Johanna and Molly Sitting In a Booth...

While most of the world was working hard or hardly working (I couldn't resist...) Johanna and I decided to get a little lunch. What could have been a nice, sweet girly get together became a wonderful afternoon of tipsy ladies ordering way too much food. See...we took pictures.


Johanna wondered if it was okay to order a cocktail in the afternoon. I said it was. We then both ordered cocktails. In total, she ordered three and I ordered two. Together we consumed and average of two and a half.


We at a lot of food after the cocktail consumption. Most of it was fried. We even made friends with our waiter Matt, who is going into the Peace Corps. Good luck Matt.


Soon after this picture was taken, Matt gave us the check. The following faces occurred:



How big was this bill you might ask? Well, for three appetizers, one entree and five cocktails (plus tax) it was:



That says $97.90 in case you were wondering. That's right, two only slightly employed women spent a little too much. Oops.


Johanna realized she had to call her husband Adam and let him know about our irresponsibility. She was also a little more than tipsy by this point. Johanna had not consumed alcohol in four months...so two and a half cocktails was...well, a lot.


In her lovely state, she thought it only appropriate to leave her side of the bill equal to $69...because she could.


After lunch we were very full, very happy, and very woozy. I am embarrassed to admit the wooziness....however it was fun. It was like we were in Vegas for the day. Oh Vegas. We even made another friend on the train ride home. This one is a chef. He knew Anthony Bourdain...or he was trying to get in our pants...which would not have happened. Tough luck for him. I do have one tip for anyone who might want to have a day as awesome as this...don't schedule a Bikram Yoga class the evening of your cocktail and fried food afternoon. Suddenly the one hundred and ten degree room becomes a little less relaxing and a little more...nauseating.

Baby It's Cold Outside...

It is. Last night Stop Rubbing hung out for the first time in a long time. Tahnee and Alexandra came over to my humble abode and we watched YouTube and danced to music on MySpace. See, my house is fun! You know what else happens at my home? The following:


I make you tea AND


give you blankets if you're cold. It just so happens to be cold lately. Now, if it's warm outside we will probably all just strip naked and lay around on the floor...wait...I'm joking. Don't get too excited there. Just don't.

James and Mexico...

I had a very not so good week last week. From my cat to work to friends in crisis to boys, I was about ready to scream from frustration and tiredness. Saturday afternoon before my writing class, I had a brief one hour break in which to shower (which didn't happen) and nap (also didn't happen). Instead I pulled up iTunes and let it shuffle through while I attempted to work up the energy to do the aforementioned tasks (which, as a reminder, didn't happen). Instead Mexico by James Taylor came on. That's when it hit me:

I want to be on the beach in Mexico with a margarita in my hand and my only worry will be when to reapply my sunscreen. Who's with me?

I put on the song again right now...on this fine Sunday evening. Isn't it great how music can take you(r breathe) away? Isn't grand how music can make you fly(like an eagle) to anywhere? Isn't it amazing that music is so...well, pretty?

Blog Stealing...

I stole this video from someone else's blog...and YouTube.



I need a J.O.B. other than the one I got...I'm done complaining.

My Mom...

This is my mom (and me). She has a voice lesson today. For that reason alone, let's appreciate her. Take a moment and love my mom. She deserves it.

Another One Of Those Moments...

Again, I hardly work now and I am very bored. I came across a website that lists bizarre and rare American Holiday's. My birthday (October 14th) is also:

Be Bald and Free Day and National Dessert Day.

For one, I love dessert. I would eat it all the time if I could. Also, the last two guys I dated were losing their hair, which I have no problem with. Come to think of it my dad is bald. Let's not start analyzing too much here...I have a great relationship with my dad. It just got awkward. I'm going to go be productive now.

The Streets Where I Am From...

