Spirited Away

COMIC-CON.

Brilliant.

Last weekend was a Hayao Miyazaki film. I stepped into a magical world of pirates, lightsabers, and thousands of ravenous children (ages 1-70) rejoicing in sci/fi and fantasy.

Seeing that it was to be my first time to experience this phenomena (one which for the last 4 or 5 years I had heard about in awed whispers from my animation and graphic design friends) I decided I should come prepared. I had things to see, and people to admire! I had to schedule every second of my weekend! Enter: Summer's Comic-con Guidebook



I made it at work before going to Bryan's and James's.

Contents:
-San Diego Convention Center (SDCC) map.
-SDCC Mezzanine map.
-Print out of Badge Barcode
-Directions to and from Urban's apartment to SDCC
-Friday Event Schedule
-Saturday Event Schedule
-Sunday Event Schedule
-Autograph List w/Booth Locations
-Print Out of Special Guests

Hard core Geekdom 101. But in my defense I was partially going to Comic-con for research in my other job and I needed to make sure I covered all my bases.




*laugh* Yeah right. I thought about work a total of 0 times once I stepped foot on the SDCC grounds.

Anywhoo... pics!


Trolley tracks in front of SDCC


Friday Afternoon at the Con


Is that a gun in your pocket or...?


BTW, there were about 500,000 of storm/clone troopers there. YOU WOULD HAVE LOVED IT DARRYL!


My hero Brian Froud (on the right on the big screen) talking about making the sequel to The Dark Crystal, to come out sometime in the next 2 years. 90% Puppets! I could hardly hear the rest of what he was saying becuase of the screams of adoration from fans. Oh yeah- and the line for this program was about 2 hours long.


Good Grief! The Peanuts Booth!


Dinner with Bryan & James


Look at how happy I am after my first day. Exquisite.

So since the Con was in San Diego of course I had to take advantage and stay with Urban. Hi Urban! I hadn't seen him since he can up to LA with Val for E3... and I got to be the first girl to 1. Stay the night in his new apartment, and 2. Sleep on his new king sized bed (strictly platonic).

And can I say, Total Swank. Urban's new "apartment" (as he calls it- I call it a James Bond Ladies-Man Condo) is 2 stories with a gated front foyer ALL JUST FOR HIMSELF on top of a hill overlooking suburban SD. SWEET. He got it because he's making mad money now designing environments for Sony's Everquest game. I got to go furniture shopping with him every morning (the Con doesn't open til 10am) and watch him play World of Warcraft every night. Total college heaven.


Urban originally thought that these shorts would get him kudos in front of Bruce Campbell. *cough*


This Batman was over 7 feet tall. And guess what?...


...he was made completely of Legos for the Lego booth! AWESOME!


Princess Leia (she made this costume!)


LOLOLOLOL Urban with Princess Leia


The new coverart for the upcoming issue of Spider-Man.



Drooling over the Star Wars booth. These are all life sized! BTW, Carrie Fisher, David Prowse, and Jango Fett were ALL there signing autographs. The line for that one was only about 20,336 hours long.


No Optimus! Urban is one of the good guys!


I'll save you Urban!


Look at that happy bystander in the middle! LOLOL


SNAKES ON A PLANE! SWEET! Sam Jackson was there to sign autographs, but who cares? IT'S SNAKES, ON A PLANE!


Me and my boyfriend- have you guys met?- taking some time alone.

Ok, before the next pic I need to give you guys some background info. If you go to my room at home in Texas you will see two things: Unicorns and Fairies. Why? Because of Peter S. Beagle and Brian Fround. Peter S. Beagle wrote the book 'The Last Unicorn' which, when I was in first grade broke my heart into a million thousand pieces. Since then no one has been able to argue me out of believing in Unicorns. And Brian Froud? OMG. He created the worlds of 'The Dark Crystal' and 'The Labyrinth' and all of those wonderful fairy books. For anyone growing up in the 80's, HE MADE our imagination. I specifically remember in preschool watching 'The Dark Crystal' EVERY DAY. This man is profound.

And both were scheduled to be at Comic-con.

Honestly, when I found out I was more in shock than anything. Here, within my own reach, was a chance to meet 2 men that affected my life SO MUCH that not a day goes by without some semblance of how they have done so. Every step I've made since graduating high school (college in Miami, moving to LA) were indirectly done so because of these men (I only have 5 or so influences in my life outside of my family, and these are 2 of them), who fed and nurtured the artist in me all during my young years.

Every step I took in Comic-con was scheduled around meeting them.

Brian Froud was the first. I went to his program on Friday (pic above, where he is on a huge tv screen) to try and see if I could talk to him. But there were SO MANY people there that it was impossible. I was quite dejected. But then Val (Urban's...girlfriend?), who has been to Comic-con every year since, like, birth, told me that Brian Froud was a friend of hers and she would bring me to him on Saturday.

And OMG. She DID.



Honestly, I don't know what got into me. I'm not some girly-girl or anything, but as I stood in front of his booth (clutching my special edition Dark Crystal dvd for *please God* a signature) I shook. I couldn't breathe. This was Brian Froud! BRIAN FROUD!

BRIAN FROUD

And then the guy in front of me left and there he sat, smiling up at me.

Val "Hey Brian, this is my friend Summer. She's a fan of yours."

Mr. Froud "Hello Summer"

Summer "OMG. You're Brian Froud! You're my hero!"




*sigh*
smooth.

very smooth.

He's such a sweety! He laughed, took my dvd, and did a SKETCH and signed it. A SKETCH! And then, shy, when I asked if I could take a picture with him, he said "of course!" and put his arm around me a gave a big grin.

Awesome.

