatfillers, and I apparently even had a brief moment on camera when "The Office" won (since I was sitting at their table)! You can read more about it where I'm guest blogging this week. I again compiled a list of everyone I sat with, spoke to, and saw from a distance during the show.

The tributes to Heath Ledger were touching during the ceremony... After the montage of SAG actors/actresses who died this year, you could tell Heath's picture was tacked on quickly to the end, since his death was so recent. The show went to commercial right after that, which, for those of us in the ceremony meant that the lights came up and people were free to mill about. However, at this break, the mood was somber and quiet - few people stood. In a heartfelt speech, Daniel Day-Lewis also dedicated his acting award of the night to Heath.

Did anyone catch the show? I don't know how interesting it is to watch if you're not there, but we had a great time. :)

Something in the water...

2008-01-26T20:58:00.000-08:00

What was going on last Fall? There are SO MANY pregnant women in my midst! Megan, Sun, Leslie, Boualoy, Kim, Andrea, Maria, Ingrid, Audrey, Leah, Tara... they're all due later this year. I know our lives go through phases when it seems like we're attending lots of weddings or frequently going to baby showers, but I didn't realize it would happen in such a tour de force!

Anyone else want to share any "expecting" news? :)

Guest Blogger

2008-01-25T23:49:00.000-08:00

My friend RC has kindly asked me to guest post on his blog while he attends a wedding. So for random Sampson-updates (mostly entertainment-related), you should check out his site this week. :)

"Heath Ledger: Dead at 28"

2008-01-24T10:36:00.000-08:00

It floors me when people my own age die.

That's what happened when I opened up my browser and the newslines announced Heath Ledger's death. I couldn't believe it! Minutes later, my husband emailed me a link to a simliar newstory, which confirmed the tragedy. I then did as many others might have yesterday - scoured the internet for more information, saddened as different articles reflected on Heath's promising career and young child. I am still wondering if his death was accidental... or not.

I remember feeling this way before. Stunned. Disappointed. A little like I lost a piece of my childhood. It was four years ago when I found out Jonathan Brandis had killed himself. I grew up watching him in movies and on tv - he was my first "celebrity crush", and I even had a poster of him in my bedroom when I was in middle school. For days after I read the small newstory online, I couldn't stop thinking about how depressed and lonely he must've felt to feel like the only solution was death. I couldn't believe someone who had only lived a couple decades didn't want to see what many more decades would bring... how things could change in less than a year. The same feelings emanated after reading earlier this month about Brad Renfro's death at 25 years old - he was another actor I had first seen as a child.

My friend RC wrote a post about the "death of celebrities". In it, I appreciated his last line:

Heath, I don't know what to say about your death, other than I hope that those you left behind will find what you did not.

* * *

And then, just as abruptly as the news broke of his unexpected death, the rest of the world moves on. And while I know that's good and right and how life works, it makes me reexamine my own life... What impact am I having on the world around me? Am I in a holding pattern until my next "life phase" instead of doing what matters because I'm alive today? What a gift we have in life! To grow and learn, to love and feel real emotions, and to experience the scope of Creation. I pray we can all live to our fullest potential - every day.

HA! My fear is not unfounded...

2008-01-17T08:46:00.001-08:00

It could be because I saw Stephen King's IT when I was in fifth grade (due to a bad-influencing friend - unbeknownst to my mother), but clowns freak me out. A lot. Now a study shows kids don't like them anyway! :)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22685723/from/ET/

[I would put a picture with this post, but the obvious one would be a clown, and I just don't want it there!]

How did your candidate handle baby Dahlia?

2008-01-11T15:48:00.000-08:00

I thought this article and the accompanying "photo essay" were interesting to read and see. Thought you might as well!

Movie reviews (in brief)

2008-01-06T16:46:00.000-08:00

Over the past two weeks, I've actually seen some movies (thanks to gift cards, airplane rides, and a little cousin's Christmas gift). Here are my quick reviews and ratings in the order I saw them...

Juno
Quirky, entertaining, and fresh. It's not one of those, "Wow! That movie was AMAZING!" feelings so much as "Hey! I really enjoyed that - I wouldn't mind seeing it again soon." The music fit the witty dialogue perfectly. Grete's star rating (out of 5): 4 stars

High School Musical 2
Ugh. CHEESY, fake, unoriginal ("Saved by the Bell" summer job episodes, anyone?), waaaay overrated (if you consider tween reviews "ratings"), and did I mention cheesy? It was a little painful to watch them say something hoaky and then immediately know a song would be sung about said hoaky-statement. The only good part was that the airline chose to play something other than clips of sports and news shows for the flight. Grete's star rating: 1 star

High School Musical (yes, I saw the original one after the sequel)
This one benefited from the fact that I saw the worse one first. And those darn songs are so basic and repetitive that they get stuck in your head after one viewing! The writing was slightly more entertaining than "2", but otherwise it was also cheesy, unoriginal (I saw many Grease plot throwbacks), and made for ages 15 and under (hence, my little cousin wanted it for Christmas). Grete's star rating: 1 1/2 stars

Atonement
I purposely avoided hearing summary reviews for this because I really wanted to take in any surprises in my own viewing of the movie. I thought going in: romantic drama. Yes, it was romantic. Yes, it was dramatic. But, goodness, it was DEPRESSINGLY tragic for most of the latter half. All the beautiful cinematography, costuming, and face close-ups only suck you into the cheerlessness more until you leave feeling like, "*sigh* That was NOT what I was expecting to see." Jon told me afterwards I should've guessed from the title word that it would mean something bad would need redemption. Grete's star rating for movie quality: 4 stars. Grete's star rating for upliftingness (if that's a word): 1/2 star.

Anyone have any recommendations for me to see?

Dog Whisperer

2007-12-02T17:28:00.001-08:00

Cesar Milan had a book signing at the Pasadena Borders this past week. I convinced my friend Aaron to come along with me, and she took these lovely pictures. Cesar is distracted in the one where he's signing my books because the puppy he brought along was peeing on the store carpet. Even the "Dog Whisperer" has housebreaking issues. :)

Playing with Animoto

2007-11-29T23:28:00.000-08:00

The Erickson family Oregon Trip (August 2007). Made with Animoto.

Mystery Passenger

2007-11-27T17:32:00.000-08:00

Ya know when you kinda recognize someone, but can't quite place where you've seen them before? Jon and I both felt that way when we saw this guy on our flight from Dallas back to Burbank after Thanksgiving. He definitely had the actor "look." Finally, at the luggage carousel on the end of the flight, I remembered. He's the slimy fraternity boyfriend on the television show "Greek". We only saw two episodes of it on the main cable channels (via our antenna) before they switched it to the ABC-Family channel. [It was "okay" from what I remember.]

I'm guessing he's rarely blogged about, so Jake McDorman, here ya go. Yes, we were the couple on your plane trip who kept sneaking glances at you and then whispering with puzzled expressions.

[The picture on the left is the one Jon took on his cameraphone, and the one on the right is his imdb profile pic.]

AMAs

2007-11-19T08:35:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, my friend Stacey and I attended the American Music Awards! Did you see us? Unlike my seatfiller stints at the SAG Awards and TV Land Awards, this time we were in the red carpet bleachers and then regular "attendees" at the show. Much less work for a whole lot of fun!
It was incredible seeing so many big-name performers at one show... and they were all pretty amazing to hear. (If you watched the show on TV or online, the sound quality doesn't equal how full and LOUD everything was in person.)

