tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34087022012-01-16T21:01:37.012-08:00Anne...straight from the hip.Annenoreply@blogger.comBlogger4781100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-24758506442210850702012-01-05T19:08:00.000-08:002012-01-07T17:24:59.154-08:00I had a great Christmas and New Year, spending it with friends, both auld and new. I decided not to travel anywhere for Christmas, and had seen my family before and over Thanksgiving.
2011 ended on a sad note. During my visit to my mom and Jack's in Baltimore, I'd been playing with their cat EJ and felt a large lump on his right side near his rib cage. I asked them if they'd noticed it, and theyAnnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-27840370838192586712011-12-02T15:09:00.001-08:002011-12-12T01:36:44.973-08:00Before I went to Baltimore, my dad came to visit me here in Los Angeles. It just so happened that the first day of his visit fell on the last day of my job at Disney. This wasn't planned; it just happened that I went from the arms of the goodbye hugs of my coworkers to those of the hello hug from my dad. Sometimes life just works out perfectly that way, and we get dealt a best case scenario of Annenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-83866287899351089252011-11-26T21:34:00.000-08:002011-12-01T16:42:50.829-08:00
I'm sitting here in the very Starbucks I haunted for years when I lived in Baltimore, in Mt. Washington. The place used to be a working mill, and is in a brick loft-like building with high cathedral ceilings and a sense of history and intelligence. I came here to write, to work on the continuity "bible" when working for The Wire, scripts piled high as I documented each character's arc and Annenoreply@blogger.com0Baltimore, MD, USA39.2903848 -76.612189339.1920723 -76.7701178 39.3886973 -76.4542608tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-15979335315084348462011-11-09T13:52:00.000-08:002011-11-21T13:53:59.083-08:00
Last week, I finished my job at Disney. I took this job for a 30-day stint with the possibility of longer if things worked out. 18 months later, I've worked the maximum amount of time allowed for a temporary employee in one department. My time here has both seemed like forever and as if it has just whizzed by.
They tried to hire me, but because of the uncertain fluxes in that department, Annenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-32768424318833847362011-10-27T21:29:00.000-07:002011-11-04T14:44:31.513-07:00
I just had one of those "only in LA" moments. I came home from work and was parking my car when I noticed a strange golf cart parked in my neighbor's spot. It was black, clearly customized and had "Nerd Machine" painted on the side. We have a lot of film students in the building, so I figured that it was just something from their school or a prop. After I parked my car, I got out to look at it, Annenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-73797809444218823382011-10-23T13:26:00.000-07:002011-10-24T12:07:58.498-07:00
Last night after work, I found myself in Barnes and Noble, and while sitting on the floor looking through vector clip art books, (all on the bottom shelf, mind you), a voice boomed over the loud speaker, "Attention Barnes and Noble customers, for your safety and that of others, please DO NOT sit on the floor. There are chairs around the store and benches in the magazine area for that purpose." IAnnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-35310725469602267252011-10-03T22:44:00.000-07:002011-10-03T22:44:29.399-07:00
I'll explain the origin of this incredible photograph in a bit.
I'm going to feature them on my blog, but if you don't want to wait until I post, I'll tell you where you can see more.
I've been busy this last month, and can hardly believe it's already October. Along with my Disney job, I've been working on a freelance job that I just finished up last week for a fabulous company called Naked Annenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-51496831832869808852011-09-11T01:43:00.000-07:002011-09-11T02:12:23.081-07:00Taken just after September 11, 2001 near Ground Zero. Photographer unknown.I woke to my alarm blaring at me, not because I had to get to work, but because I had a therapy appointment early in the morning. I had already quit my job and was in the beginning of a downward slump into a major depressive episode. My cousin had killed himself six months earlier on March 1, 2001. I was the last person inAnnenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-85670929216547328242011-09-11T00:33:00.000-07:002011-09-11T00:33:30.699-07:00It's been so long since I've posted that Blogger has changed their interface. I like this one a lot better. Much more room to write an a cleaner interface. We're having one of those gorgeous September days. Blue sky, spotted in areas with a thin layer of high clouds. Perfectly warm with a gentle breeze. I scored a table outside, where an older foreign man is talking to a younger Japanese kid in Annenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-54265362538106502612011-08-03T16:48:00.001-07:002011-08-08T19:37:55.470-07:00I started this post on August 3rd, and am finishing it on August 7th.
Happy Birthday to me.