When I moved to Chicago my co-workers at unamed coffee shop threw a going away party for me at Bowl-a-Rama. Bowl-a-Rama is located in Rowlett, TX, my hometown. Since I never get scheduled at unamed coffee shop anymore and have issues with self-motivation, I have used my extra time recently to really explore YouTube. I came across this commercial for Bowl-a-Rama. Let me preface this video by saying that Bowl-a-Rama opened while I was in high school, somewhere between the 1998 and 2002. It's a baby in the world of bowling alley's.

On a Sad Note...

My favorite cat had to be put to sleep on Saturday. :(

I know, I'm allergic to cats and most of them I don't like, but Zac was my favorite. He was my buddy. Apparently he had a heart condition that cats get pretty often. I think he was about ten or eleven years old. I will miss him. I love that cat.

Zac, Zacky, Zach, Zak, Zacariah O'Brien, and yes That Damn Cat...you will be missed.

Cookies Make Everything Better...

I recently had a five hour long conversation with one of my closest friends in the world, Melissa aka: Missy, who lives in LA. We hadn't talked in four or five months, so there were a lot of stories to get through. Melissa is busy writing, working and planning a wedding so she has been harder to get a hold of lately.

After our conversation, she surprised me and sent a box filled with my favorite cookies and a menu from my favorite diner in LA, Jerry's, along with a very sweet card.

How in the world did I get so lucky to have such sweet, amazing and thoughtful friends?

Thanks Melissa. You made my week.

P.S. The cookies are chocolate dipped florentines and black & whites. I've tried florentines and black & whites at several bakeries around here, none of them come close to Jerry's.

It's Snowing in Texas...Again...

It's snowing and icing in Texas right now. I want to point out that the two winters I spent in Texas, after I lived in LA, were the warmest, driest winters in recorded history. The year after I leave it snows and ices several times. I will also point out that this is my first winter in Chicago and it has been one of the mildest winter's in Chicago. As you can see in the picture above, there have been subzero temperatures in California recently. That's a frozen orange tree. Go figure. It's me. It's totally my fault. I bring heat.

I have a new obsession with Schott's Almanac and all of the other Ben Schott books of useless information. I'm reading Schott's Food and Drink Miscellany right now. I have read some interesting things and what good are they if I can't share them? Here is my new favorite quote on Champagne:

"I drink it when I'm happy, and when I am sad.
Sometimes I drink it when I am alone.
When I have company I consider it obligatory.
I trifle with it if I am not hungry, and drink it when I am.
Otherwise I never touch it - unless I am thirsty."

- Madame Lilly Bollinger (maybe...)

I Love Salsa...

I really do.

Yesterday (Sunday), i was perusing the children's book section in Border's with Alexandra, who was there to pick out some gifts for a friend's baby. Along for the ride was our friend Johanna, who is preggers. It was a jolly good time. We reminisced about all of the books we loved as a child. Johannah and I wandered into the pregnancy section. At that exact moment I got a call from an LA area code. I get wrong numbers from SoCal often because my number has an LA area code. I always think, "what if this time, it's some long lost friend from LA wanting to catch up...I should answer..." I then remind myself I didn't live there that long ago and the friends I love and care about who still live there, I still talk too. So since most of these mysterious LA calls are wrong numbers ("Hola...Manuel?" Is usually how they go...I'm not kidding. Every wrong number is in Spanish), I ignored this call. The person called right back. So this time I answered. It was someone (whose name I couldn't understand) asking me to babysit for them. I politely explained that I no longer live in LA. Apparently they had gotten my number from the nursery I used to work in. I wondered it God was trying to tell me something... I seemed to find myself surrounded by children once again...they haunt me.

I just got home from an evening with Tahnee. We had Mexican food. Our conversation was so riveting that we went across the street to the dorkiest bar ever. Meaning, we were the coolest people there. We felt cool for once. We decided this particular bar is where dorks go to feel cool. As always with my ladies, we text to make sure each other gets home okay. Tahnee and I got home at EXACTLY the same time. Cute.