I had a few favorite moments at the show: On the red carpet, Josh Groban was smiling and waving to us, and then he mouthed a cheesy line, "You raise me up." Ha! Another favorite moment was watching Sugarland do a bluegrass version of "Irreplaceable"... and then have Beyonce join them onstage to sing! You can watch that here.

Jonas Brothers. Heard of them? Apparently every girl under the age of 15 years old has. The boys themselves range in age from 14 to 17 years old, so they all looked REALLY young. They also struck me as VERY ~~full of themselves~~ pleased to have such ~~obsessed~~ adoring fans. With all the hype they were getting from squealing female fans, I was really interested to see their performance... Which leads me to a clip of another favorite part of the night: Joe Jonas falling at the beginning of their song. Jimmy Kimmel (the host) even cracked a joke about it when the performance was over.

As I did for the SAG Awards, I created a list of everyone I saw during the experience. My other favorite performances were the singing and orchestration of Rihanna & Ne-Yo and the dancing of Chris Brown & T-Pain.

Yay for L.A. entertainment opportunities!

$$$

2007-11-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

This post is for the Faith+Film blog-a-thon, hosted by RC of StrangeCulture. Hopefully, I’m able to combine the two into a blog post for your reading pleasure!

Christmas is nearing. How do I know? The stores all tell me so.

I’m sure everyone’s heard of the “commercialization of Christmas” and how it detracts from the real reason Christians celebrate, but it’s easy to get sucked into the pattern of buying “stuff” around this time of year. Jon and I had a discussion wondering why we spent designated amounts of money on gifts for people who turned around and spent the same designated amount on gifts for us. Why not donate the money in their name instead? I understand that idea, but it’s hard to not want to shower gifts on people you care about (especially for me, who loves giving – but can’t really afford it!).

I recently received an email about a free screening of What Would Jesus Buy? produced by Morgan Spurlock (of Supersize Me fame). I doubt I’ll be able to make it to the free showing, but the idea of the film is interesting to me. It’s a “documentary” (in a loose sense) that focuses on materialism and over-consumption in American culture, specifically around Christmas time. This is viewed [per Wikipedia] “through the prism of activist/performance artist Bill Talen, who goes by the alias of "Reverend Billy," and his troupe of activists, whose street theater performances take the form of a church choir called "The Church of Stop Shopping," that sings anti-shopping and anti-corporate songs. The film follows Billy and his choir as they take a cross-country trip in the month prior to Christmas 2005, and spread their message against what they perceive as the evils of patronizing the retail outlets of several different large corporate chains.”
You can view the trailer here: http://wwjbmovie.com/trailer.html

This “buy buy buy” message sadly rang true for those televangelists caught in another unfortunate scandal that reflects poorly on Christians. This recent news article names those who are being investigated for money fraud and misspending funds to support their lavish lifestyles.

On the other end of the money “spectrum” is one of my favorite Christmas movies, Muppet Christmas Carol. Instead of overspending, Ebenezer Scrooge is a money-hoarder. He views himself as thrifty and frugal, but the world sees differently. As we know from the story, after a few time-warping ghost visitations, Scrooge gleefully gives presents to strangers, embraces relationships, and buys a feast for a needy family.

[In the Muppet version, that part holds my favorite exchange (from how I remember it):

Scrooge, from the window, “I’ll give you a shilling to fetch me that turkey in the window of the corner shop!”

Bean Bunny, on the street, “You mean the one as big as me? Be serious!”]

So. Where is the middle ground of these two extremes? Obviously, generosity is different when you don’t expect a return. And I know we’re instructed to be “joyful givers”, but we’re also supposed to be responsible with how the money is used. So where we’re giving it matters. It’d be easy to hand a buck to the homeless panhandler on the corner and feel like we made a difference in that person’s life. Well, we did - maybe for a minute - but they’re going to continue standing on that corner everyday thereafter still. (I know – I see them there day in and out!) It would be more beneficial to give the buck(s) to organizations that really help those folks – meeting their real needs and helping them back on their feet. So though we feel like Scrooge if we refuse to give them our money at the corner, we should feel rich and privileged that we can afford to support places that are truly making a difference.

Just my two cents. Thanks to RC for the Faith+Film blog-a-thon!

Date Night

2007-11-03T16:27:00.001-07:00

On Monday evening (pre-illness for me), Jon and I were very excited to go on a date! In recent weeks, we haven't had time with the just two of us where we actually spent money to go out. :) Because it was a planned occasion, I was happy anticipating it during the work day. I came home giddy, "Our date! Let's go!"

We walked down to Old Town Pasadena for dinner, frozen yogurt, and store-browsing. I meant to take pictures of our evening, but I was too into it to remember. So I just have this one of us leaving our apartment...

Nyquil

2007-11-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I’ve been sick for much of this week. The kind of sick where you head inexplicably fills up with mucus and your voice becomes froggy. The kind of sick where nights consist of sleep in 2-hour increments, pounding sinuses and frequent water drinking. The kind of sick where I feel guilty for waking up my husband with my nose blowing and restlessness, and I can't kiss him. I even went home early from work yesterday because I felt so miserable.

Last night I took Nyquil before bed. This morning is a whole different Grete. One who’s slept a full night – no interruptions – and actually has energy again. While the mucus hasn’t exited (hence a still-toady voice), it also now isn’t as much of a bother. Why didn’t I buy some Nyquil earlier in the week?!

Clean(er) Skies

2007-10-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

As I showed in a previous post, the wildfires around L.A. were doing gross things to the air recently. (So much so that school kids in the county weren't allowed outdoors for lunch or recess during the past week.) Yesterday a VERY light rain fell briefly. Today, the sky is blue again!

Guido and Lumpkin

2007-10-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

Jon and I joined some Fuller friends to carve pumpkins yesterday. Jon noted that this is our third time as a married couple to carve pumpkins together - crazy! From the below picture, can you guess who carved each pumpkin? The little one is named "Guido" - he's feisty and angry at the other pumpkin, "Lumpkin", who's rather dense and in his way. :)

[You can view our other recent pictures here.]

SoCal Fires

2007-10-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

It's hard to hear about the devastation the wildfires in our area are causing - the displaced evacuees and the loss of their homes. While we are fortunately living away from the fire areas (I told my mom that the wildfires would have to burn a huge chunk of L.A. before reaching where we are), the effects of the fires surrounding our county are obvious. Primarily we notice the poor air quality that leaves a coat of ash on our vehicles. There's also a difference in the color of the sun - bright orange through the smoke - that was pretty eerie yesterday evening as it was setting. On my camera-phone yesterday (hence the low quality of the pics), I took some shots from the second-story parking area at my workplace.

[The top pic was taken on 10/23/07 at 12:30pm and the bottom pic was taken the same day, at 5:00pm. See how the Santa Ana winds push the smoke in our direction?]

[Again, the top pic was taken on 10/23/07 at 12:30pm, and the bottom was taken the same day at 5:00pm.]