Holy birthday wishes! I think I'm up to a hundred or so, thank you very much! I'm having a great birthday today, and last night too. Or, should I say had because I'm finishing this post on August 6th. On Monday, I went to Nolan's, which funnily enough, was used as a location on this week's episode of Annenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-4518164567592230312011-07-30T16:52:00.000-07:002011-08-02T15:14:53.831-07:00A giant cumulonimbus cloud looms over the Verdugo mountains, but the rains won't reach here. It's a tease for those of us who live in Los Angeles and love thunderstorms. It happens a lot this time of year when nature unleashes itself on the desert. Yet, every time I see one, I hold out hope that it will find the strength it needs to hoist itself over the mountains. It won't, but somewhere, Annenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-19691168300987335182011-07-19T19:53:00.000-07:002011-07-19T20:26:58.192-07:00 Carmageddon turned out to be Los Angeles on vacation. It was awesome driving around, and the city seemed to have exhaled. The politicians did their job in scaring everyone off the streets, so it was smooth sailing for those who did have to drive. I drove over the hill to get my "hair did" and even noticed a much calmer pace at the salon, where they had free Carmageddon champagne. Not a lot of Annenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-64899711746904639262011-07-04T22:04:00.001-07:002011-07-05T01:50:31.242-07:00 I hope you all had a Happy 4th if you live here in the US. Poor Oliver didn't enjoy it, as when I came back from watching a fireworks show, this is where he was, hiding behind the couch. Atticus was under my bed and both indicated no signs of emerging any time soon. Scout, however, my only female cat, was on top of my bed, on her pillow, not a care in the world.I however did enjoy it, taking a Annenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-80411213558693469902011-06-25T15:26:00.000-07:002011-07-01T21:16:12.129-07:00Around 7:30 PM last Sunday, I was enjoying a quiet evening when a loud crash almost jolted me out of my chair. It was followed by a sickening scraping sound that lasted a good ten seconds.Holy. Fuck.I stood up and ran outside, looking up the street about 200 yards from my apartment to see what used to be an early 1990s Ford Mustang. The entire neighborhood, which was jolted into action just like Annenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-74001732142647858952011-05-28T20:00:00.000-07:002011-06-28T17:34:15.060-07:00I started this entry on Memorial Day Weekend, then continued it on the weekend after. Now, it's Wednesday, June 8. But first, I must post this. On the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend, I stopped by Starbucks, then walked back to my car to put a package inside it. Then, I went to get a manicure in the same shopping area. Afterward, when I got into my car, I noticed this on my windshield. Usually, Annenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-74187777899107730712011-05-23T23:32:00.000-07:002011-05-24T00:57:14.216-07:00My heartfelt condolences to those of you in Joplin, MO, which was hit by a devastating tornado on Sunday. So far, the death toll is at 116, an astounding figure. A third of the town is gone, if not more. When I was a kid, we passed through Joplin many times on our travels. If you want to have just a hint of what the terror was like, watch this video, taken by a Joplin resident as the tornado hitAnnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-72540356375724921222011-05-15T15:00:00.000-07:002011-05-16T16:15:26.117-07:00Last Saturday, I went to my friend Cody Deal's viewing party to watch his debut as the title character in The Asylum's "Almighty Thor" on the SyFy Channel. I met Cody through LA Fitness when he was working as a Fitness Pro specialist at the company. I'd asked to speak to someone regarding the personal training, and the receptionist called for "Cody," over the loudspeaker. A couple minutes later, Annenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-72230074436348828612011-05-01T23:14:00.000-07:002011-05-01T23:47:36.422-07:00Good riddance, you vile, murderous, narcissistic, evil piece of shit.Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-4680461133023741602011-04-28T21:44:00.000-07:002011-04-30T13:07:38.654-07:00I don't think that people who haven't grown up in a tornado prone area know that while tornadoes are a terrifying fact of life, it's extremely rare for one to affect you directly. Tornadoes, for all their destructive power, also rarely become killers. This is because of the sophisticated Doppler radar systems, knowledgeable meteorologists and vast alert systems in place. Also, almost every house Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-24661519446085215822011-04-09T23:40:00.001-07:002011-04-09T23:47:11.095-07:00Thanks to the awesome Capt. Dave for letting me know that I had no email link up! I'm still learning how to tweak this template and didn't know I'd cut everyone off! And here I was thinking...now why don't they write? ;)Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-53701614942775087532011-03-22T20:37:00.000-07:002011-04-01T21:26:11.248-07:00Holy shit, did I really start this post on March 22nd? Oh well, so here it is on April 1st. St. Patrick's Day is always fun at Nolan's, our local Irish Pub within walking distance. It's become a yearly tradition with Shannon, me, any friends that want to come along and any that become friends at the bar. It was full and people were tapping into their Irish roots, whether they had any or not. MostAnnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-50859618798045428942011-03-14T23:58:00.001-07:002011-03-15T01:50:03.543-07:00Oh man, just had one of those funny neighbor things happen. We have a nutcase in our building who has been waging a war with another neighbor because she thinks he parks his bike too close to her stupid big, cumbersome gas-filled fire hazard of a scooter in the common area. Mind you, she also puts a can of gas next to it which she chains up with everything. She never asked anyone if this was okayAnnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-81129835877974530552011-03-11T02:33:00.000-08:002011-03-11T02:57:40.415-08:00Just woke up from an early bedtime, felt tired at 8:30pm, so I went with it and dozed off with the lights in the living room still on. Woke up, saw it was 2:20 AM, so I got up to turn off the lights. Saw my Blackberry blinking, so checked it. Two friends had texted me about the horrible tsunami and quake devastation in Japan. Absolutely tragic.One works at a Japanese company. I'm sure it will be Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-56642641326216693762011-02-26T18:22:00.000-08:002011-02-26T23:34:52.959-08:00Yes, it snowed in Burbank today. Snowed! This is video I shot inside my car, and you'll have to pardon my annoying commentary but I was pretty amazed! Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-63000186533404258082011-02-21T23:33:00.000-08:002011-02-22T00:54:09.603-08:00After Starbucks, it was around 7pm and I decided to give this weekend's sales one more shot. I drove to Nordstrom Rack which sits in a shopping center of big stores, including Best Buy, Michael's, Lowe's, Target and so on. The sales had pretty much sucked, being nonexistent or really chintzy. My main goal was to get a pair of curtains and rods from Restoration Hardware, but that's another Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-76041410398151720052011-02-19T17:24:00.000-08:002011-03-31T22:15:19.480-07:00I just gave this poor soul $20. Woman, prob in her 60s, sitting on the street knitting, she had horrible deformities on her face, and extreme discoloration, purple and pink. You couldn't NOT stare. She was tucked in a small alcove against the Saks Men's store. I passed her and of course, her being used to the looks, felt my gaze and looked up. Her yellow lab sleeping by her. She smiled at me and Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-4966415146044922382011-02-17T12:13:00.000-08:002011-02-17T13:28:53.732-08:00I had a nice surprise this last week. I lost just under three pounds which brought me to weighing in my one-teens, a weight that I haven't seen on the scale for well, like ever. I think the last time I weighed in my teens was in my early/mid twenties. It was a little shocking, because I'd just continued on my normal track, and wasn't trying to lose any weight, just to maintain. Shocked the hell Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-36728183440936185872011-01-28T17:12:00.000-08:002011-01-28T17:13:47.147-08:00I'm completely over the moon right now. I have not found, but replaced what was lost. More to come later, as this was no easy task.Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-13717058230290174482011-01-24T00:40:00.000-08:002011-01-24T00:44:33.619-08:00A belated Happy New Year to you all. 2010 was a very interesting year for me. I rung it in at the local pub with Shannon and friends, and it was fun, festive and as always filled with bent-over laughter. We toasted to a New Year and the energy there was warm and inclusive, even when the drunk emergency room trauma nurse approached me and offered to punch out the waitress whom she thought had Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-23693642818907422892011-01-11T20:25:00.000-08:002011-01-11T21:02:28.971-08:00Praying for all of you affected by the absolutely horrible floods in Australia. For those of you unaware of the beating that areas of Australia are taking right now, watch this video and keep them in your thoughts.Please stay safe.Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-45205047435134411472011-01-07T22:53:00.000-08:002011-01-07T23:10:04.960-08:00I'm pretty sure that I've lost my gorgeous, one of a kind, hand-crafted Calleen Cordero cuff. I've searched everywhere for two weeks. I fear that I inadvertently knocked it off my bathroom counter into my trashcan and didn't see it when I emptied it out into the garbage bag. This was about two or three weeks ago, and aside from it being in an excellent hiding place, I think that's what Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-70766701268281509642010-12-24T16:56:00.000-08:002010-12-26T18:13:18.024-08:00Merry Christmas!My posts I know, have been waning in the last few months. I keep saying that I intend to rectify this but there is a lot at stake in blogging now. I do have the time and plenty to say, but since I started annecentral, the world around me has changed when it comes to the internet. We all Google each other. Things are more instant. I have to be more careful with what I post here, Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-46714571131345341672010-11-28T16:34:00.000-08:002010-11-29T23:54:06.335-08:00Shannon and I saw The Black Angels on Wednesday, the night before Thanksgiving at the El Rey Theatre in Hollywood where we were snapped by a cool photographer for the LA Weekly. The photographer was covering the show for a slide show piece in the paper, of which we became a part of. The show was sold out and freakin' phenomenal, with the band's psych rock amplifying over our heads, through our Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-38741047645475127382010-11-06T17:11:00.001-07:002010-11-07T18:55:22.245-08:00Finally, a chance to sit down and write a post. There has been a ton going on. From the fantastically fun to the life changing, to the downright scary. We'll start with the fantastically fun, and that would be the billionaire's Halloween party where I met Jodie Foster, Sly Stallone, Paul Reiser and more. I can't elaborate too much because of confidentiality issues, but what a freakin' trip. I Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-89055483647150825302010-09-28T19:32:00.000-07:002010-10-02T01:37:20.680-07:00Last week, thanks to a friend with a boat I was lucky enough to go whale watching. We've had a rare incursion of blue whales because an unusually large supply of krill, which the whales eat, is attracting them to the area. I met him through Shannon when we both worked a photobooth for the Concern Foundation benefit at Paramount Studios, which he was running. He was fun and gregarious, like a lot Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-6935064267636693922010-09-19T15:30:00.000-07:002010-09-22T21:16:26.589-07:00I had a neat thing happen through Flickr a couple weeks ago. A man who lived in the San Francisco area found my picture that I took of my Calleen Cordero cuff and contacted me about it. He was looking for a cuff for his girlfriend, and did an image search on Flickr to get ideas for what he thought she would like. He also had a Flickr account, and emailed me through their mail system. I emailed Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-8409677569076730962010-09-11T16:35:00.000-07:002010-09-12T01:48:34.608-07:00I'm here at Starbucks on a pretty day, inside because it allows me a bit of privacy. Right now I'm in one of four big chairs surrounding a table. A father and his two teenage daughters sit at the other three chairs. They are sharing the usual father and daughter banter, laughing and clearly enjoying each other's company. An elderly man walked by, bent over almost at a ninety degree angle, but Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-61453109364022490332010-08-19T14:38:00.000-07:002010-08-19T14:41:08.391-07:00In memory of a friend, Jeff Ames, who passed away one year ago today. You and the gifts, talent, graciousness, compassion and humor you brought to this earthly plane are greatly missed.Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-66537228638497972322010-08-15T18:14:00.000-07:002010-08-15T19:18:52.601-07:00I finished my wall project and think that it turned out really well. I'm very happy with it. Here are some pictures. You can click on them for bigger ones.I figure that I can at least make my little apartment look like "my" little apartment even more. I'm just incredibly pleased with the way it came out, as it softens the place and ties in the colors really well. I put it up with my staple gun, Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-43627610049710862702010-08-03T10:40:00.001-07:002010-08-03T10:41:36.210-07:00Today marks the anniversary of the day of my birth. Happy birthday to me.Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-29944224383265442642010-08-01T14:51:00.000-07:002010-10-16T14:15:19.713-07:00I got my much needed hair cut this weekend from the awesome Adrian at Sally Hershberger Salon. It's always so fun to go there, as it's a busy hopping place with so much going on. Plus, the place has huge windows with a beautiful view of the Hollywood Hills. I snapped this picture coming home from the salon while driving my awesome Volvo C30 that I still love beyond words.Earlier this week, I met Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-11996953022226474462010-07-24T15:44:00.000-07:002010-07-27T00:20:12.810-07:00I had to move to a sunny spot, as I'd found myself in a chilly wind tunnel. Because I haven't posted in such an abysmally long time, I'm going to do vignettes.Shannon and I worked a charity a couple weeks ago for Concern Foundation. It was on the Paramount Studios "New York" lot, and guests paid a minimum of $350 to attend. It was a blast, and continuous on-your-feet work from 4:00PM until almostAnnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-21271463593134528502010-07-21T16:22:00.000-07:002010-07-21T16:23:31.533-07:00Holy shit. I had no idea I hadn't posted since the first. What kind of Mickey Mouse operation am I running, after all? Time has flown this month, and I promise I'll get to it.Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-83766519055941920912010-07-01T18:29:00.000-07:002010-07-03T13:13:53.915-07:00I finally caved and claimed one of the storage units in my apartment building. I've been avoiding it for three years because I have a huge fear of spiders, and the storage units are rife for spiders to make their home, including black widows. Widows though, tend to stick to corners near the ground. Last year, I had a big black widow back corner my parking area and just left her alone, even thoughAnnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-5149676760209442082010-06-24T22:45:00.000-07:002010-06-25T11:07:00.787-07:00Shannon and I hung out at Boardner's a couple weeks ago, a bar with a past. The Black Dahlia used to hang there frequently before she met her grisly demise. Perhaps her killer did too. It was a great night with an interesting mix of people, feeling more like a quirky local bar in a David Lynch film than a place located right in the heart of Hollywood. After finding front row street parking, a Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-45332396942555578022010-06-19T16:45:00.000-07:002010-06-20T15:50:52.881-07:00Yeah, I know.I'm finally getting a chance to sit down and blog. Outside, at Starbucks, a soft wind blowing, and the realization that I really needed to put lotion on my hands today. Not a purty sight. There's a drug store a few doors down and I'm going to slip in there and rub one of their samples over my dry mitts. They have several fancy lotions, candles and perfumes, and samples galore. I Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-31578980492733605762010-06-05T15:28:00.000-07:002010-06-05T16:02:50.753-07:00This week, Dave Bakke, a reporter from the State Journal Register in Springfield, IL contacted me about my last post, where I detailed my reunion with my childhood friend Tony Donaldson. He'd stumbled onto my blog and to my pleasant surprise, found the story interesting enough to write a nice article on it. It appeared both online and in print. Here it is!Facebook reconnects old Springfield Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-60479742209374906502010-05-29T21:27:00.000-07:002010-05-29T21:37:12.496-07:00One more thing... please go to this contest site and download the song from Leda Atomica. My friend is the lead singer and their song, "Pure," freakin' ROCKS. Seriously. When you hear it, you'll have a sudden urge go on a drive and have this on full blast. I said the same thing about their last song too, as they are just that good. Anyway, they have a chance to win some really cool gear if their Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-93143022660701152010-05-29T13:18:00.000-07:002010-05-29T14:30:17.748-07:00Vignettes:Love being back in my old job with the wonderful people that I work with. I'm starting to emerge more out of my hermit status when it comes to being more social, even though, as my friends have kidded me, that my blog illustrates differently with my going out a lot! But, what I mean is that it's my state of mind that's changing. And, it's nice to have a good paycheck again. Disney is Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-56422072177152194832010-05-13T00:00:00.000-07:002010-05-13T00:35:46.557-07:00I have a full glass of Malbec red wine in front of me, compliments of the wonderful restaurant Malbec, which I first went to with my Dad and Shannon. I returned there for a drink with my friend Jan, but that turned into a meal and a full bottle was soon ordered. It's the only red wine that I've taken to so far, and am happy to be introduced to it. It was great to have a girl's night out, too.I amAnnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-73734990724999918702010-05-02T15:46:00.001-07:002010-05-03T16:17:23.410-07:00My Dad came to visit on Thursday and we had such a great time. He stays in the hotel just blocks from me, Hotel Amarano, which is the same one that he stayed in last time when he was here. A bonus, is that