Thank God It's Friday. Right?

That's what customer's say to us at work. I don't think it ever crosses their minds that we work retail. We work on weekends too. It's okay though. They mean well. Sometimes.

I went and saw a show at Sketchfest last night. It was really bad. I'm not going to say who it was because I would feel bad. The show was that bad. Well, the first group was. The second one was good. They were just a wee bit bitter for my taste. Also, speaking of comedy related things, I can't remember my login for the CIN. In fact I think I have two now because I forgot the first login I made a long time ago. That is frustrating.

This is me at the tender age of eighteen:


I was on a local T.V. show at eighteen aka: my short-lived senior year of high school (I graduated early, I didn't flunk out. Promise.). The show was called, Studio A: The T.V. Show. This shot is from the opening credits. I was the first face you saw. It was a show about actors doing what actors do. We got our headshots taken, we had discussions with local casting directors, lots of teambuilding activities (including ropes courses...which I love), and even recording a song. The song was America the Beautiful if you were wondering. Everything we did or said was supposed to be kid-friendly, politically neutral and clean.

We also did monologues and improv. I was watching a particular episode when I noticed this:


I was improving being a Barista. This was years before I would actually become one. Oh happy foreshadowing.

I often wondered why the, ": The T.V. Show" part was important. Nobody knew what Studio A was to begin with (It was the room my acting class met in at the time). I remember getting really excited when we found out we were getting Sonic commercials during our show. This was back when the Sonic commercials just had kids laughing and playing while sipping on slushies. (Irony: the kids at the school just got released for recess and I can hear them laughing and playing in the background as I type this. Cute.). The producer of the show said that the commercials were given to us to use for free. Sometimes I wonder... We didn't get paid to be on this show. Well, we didn't get paid in money anyway. We got paid in food...and companionship? I actually don't talk to anyone from this show anymore. I kept in touch with one girl for a while, but that faded. I wonder where they all are now? Too bad there will never be a Studio A: Where are they now?

P.S.
Project Writing Reader's Theater.
Tonight.
7:30.
iO Annex.
Free.
Come.
Now.
Please.
Actually,
Come at 7:30pm.

My Pride and Joy...

I sometimes wish I had parents who were boring with boring jobs and no artisitic ability. I am grateful for my parents, yes. I am. They are both artistic. Groovy. Great. But I have pride. Sometimes I want them to not understand. Take for example my recently finished screenplay. I sent it to my mom and she read it. My mom is a wonderful writer. She really is. But it's weird when she reads something of mine (screenplay) and then has critiques or suggestions. Isn't a mom supposed to be someone who just thinks everything their child does is gold? Or have no opinion at all? Period? And she's right about things like that most of the time. I hate it. I want to be the creative one and have them not understand me and my decisions, then make me fun of me when I come home for the holiday's and ask when I'm going to get a real job.

I just re-read that and I sound really whiny.

On another note, I just scarfed down some Pirate's Booty. I usually steer clear of the Booty because the smell gets to me. When I lived in LA, I worked in a nursery at a church in Hollywood. Pirate's Booty is on the list of this-is-organic-and-sold-at-trader-joe's-so-it-must-be-fantastically-
healthy-for-my-child foods. I used to come home and stank of white cheddar and drool so just opening the bag was torture. It really is good stuff.

I'm bored...

The Amazon.com fairy came today. Kick. Butt.

I am also being totally 100% unproductive today.

Dresses and Flowers and Rings...oh my.

As most of you know, my sister got engaged before Christmas. Part of me thinks, "It's about time," and another part of me thinks, "I'm supposed to be excited about this...right?" Hmmm....judge that comment as you will :).