Delaware "House Hunters"

2007-10-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

This afternoon Jon and I were watching our DVD full of recorded HGTV and Food Network shows (thanks, Mom & Dad!). Near the end of a rather unexciting episode of "House Hunters", I asked Jon which of the (somewhat tackily-decorated) houses he would choose. His reply: "I think I'd move out of Delaware."

Witness

2007-10-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

I witnessed a theft in action today. I had just finished paying for my groceries at Ralph's down the street. I was walking towards the door when I saw a woman stepping quickly through the door detectors - setting them off - and running out to the parking lot.

What first tipped me off to the shoplifter (since it's not usually my first assumption when I hear door alarms go off), is that she didn't stop when it started beeping. Instead, she started sprinting. I then noticed under each of her arms large, clear bottles of liquor. That's when I stopped walking, felt my mouth hang open a little in disbelief and stared at the unfolding scene. She scooted into the passenger door of an old Escort with a driver who looked panicky and hadn't even parked. She saw me staring right at her, and I tried to convey to her through my "convicting" stare that I knew what she was doing.

As they sped off, I pointed them out to a store employee in an orange parking vest who was walking towards the entrance. Distraught by what I told her, she grabbed the manager and pointed at the car as it sped away down the street.

It was too late to do anything about the incident, obviously, but it was odd to witness it take place...

Garage Sale-in'

2007-10-20T23:49:00.000-07:00

[Okay, so this post is mainly because I promised to post every day for one week, and it's 10 minutes before midnight on Day 6... In honor of Saturday, it's about yard sales.]

If you ever need baby clothes, go garage-sale-ing. I went to look at the sales with a friend (I was just HELPING her look for baby clothes, mind you), and we found little designer clothes (hey, it’s L.A.) for pocket change. I guess babies grow out of stuff so quickly, the condition of the clothes are usually great (some even had the tags on them still!). I’m just sayin’.

Mmm... sugar.

2007-10-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

Jon thought it was funny that one night I fixed myself what I called my “amazingly awesome dessert” - so he took a picture of me eating it. [Dessert details: It wasn't an extraordinary concept - just some homemade cookies with cookies and cream ice cream - can't go wrong with cream and cookies!]

"The Office"

2007-10-18T20:27:00.001-07:00

Okay, who’s been watching it? That show is SO funny! I was searching Amazon to get a general idea of how much the past seasons were selling for, and then I clicked over to eBay to place some low-end bids on them. I told Jon that I fully expected NOT to win, since my bids were not much higher than the current ones. As predicted, 10 minutes later, I received an email that I'd been outbid on the combined Seasons 1 & 2. The next day, I'd already forgotten about the eBay bidding, and lo-and-behold I receive an email asking for my payment for Season 3. Oops!

[Anyone who lives in our area is welcome to join us on Thursday evenings at 9pm to watch it. We’ve enjoyed having some friends and neighbors over to our place the past few weeks!]

The Unexpected Ending

2007-10-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

As I'd mentioned in yesterday's post, I've been going through the volunteer training program at the Humane Society in Pasadena. In general, the sessions are somewhat informative, and it's apparent the shelter values their volunteers. There was this one 20-minute video, however, that was... interesting.

It was called "Charlie, the Dog Nobody Wanted", and it was obviously made in the 70s or 80s and transferred from film to DVD. The narration was cheesily scripted, and the horrible acting was a little bit of a yawn to sit through. The dog, Charlie, was born, given away as a puppy, kicked out to the curb when the family couldn't afford him anymore, and living on the streets. He started hanging out in a schoolyard because the kids would feed him sandwiches and pet him. [And the kids mysteriously knew his name was "Charlie", which I'm amazed no one in the video-making crew noticed.]

One day he followed a kid home from school, but the child's mother promptly called animal control to pick the dog off her property. In the shelter cage, Charlie watched each day as families selected pets to take home with them. He also saw other dogs being taken through a different door (without families) and never coming back. He was convinced a kind family would adopt him, too. Then [and this is where the movie took a turn that caught me off-guard], the day came when Charlie was taken - back to the euthanasia room. The closing shot is of the vet with the euthanasia needle saying, "Sorry, guy, but nobody wanted you."

Now, I'm well aware of the pet overpopulation and the lack of shelter space to house all the animals that are dropped there. But, I really didn't expect the cheesy movie to kill the dog at the end. I almost laughed out of surprise... For others in the volunteer crowd, however, there were sniffles and tears. I quickly stifled my guffaw after I glanced around me. Then I couldn't decide what struck me as more odd - the cheesy old video actually offing the dog, or the people watching the poorly-acted movie actually so wrapped up in it that they reacted in tears. Hmm...

Doggies

2007-10-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

[Post Preface: I’m not really volunteering at the L.A. Zoo anymore. It was too hard to devote an entire day of my weekend to the grunt work part of zookeeping… for free. Without the best part of getting to interact with and train the animals.]

One of the exciting opportunities I’ve had for my animal-missing side is in the world of humane society volunteering. I’m actually doing it at two different shelters.

The first is a county shelter with very little funding (as reflected in the facilities) that needed dog-walkers on Sunday morning (and that’s the ONLY time those dogs all get walked during the week). I joined about 10 other volunteers in doing this before my church on Sunday mornings. The majority of the dogs there are pit bulls, Rottweilers, chows, German shepherds, and bulldogs - all the breeds labeled as "aggressive". But I haven't met a dog there who isn't thrilled to happily slobber on and walk around with me!

The other shelter is on the opposite end of the spectrum – private, wealthy, posh, and with hundreds of volunteers. The advantage to this shelter in Pasadena is that they have opportunities for me to volunteer with their dog training programs. Those of you who’ve heard all my primate stories know that I’ve been REALLY missing this type of interaction with animals – it’s challenging and mentally stimulating for me. I haven't finished the shelter's extensive volunteer "training" process yet (by "training" I mean hours of having them give speeches to us about the value of the shelter), but I'm looking forward to getting started there.

So, yay!

Pandora.com

2007-10-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Anyone go to this website? It's basically an Internet radio that calls itself a "music discovery service designed to help you enjoy music you already know, and to help you discover new music you'll love." You pick the artists you like, and it streams their songs and those of similar artists you may/may not already know. It’s SO nice to have at work - especially on quiet days. One of our residents introduced us to it, and I hadn’t had an opportunity to play with it until recently. The only music I was confused about was when I’d accidentally spelled Jon Mclaughlin’s name wrong (with an “h” in the first name)… I ended up with a bunch of jazz music that I couldn’t tie to any of the artists in my queue. I was like “where is this coming from?” until I noticed the picture of the incorrect Mclaughlin and knew he was 30 years too old.

JoHn McLaughlin

Jon McLaughlin
(Check out the video at the above link.)

Grete didn't fall off the face of the Earth!

2007-10-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

I have to apologize to anyone who reads (or “read”, depending on whether you still check!) this blog. Life caught up with me over this past two months! And, considering the uncertainty and loneliness we were experiencing exactly a year ago at this time, I think it’s reassuring to see how preoccupied we are now. :)

So, what have I been up to? Nothing super blog-worthy (which I seem to count by if I have pictures of it or not), but I’ve been busy none-the-less. Beginning today, and for the next week, in order to make up for the lack of posts in the past two months, I will post something each day. (This might be stretching my ideas thin, but I didn’t want to overwhelm you with a huge “update” post.)