THANKYOUVALTHANKYOUVALTHANKYOUVAL!

After that Me, Val, Urban, and Val's friend Frank went to Dick's Last Resort to have some lunch. If you're ever in San Diego I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this place. Noisy, Dirty, and Rude.

AWESOME

The waitors and waittresses yell at you. Couldn't care less about you or your appetite. If you ask 'how much is this?' they respond 'if you have to ask, you can't afford it.' If you need napkins, they throw packages of it on your heads from above, causing uproar throughout and started paper ball fights with the patrons. People flick food and laugh and yell. And you hardly get what you ordered the first time around. I loved it. If I was rich I would make the trek from LA to San Diego so I could go there for lunch once a week. And the food was awesome.


Stick in a quarter and get your meal (the vegan in my now kinda itches with this picture, but when I took it I thought it was kinda cool).


Urban, Frank, and Val

I couldn't stay for all of lunch, though. Ray Bradbury (author of Farenheit 451) was signing autographs at 2pm and, seeing how the trend was long lines and long wait times, at 1pm I made sure I was in line.

Long story short, I didn't get to see him. Mislabeled tables, confused guides, unknowledgeable comic-con volunteers... in the end after 45 minutes of waiting at THE WRONG TABLE me and about 20 other people had to run from one side of the convention center to the other (a feat all it's own) just to be REJECTED once we got to the wrong place because we were 5 MINUTES TO LATE and the line was closed. A little irritated (Okay- A LOT irritated), I went and CONFIRMED Peter S. Beagle's location and plopped down in front of his table an HOUR AND a HALF before he was to show. Apparently, others had experienced my same disappointment, because I was not the only one in line.


Darth Vader believes in unicorns.

This was an adventure in itself. The Peter S. Beagle line was full of ebay vultures, guys with bags full of 10 copies of a single book asking for signatures. They would cut line and have the authors on the booths to the right or left sign their free programs, then sneak over to Peter S. Beagle and have him sign for 10 minutes. I was the 10th in line, but ended up being like 20th because of them. As I was stepping up to Peter S. Beagle, with him beckoning me to come up (I was tearing up by now, because of the shock of my previous frustration and because I was MEETING PETER S. BEAGLE) two vultures stepped in front of me. But-

Ebay Vultures "Sir, could you-"

Peter S. Beagle "NO."

Ebay Vultures "But sir, we've waited-"

Peter S. Beagle "I said NO. This little girl has been waiting and I believe it's her turn, please step out of her way."


TOTAL ELATION.

I bring him my Last Unicorn book and he smiles at me and looks at my name tag.

Peter S. Beagle "Are you Summer?"

Me "Yes!"

Peter S. Beagle "Thank you for being patient..."

OMG. MY HEROES ARE NICE! They speak softly! They are polite! And they seem to be genuinely caring individuals without egotistic inclinations!

AWWWW!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THEM!!!


THAT'S PETER S. BEAGLE! SIGNING MY BOOK!

Suffice it to say, my life was complete. I was on cloud 9. It was Saturday afternoon, only half-way through comic-con, and I could go home RIGHT THEN and know I just had the one of the best experiences of my life.

After that I relaxed, put away my guidebook with all my schedules and must-see appointments, and had fun.


I don't know who he is, but if there's a snowstorm tonight he's going on my tires.


Awesome! He even has a ball of ice!


This guy was on the atkins diet for a year, and lost 100 pounds!


I was so mad when I saw this pic. I had Urban take it because I was SO SURE that I was taller than them and I'd be able to bring home proof to my roommates that I was NOT A HOBBIT.




Free fans to ward off record-breaking heat.


Watching the annual Masquerade from the crowd spill-over room. The line for the actual Masquerade was about 6 hours long, so this substitute was fine for me.


James got tired and sat down for a second at a booth. And people started lining up for his autograph! LOLOL


Bryan's goal for the Con this year was to get artists to draw sketches in his sketch book. He just barely made it for this guy.

Well, that's it for now. I have about 200 pics I COULD show you, but my flickr account is the free kind and alas, my memory has been filled for this month. I had a great time, though, and can't wait until next year.

"I did not know that I was so empty, to be so full" - The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle

Random:
-Falafels! MMMmmmm....
-I'm so disappointed in Beyonce and Janet. Their new singles are awful. Christina, Fergie, Justin & Nelly Furtado... they know where the money's at. And DON'T GET ME STARTED ON JESSICA AND (Gwen Stefani wannabe) PARIS HILTON. PUKETASTIC.
-The power turned off at work for 2 hours Friday night, so me and Luis (being the only night workers around, and being incapacitated by electrical doors and elevators) had cool psuedo-camp fire time. Awesome.
-Have I told you guys that Mommy rocks? Well, she does. I was nervous about telling her about my veganism (consider the astoundingly violent reactions I was getting from close, personal friends) but she was one step ahead of me! She had see the video and was already planning for vegan shopping when I called! I LOVE MY MOM!
-What's with weddings? For the last 2 years I haven't been able to get away from them! And I'm not alone, either... Angel is always talking about going to weddings and so are 2 of my friends from Miami.
-Thanks for the advice Kelly- I'll have to taste them. I'm going shopping today, so I'll look and see if I can grab some. :) When are you going to start writing again? INQUIRING MINDS WANNA KNOW!
-Happy Birthday Miska! Miska is leaving Wednesday mornig- oh no!

A Wealth of Information

So, because I don't want to eat lettuce leaves all my life, I've been doing some research. Below is a list of links where you can go if you wanna know about some vegan-friendly foods. Honestly, this is more for me than for you (so I can go on different computers and still be able to access my list of links).