it's conveniently located across from one of the Starbucks that I frequent, so I was able to take him over there and let him meet some of the regulars and workers whom I've befriended. One of Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-12150369936247271842010-04-21T02:06:00.000-07:002010-04-22T04:49:41.318-07:00The weather has been cold and dreary, and rain pattered on and off today with looming grey clouds and small, but effective gusts. Total sweater weather, and for a person like me who has no tolerance for the cold, it was sweater, cardigan and shawl weather. Shannon and I decided to combat the wet Wednesday with a night out at Echoplex to listen to some reggae, compliments of the legendary Michael Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-67983992320439695162010-04-13T20:18:00.000-07:002010-04-13T20:27:22.939-07:00Update on my last post. You can hold off on your good first day on the job mojo for now. Just got an email from the company who said they are pushing it back a bit, so I won't be starting Wednesday.Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-22711287160935853252010-04-12T18:31:00.000-07:002010-04-12T19:58:24.782-07:00Last Friday, I got a call from the place to which I applied and they're going to try me out for a couple weeks with a freelance position. After my interview, we had talked about that as a possibility and frankly I like that a lot better than just diving in anywhere. It's a smart decision on their part as well, not to jump into hiring someone based on a a few phone calls, a meeting, portfolio and Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-75919556899204159142010-04-10T11:57:00.000-07:002010-04-10T12:13:58.902-07:00My heart and prayers go to the people of Poland, the families of the President, their cabinet and the relatives of those who were massacred in the forests of Katyn, all who perished in today's horrible plane crash. So tragic that they were on their way to a memorial service for the victims of the Katyn massacre.The world stands with you today.Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-50768857328238781762010-04-05T01:51:00.000-07:002010-04-05T02:18:46.464-07:00No, I didn't feel it.I was in the shower, but it was barely felt here. I think more people felt the quake nearer the westside and downtown Los Angeles. And no, this wasn't The Big One. Wasn't even on the San Andreas fault line. But, this was a big freakin' quake for those who were close to it. Those of you who were, I hope you're okay and didn't sustain to much damage.Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-19062793224388969882010-03-27T02:35:00.000-07:002010-03-27T02:43:56.682-07:00For those of you in the New Orleans area, there's still time to get a ticket to tonight's benefit and auction to My Darlin' New Orleans benefit, party and auction. This is David Simon's new HBO series. I went to these benefits for "The Wire," and they are a great time with fabulous auction items up for grabs, a chance to meet cast, creators and crew and good drinks, music and food. "HBO and its Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-46002271762004152712010-03-23T15:45:00.000-07:002010-03-24T01:17:56.014-07:00A windy Tuesday as I sit here at Starbucks. I stayed up late last night writing a cover letter and submitting myself for another job. It sounds really interesting, so let's hope I get a bite. Every place that I apply to has the same process. I have to submit a resume through their online application, which is tedious and sometimes imperfect. Many of them don't have clear instructions on how to Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-77981178947421103272010-03-19T16:23:00.000-07:002010-03-19T18:48:57.010-07:00This is the only picture even remotely resembling a boob shot that will ever appear on this blog. But first, a disclaimer. This is not an accurate representation of my boobage. I'm wearing a Victoria's Secret push-up bra with strategically placed silicone fillers. And yeah, those came with the bra. I'm also squeezing them together a little bit to enhance any imaginary cleavage. What I'm trying toAnnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-37241129421415355072010-03-16T19:36:00.000-07:002010-03-16T20:04:45.007-07:00I woke up last night just before we had an earthquake. Whenever they happen at night, I always do that. Perhaps I'm just sensitive to the buildup or something. When my bed started to rumble and rock, at first I thought it was the cats running around on it. I tilted my head up and saw them looking back at me, wide-eyed and still. After it stopped, a few seconds later the news broke in that we'd Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-74793323532496251162010-03-10T02:38:00.000-08:002010-03-11T02:24:22.806-08:00This picture just cracks me the hell up. It's from the photo booth at the Manifest Equality VIP closing party. As you can imagine, when you add creativity, audacity, alcohol and the Los Angeles public there were lots of hilarious photos that came out of that. They gave us each a print of the photo, so we have a great memento of yet another night of ShanAnnegans. Very cool. It was at the start of Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-3711263563330542282010-03-04T19:58:00.000-08:002010-03-05T19:22:43.709-08:00One morning, about a week ago I heard a scream from one of the apartments in my building. Whenever I hear screaming, my ears tune in but I'm not alarmed. There are a lot of well... screamers in my apartment building in the form of girls in their early 20s who are prone to spontaneous shrieking. Don't get excited guys, it's just how they communicate to each other sometimes. It's the vocal version Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-40591317506027302042010-02-16T03:40:00.000-08:002010-02-18T15:55:20.929-08:00Men reign at Pixie Press Worldwide’s Company and About Face book launch party.Just before the fun began. Photograph by Dustin Neibauer.Driving up Sunset, we could see the tent glowing purple on the rooftop of the London Hotel. The playful hue offered a welcome contrast to the stark white city lights that muted the night sky. It was a subtle, yet eye-catching beacon among the building-sized Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-88905486911528235312010-02-14T13:24:00.001-08:002010-02-14T13:27:01.450-08:00Shannon took this photo of me at the Pixie Press Worldwide and About Face book launch party. The photo was taken in the lobby of the London Hotel. Stay tuned for more to come on the awesome party.Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-44199472062994916192010-02-06T23:00:00.000-08:002010-02-06T23:13:57.948-08:00My mom took this picture from her front stoop in Baltimore. While we got soaked with monsoon-like rains yesterday, Baltimore, DC, Virginia and other East Coast areas got this. Hope you all are being safe, and please be careful. Make sure your clothes dryer vents are clear of snow before using, same with heaters and any other appliances that vent outdoors or have air intake. Lastly, make sure yourAnnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-2230587307666301662010-01-31T15:28:00.000-08:002010-02-01T02:44:34.823-08:00On Friday night, Shannon and I went to Out 4 Blood, A Night Featuring Artists from the True Blood Soundtrack at the Echoplex. Funny, as it was the same venue where we'd put on The Crystal Method concert when I was at Avid. It's a great venue with lots of places to roam, dance and two bars so you don't have to wait too long for your drink. It's in a weird area and easy to miss, but once you know Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-54750425198320012212010-01-21T02:52:00.000-08:002010-01-23T01:17:07.016-08:00I've absolutely loved the rains we're getting here. They provide a beautiful soundtrack for fading off to a nap, writing, life and just being. The other night, I was driving in it, and Jeff Buckley's "Dream Brother" came on the air. A mesmerizingly perfect soundtrack to nature's perfect visual. My headlights shining off the vinyl-like asphalt, drops of rain passing in front of globes of blue Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-86273331939677855482010-01-11T17:50:00.000-08:002010-01-13T03:41:20.548-08:00Vignettes...Had a fabulous New Year with laughs, fun, new friends and auld acquaintances. The best part, I hadn't planned to do anything so I just went with it when it landed in my lap. I bought prosecco, wandering the aisles along with other last minute revelers, everyone in good spirits looking for spirits. A Hispanic man in front of me wearing a gas station attendant's uniform bought two Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-34439692573372651642009-12-26T21:45:00.001-08:002009-12-27T00:37:07.613-08:00I'll admit it, that this year I didn't feel the Christmas spirit, at all. It had nothing to do with me being laid off from my job, oddly enough. It just sneaked up on me too fast and I wasn't into it. I thankfully decided not to fly anywhere, which due to my lay off, turned out to be a good decision. It was money saved. Also, the weather wasn't cooperating with air travel, and I can't say that Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-34107973274851721562009-12-15T11:31:00.000-08:002009-12-15T11:55:40.210-08:00Ho, Ho.... Ho shit! This masterpiece was created by my childhood friend Tony Donaldson, who tracked me down through Facebook, via another common friend. He's now a successful professional photographer, (take a look at his work... it's awesome) who lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter. I'll tell that incredible "small world" story another time, but just had to post this picture that he Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-25067827052463167182009-12-08T19:44:00.000-08:002009-12-09T00:23:49.600-08:00It looks like I have an update to my "Thankful" post."Thankful...For having a great job, having had a great job, and still having my health, my family and most recently...my most awesome car." And so on... the rest stays the same.I had just been telling a neighbor that no one is guaranteed a job, and that I live my life with the knowledge that I could get the call the next day that says, sorry, Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-24989972703819770892009-11-26T15:45:00.000-08:002009-11-28T01:31:09.917-08:00Thankful...For having a great job, my health, my family and most recently...my most awesome car. For all the wonderful souls whom I've met in my life, that accept me despite all my quirks, faux pas, marching out of time to my own drummer and bad hair days.For the perspective to know what's important to fight for, and what's trivial radio static.For having an incredible support system of friends Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-76264240613039437712009-11-21T03:04:00.000-08:002009-11-21T03:07:24.778-08:00For all of you asking how Oliver is doing...Any questions?Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-69775188142927328832009-11-14T18:11:00.000-08:002009-11-17T02:07:12.686-08:00Friday night, Shannon and I went to Nolan's, our neighborhood Irish pub, to welcome in the weekend. Nolan's is a great watering hole, as we know the owners, have gotten to know some of the patrons and always enjoy the eclectic group of people that come in there, both local and not. A lot of the people from the studios come in, and you'll be talking with someone and learn they're the stunt Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-89794078112089060512009-11-09T02:09:00.000-08:002009-11-27T16:57:39.805-08:00So much has happened in the past few weeks that instead of writing several small posts like I told myself I would, I've let my detailing of events on this blog back up like documents in a print cue for a printer that's run out of paper. So, I'm sitting in Starbucks, wrapped in a shawl that my sister brought me back from Kuwait City, and I'm going to try to do the best that I can. In short, I Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-60975604307120699852009-10-19T00:31:00.000-07:002009-10-20T15:49:22.747-07:00Dear Honda Civic,I'll miss you. You were there for me when I needed a lift, both physically and metaphorically. You came into my life when it had hit a teeth-jarring pothole and trusted me to be in the driver's seat. I remember the first day I had you, glad I wasn't taking the bus anymore in a city not conducive to public transportation. It had taken me two hours and two bus transfers to get to Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-9316770781452938832009-10-01T19:53:00.001-07:002009-10-02T01:38:51.088-07:00My trip to New York was great. I had a lot of time to myself as well as bonded with coworkers, most of whom I've never met. I'd luckily grown a brain before the trip and purchased a small suitcase with wheels. I can't imagine how I would have fared without it. Again, at a bargain from Marshall's. I was able to prop my laptop up on the suitcase and wind the strap around for a perfect double-deckerAnnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-57662423977217630932009-09-18T20:28:00.000-07:002011-08-11T12:19:29.700-07:00Um. Yeah.