Here's a pic to remember what we look like...

"No Solicitors"

2007-08-22T21:32:00.001-07:00

Maybe not everyone knows what that means. Maybe instead the sign on the door of my workplace should read, "We will NOT buy or even act interested in anything you are trying to sell us. Please go away."

As the person who's at the front desk, I have to deal with all the human spam that walks past the no soliciting sign. Today I had a particularly poignant example of this...

Three young guys with their button-down shirts and their khaki pants strut into my front office. They proceed to give me their sales schpeel, even after I point out that the sign on the door says that we do not like solicitors coming into our workplace. The ringleader grins, folds his arms, and leans across my counter, continuing with a lame sales pitch. I tell them, "no, we really aren't interested." They continue. I tell them very emphatically, "we are really not interested. thank you." They finally get that I'm not biting and leave. Here's what I wish I would've thought (and had the nerve) to say:

"Look, bucko. One: There is a "no soliciting" sign on our door, and you are clearly soliciting. Two: DO NOT try to flirt with me to sell your stupid stuff because it's condescending and I'm married. Three: Clearly you have no idea what kind of business this is. We do behavioral interventions with autistic children, and we receive all our clientèle through referrals from school districts and regional centers. We don't need your advertising. and Four: I don't even like baseball! Go away!"

Ah... Vacation

2007-08-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

Last week was refreshing. We spent Tuesday to Sunday on the Oregon coast - in a beach house with 14 family members! It was nice not to have a schedule and to be with people who really "know" us - people with whom we can have a "bad day", but who know that's not really us all the time.
We've realized that this past year, while exciting and new, has been stressful with relationships. Because we're trying to get to know so many people, the ends of our evenings sometimes feel like "do you think they liked us?" and "do you think what I said sounded stupid?" rather than being assured that "of course they like us, they've known us forever!" Ya know?

Anyway, it was a great week of seeing wildlife, playing games, watching sunsets, eating GOOD food, and getting big hugs from loved ones. Here is a quick pictorial review (for the rest, go here):

New TV Show Idea

2007-08-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

As we sat waiting for our $3.50 screening of The Bourne Ultimatum to begin on Sunday evening, Jon turned to me and said, "They should do a makeover show called, 'Pimp My Pimp.'"

When I got home yesterday evening...

2007-08-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

My Friday was pretty ho-hum yesterday. Jon and I had argued before I left for work in the morning, and then again at lunch. When I came home at 5, though, things were different. We apologized, I cried a little from relief, and then I noticed these on the table. "Those are the first apology flowers you've ever given me!" I was pleased. :)

Then I noticed a large box that had been delivered. Worried that I'd ordered something that I couldn't remember, I began opening the box. Inside was a milkshake maker... Very cool, but did I really order this? I pulled out the packing list - "Happy Belated Birthday, Miss Grete!" it read, "Love, Sarah." What a great gift from my awesome cousin! Of course I made a pre-dinner milkshake right away.

After our dinner of waffles and omeletes (yum!), Jon and I walked down to the Paseo Colorado where their outdoor summer swing dancing had begun. Our friends Dave & Krissy and David & Maria waved us over to the dance area. We'd missed the lesson, but joined in with the basic swing step... over and over. (We decided we'd need to learn more before doing it again soon.) After strolling down the street and garnering free gelato from guys offering them outside their store, we ended up at the Pasadena City Hall. We chatted, walked some more, and then parted ways.

To top it off, I slept really well last night on our amazing new mattress.

Summary in Pictures

2007-08-04T15:45:00.001-07:00

Ever feel like you have nothing to blog about? Not a lot has happened that merits individual posts, but here are a few pictures about what I've done recently...

We miss having a dishwasher. This particular time we had dirtied every bowl and utensil we own... And then finally found a block of time to clean them all!

As Jon noted on his blog, I began reading a couple pages of the 7th Harry Potter, realized I'd forgotten who characters were, and pulled out the 6th book to review the end.

One week later, after finishing the final Harry Potter (yay!), I read all the websites where J.K. Rowling answered readers' questions - I had a few of my own, which were luckily posted there.

While I was reading, Jon had turned on our A/C unit, and the oscillating fan was pointed directly at me. So I did what anyone would do - ~~turn off the air~~ build a mountain of pillows to block the cold flow of air.

Oh yeah, we also went out to eat (a rare treat!) recently at Souplantation. Jon obviously loves his greens!

Finished!

2007-08-02T22:59:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this as a follow-up to my previous post. I'm am finished reading Harry Potter! Feel free to discuss it with me. :)

Harry Potter... Shhh!!!

2007-07-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

Just in case you finish the final Harry Potter book before me (which won't be until after I receive my British copy in a couple weeks - yes, I'm a "Harry-Potter-snob") - PLEASE don't tell me ANYTHING about the book at all! I will let you know when I'm done, upon which I might mourn a little that the series has ended, but then perk up by watching the movies. :)

Thanks!!!

Jon's Biiiirthday

2007-07-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

Of course I can't top everything my amazing husband did for my birthday... But we had a fun, quiet night with just the two of us hanging out after work.

Maine

2007-07-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

On the Fourth of July, we flew to Maine! Jon noted that it's probably one of the furthest places we could've gone and still been in the U.S. :) It was for good reason, though... Jon's cousin Leslie got married!
The United flights were remarkably on time - and even EARLY - which was a nice change from all our usual American Airlines delays. We were unable to see the tops of any fireworks, unfortunately, as it was too overcast when our flight got into Maine.

We had a great time exploring Freeport (home to L.L.Bean headquarters and LOTS of outlet stores!). Though, bummer for me, I wasn't in a "trying on" mood in the great discounted clothing stores.

Of course we had an official "lobster bake" for the rehearsal dinner - and I actually was able to eviscerate the dead creature without feeling nauseous this time (as opposed to my Boston experience when Mom had to do it for me)!

The wedding was small, beautiful, and comfortable - lots of family and friends who invited us into conversation, even though we had a hard time keeping all their names and relations straight.

Sunday proved exhausting as we made our way back across the country. Our flight left at 6:15am - Maine time - which meant we got up to leave for the airport at 1am - California time. By the time we got home a half-day later, I was delirious (I'm not a good plane-sleeper) and tripping over things in our apartment. Jon, somehow, was fine. Hmpf.

It was refreshing to "get away" for a change - enjoy the pictures here.

Wicked!

2007-07-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, Jon got us tickets to see the musical "Wicked"! We went the weekend after my actual birthday (see the previous post as to why we delayed the date) to the Pantages Theater in downtown L.A. It was so much fun to dress up and go on a fancy date together. :)

The Theater is beautiful inside - with very intricate features on the walls and ceilings. And the auditorium is small enough that even though we were in the balcony, we still felt close to the stage! (Here are a few of my "apparently" - i.e. I found out after-the-fact - illegal pictures taken by my phone of the interior of the Pantages Theater.)

The lobby

The chandelier inside the auditorium

The dragon over the pre-show stage

The music and vocal talent of the cast was INCREDIBLE. I warned Jon that I get choked up when I hear people with amazing voices belt out great songs - I did a couple times during the show. And nothin' against Kristen Chenoweth (who played "Glinda" on Broadway), but Megan Hilty was hysterical in the part - breathy, giggly, and sincerely bubble-headed as she sang and pranced around throughout the show. It was interesting to read in the cast bios how many of them were "happy to be back at home in L.A." - obviously this city harbors a wealth of talent.