While I was back in Texas, my mom, Shauna, and I got to go look at wedding dresses. I had never been to a David's Bridal before and I'm not sure I wish to ever go to one again. What a horrible place. It was pouring down rain when we got there and then we were told that since we didn't have an "appointmen" we would have to wait an hour before Shauna could try on anything. This was because a "woman" is supposed to help you. Thankfully, because of the rain, a bunch of people who had "appointments" didn't show up and we only had to wait thirty minutes. And the "woman" didn't ever actually help us. She went and got a piece of ribbon once and that was it. We never saw her again. By the time Shauna was trying on dresses there was no one left in the store. I'm not sure what our helper "woman"was doing, but it was something not pertaining to us. Fun fact: did you know that every wedding dress looks the same after about five minutes of browsing? Now you know...

Shauna found a dress. Oh she did. It's pretty. It's not what I would've picked, but then again she and I are very different and that's what makes us beautiful. She did make a comment to mom that she and I should pick the dress together so that someday I can wear her dress for my wedding. I saw my mom hold back laughter. Shauna didn't catch it. Probably for the best.

I won't post a picture of the dress in the event that someone, mainly the groom, might find this page and see it. It's bad luck to see the bride in the dress before the wedding and nowadays married people need all the luck they can get.

I will leave you with my new favorite picture of my sister. This was taken while we were patiently waiting for a dressing room, examining dyeable shoes:


'Nuf said.

My Friends Rock My Socks Off...

Yea. The reading of my screenplay was so much fun. My classmates are awesome I must say. The best part was seeing all of my friends come and support me. I expected maybe five or six people to show up. You guys are amazing. For only living in Chicago a little over four months, I am amazed at the friendships I've made. Where did you guys come from? Seriously...

I'm glad it's over. I'm glad I went first. I'm also really excited for everyone else's scripts. I will say, now that I've heard my script read aloud twice, there are some changes on the horizon for the little guy.

I also want to point out that the Harold Room is either really haunted or really dusty. Dust or orbs? You be the judge hunters...

Argh...

I'm so tired.

My back hurts.

My legs feel as though I have climbed fifty steps.

I have to work at 5am tomorrow.

My apartment is leaking. Not the window...the wood around the window. The actual apartment is leaking.

I went home and didn't get to eat the best Tex-Mex ever.

I need some tums.

I need someone to complain to other than my blog.

On the other hand, my blog won't respond to my complaining with laughter and proclaim there are bigger problems in the world.

Damn blog.

Another Year...

It's another year and I already need a nap.

I got back to Chicago today. Yea. Every time I talked about coming back to various people, I would refer to Chicago as home. It was sweet really. I officially have a Chicago bank and after next week an Illinois Driver's License. What is this world coming to?

I hope everyone had a safe and fun New Year's. I had a lovely night at the first place I ever took improv classes, Four Day Weekend in Fort Worth, TX. It was a night of Tex-Mex, wine, family and improv. What more could you ask for? Seriously...

Pictured below are two of my improv teachers, Wilk and Frank. I'm in the middle in case you were wondering...


They kept wanting to talk about improv. I had consumed a lot of wine. I hope I made sense.

This time last year I was in level 3 at Four Day. Funny, I'm about to start Level 3 at iO. Whoa. Twilight Zone. I seem to have a lot of those moments...

I hope this year is a little easier than the last two. I mean, my life is pretty amazing and the past couple of years, although trying, had some pretty awesome moments. I'm just ready to get a little more work done. This goal oriented little head of mine is starting to spin faster than I can compute.

I will say one thing. I did get to watch my one Christmas/New Years tradition...the Sci-Fi network's Twilight Zone marathon. That's my second Twilight Zone reference. Huh...

Hope you finished your cabbage and black-eyed peas. I would hate for your good luck and fortune to fade just because you don't like the taste.

P.S. Guess what great show is on Friday?
Project Writing Reader's Theater @ iO. 7:30pm in the iO annex. My screenplay is the first one out. Come hear an awesome tale written by the one and only me, read by my amazing classmates and myself. It'll be interesting to say the least...and I swear I'm not getting nervous. :)