- http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/
- http://www.caringconsumer.com/labels.html.
- http://www.caringconsumer.com/resources_companies.asp
- http://www.caringconsumer.com/resources_foodguide.asp

Cheerios are on the list! And Capt'n Peanut Butter Crunch! Ummmmm.... Here's hoping that soy milk tastes good!

Also: Some company info:

http://www.caringconsumer.com/pdfs/companiesDontTest.pdf
http://www.caringconsumer.com/pdfs/companiesDoTest.pdf

A Who's Who in the world of Vegetarians and Vegans (which, by the way, includes Einstein, Newton, DaVinci, AND [studies point to] Jesus):

http://www.goveg.com/celebs_famous.asp

And, lastly, an article:

http://www.goveg.com/veganism.asp

Can I say... awesome?

"And don't even get me started on... the mentality of avoiding things new and unknown just to stay "safe." - Angel



My whole life rolled up into one simple statement. I thought I was the only one in my family to think that way! Veggie kudos Angel- may the powers that be grant you happiness beyond your imagination. :)

I've gone vegan!

You heard right. Food's number one fan (me) has foregone some of it's most pleasureable temptations. And you know what- I'm proud of it!

This is of course primarily connected to the video I posted in my last blog. I was heartbroken when I watched it yesterday. Luis showed me at work, and for my last hour there I couldn't stop crying. BAWLING. Like, snot coming out of my nose sobbing. I sobbed all the way home- I cried myself to sleep. I even shed a couple of tears when I woke up.

and don't get me started on how my appetite has gone

I feel as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders (cliche, but so true). I'm happier than I have been with myself in a long time. And my choice came with no qualms or hesitation, just this weird clarity and calm telling me "You know what? Maybe you're actually right for a change." Of course, it'll be hard getting through Christmas in Texas (bye bye 98% of all filipino food), but it's damn well worth a try.

Surprisingly, of the 12 people I've told today only 1 gave me positive feedback (you're awesome Miska!). Everyone else acted threatened, condescending, amused (in a negative way), were belligerant, or downright aggressive. They automatically gave me a week (which means I'll last a year just to prove you guys wrong, hehe). But in all seriousness, why is that? I am in no way threatening you with your life- I'm not asking you to change with me, and I didn't insult you. Why must you take something like this and make it into a bad experience? When I announced it at work I was surrounded for almost 30 minutes by questions of "You know you can't eat (insert food here)?" and "You know this will be too hard for you?" AND someone even stood up and said "Well, I'm going to go have me a BIG STEAK."

Honestly, why? It's kind of like someone saying 'I believe in Jesus' and me responding with a 'Satan is my best friend.' Is that really necessary? Yeah, you can have fun with it- that's fine. But a little support with your jabs would be nice.

Anyway... let me stop grumbling. I'm happy and if you're jealous then just look the other way.

For your info, MISC QUESTIONS ASKED TODAY:

What's the difference between vegetarian and vegan?
Well, vegetarians will only not eat meat. So they will have a big slab of butter on their corn and be okay with it. Vegans, on the other hand, will not eat meat AND anything coming from animals (animal by-product). So in essence I cannot eat butter, ice cream, chocolate, cakes (bye bye Brandi's wedding cake), or anything else that doesn't come 100% from the ground.

Will you actually be able to go without (insert food here)? And what if you're on a deserted island and the only food you can have is meat?
For the first question- I don't know if I don't try. And honestly, someone offered me chocolate today (my favorite substance in the whole world) and I was almost disgusted with it. I kept thinking about that poor cow in the video, and the agony on his face while the farmers were doing things to him. For the second question- my turning vegan is more a protest of the meat packing process of farms and factories in America. If I am fishing I will eat my fish, or if I go to a small farm where the animals are treated with respect then I will have the milk. After all, it is a natural need. I WILL NOT, however, support what is being done for the sake of money.

But what about ice cream?
What about it? Sure, I'll want it (desperately) every now and then, but I don't need it to live. And for protein- there's tons of protein everywhere, you just have to know where to look.

For more info, go to www.goveg.com

:)

Random:
-I've worked out everyday this week. My average is about 1 1/2 miles of running + 1 1/2 miles of walking a day. Go me! I don't think I'd be able to get through it without my itunes phone (thanks again Bryan and company!). Some music that rocks with working out:
-Anything Black Eyed Peas
-Christina Aguilera:Fighter
-Madonna:Ray of Light
-The Postal Service:Such Great Heights
-Pussycat Dolls:Buttons
-Nelly Furtado:Promiscuous Girl
-Justin Timberlake:Sexy Back
-No Doubt:Just A Girl
-Coldplay:Clocks
-Anything Jay-Z

I totally recommend them :)

Surprisingly Britney Spears doesn't help me. Neither does Beyonce, but I was expecting that because Beyonce goes off beat so much with her diva screams that how could anyone ever expect to keep tempo with that?

-I've officially got ONE non-family reader now!(I know, what's wrong with her?) Her name's Kelly, and she's from Canada. Everyone say Hi Kelly! Thanks much for your compliment chica! Go check her out, give some support: http://misspurplepanties1.blogspot.com/
-Poor Angel is still having bad dreams. My question is: how can you make Abraham Lincoln a bad dream? lolol Angel's brain thinks too much.
-Comic-con updates coming this weekend! I promise!
-My beautiful car Angie has finally been registered in California! Goodbye old license plate: B60SSN, heeeello new one: 5UVM269.
-HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY TAYLOR!!!!!

Meet Your Meat- Why I Can No Longer Eat It

This is not for the weak hearted, yet I still advise you to see it (I could not finish it - watch out Mommy). It is wrong, inhumane, and should be stopped. If you're still interested afterwards, there are enough Peta movies on youtube.com to keep anyone educated.