Thanks, Jon!!!

Beach Races

2007-06-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

Isn't it great when you come up with a random way to entertain yourself and someone else actually joins in?

P.S. We do not know these kids - but enjoyed watching them play while we laid on the beach!

Random Activities

2007-06-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

Since I haven't had a long update recently, here are a few highlights of what we've done in California in the past month...

We celebrated Kierstin's birthday with a fondue party.

Jon organized the Small Groups Celebration at Glenkirk.

We saw dolphins at the beach!

I went with our neighbor, Allegra, to the Pasadena Chalk Festival.

G-Dawg's B-Day

2007-06-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

Jon and I frequently are able to meet for lunch during our work day. So it wasn’t out of the ordinary when he picked me up on Thursday to eat lunch in the nearby park. As we approached a picnic table, however, I noticed a familiar redhead… Erin LaMourie! She had flown out from Texas that morning to surprise me on my birthday weekend! Jon and Erin had been communicating about her visit since March, and despite a couple close calls, I’d never caught on… I was so excited to have her stay with us till Wednesday!

On Thursday evening we loaded up the Taurus with our neighbors and saw the advanced screening (i.e. FREE) of Evan Almighty in Burbank. My review: If I was 10 years old, it would be a favorite movie – it was PG, funny, and entertaining, and it had a good (if predictable) resolution, and lots of animals. As a (now!) 26-year old, it was just entertaining and a little cheesy – and it had lots of animals. :)

Jon had the foresight (a.k.a. knowledge about Erin’s visit) to suggest I take off a little time before or after my birthday weekend, so I only worked until noon on Friday. That evening, Jon suggested we pack up some food, go to a park, and play some Frisbee. It was a beautiful, sunny day, so I agreed. Erin and I followed Jon as he “scouted” out a place to eat at a park he’d “found” online that afternoon. As we got nearer to the picnic pavilion, I began recognizing people from Fuller and our church… They turned around and yelled, “Surprise! Happy Birthday, Grete!” There was a spread of food (thanks everyone), a grill (thanks to the Carrs) with burgers, and even a cake (thanks, Krissy)! When Jon and Erin showed me what they packed in the cooler we brought as our “dinner”, it was just random items from our cabinets, so I wouldn’t get suspicious that we weren’t bringing food to the park.
“Yay!” to everyone who was there – the surprise definitely worked, and I’m so grateful that you were a part of it!

We spent Saturday at Universal Studios! You can see more pics here.

Sunday was the perfect weather for going to the beach, so we drove over to Malibu for a sandy afternoon of chatting and people-watching.

On Monday (my actual birthday), I reheated some pancakes Jon had made me the previous morning and begrudgingly went to work. I’d wished I had also taken my birthday off… Around noon, one of the coordinators called me into the conference room because he was having trouble getting the video conference equipment to work (this is not unusual). When I stepped in, not only was the equipment working, but the entire admin staffs from the other offices were also on the screen singing “Happy Birthday” to me! They gave me a card – full of signatures – that had been FedExed over that morning and even had a mini cake for me. I was really touched.

After work, Jon, Erin and I went to Ontario Mills (a HUGE, indoor outlet mall) for some shoppin’. I had a few gift cards to use, but I wish I could’ve spent a whole day there! Jon was a VERY good sport while Erin and I dug through the racks at countless women’s clothing stores. It was a great birthday!

Thank you everyone who has sent me an email or voicemail message with birthday wishes! It has all made me feel very special and loved.

Nicknames

2007-06-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

In 9th and 10th grade, it was a group of guys who – whenever they passed me in the halls or class – sang my name to the melody of “Get a Job” (Gre-te Brown, Gre-te Bro-wn, Gret, Gre-te Bro-wn).

In 11th and 12th grade it was two guys who called me “Fatty” (because I wasn’t) in the mornings and my girlfriends who called me “Greet” or “Chica” the rest of the time.

In college I was again “Greet”, “GG”, "G-Love", “Grete is Bettah”, or “g” - depending on who was addressing me.

And now, as the newest nickname, my admin co-workers have started referring to me as “G-dawg”.

Does something about my name or personality prompt people to call me these things? It’s not that I’m bothered by them, but rather, I’m just curious how they arise in the first place… (Especially in regards to my current nickname – I feel like I should wear chains and leather to be considered a “G–dawg”.) :)

So long, Star's Hollow...

2007-05-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

[To the tune of Carole King's "Where You Lead"]

I just watched my recorded final episode ever of Gilmore Girls. Yes, I've been crying. [Erin - I would've loved seeing it with you next to me!]

I appreciate how the writers wrapped up several open ends, brought the community together, and left us with the Gilmore women engaged in their familiar, playful banter in the diner (with Luke making their pancakes and coffee, of course). It felt good, complete - and sad - as the camera faded out.

As cheesy as it sounds, I think what made me the most emotional is that I felt like a part of my own story had ended with them. Like good friends had just stopped being around. I knew their histories, their personalities. I understood their inside jokes and appreciated their witty pop culture references. They reactions to "life" events were reliable and understandable. They were multi-dimensional - never perfect, but always true to character.

Perhaps paradoxically, I told Jon that as much as I loved the show, I don't think I'd want to own it on DVD. It's not like a sitcom that can be re-watched over and over - it's a series of glimpses into the life progressions of several likeable people. Watching old episodes seem like watching the "past", since I already know how they overcome those obstacles.

*sigh* I will miss having my Gilmore Girls around every Tuesday evening...

I love Jonathan!

2007-05-29T17:29:00.001-07:00

My husband is so thoughtful... These were waiting for me when I got home from work today:

Chocolate talk

2007-05-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

Today my Dove dark chocolate wrapper told me to "Laugh with the daffodils."

What? Who comes up with these?

Memorial Day Camping!

2007-05-28T22:51:00.000-07:00

No cellphone signals, no Internet, no television... no electricity, no showers, no flush toilets... no walls or ceilings, no smog, no agenda!

Jon and I had an exciting-yet-relaxing time in the woods for Memorial Day weekend. Scrambling to get a campsite reservation two weeks proved to be worth the money!

We left as soon as I got home from work on Friday evening and drove 3 1/2 hours north of L.A. into the Giant Sequoia National Monument. (We didn't know how high and winding the roads are to get there, but I guess our first clue should've been that we were camping 4500 feet higher than the Pasadena elevation.) When we arrived around 9:30pm, there was another group already in our campsite! Our reservations were clearly posted, however, so we had to break the news to them and wait for them to move elsewhere. (We felt bad because they already had set up a tent and started a fire, and yet, they were apparently there without paying, so we weren't very apologetic.) We had been forewarned about bears in the area, so we took every precaution - no scents in our tent, our cooler hidden in our trunk, our dry foods sealed in odor-proof bags... The biggest mammal we saw the whole weekend, though, was a golden retriever.

