Category Archives: merriment

BlogHer Here I Come!!!

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Well, I leave tomorrow, but same thing.  I mean I don’t know if I’ll have time to post something before I go tomorrow since I have to drop the pupster off before heading out.  And today, man, well today I still have a list of things to do…deal with our newspaper subscription (neither one of us recalls the login info), return to cient calls, write some blog posts for my other sites, get the contest up on my other site, and book my airport shuttle.  Oh yeah, and pack.

I guess I better check the forecast before I start throwing clothes in the suitcase.  Since I’ll be inside most of the day, I’m thinking that longish-sleeve tops would be fine.  And outside of the one casual dress for Thursday’s newbie event, I’ve decided to stick with a darkwash pair of jeans and call it a day.  I might wear sandals during the day, but throw my walking flats into my backpack in case I need to head out into the city.

Believe it or not, my biggest question is which jewelry to take since I have two longish silver necklaces that I love (and need to polish).  Guess I should also dig up my wedding ring too since I rarely wear that.  Hmmm..maybe I should ask for a new band for our 5th since this one is hollow and digs in a bit – but any bigger and it would be too big.

I’m also really excited that I got my Flip video camera.  I might put up a quick video tomorrow sometime.  It’s great fun to play with.  I look forward to asking various bloggers to give me a burning blogging answer to share with my biz blog readers.

And now it’s back to packing.  I expect to still be around and maybe sending out a tweet from time to time.  But I doubt I’ll be carrying my laptop with me to the event (since I’m not in the same hotel).  So don’t expect any quality blogging in my absence.

And Now a Yay! Moment

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One of my good friends from Spain just called!!!  We used to teach together back in Atlanta.  The year before I moved away, she got into the teaching abroad program.  Since then, I’ve moved twice and she’s lived and taught in three countries – Turkey, Peru and now Spain.

I’ve been lucky enough to visit her a time or two when she’s come back stateside for visits, but she’s never been able to visit me.  Now that I’m in CA and her sister is in northern CA I think we’ll finally be able to visit!!!  I’m so excited.  Especially since I’ll be going to Ireland in November and we wouldn’t be able to meet up that visit.

So we need to decide if she’ll come here to LA and the hubs and I will show her and her boyfriend around.  Or…if we want to meet mid-way-ish and head out to the Santa Ynez or Paso Robles wine country.  Not so sure.  Either way, I’m just so happy!!

On that note, I hope that everyone has a happy and safe holiday weekend!

You Got Mud on Your Face, You Big Disgrace

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somebody better put you back into your place!

Yeah, yeah, so I’m a bit of a Queen fan.  Actually, I tend to forget just how much I love Queen until I hear them on the radio.  And well, then I just can’t seem to stop singing along and dancing in the driver’s seat.  ‘Cuz Queen, well, they totally rock.  And um…I do have mud on my face right now as I type this.

So last night we attended the Cheap Trick/LA Phil’s tribute to Sgt. Pepper.  It was an absolutely awesome show (then agian, I’d expect nothing but excellence from both Cheap Trick and the LA Phil).  There were some guest performers as well, though they only one I really enjoyed was some Ian guy from a band called Gomez (and yes, I honestly don’t know who that is).  But to listen to an entire show, outdoors, under the stars of nothing but Beatles tunes, well that was just a great night indeed.

Today we got the family together (in-laws) and celebrated the past four months of birthday season.  Out of the 14 (including the baby), 9 of our birthdays are from March through to June.  It makes for a crazy season, that’s for sure.  It was fun to hang out together though.

I was good too.  I didn’t stress about anything. I made the salad, picked up some award winning guac from the farmer’s market and we stopped by Marie Calendar’s for a strawberry pie (to offset the birthday cake and ice cream).  I left everything else to everyone else.  Overall, I think I’m doing a pretty good job of letting go the planning and coordinating of all the in-law functions if I do say so myself.

The gifts were fun too!  I got a bath & body package (hence the mudd – my face is now SO smooth!), a $25 Amex gift card and a beautiful necklace and earring set.  The hubs got all gift cards – Best Buy, Fry’s and Amex (which I’ll no doubt be spending).  But the best part…I borrowed my brother-in-law’s steam cleaner!  I can finally clean our carpets, our couch AND steam clean our ancient tile floors.  SCORE!  So excited about this.