10 seconds of my pleasure is not worth all of this pain.



"...because this is not what wings are for."

Which, at best, is nothing but an excuse...

I REALLY should be packing right now.

Like, seriously. It's 2am, I have to get up for work at 8am, work BOTH of my jobs until midnight, then crash at Bryan's for Comi-con. AND I still have to PACK for Comi-con.

But I can't.

Because tomorrow, after the dust settles,

I

will

be

in

COMI-CON!!!!

COMICONCOMICONCOMICONCOMICONCOMICON
COMICONCOMICONCOMICONCOMICONCOMICON
COMICONCOMICONCOMICONCOMICONCOMICON

...and I'm too excited to concentrate on anything else. :)

OMG Comi-con. The heaven for heathens, children of the 80's whose heroes rode starcraft and battled rogues in worlds that all at once were more exquisite and devastating than anything our own could give us. A place to be among those like yourself, after feeling for so long that no more of you existed.

Comi-con.


Understandably I can't think enough to coordinate my brain cells for packing.

...

You know, this is really nothing but an excuse for me. Originally I was not supposed to write anything more in my blog until I came back from Comi-con weekend with adventures and powerpoint pictures, but this energy I feel helps me because
1. I desperately have been wanting to write about a pet peeve of mine on here, and
2. Writing in my blog during times like these supports my other favorite hobby: Procrastination.

But lets move along and talk about my pet peeve before I crash.

SUMMER'S PET PEEVE:

Bathrooms.

Honestly, why? WHY can't I have a nice experience in a bathroom? THE WHOLE BENEFIT to working nights is that there is no bathroom traffic. No self-conscious holding back of natural instinct. No nervous cough to cover what should be a socially acceptable noise/smell but in reality is AN APPARENT TRAVESTY to your "precious little over-sensitive shell."

YOU BASTARDS.LEAVE ME ALONE.

I already have to watch my bathroom manners at home, were I have 5 roommates in unguardedly close proximity at all times. ALREADY I have to catch myself before walking into my internship bathroom, THE ONE bathroom that they have in that damn small house. BUT PLEASE, PLEASE just let me enjoy the sanctity of the bathroom at work.

DON'T talk to me while I'm sitting on the throne. DON'T come just to look at yourself in the mirror for 30 *&%$ MINUTES while I'm holding it in. DON'T sit in the stall right beside me if the other 50 are open and clean. NEVER sit and chat with your friends at the sink. DON'T rattle my door or look in the slit to see if anyone is there. AND FOR CHRIST'S SAKE, DO NOT mess up MY stall - my one little favorite stall in the corner with the broken lightbulb against the wall, and leave it uninhabitable for me!

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!

When I grow up I am going to have a huge bathroom with ONE BIG TOILET just for me. Away from the hub-bub, away from the party - a private santuary FOR MYSELF.





good...great...I'm glad I got that off my chest...


Now I need to pack.

Fourteen Things That It Took Me Over 50 Years To Learn—by Dave Barry

Funny, yet so true...

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

2. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."

3. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."

4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

5. You should not confuse your career with your life.

6. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

7. Never lick a steak knife.

8. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.

9. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.

10. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

11. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age eleven.

12. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above-average drivers.

13. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)

14. Your friends love you anyway.

Thought for the day: Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

Miska the Actor & The Girl in Me

I've been spending a surprising amount of time with Miska lately. Even though he's leaving in less than a month (like Darryl and Andy before him, his future is determined by the US government) I find my chats with him are more just random acts of friends bonding than forced companionship 'because he is leaving.'

Miska, my friends, is the prime example of the struggling artist. More so than Andy and Darryl in my mind, because where Andy and Darryl were trained on many different ways to express their art (and therefore can do various jobs to stay- or get back into- the country) Miska, being an actor, can only act. He's been good so far- he's in the new Oliver Stone movie about Sept. 11, was in the show Entourage, and did a 3 month run of his one person show. But of course that means nothing. For actors work is an entity that comes and goes- it is the sunshine of a life filled with all four seasons. And the US government does not see this "job stability" as good enough to merit a working visa.

But Miska has always known this. It doesn't matter- never will. You fall, you get up. It's admirable, the drive that my roommates show. I have no doubt that I will see Miska again, and soon.



IN OTHER NEWS:
I have official joined the ranks of "female." Rejoice, Mommy and Hazel, your youngest is no longer inept of culturally common knowledge regarding the pursuit of feminine frivility.

And it's all because of Angel and Bim's epilator.

See, I try. I TRY to help myself be better. Case in point: the epilator is a one time $50 purchase that will last long enough to be cheaper than 5 years worth of disposable razors. It is "a steal." So to further my self-betterment I decide to step into the realm of cost-effective living and buy one. I even got the one in the pink box, because as a feminine product I assured myself that of the multiple choices in the Target female isle I could not go wrong with pink.

Don't get me wrong- it works. Hurts like a b*$%#, but it works. I have no use for it except for on my legs (I'm too scared to put it anywhere else) so after 3 hours of torture I end up with baby bottoms for limbs.

Eh. It works.

Well... after about 2 1/2 - 3 weeks I start to itch. I think nothing of it at first, maybe buy Cleo a tic collar, then go about my business. Then Shannon and Roberto ask us over for a swim in their pool and I pull out the epilator again.

And guess what.

I have ingrown hairs.

I'm not talking about one or two bumps. These bastards are EVERYWHERE. ALL OVER MY LEGS. AND LONG. AND UNTOUCHABLE. I run my hand over my skin and it feels smooth, but I SEE HUNDREDS of black hairs lying there, laughing at me.

HOW DISGUSTING.