On Saturday, Jon and I explored the surrounding camp areas (Camp Nelson, Belknap, etc.) and cabins. It's crazy that people would pay half a million dollars to live in a tiny cabin with no grocery store within an 1 1/2-hour drive! I like the view, but I also like convenience, I suppose. :) We also noticed a small chapel in the Camp Nelson area that held its services at 11am on Sunday morning, so we decided to check it out the next day. In the afternoon we hiked to the Stagg Tree (the 6th most "voluminous" tree in the world), played several card games**, picnicked in a grassy vista along the mountain road, built a fire to cook our soup and s'mores, and went to bed early. It was lovely. :)

Sunday began with some commentary on how gross we were beginning to smell...

We went to the fireman's pancake breakfast near the chapel. While I thought it was free, Jon had guessed correctly... when the fireman greeted us with the cost, we wheeled back around to our car.

The chapel service was very small and very patriotic. We sang every song in the hymnal that mentions America, and listened to Pastor Freda talk about heroes and sacrifice. Throughout the short service, she repeatedly mentioned the "free refreshments" following, so of course we took her up on it. As we ate, we chatted with an older couple who live in a cabin there during the summers. The food was quite a spread - it saved us from eating our own sandwich ingredients that day.

When we got back to our campsite, Jonathan and Kierstin Schupack (some Fuller friends) had arrived! We all set up their new tent and went off to hike a 6 mile trail (with a 1600-foot elevation gain) through groves of Giant Sequoias. It was such a pretty hike - complete with crossing a river on a log and snapping pictures under several large tree trunks. We returned to the camp sore-legged and hungry. We had hot dogs and some more s'mores (get it?) that evening, though the fire didn't really catch hold on the large logs until we were ready to go to bed, so we huddled around until the glowing embers subsided.

On Monday we "struck camp" and then explored a nearby tract of land for sale. Anyone want to buy two plots with a cascading stream and high overlook? We thought it was beautiful!

On the way home, we stopped in Springville (population 1109 - yes they're that precise!) after passing through Pierpoint Springs (population 50), to explore a little and grab some lunch. Since it was Memorial Day, most of the shops were closed, but we were able to peer into the window of a wellness gallery where the proprietor sells Thomas Kinkade paintings and performs hypnotherapy. We then grabbed lunch with the Schupacks at the town's hoppin' burger joint and headed back to Pasadena!

The weather was perfect for the whole weekend - warm during the days and chilly when the sun set - and it was so refreshing to feel like we could breathe without inhaling car exhaust and smoggy dust in the air.

I didn't realize how much I value not being stinky, but after going three days without showering, the running water in our apartment's pink (i.e. retro/really old) tub was heaven!

**Anyone know of any 2-player card games besides Casino, Speed, Go Fish, and Egyptian Rat "Dance"? I need some more options, so Jon doesn't win as frequently. :)

Lazy Saturday

2007-05-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

What beautiful weather California boasts! Yesterday Jon and I joined some Fuller friends on a trip to a beach in Malibu. The wind was quite nippy, which was unfortunately deceiving for my sunblock application - I got REALLY burnt on my face and the backs of my lower legs. (You'd think I'd learn...) We spent hours lounging in the sand, snacking, playing games, and chatting with the Aussie lifeguard who kept stolling by. He showed us how to identify rips from the shore, and told us all about the selective L.A. County lifeguard application process. (They get paid very well here, but I could easily see why after barely dipping my toes into the extremely frigid ocean.) We also saw a seal, several passing dolphins, and hundreds (literally!) of seagulls and pelicans.

After cleaning up at home (and assessing my sunburn damage), Krissy and Dave invited us along to a poker party. Though initially convinced he wasn't great at the game, Jon ended up as the night's big winner! (I keep hinting that we should take our skills to Vegas... it's only a 4 1/2-hour drive away!)

Gilmore Girls Gone?! :(

2007-05-03T16:20:00.000-07:00

The CW announced today that Gilmore Girls will air its final episode on May 15th.

Here is the first-reaction rant I left in the comments section of the show's message board:

NOOO! I'm so so so sad... I've been following this show since it began, and I always thought there would be more twists with Rory's dating life beyond where she is now... That Logan wouldn't ultimately be the one she was supposed to be with because he can't deep-down rid himself of the jerkiness in his genetics. But now they're going to obviously make them end up together because there's no time to do otherwise (and end it happy). Also, what will become of Luke and Lorelai? How can they "resolve" and "right" their relationship back to where it's supposed to be (MARRIED) in so few episodes? And when is Suki going to have her baby? And how will we get to see Lane's kiddos grow older? And what journalism job will Rory end up doing??? There's too much!! Too much to resolve in so short of a time! I'm so sad...

Lunch Hour

2007-04-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

I love it when my husband meets me for lunch on a work day.

Today, after meeting me at my office, Jon and I fueled up the car and drove over to the mall. Why? Because my favorite savings site, wantnot.net, informed me to find the nearest Ben & Jerry's today! Our free ice cream** was delicious (and calorie-free in my mind, since we didn't pay for it).

Our next stop was the large Arcadia County Park down the street from my office. I actually saw a child there for the first time today... Usually the park hosts an assortment of wanderers, cell phone talkers, homeless gatherings, nap-takers, and the occasional lunch couples (i.e. Jon and me). While the child held no interest for us other than the note of his presence, a new duo made an appearance. A woman stood alone by one of the cement picnic tables bellowing bursts of staccato notes. A long distance away from her, we passed a man staring at the street while holding his ear.
"Oh, we've got some odd ones today," I noted.
The woman proceeded to sing more fully (apparently having finished her "warm up") in loud operatic noises. The man continued to stare at the street.

Jon and I continued with our lunch hour, eating and then playing a few rounds of the card game Speed (I won - times three!). As we rose to leave, we noticed the man walking towards the woman and making silent head nods and gestures. He was a vocal coach!

Ah, the park made a little more "sense" again...

**(For those of you who missed the free cone day at Ben & Jerry's, I apologize for not letting you know sooner! I informed my co-workers, though, so it's not like I was totally selfish with my ice cream knowledge...)

Street Music

2007-04-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

Jon sent me this article about an extraordinary “street performer” recently playing for rush hour foot traffic in Washington, D.C. To the misfortune of those who failed to pause and recognize his brilliant playing, they will now only get to see him back in the concert halls for a $100 ticket (at least). They walked right by Joshua Bell**.

Here is an excerpt from the article that particularly moved me:

There was no ethnic or demographic pattern to distinguish the people who stayed to watch Bell, or the ones who gave money, from that vast majority who hurried on past, unheeding. Whites, blacks and Asians, young and old, men and women, were represented in all three groups. But the behavior of one demographic remained absolutely consistent. Every single time a child walked past, he or she tried to stop and watch. And every single time, a parent scooted the kid away.

You should definitely check out the videos within the article as well!

**In the mid-nineties, when my cousin Sarah and I were pre-teens, we had a crush on Joshua Bell after seeing his picture in the program for OK Mozart. I remember being irritated that my parents actually saw him perform that year in Bartlesville, but didn’t take me!