I’ve also decided to pick up a Flip video camera.  I figure I can use it to make video blog posts both here and on my biz site.  But more importantly, I’m hoping to interview some of the gals at BlogHer so I can ask them important blogging questions – how did you get started, how did you find your niche, what can you recommend, blah, blah – so that I can post them on my biz site.  We have a batch of Amex gift cheques that have just been lying about that I’ll cash in for the camera, so it won’t cost anything out of pocket (and the hubs has those birthday giftcards for me to spend!) 😉

Okay, that’s it for me.  I’ve got to do some research on Grammar Girl so I can write up a couple of questions for her (we’ll be giving away her new book on my site the second week in July).  And tomorrow I’ve got a workshop on networking – online and off – to prepare for.  I’m changing things up from my last workshop, so it’s pretty much starting from scratch.  Should be fun though!

Hope you all have a happy Monday.

pleadin’ with you eyes gonna make you some peace someday.

They Say You Can Never Go Home

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Well, it’s that time. We leave within the hour. I told myself when I left years ago (back in ’89) that I’d never go back. Well, not exactly never, but only go back 1) if someone died and I needed to be there or 2) when my friend Matt got married and he’s the lucky bridegroom and reason for this trip this weekend!!

I have to say though, I’m getting a bit excited. Maybe it’s watching all that House which supposedly takes place in Princeton (home of my very first job!). Or maybe I’m just finally ready. Either way, look out Jersey, and my long lost, Jersey accent…’cuz you’se guys, I’m comin’ home!

Here’s hoping I won’t get too lost and thrown for a loop.

See you Tuesday (unless I get to steal some computer time from the hubs)…

I’m Back & Feeling Better

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In fact, I decided to not even bother with the visit to the acupuncturist.  I do feel that much better.  My head still gets a tad stuffy (or so it seems), but there’s no more pounding and pressure.  So as far as I’m concerned, I’m better 😉

Now as for the SATC movie…I don’t want to add to any of the hype (and I won’t spill any secrets).  I have to say though, I really enjoyed it.  The movie really played on the friendships that women have and I just love that. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to enjoy my very own Cosmo while viewing.  Though popcorn for breakfast wasn’t so shabby (my husband assured me that the ancient Native Americans ate corn for breakfast – dork, I know, but I love him just the way he is).

It was so great to see so many women at the early show (10:30AM)  with their girlfriends.  Some, like the older gals behind me in line were there just the two of them.  Others came in small groups breaking out in a  *squee* whenever a new friend showed up.  Still more were there solo like I was. And some where there with their boyfriends or spouses (and as one would expect, there were also the gay men in the audience).

Of course, watching the movie by myself made me miss my best friend and SATC viewing partner since she was back in NM.  I made sure to text her that she was with me in spirit while I was watching and called her to fill her in as soon as it was over.

Overall, a very good, very moving (yes, that means I cried…more than once!) movie.  Well worth the price of the ticket, the popcorn & the drink.  Enjoy!

Six and the City

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First and foremost, thank you Miss Attitude for posting this yesterday. It cracked me up and make my day. To get you all in the mood for Sex and the City this weekend I bring you “the girls” age six (no hype, no plot given away)…

I’ve decided that I’m going to see the first AM showing (10:25) in my area so I don’t have to worry about the hype. This will be followed by acupuncture for my (seeming) sinus issue. I felt better yesterday, but then after a nap, I couldn’t stop sneezing and my head was all fucked up again. Sigh…

Happy Weekend!

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday: Sonoma Edition

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Consider yourself warned…this is a long post, with photos.

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Sonoma was fun. Sonoma was cold. Sonoma was rainy. Herbie was awesome! Really, that’s the trip right there. Fun, but cold and rainy with a great show. We didn’t get to do pretty much anything on our brief list of things to do – no cave tour, no fancy, delicious dinner since we ran out of time on Friday and they only do dinner on the weekends and we were flying out Saturday night. And the camera barely came out of my purse since it was so crappy out. Oh well.

Instead we hung out on the square for the first time. We tasted some chocolate at Wine Country Chocolates – and of course bought some champagne and zinfandel truffles (yum!). We enjoyed some wine with some cheese over at the Sonoma Wine Shop (OMG YUM!). We bought two bottles of wine (an unoaked ’07 Chard from Valley of the Moon and an awesome ’06 Miner Viognier from Simpson Vineyard) and took a ’04 Merlot from Millerick Road from backstage. We also bought some cheese from the cheese tasting – a Humbolt Fog from Cypress Grove Chevre and a killer dry Monterery Jack from Vella Cheese Company – both are absolutely delicious. And I did a little shopping at the outlet center before we left (hello new purse!). So not in the plan, but that rain, well, it messed us up a bit.