And this is all over both of my legs! Ugh. You know that feeling when you're watching some scifi/scary movie and they show scenes where worms crawl into someone's skin and walk around? I FELT LIKE THAT. (OMG I'm even shuddering as I type this!)

puketastic

Well, immediately I get up to go to the store to buy a hack saw. But on my way, our new roommate Sophia stops me. I explain to her my hysteria and she sits me down. "Summer, do you ever exfoliate?" she asks.

"Uhhh..."

"Do you even know what that means?"

"Of course I do!" (Of course I didn't)

"Well, you know how you put lotion on everyday, right?"

"Uhhh..."

*sigh*

So she goes through the shpeel. About exfoliation and moisturizing and lotioning and everything. Me, being the uber example of non-girl, had no clue about anything that she was talking about. Hours passed, and she was still explaining things. Seriously- my guy roommates knew more about all of it than I did.

But, because of the insectual sensation I was receiving from my legs, I nodded, smiled, and promptly bought everything she recommended.

Shopping List:
-Ultimate Pomegrade-seed Exfoliant (use 3 times a week while showering)
-Loofah hand glove (to use w/exfoliant)
-Dial Daily Care soft liquid Exfoliant (for everyday use)
-White puffy thingy for liquid soap application
-Biore Exfoliant for Face with citrus & mango
-Neutrogena SPF 15 Moisturizer
-Aveeno Lavender and Mint Body Lotion

Well... it works. Well. Amazingly well. I've been on this regiment for two weeks now, and look at my legs:


Like New!

I must admit- girls know what they're doing. This stuff makes me feel really good. Like fresh and stuff. It's a bit rigorous (honestly, now I spend like an hour of my day getting ready) so I don't see myself doing it everyday for the rest of my life, but at a smaller level I wouldn't mind it. It inspired me, this girl stuff, to try out other things I've previously neglected.

Like flossing, for example. And Listerine. And excersizing (I'm starting to do the 5 Tibetian Rites everyday, and my am I spry!).


And you know what? In some crazy, ironic way, all of this girl stuff has released something inside me. I feel free. Fresh. New.

And, most importantly:


*shhh...can you keep a secret?




I've been writing!

Pearly Semi-whites

I went to the dentist today (hi Thuy-people!). I think I lost maybe 20 pounds, I was sweating so much... after all, I haven't been to one in like 5 years. And even though it was fast, easy, and (almost) painless, I had a rough time. Honestly: it wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't hating it every second I was there. Every second. And then I go to pay the front desk and they smile at me and say, "No- it's free!" and I feel like an ass. Which brings me to:


SUMMER'S GUIDE TO LOVING LIFE
LESSON #1: STOP HATING EVERYTHING

For example:
I HATE the dentist BUT they make my teeth pretty, and if it hurts it's my own fault
I HATE the doctor BUT they keep me healthy and alive
I HATE work BUT it pays well (stop complaining) and I have awesome benefits. Plus my coworkers are great, it's not hard, and I'm not doing physical labor for minimum wage
I HATE my financial situation BUT I still went to MacDonald's this morning, didn't I?
I HATE my unhealthy physique BUT I still went to MacDonald's this morning, didn't I?
I HATE my unmoving career BUT I'm not making an effort to write anything
I HATE SallieMae BUT I have a fine college degree sitting at home
I HATE the California Department of Motor Vehicles BUT . . .

hmmm... I'm stuck on that one...

Obviously I could delve deeper and go into why I shouldn't hate gas prices or the people who post adorable pictures of free cats on craigslist, but I think you get the point. From now on I'll just concentrate on loving everything. Since most of my life revolves around food, family, friends, and films, that shouldn't be too hard. :)

"Heroes are firefighters, doctors, and good samaritans. Legends are people who do what the rest of us cannot- live life the way they want to."

My Mom is Awesome LOLOLOL :)

Sorry Mommy- I hope you didn't want to keep this private because I couldn't help it. It was too sweet and cute for me to resist putting it on here. If you want, tell me and I'll take it down. :)

Summer,
just a few comments/qs before i forget...

did you mean : for all intents and purposes? or 'intensive?' is this a typo?

you are blogging quite well, really proud of you! and NO, having babies or getting married can't make me prouder of you...these things will happen in their own happy time for you. the lucky guy is still out there being prepared to be the right one for you, believe you me...

for now, you'll just be my very pretty and talented youngest daughter who is also in (undergoing) the preparation stage to be the right one for that Right Guy...

and as for me, I already (and will always)

love you...

Mommy

Even doctors don't know what I am...

Ok- seriously I'm not trying to copy Angel or anything but she keeps saying that she's a 7 and I just had to see what she was talking about so I checked it out. It's the Enneagram test, where by answering a series of questions doctors figure out what number best fits you- each number coinciding with a personality type.

So guess what. I'm a 3 & a 5 .

AND a 4 & a 6.

WHAT?!

Explanation: My first try I take the test very honestly, considering each question and choosing the first answer that pops up (and not changing it even if i feel i should). Then the results come on: "It is not clear from these test results which Enneagram type you are."

My Score? The highest 2 are 5 & 3, both at 13 points. Second highest are 4 & 6, both being at 12 points.

The test says "You might also benefit from taking the test again later" so I do. This time I do it without considering everything, just jumping through and with all honesty picking the single most first thing that pops into my head.

Results? "It is not clear from these test results which Enneagram type you are." Highest score this time is 6 & 4 at 13 points, Second highest being 3 & 5 at 12.

WTF?! How f*$ked up is it that I'm the weirdo with multiple personalities? Is that even possible?