Dress Code

2007-04-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

So, at my workplace the Administrative Team has this dress code: “Business casual” throughout the week, then “casual” on Fridays. Well, in the Arcadia office, I’m the only admin. person here to display this… So I look decent everyday, then on Friday I wear jeans – but I’m the only one who does. It ends up looking like I just dress frumpier on Fridays! Hence, I told my husband that I am dubbing them “Frumpy Fridays.” :)

(Jon then ever-so-sarcastically told me that he’ll now comment on my outfits “oh… that one really belongs on Frumpy Friday”. Isn’t he sweet? Ha ha)

Chocolate and Gambling

2007-04-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended a work event in Long Beach - dinner and casino night. Not only did they have a chocolate fountain (which, anyone who attended our wedding knows I love), but I also won $80 cash for having the second highest number of poker chips at the end of the night!

I got all of them playing Texas Hold'em. I was tempted at one point to go to the Craps table, since people kept cheering there, but that was right before I won a huge pot! (And I don't know how to play Craps anyway - ha.)

'Yay' for work parties! :)

Hikin' with my Hubby

2007-04-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

Jon and I recently had a beautiful California weekend when we could get a bit of fresh air. So we hiked to Switzer Falls! Here are some pics we took along the way...

Spring Break Visitors

2007-04-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

I miss having school vacation times.

Two weeks ago, Jon had no classes because it was his Spring Break. Fortunately, his mom and brother came to entertain him while I continued working… I was able to take off on Friday, though, so we all had plenty of time to hang out!

We ate very heartily while they were here, but we burned it off on our long hiking at Griffith Park and romping around the seaside and art galleries in Laguna Beach. (See all those pictures here.) We also spent time in Old Town Pasadena, at our apartment playing Outburst and with the PhotoBooth program (see those goofy pics here), and even ended up perusing Trader Joe’s and Ikea twice in a few days!

As we started back in our “normal” routine this last Monday, Jon – though back in classes – felt bored without planned outings, meals, and company. Perhaps he should be pursuing a career in the cruise industry instead...? :)

March Update

2007-03-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I admit my blogging is rather inconsistent. However, there are a few notable activities (with pictures) I can share…

A few weeks ago, Jon and I went to our first bonfire on a beach! It was chilly (and the sand was especially cold), but the fire and company diverted our attentions and kept us warm. We went to celebrate Elizabeth’s (our next door neighbor) birthday, so we had s’mores AND cake – mmm…

That same weekend, I went hiking with my yoga buddy/neighbor Allegra. Alright, so we didn’t do as much hiking as taking pretty pictures and playing with snow, but we walked around anyway… It’s hard to believe those views and SNOW are only a short drive north of L.A.! It was such a refreshing morning, and despite the elevation differences, I felt like I could breathe much more clearly in the mountains than back in the city.
On the winding drive back down, one of the many fallen rocks in the road flattened one of Allegra’s car tires, so we pulled over and hopped out to start changing it to her spare. In a funny twist, we blew out right in front of the search-and-rescue patrol. After joking that they’d never seen two young women spring into tire-changing action that quickly before, they then came over to “help.” (This of course meant they changed the tire themselves, which we were perfectly happy to relinquish to them.).

Two weekends ago, we purchased something that we’ve been discussing since last fall… a MacBook for me! We had remaining savings after filing our taxes (we’d saved a large percentage of Jon’s income last year, since he was working for a non-profit and not having taxes taken out), so after some research and discussion, we went to the mall and bought one! It has made things fun for me and easier for Jon – I’m entertained by my new programs**, and Jon has the desk space to himself again for studying (since I can move out of the way with my computer).

**My favorite new programs are the PhotoBooth (you can view our goofy pics here) and one I downloaded called Delicious Library (which allows you to create a virtual library of every book and movie you own by “scanning” their barcodes into the program with the MacBook’s iSight video camera – check it out here).

A tad dull, perhaps?

2007-02-21T07:42:00.000-08:00

I was reading an online article about Tony Blair addressing Parliament in regards to large British troop withdrawals from Iraq. Then I noticed the guy behind Blair... so I circled him for your viewing amusement. :)

And, judging from this picture, the "in" tie color for older men seems to be shades of pink.

Bioterrorism Safety Signs

2007-02-20T22:35:00.000-08:00

Right when Jon was trying to read for class, I found this website and couldn't help but laugh out loud...

If door is closed, karate chop it open.

Alone...

2007-02-20T17:10:00.000-08:00

Here's why it's so important to know your neighbors and keep in regular contact with family and friends: Mummy

Ew! Look at how long he'd been that way...

Parental Visit!

2007-02-20T17:09:00.000-08:00

A little more than one week ago, my parents came to visit us! We had a great time at a taping of "Til Death" on Thursday evening (Brad Garrett is 6'8" - I asked him), and we then walked a LOT on Friday and Saturday: around Huntington Gardens (so beautiful!), through Fuller's campus and down to Old Town Pasadena, all over the L.A. Zoo, around Ikea, at the petstore (see our new fish here [coming soon]!)... You can relive their visit here. :) We finished Saturday with some heated games of Cranium and cards. (My dad was untouchable in our last card game - we were all SO far below him in points.)

On Sunday after church (and a quick Souplantation lunch), we dropped them back off at LAX. I was doing fine until my mom was like, "Well, I guess we won't see you again until August..." I wish California living was cheaper - I want all our family nearby in this exciting place with amazing weather!

Our SAG Experience!

2007-01-29T18:04:00.000-08:00

Jon and I rushed home after church, quickly changed our clothes into "SAG worthy" attire, shoved in a sandwich, and drove over to the Shrine Auditorium for the Screen Actors' Guild Awards. We arrived at the USC parking garage at 1:45pm, checked in, then waited with the gathering seatfiller crowd. They herded us onto shuttles after a 45-minute wait, then had us stand in a line outside the Auditorium for 30 more minutes. Then, slowly, we proceeded through the metal detectors and up a back staircase to a seat-less holding area above the main auditorium. We could peer through the curtains to look down at the fancy tables and lights being set up for the high profile guests. We waited (standing) for almost an hour and a half longer.

At 4:30, we were again queued up and led down to the main floor, where we lined the walls on the two sides of the auditorium. On our way, we passed Jenna Fischer, Marg Helgenberger, Sandra Oh, and Vanessa Williams. (So exciting!)
From our walls, we could see everything: The television and movie actors bustling in and out of their tables, greeting each other, walking by us to go to the bar, and the video crew making finishing setups on stage.

Jon and I whispered back and forth: "There's Steve Carell! There's Kevin Dillon. There's Joshua Jackson. There's Heather Graham. There's Leonardo Dicaprio!" It was crazy to be there, attending the show (from the sides) with the actors and actresses who paid $1000 per ticket to be there.

Slowly, our fellow seatfillers began to filter in and out of the seats on the main floor. When someone with a headset directed you to a table, you booked it over there, plopped into a seat, mentally noted who you were sitting at a table with, then hopped out as soon as the seat owner tapped you on the shoulder (or looked confused). The process then began again from the sides(unless a nearby seat was also empty, which you could then rush over to).

It was so exciting! You won't believe everyone we saw and sat with there: See my SAG Spottings.

We love L.A.!!!

Happy Anniversary to us!

2007-01-28T18:43:00.000-08:00

To celebrate two years of marriage, Jon and I spent 24 hours in Long Beach. We used credit card rewards points to stay in a cushy hotel, The Westin. On Friday night, we took the free downtown metro over to the P.F. Changs, where we used our gift card (thanks, Ethan!) for a three-course dinner. (Note the cake picture…) On Saturday morning, we used the Westin exercise room and heated pool to get energized for our day. Then we grabbed some apples from the bowls in the hallways for our breakfast (who needs to pay $20/person for continental Westin food?).