If you’re heading out to Sonoma, be sure to stop at the Sonoma Wine Shop – $5 tastings (good pours too and they really take the time to ask what you like) and $5 cheese tastings to go with your wine (and again, they really take the time to ask what you like and pair things up). Best $15 we spent – two wine tastings and some cheese. And again, it shares the courtyard with Wine Country Chocolates. What more could you ask for?!?

As for Herbie’s performance, it was awesome. Probably my favorite so far (and while I’m most definitely not a fan of jazz, I do see quite a few Herbie shows). I chose to sit in the audience instead of hanging backstage. Forty-five minutes or so and he was still only on the second song! It was great though to be in the middle of the audience when he played Rockit. He hasn’t played that song life in years (he said nearly 20, but I believe he’s played it somewhere else – non-US show – a few years back). We’re talking about the crowd just freaking out, jumping up out of their seats, dancing everywhere you looked. It was so cool. For a more musical review (by someone that likes and knows jazz), here you go.

And now for the photographic part of this Wednesday post. Too bad half the photos didn’t upload and dingdong me deleted them from the card already. Oh well, it’s not like I took many pictures to begin with (and it’s not like I won’t be seeing Herbie again…soon).

Writing up the setlist…

Jess Writing Up the Set List

During sound check…

Backstage @ Sonoma Jazz Rehearsal

During Rockit…

Herbie Hancock & Vinnie Colaiuta

Sex and the City

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I’m feeling a little crappy today (I really, really hope this doesn’t turn into anything), so instead of a deep post, I thought I’d share my SATC thoughts.  Two things to keep in mind…one, I tend to get caught up in all the hype around certain movies and then just end up sadly disappointed and two, I finally got around to finishing up the entire SATC series just about this time last year.

So based on those two key factors, I’m actually avoiding ALL talk, write ups, reviews, interviews, you name it.  I’m thinking that I’ll take myself to see it once we get back from the wedding in Jersey, so until then, I’ve got to do my best to avoid it all. Of course, my husband finds this amusing as I throw away whole sections of the local paper, turn the channel or radio station, and well, just walk away whenever I hear someone talking about the movie and the gossip.

It can happen.  I managed to make it YEARS without ever knowing how the series ended (same with Six Feet Under and the Sopranos – and I’ll eventually get around to finishing up both of those).  So I have faith that I can do this.

But why, why do they hype things up so damn much?  Two weeks before the damn movie is even due out and there’s already talk everywhere;  what they’re wearing, what the twist is, who did what, where can you get the same thing, blah, blah, blah.  Please people, let me just watch the movie without having it ruined by everyone else’s impressions and thoughts.  Don’t turn this into another Juno or Forrest Gump for me (both movies that I was so excited to see since everyone loved them, and was so sadly disappointed that they didn’t live up to the hype).

And now, I’m off to get my hair done….

I Guess I Should Post Something Already

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I figured that this weekend I was just going to embrace the whole three-day-weekend mentality.  Needless to say, I’ve not done a whole lot of anything since returning home (I’ll write a Sonoma update tomorrow, though truth be told, not all too much happened).

Both yesterday and today I did a little bit of shopping.  While there are some great sales out there this weekend, nothing really grabbed me but a couple of basic tees from Eddie Bauer. At least today I got to hang with a girlfriend while she shopped.  Either way, crazy crowds reminding me why I usually do my shopping during the week.

On to the random thoughts:

* the pup has been doing nothing more than just lying about.  I guess a couple of days at doggie sleepaway camp is some exhausting stuff.

* the cat hasn’t been doing much more than the pup, except in his case, he’s all about the snuggling.

* weather has been crazy.  We went from cold and rainy in Northern Cali, to cold and gloomy here in LA.  We had to use the heat yesterday it was so cold!  This, after 95+ days just last week!  What the hell?!?!

* I’m looking for some book suggestions.  I’ve been pretty focused on reading business books lately, but right about now, I want something good and devourable.  You know, something to get lost in for a day or two.  Extra credit if I can get it at the library (though I do have some B&N money from a b’day gift I can cash in).  I’m also looking for another book to get me through the cross-country flight and back next weekend.  Any suggestions?

* I seem to be PMSy and coming down with something.  I noticed last night that my throat seems to be hurting.  I’m afraid it’s a post-nasal thing, in which case, with my past experiences, might turn into a sinus infection (if not yet, but the time we fly back from NJ next weekend).  PMS and chocolate cravings don’t miss so well with the sore throat.  Of course, that’s not stopping me 😉

Okay, off to snuggle with my boys.  I’ll share some photos (barely took any) and some trip recaps tomorrow.