While I specifically love the fact that I'm a 5 (after all, 5 IS my favorite number) at the same time the fact that I'm a 3, 4, & 6 is SO CLEAR to me after I read the personality descriptions that it borders on the obscene. What am I supposed to do?! I fit everything! Does that mean I am nothing?! I am not individual? Am I an ultimate product of our society, with equal amounts of everything obtuse so tightly wound that even tests such as these cannot differentiate between the individual and it's maker?

WHAT AM I?!


Note: Bryan would say that I am being overly dramatic. But how can I help it, when I am a 3, 4, 5 & 6?!

Life On the Other Side

I've been doing a lot of reading lately.

Obviously my internship deems this necessary but, to my surprise, the reading is not all bad scripts written by pre-teen Spielberg wannabes from Boondock, USA. In fact, for the last few months (except for a some exceptions) I dont think I've read anything that wasn't short of amazing. Keep in mind, too, that these people who I am reading are all undiscovered talent... most of our stuff comes to us through 1. an over-eager manager/agent,2. a reference from a contest/festival/fellowship (they're usually of the top 3 winners if this is the case), or 3. the person themselves, who were determined enough to push through the crowded bars/movie sets/theaters to convince my bosses that they were worthy of our time.

And my hath the waters overflow.

Scripts for films, scripts for tv, pilots, books, manuscripts- you name it we have it. Heaps and heaps. At any given time if you walk into the office (it's a house, actually, that's been converted into an office) you will see half a dozen interns sprawled on the couches, chairs, or lounging in the shade of a palm tree in the foyer out back. All of them reading.

Summer Heaven, anyone?

Anywhoo... one writer in particular stood out (in my opinion) above all of the rest. His name: Evan Kilgore.

Without trying to be cliche: His writing is a breath of fresh air.

I love him. I think he's my long lost husband. I can sit down to read his stuff (and I say STUFF because he writes EVERYTHING, scripts, books, film, tv, plays, you name it)and wake up 3 hours later with no recollection of anything but what was on the page. Or (better example) when I read his scripts i SEE the movie happening in front of me. RARE.

He's written 22 books. Has over a two dozen scripts (any kind) to pick from. And get this: he's a wonderkid.

That's right- he's only 23.

Argh.

Anywhoo... something else I've been reading lately (already published): Man Camp.



My boss threw it at me as I walked in today. Said I had to read it in 2 hours and report back to him... but it was very good, so I got it done. Apparently we're looking at making it into a movie. It's funny, light, yet it has some serious wisdom going on about dating. Really cool- if anybody wants to kill time you should check it out.

And lastly- because I'm doing this on my lunch break and it's almost over- I saw Devil Wears Prada this weekend before *gasp* reading the book *gasp* (it was FREE Mommy- don't worry).



I LOVE IT. But it hits very very very close to home. Seriously- it was like watching the last 3 months of my life reenacted before me, with better clothes, exotic locales, and a clearer ending (which I cannot see coming close anytime soon). It's ALMOST TO THE TEE what I am going through right now. It was at once both refreshing (to know that other people are going through the same thing- and that there is a way out) and frustrating (I can't help but ask whether the actual story has been 'Hollywoodised" and if it could ever end so happily in real life). Now I definitely have to read the book... it might help with the depression I throw myself into every other day.

Wow... how random of me. Talking about Summer Heaven in the beginning, all chipper and happy, and ending with the revelation that I have been depressed for 3 months and just haven't told anyone.

Sorry folks, didn't mean to do that. I think it's pretty hard to cover it up now unless I erase the last few paragraphs but I would be lying to myself if I did... and I don't want to do that. So I'll just let it be.

whatever

Blog Overload

I LOVE this new format!

OMG. I've done nothing since I got it but stare at it in awe. It's so fresh and clean- it's like sitting on my bed after cleaning my room and not moving for hours.

I've just read through my whole blog, from 2004 when I started to last night's entry (wow... someone doesn't have a life). It's really cool that I wrote so much when I started- some of the things I read I don't remember feeling, doing, or seeing until I go back to the entry. It kind of makes me sad about the times when I get super busy (i.e. the last 5 months) and I don't have the energy to update. Will I ever remember all the things I've done in the last five months? For example:

-Andy has left the filmmaker house, come back, and left again. I haven't written about any of that! (First he went to Costa Rica to film a movie for two months, then he came back for a month, and now- as of a week ago- he is back in Switzerland... maybe for good.)
-Miska's family Rikka, Myra, and Paola have all come to visit. I haven't put up any pics, or even referred to any of them by name except for Myra during my tattoo escapade.
-My Struggle won FIRST PRIZE in the Gaffers Film Festival, and consequently got invited to another one coming to LA later this year. Except for in passing, I haven't described this AT ALL!
-I had a fantastic time in New York. Seriously- fantastic. But all you've read was my first day, and misc reminders to myself to tell you the rest. Already i don't remember some of the little things I specifically wrote down to let you guys know- like how they take the trash out EVERYDAY (and just lay it on the street) and how on Sunday's the financial district becomes a ghost town...
-We've gotten a new roommate! Her name is Sophia, and despite my lack of enthusiasm about getting a girl roommate (once again, for maybe the one hundreth time), she has since grown on me. AND we're getting another one next month- Chris Meesey, my old friend from Miami, is coming in August.
-I've moved out of my room, into Luis's room in place of Miska, then moved back into my room. LONG STORY. Basically Miska was having people come to stay for a month (June) and I offered switching with him so he would have enough room- my room is big enough to fit them all. A WHOLE MONTH went by without me telling you guys that!
-I have almost given away Cleo/moved out of the Filmmaker House TWICE because she wasn't happy with all the changes going on around her and kept pooping EVERYWHERE (she's better now- I have no idea why, though).
-I've taken an interest in surfer, and am trying to find a way to get free lessons (so Mommy will have no grounds to stop me via financial complaints). Anyone know a way?
-Me and Luis are thinking of getting a tarantula. We're also going to be going into business together (sssshhhh... secret).
-Luis now lives in Andy's room!
-OMG have I even introduced you guys to Jorge?!
-With this new desk setup I have stepped on Cleo a total of 23 times. (She sleeps on the rug RIGHT UNDER my chair. Seriously- my chair SITS on that rug).
-I brought Filipino food to work as a thank you for everyone who got me the cell phone. OMG IT WAS SO GOOD. And I have so much left over I don't know what to do with myself. You know how when you don't have any food you're always hungry? Well, now I'm experiencing the opposite- I have so much food now that I have no desire whatsoever to eat. It's actually a pretty cool deal- I spent like $130 or so on A BIG tray of Beef Steak, a BIG tray of Pansit, some BarBQ, Lumpia, and Rice, and I'll have enough to last me a couple weeks. Hmmm... maybe I should just by filipino bulk instead of doing grocery shopping every week...
-Daddy's birthday and father's day have both gone by. Again- no mention whatsoever on my blog.
-I've since reignited my addiction to TLZ:OOT. (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on N64)
-Shannon and Roberto are having a baby! Again, WTF?