I'm trying to balance life, work, facebook, tweeting, my gym sessions, sleep...more sleep, and this blog. I've been doing a terrible job on the blog part. Yeah, I know. I'll figure something out, but in the meantime you'll just have to bear with me.
Yesterday, I had a nightmare and woke up screaming. Hadn't had one of those in a while. I've got a business trip to NYC coming up and Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-86920458291216813242009-08-30T10:35:00.000-07:002009-08-30T11:06:08.329-07:00I took these photos just down the street from my apartment of the gigantic plume of smoke from the La Canada "Station" fire. The photos don't do it justice on depicting just how massive it was. Looked like a volcano exploding. The fire tripled in size in one day and as of today isn't contained at all. And, for the last few days it's been over 100 degrees outside. Today it looks overcast, but it'sAnnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-66470050505905531862009-08-24T03:03:00.001-07:002009-08-24T03:08:29.315-07:00Wow, what a week. A sad week, and one that I will write about later. I can't right now. It's three in the morning on a Sunday night and I must get to bed. The cats are all around me, looking at me as if I'm nuts to be up... and I am. Even more so that I just got home. However, it was a beautiful day in so many ways.Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-20865242371835427232009-08-12T20:38:00.000-07:002009-08-16T15:32:31.897-07:00Sorry for the lag...again.There's just so much social media and so little time. Actually, I've been neglecting my other accounts as well, including Flickr, Twitter and Facebook, until today when I posted about this unbelievable story. Some things just bring you out of internet hibernation. I had a great birthday. Shannon took me to Katana on Sunset, and great food, drink and laughs were had. He Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-1346215935369190282009-08-03T10:24:00.001-07:002009-08-03T10:24:52.942-07:00Happy birthday to me.Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-64803401424537576602009-07-28T20:34:00.000-07:002009-07-28T21:11:07.688-07:00I signed up for personal training at the gym and today finished my fourth session. These are extra on top of the membership, as they have a personal training subsidiary that works out of the gym with actual certified personal trainers. I decided to do it because the only thing that you have in this world is your health. Once that fails, or you don't take care of it, nothing else matters. I'm not Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-89254985880879750132009-07-25T22:18:00.000-07:002009-07-26T12:47:28.704-07:00I hate it when I literally have to give the cold shoulder to someone, but that's just what I did. Literally. Turned my shoulder and pointed it at The Sallow Man's face. This just after I had nice, short conversations with others in the coffee shop. I came here because I wasn't quite ready to let go of the day yet. And, settling in, putting the chain on the door and committing myself to a night ofAnnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-13990196975852775892009-07-08T22:29:00.000-07:002009-07-08T23:32:56.365-07:00The Michael Jackson hoopla has come and gone. Tuesday morning, I counted twelve helicopters buzzing around my apartment before I went to work. And, they shut down freeways for it. All during the day, the helicopters would return for news updates. In the early morning as I still laid in bed, I heard a bunch of French speaking people pass by my bedroom window. I have no idea if the two were relatedAnnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-36765039010942612892009-07-04T18:57:00.000-07:002009-07-04T22:01:15.530-07:00Happy Fourth of July to my fellow Americans.This past couple of weeks has really kicked me in the behind. One, because I'm on a learning curve with the new job, and second, because I'm finishing out the work I've been assigned for the television recaps. I'm shocked that so many of you have stayed with me and keep checking back. I'm always surprised by the amount of hits I have on this blog by theAnnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-58319718835661789322009-06-21T03:46:00.000-07:002009-06-21T04:53:50.576-07:00I treated myself to a little retail courage, my version of liquid courage today at Neiman Marcus, before I start my new job on Tuesday. I'm nervous, but it's a good nervous. However, I wanted to have something new to "start" this new chapter. I have a credit card at Neiman Marcus, and it has a very low balance on it. So, today's goal was shoes and a shirt. I knew they were having a huge sale thatAnnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-1074696146376842342009-06-11T19:09:00.000-07:002009-06-11T19:52:34.704-07:00Enjoying a large mocha at Starbucks, because I've needed a change of place from my regular digs. For those of you who don't know, and I didn't...you can buy a $5.00 Starbucks card, which enables you to use their free Internet for 30 days or so. All those times I had Starbucks cards, I never knew and could have benefited. So, if you have one and aren't a T-Mobile subscriber, there you go. My usualAnnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-19846768076414731752009-06-02T10:08:00.000-07:002009-06-02T10:50:47.906-07:00For those of you following the extremely sad story of Air France flight 447, I point you to Dave's site, who has some insight and intelligent comments from his readers. Dave is a commercial airline pilot who mostly flies the same kind of aircraft that disappeared mid-flight over the Atlantic. He offers a couple of possible scenarios from a pilot's perspective, one which had me looking up what a "Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-14686695504514337312009-05-28T16:55:00.000-07:002009-05-28T16:59:10.469-07:00What a tool.I mean...seriously.Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-24129044759054081642009-05-21T05:36:00.000-07:002009-05-22T19:44:55.221-07:00Well, Kcuf.I just found out from the IRS that all of my refunds were sent to Baltimore. My accountant had my old address and therefore they went to my old apartment. Luckily, I still know the owner of the building and I'll let him know. They were probably just sent back to the post office, as the people in the building don't know me anymore. The owner/landlord, however, I'm still in touch with. Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-29725429664286561622009-05-13T18:33:00.000-07:002009-05-13T18:38:40.025-07:00Some more Oliver adorableness. Here he is kneading my shawl, with it in his mouth of course. This time, he gets his back legs into the action. No shawls were harmed in the making of this video. Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-44102642986073530702009-05-06T18:08:00.000-07:002009-05-11T23:42:18.128-07:00Written on May 11, 2009The weather has cooled off thankfully. Now it's back to normal May weather. Nice during the day, cool at night. There are some good developments that have been happening, but I won't mention them here yet as they are still in progress.I don't have much to report otherwise.Last night, I drove to the grocery store to settle my ice cream cravings that I've been having lately. Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-63253035434118694792009-05-04T01:29:00.000-07:002009-05-04T01:39:09.157-07:00It looks like I have three little earthquake predictors in my house. They were acting nuts the day before the earthquake, so much that I actually Tweeted it. Look to the right if you don't believe me. And, the follow up after the quake hit. I got a lot of emails from people because I also updated that on other social networking sites. It was just a little quake, but nearby and shallow so it was Annenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-75816565183407664782009-04-29T23:27:00.000-07:002009-04-29T23:36:27.947-07:00Thanks everyone for your emails and help. I deleted the post because time has passed for the project. I didn't win, because well, I ran out of time before I could complete my whole project. It was for a focus group that I was doing for a wireless company. In the end, I just ran out of time and energy. A very neat and fun lady won. By then, knowing I hadn't finished, I knew I wasn't in the Annenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-27174245653709196362009-04-22T17:31:00.000-07:002009-04-22T17:55:03.399-07:00We finally got a reprieve from the three-day heat wave. I plan to walk later in my gorgeous neighborhood, as I have a feeling many others will do. It's crisp with a slight wind and partly cloudy. Perfect.I've had some great prospects and that's all I'm going to say for now. I'm hoping for the best and keeping my fingers crossed.On April 15th, I was sitting smugly in my apartment, watching the Annenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-16584024403715772792009-04-16T11:14:00.000-07:002009-04-16T11:17:20.621-07:00I decided to shelve the hiatus. Sorry for the false alarm. I'll explain later. It's due to a good thing, to all you who wrote worried. Either way, the blog will continue without interruption.Annenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-15634669324358815092009-04-13T06:21:00.000-07:002009-04-15T21:13:16.436-07:00I went to a colleague's book signing on Wednesday. The book signing was for Evan Wright's Hella Nation. And, if you like fantastic slice-of-life stories from the fringes, this is the book for you. From knowing Evan, he's a great story teller and very funny in his descriptions of the extreme people and situations that he's profiled. I met Evan while he was in the office for Season Four of The WireAnnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-60109120033453758652009-04-06T07:12:00.001-07:002009-04-15T22:59:43.654-07:00To the people of Italy or those who have relatives there, you are in our thoughts and prayers today. I was up when news broke about the quake and was hoping that it wasn't that bad. Unfortunately that isn't the case.Annenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3408702.post-16692721495323017552009-04-01T19:55:00.000-07:002011-10-25T12:01:33.885-07:00
The below details exactly how NOT to have a job fair:
Don't tell people on the phone to come at 1:00 PM, then not let them participate at 1:10.
Don't call it a job fair if it isn't really a job fair.
Don't humiliate them publicly for arriving at 1:10, when it wasn't specified that people arriving after 1:00 will not be allowed to participate.
Don't expect me to walk away with my tail betweenAnnenoreply@blogger.com0