PS – Julianne Hough’s CD isn’t all that bad – in fact, it’s better than I had expected.  How funny that I can just see some of her DWTS moves to the music.

Let the Festivities Continue!

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First, I should be honest.  I’m a birthday whore.  I believe that birthdays should be at least a full week long.  So that means the birthday girl, or boy, gets to do the sort of things that they want to do, eat at the kind of restaurants that they want to eat at, for at least a week.  Yes, I’m one of those.

Of course, I kind of make matters a tad worse since well, our anniversary is mere days before my birthday. So technically, I usually celebrate my birth-a-versary for just over a week, usually from weekend to weekend.  Needless to say, we’ve been a bit busy lately.

Thursday was our actual anniversary.  We just stayed in and enjoyed my slightly dry, but very flavorful, braised short ribs and a kickass bottle of wine.  For the record, next time, I’ll use all the same ingredients, but use the crock pot instead.  As it was we didn’t eat until nearly 9:00PM since I kept waiting for that “fall off the bone” I was advised would happen in that hour of simmering.  Not!  It was nearly 2.5 hours of simmering and still not tender.  Oh well.  It was still tasty.

Friday we typically go out to dinner with one of my husband’s oldest friends (and one of my favorite shopping buddies!!)  She had a hellish week so she decided to work from home and well, chose the non-shower, hanging out in her PJs approach to work attire and just wasn’t up to join us for dinner.  Instead, we headed out to Hermosa Beach for some Pedones Italian.  Very yummy.  From there, we walked along the beach a bit.  Very relaxing.

Saturday was a pretty low key day.  We headed out to the Farmer’s Market in Pasadena and grabbed some brunch at Magpie’s in La Canada (our typical post-Farmer’s Market hang out).  I think we’re there nearly every week.  I love their greek chicken pita and salad and their chicken, mango and papaya salad.  So good.  The hub’s pretty much always orders the breakfast burrito with chorizo.

Saturday night though we headed on over to the Catalina jazz club to hear Marcus Miller (the hubs was also shooting the show).  I’ve heard Marcus play a few times now, both with Herbie Hancock and without.  Once again, it was a great performance (and I’m not even a fan of jazz).  It was the 10:00PM show, so once the show was over, and the chitchat with the band was over, we headed back home (nearly the only car left in the parking garage) it was pretty late – even for this late nighter gal.  Prince showed up briefly – and I do mean briefly.  He was there maybe for all of 2 minutes.  Not sure why he even bothered, but whatever.

Sunday we slept in late, well, after both a 6:0AM and an 8:00AM wakeup do to noises outside.  Hell, we went to bed pretty late as well, so sleeping in was quite lovely.  We just lounged around a bit, caught up on some TV (what did we ever do before the DVR?), and read some of Megan Crane’s new book (so happy to finally read it since she was quite excited about when I interviewed her last year some time).

Sunday evening was dinner at Lala’s Argentine Grill with the girls from book club.  Once again, I’m am so happy knowing that through book club I have one helluva group of friends. It’s so great whenever we get together, whether it’s one on one or in a small group, or at book club.  Really, they’re a great group of ladies that I’m so grateful to call friends.  And for the record, the empanadas and sangria are awesome!

Tonight we’ve got the Paddy Casey and KT Tunstall show at the Wiltern.  The hubs is actually out right now interviewing Paddy for his podcast (they already got the music session at SXSW in March).  He interviewed KT last year or the year before at Austin City Limits.    I believe he’ll also be shooting tonight since he was charging his camera batteries last night.  I was directed (ha!) to pick the hubs up at work around 7:00 so we should head over to the show tonight.  It should be interesting since we rarely see both the opening act and the main performer.  I’m really looking forward to it.

Tomorrow, my actual birthday, I’m cashing in my Christmas spa treat and getting both and hour and a half facial and massage.  I can’t wait!  Talk about being blissed out.  I don’t know if we’ll be doing anything else though since we’ve been so busy this weekend.  I’m thinking it might be worth it to just hang out at home for dinner (thai takeout??) and maybe do a fancy dinner out this weekend when there’s more time to relax.

So there we go…why I haven’t been around much these past couple of days.  I spent today catching up on email and running a few errands.  I’m considering treating my birthday self to a new blog design here.  I mean, this is all so drab and boring because I was hoping for something better.  Well, now I just might take matters into my own hands and make some magic happen.

On that note, I’m off to chill out for a bit before hoping into the shower to leave to get the hubs.  Hope everyone is having a fun week thus far.  As to day is Cinco de Mayo, feel free to raise up that margarita and have a birthday toast to me!!