*sigh*

Speaking of Shannon and Roberto... I have to go. I need to get to Santa Clarita to feed their cats- they're in the Dominican Republic filming Roberto's mockumentary and I promised to take care of the three kitties (of course, in exchange of full use of gym, pool, and jacuzzi for 3 weeks :)

Later!

New Me

Ok.

I admit it's a cheap thrill, this blog business. I spent my whole day Saturday looking for a new blog design on blogskins.com (cool place btw- my last two were from there) but after sitting almost 5 hours in front of the computer searching, I ended up getting "off my lazy butt" and doing it myself.

And dare I say I did a good job.

I was tired of having to click on buttons to get to the information. It's a blog! Not a website! I like Angel's design, where you type in her address and automatically you get the goods. I mean, that's what you're there for, right? You aren't there for any of the flash... all the extra stuff is just vanity.

Simple. Simple is good.

I figure every six months or so I need a fresh new image. And since my ego has been knocked down by my over-active friends/family (what with everybody getting married or pregnant and all) I needed something that said "I am accomplishing something in my life," and the usual quick fix is changing the look of my blog. I mean honestly- how can I compete?! EVERY ONE of my friends from TX is married now (Brandi is the last). Hazel and Chau are both having babies every other month it seems.

Darn it, I need something to brag about!

Don't get any ideas, though, Mommy- I'm not about to get married. GOD NO. And babies?! No thanks- maybe in like 10 years.

:)

ARGH

My lamp just blew out.

I heard it, too... I heard a slight crinkle (like small wine glasses smacking together) and then all the sudden I was saved solely by the light on my devoted computer screen.

*sigh*

I knew this was going to happen... I've moved my computer to my room (the back office is too HOT) and when I was first setting it up my power-bar thingy (the thing you plug everything in to) blew and started to smoke. It's probably the actual outlet, and more than likely bad that I'm still sitting here and not getting a back up power-bar so my computer doesn't suddenly burn out.

But I'm lazy.

*sigh*

Random:
-I'm now on IMDB!
-I need to do a festival update. Our film won first prize in a recent LA festival, and got accepted into another one. Alas.
-I still need to do a New York update.
-Books only work if you have the time to read them.
-Cleo hates the red ball, yet god save anyone who takes it from her.
-Life only works if you have the time to live it.
-I have homework for the internship, yet I'm strangely attracted to the internet today. Specifically perezhilton.com and msnbc.com's Week in Picture series (which Yahoo is trying to copy now).
-OMG I LOVE Nelly Furtado's new song! Boo on Paris Hilton and Beyonce's songs...

OMG

GUESS WHAT?!

BRANDI IS GETTING MARRIED!

CONGRATULATIONS BRANDI!!!!!

(and, of course, I'll be there to watch over her. What with my MAID OF HONOR duties and all :)

And it's really sweet how Kevin did it, too... he's interning for some government official in Washington, D.C. in the capitol building and she went to visit him for the July 4th weekend. On the morning of July 4th, before the capitol building was open to the public, he had his security guard friends let them in so he could give her a tour off all the artwork.

And that's when he proposed!

wow. This is the building I'm talking about:



So Romantic! OMG how am I ever going to beat that?! lolol just kidding... but FYI future husband- I'm extremely competitive, and Kevin just set you a high bar. :)

A little gift to myself- my own writing...the first to come from my hands in a very long time.

PAUSE


just pause
i need a sec.
i need a sec to
hear what i feel
what i fear,
need to talk to the girl,
need to listen with clear
clarity with nothing
blocking the ear
no nonsense
no people
no world to endear
no complaints
no restraints
no dramatic faints
from the heart with the pulse
that quivers complaints
with wants long replaced
with material traits
blocking my ears
of the cries
and the tears
of the one which above all
i'll be stuck with for years.

Me.

Happy Birthday Me!

Another year older, folks. :) I'm 23! And BOY HAS THIS BEEN AN EXCITING YEAR (wow- they just get better, don't they?).

But first- let's take a look back:

Me a Year Ago at a young 22

Me now!:


Actually, there isn't too much of a difference- just better lighting.

And, for the final unvieling (the semi-worldwide premiere)... everybody meet my baby- my tatto:



Isn't it cute?