It was great weather for walking down to the pier area, where we saw Gordon Ramsey and crew setting up for a “Hell’s Kitchen” segment. (Jon was quick to spot him – isn’t L.A. great?)

We then went to the Long Beach Aquarium, which was nice, if a little crowded. It was the most random schedule of events there that day: Jesse Billauer giving a lecture (he was a great surfer, then had a spinal injury that put him in a wheelchair, and he’s now an activist for the disabled), a VERY loud live band playing in the middle of the building, and two girls performing a dance in wheelchairs to “Holla Back Girl”…

Jon also took some great sealife pictures you can view here.

To end our (too) quick trip, we savored some Cold Stone Creamery treats, again using a gift card (thanks Aunt Leslie!).

Our weekend didn't end there, however... (see next post)

SAG Awards

2007-01-26T18:28:00.000-08:00

Everyone should tune in to the Screen Actors’ Guild (SAG) Awards Show this upcoming Sunday evening (January 28, 2007). You might just catch a glimpse of Jon or Grete in the audience with the actors!

No, we’re not nominated for anything. We’re seatfillers! So you may see us scurrying from empty seat to empty seat around the tables… Should be exciting!

Scooby-Doo

2007-01-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

In honor of the passing of Iwao Takamoto, the animator who created memorable characters like Scooby-Doo and The Jetsons' Astro, Jon and I made Scooby-Doo macaroni and cheese for dinner.

(Well, we also didn't want to put forth much more effort for dinner than that mixed with tuna, but I wanted to make the situation more noble than unhealthy.)

Welcome back to L.A.

2007-01-01T16:54:00.000-08:00

...After our 4 hours of sleep, we went with the Eloes to the airport for our 7:30am flights. We said goodbye to our burnt orange SUV rental (and our good friends, of course), and boarded the flight back to L.A.
I don't remember any of it because I immediately passed out in my seat.

While waiting for our luggage at the other end in LAX, we were reminded of the entertainment-centered city in which we reside: Snoop Dogg and his entourage were also exiting from their Chicago flight. I don't have a picture of Snoop Dogg encircled by his 7-10 member entourage, but here is my phone pic of the backs of two bodyguards waiting for his luggage. (Snoop was waiting outside in one of many black Escalades.)

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T16:53:00.000-08:00

In an unexpected twist to our New Year's Eve festivities, our friends Ryan and Kim had a cancelled flight, so they joined us all (Anthony, Allison, Jon and me) that evening. We rang in the New Year at midnight, then promptly went to bed for 4 hours...

Ryan looks a little pensive...

*Clink*

Our host and hostess

Wedding Bells

2006-12-31T16:52:00.000-08:00

They rang at 7:00pm to announce the beginning of Billy and Regan's wedding on Saturday evening. Can you tell that our friends like to dance? *See more pics here*

(No official "TCU" picture was taken, so Jon and I decided to do it ourselves...)

*Thanks MJ and Allison for letting me borrow some pictures you took!*

Christmas Vacation

2006-12-31T16:51:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of our Christmas:

Jon was excited to receive handsoap!

I learned how to knit from my mom.

The Brown/Erickson clan

To view more pictures, go here.

L.A. Traffic

2006-12-14T18:42:00.000-08:00

I've never been so blasé about being in traffic before we moved to this area. Because I anticipate a travel time of at least an hour to go anywhere during a weekday, I know that I have allowed plenty of time to be in stop-and-go traffic without the fear tardiness.

I've gotten very familiar with the morning radio talk shows (sadly, none compares to Kidd Kraddick back in DFW), and I know all of the top 40 songs (because they get played relentlessly on several stations).

I've gotten great at cutting across four lanes of traffic to get to my exit without raising a barrage of honking and hand gestures. (I told Jon that whenever we drive elsewhere, I'm probably going to be one of those "crazy, aggressive" drivers, since you have to possess a degree of those qualities to drive in L.A.)

And, now that I have a new handsfree earbud for my cell phone, I enjoy the time to "catch up" on my calls (or touch base with Jon, since we seem to have totally differing schedules recently). One of Jon's favorite games when he knows I have the earbud attached to my lobe (and consequently can't pull the receiver away) is to make loud "beep"-ing noises. Ah, married life. :)

Rain!

2006-12-09T19:01:00.000-08:00

Jon and I were wrapping up our cookie making tonight, when I heard a familiar, if long ago heard, noise. I threw open our door, ran to the edge of the balcony, and thrust my arm out to expose it to the falling water. Rain! We haven't seen real rain since we moved to California in July. Granted, there is no associated thunder and lightening like I love, but it was refreshing nonetheless.
I ran back in and decided to document this event on the blog... :)

Free Hugs

2006-12-08T21:04:00.000-08:00

Cards

2006-11-29T18:53:00.000-08:00

As an ammendment to my previous post about winning in cards, I do have to admit that when Jon met me for lunch recently, he won every single hand of Speed that we played. But I'm just a sore loser and didn't want to mention that earlier. :)

Sing it, Jamie!

2006-11-28T22:07:00.000-08:00

While watching the American Music Awards recently, there were two parts that really struck me. The first is what Kirk Franklin said during his acceptance speech (my husband mentions it here), and the second is Jamie Foxx’s performance of his song “Wish U Were Here”.

Perhaps it was because I had no expectations for Jamie Foxx’s music (since he’s primarily known as an actor)… But when he started singing, I realized the song was specifically about his deceased grandmother. I remembered hearing about how she raised him and made him learn how to play the piano. I could really see the emotion behind his lyrics. When he took off his sunglasses near the end of the song and faced the audience, I got a little choked up…

Crazy, huh? It was just a really well done performance by Jamie Foxx – he deserved his win of Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist.

For a little more about his relationship with his grandmother, here is an excerpt from his 2005 Academy Awards acceptance speech for Best Actor in a Leading Role (for his performance in the movie Ray):

… This is probably going to be the toughest part of this speech. My daughter shares my grandmother's name, "Marie." My grandmother's name is Estelle Marie Talley. She's not here tonight. And this is going to be the toughest part. But she was my first acting teacher. She told me to stand up straight. Put your shoulders back. Act like you got some sense. We would go places. And I would wild out. And she would say, "Act like you've been somewhere." And then when I would act the fool, she would beat me. She would whup me. And she could get an Oscar for the way she whupped me because she was great at it. And after she whupped me, she would talk to me and tell me why she whupped me. She said I want you to be a southern gentleman. She still talks to me now. Only now, she talks to me, in my dreams. And I can't wait to go to sleep tonight because we got a lot to talk about. I love you."

Cards and Cocoa

2006-11-25T22:48:00.000-08:00

Jonathan had the great idea for us to walk to Starbucks tonight (thank you gift card givers!) to get some fresh air. [Let me just say that it's nice to finally feel a new "season" in California. It's been chillier here lately!]

I highly recommend the Starbucks' Peppermint Hot Chocolate and, while sipping it there, a game of Casino or Speed. I enjoyed them all - especially WINNING! :)