"What is it? What does it mean?" you ask... well, I'll tell you. For one thing, it's a crescent moon. For another:

Symbolism:
-I am a cancer (crabs rule!) and the moon is my symbol
-The moon is black in honor of Eclipse (she was black, and when there is an eclipse the moon tunrs black)
-A crescent moon is the sign of youth... it's not complete. It's a reminder to myself that I'm still young, and that I need to have more patience because my whole life is still ahead of me.
-And honestly, I just think it's pretty. :)

Picture this: Small, dank tattoo shop. 2 overgrown mustachioed men with skin graffiti all over, a gleeful Finnish bystander, and a scared Filipino girl.

:)

I'd like to think it would be the type of story you would tell you grandkids. It wasn't. The two guys were really pleasant (they were joking around the whole time), Myra (the Finnish bystander- Miska's sister, here for a visit) was cringing and giggling and taking pictures, and I was sucking on a lollipop they gave me and trying not to look. I had already spent an hour or so drawing, erasing, then redrawing the thing on my wrist (my tattooist and Myra even went outside to smoke while they were waiting) and so by the time he started I was more tired than scared. The whole process took about 2 minutes and there was maybe only a speck of blood on my bandaid afterwards.

And it hurt. Bad.

You know that feeling you get the MOMENT a needle pricks the crook of your arm, sucking your life's blood away? Well, multiply that one mili-second by a billion, and send the sum scratching away at a sharpie pattern on the surface of your skin. Most people say it doesn't hurt, but they have to be lying.

BUT it didn't hurt so much that I was crying or wanted to stop. I even want to get another one!

It was definitely worth it. If you've been wanting one for a while I highly recommend that you go for it- I'll even hold you hand! (I do not agree with spur of the moment ones, though.) :) Anywhoo... some pics:




Okay, so let's get on with story time... I did a lot for my birthday. This year's birthday was so much fun it almost covered up the disappoinment of not being about to spend it with my family (note to self: when rich, bring your family with you).

My group at work (Bryan Yum and his minions) all got together and secretly devised a plan to surprise me on Friday- since my birthday was a Sunday- with a small party and a big present. The present? A black Motorola itunes SLVR phone.

Dream workmates, anyone?

Well, I basically ruined it all. On Wednesday E! Entertainment had it's annual wireless day, where all the local wireless networks sent representatives to offer discounts and (gasp- cheap or free phones!) to us E! folk. I- before I knew of any bday plans and being the ever optimist- decided to stop by and see if maybe a SLVR phone might, just might, be cheap enough for my to afford.

yeah right.

These phones can go up to $300 on the market. At Wireless Day they were half off at $150. My budget? About $5.

So i left it a little disappointed and went back to work, thinking maybe I could get the CHEAPER, refurbished one on cingular.com. Well, good thing I'm a public whiner... Bryan, Grace, and James heard me and barraged me with reasons to stop me from buying it. (They honestly almost had me convinced that it was a terrible phone at one point.)

Apparently, though, aside from not wanting me to purchase the phone myself, the reason why they stopped me was because this was a deal for THEM as well. So they sauntered on back while I was grumbling and tried to buy one for me. No luck. It turns out that the only way you get that deal is if you sign up for 2 more years with Cingular, and since they were not me they could not make that call.

SO, distressed, they came back up and confessed all to me. I was ecstatic.... but poor everyone else was sad. The surprise was ruined... lololol

(but I was ecstatic)

So I got myself a new, awesome, phone. And not just any phone- but an ITUNES PHONE (which means I basically got a high grade phone and a low-memory ipod in one!). SWEET!

They were all nice though... even though i got my present on Wednesday they all still surprised me on Friday. Firstly they make my cubicle look like Hello Kitty and Pink had a throw-up contest on top of it:



then secondly they all gathered in a conference room and surprised me with a devilishly delishious RED VELVET cake from Doughboys (my favorite cake, and Oprah's too).

MMMMmmmm! AWESOME. (I'm actually salivating as I write this)





Honestly- I couldn't get anymore work done that day. I was so happy I could burst. (Thank you again, workmates!)

Then, that night Peter surprised me with an impromtu Chocolate Mousse cake from Marie Callendars! ooohhh yyyeaahhhh...



But that's not all folks. Saturday night comes around, and guess what? At midnight (as I work at my desk at home) I hear singing behind me and Andy, Peter, and Miska come in bearing wine and singing Happy Birthday (see about movie).



And on SUNDAY Miska and Peter take me out for lunch. OMG SO GOOD. We went to Aroma cafe- a cute little place that apparently only the hip artsy type know about- and they paid for everything... I had a burger (which I had to eat with a knife and fork it was so big), fries, and a taste or two of some of the greatest cakes I've ever laid eyes on:


The front is french vanilla w/chocolate, the back is PEANUT BUTTER!!

And, to top it all off, we went bowling!



Flourescent shoes are in style...




Peter was so good at bowling it wasn't even funny. His ball was like machine gun bullet after machine gun bullet trained on one spot. Miska was pretty awful at first, but in the end he almost gave Peter a run for his money... let's say he's a VERY QUICK learner.

And me?

Well... my first time up I got a strike. After that, the only time I even HIT pins was if I fell while throwing... *sigh*


I suck.


Good job Miska!


Look at how FAST that thing is going...

:)

Promises:
-I WILL talk about my trip to New York in the next week. Sorry for the wait :)
-I WILL try to stop listening to the awesome sounds coming from my itunes phone 24 hours of the day... especially while roommates are sleeping
-I WILL NOT splurge any longer on cakes... but that doesn't stop me from looking :)

OMG, I think I've been typing for an hour. I gotta go... but, since I just recently discovered the benefits of youtube, I MUST leave you with some great home videos that show what has happened over the last year :)

Enjoy!


Taylor laughing!


Keianna kicks butt!


Peter is ?playing? with the cat...


Louie and I at work (what else is new?)..

Love ya all! Night!