Back From Boston

I just got back from my second trip to Boston this summer. I had a great time. Once again, it was for a close college friend's wedding. Funny how it seems like those all happen at once. But, never the less, it was great to catch up with college friends and their families. The wedding was held at The Ritz in Boston Common and made for an amazing venue. I danced to the music of one of the best wedding bands I had ever seen. Overall, it was a very joyous occasion and I wish Dan and Jess all the happiness in the world because they deserve it. The next morning, after our night at The Ritz, we got Dunkin' Donuts and headed to Fenway Park, where Jessica's family arranged for us to have a private tour. Very fun. Of course, being surrounded by couples, some who are married and others who are getting married always makes me think if I'll ever settle down. I guess that is just a question that will time will answer. Sigh.
While in Boston, I was able to catch up with other friends from school, who were not present at the wedding. Spending an evening in Harvard Square and then Davis Square Sunday morning with my friend Kacie, whose wedding I attended in May. That was great to see her, since she was so busy during my last trip, we didn't really get one on one catch=up time.
It's also a great feeling to know that I'll be seeing all the girls from Jess's wedding in August to celebrate our friend, Kelly's wedding. Thankfully, this one is on my coast and just an hour away.

Happy Fourth of July!

The one thing about extended weekends is that there is always a work week that feels much longer right around the corner. This weekend, I tried not to think about that. I just wanted a long weekend to relax and mingle. Friday was spent visiting my nephew, Owen, and I bared witness to his taking his very first steps. A pretty cool thing to witness. After that, was a friend's party on her roof of her downtown LA loft and dinner in West Hollywood with a friend.
The next day, I drove up to Montecito to hang with my friend/tennis doubles partner, Natalia, her sister, and her sister's husband and their mother at their mother's beautiful home in the Santa Barbara countryside. There, we had great food, laughs, beach walks, delicious wine and a good tennis match. It's amazing that you can drive only an hour outside of Los Angeles and feel a world away. It was the perfect holiday weekend. And I would be complaining that this work week will feel extra-long because it will last all five days, but I'm very lucky to be taking a whirlwind trip back to Boston on Friday for another wedding, only to return home very late Sunday night, to start another Monday work week all over again. But, can't think about that. For now, it's concentrating on more fun times with friends. Besides, it just feels like it takes more energy to complain than it does to feel good about doing what you're doing. Don't you agree?

I Love That Dirty Water...

I just got back from a fabulous whirlwind trip in Boston where I saw a very dear friend of mine from college get married. The wedding, itself was splendid as was catching up with faces I hadn't seen in years. The morning wedding went well into the night, complete with a backyard BBQ at Kacie's father's house and then an after-after party back at our hotel rooms. It felt like I was in college, again, complete with games like beer-pong and flip-cup. It was supposed to rain on the morning of Kacie's wedding, but I would like to think her mother above had a little hand in keeping the sun out and the clouds away on her daughter's special day.
The day after wedding, I drove to Boston, where I met up two of my very close friends from my dorm life in college, Caitlin and Alison. We did a little pub crawl and ended up back at their place, waiting on their third roommate, my friend, Jessica. We spent the night laughing and talking about memories and life. It was as if things never changed and were right back in our dorm rooms, again. I think that is what makes a very good friend in life, somebody that you can talk to any time, no matter how long it has been, but it still feels like just yesterday. The next day, Caitlin took the day off so we ate Dunkin' Donuts and watched Mamma Mia! in our pajamas. It was glorious. That night, we dressed up and went to dinner with the other two girls and Caitlin's boyfriend, who I was meeting for the first time. My final night was spent taking the T back into Boston and meeting my friend, Sarah, who works for the State. So, I got a first hand VIP tour of all the Government buildings and got to meet Sarah's friends and coworkers. Despite the rain, we were able to walk around Beacon Hill and ended up at Kinsail, a fun Irish pub for one more drink before I caught my plane that night. I was just lucky I checked in my luggage that morning before meeting up, took away so much stress that Logan airport can cause.
Now, I am back, missing my friends and catching up with the ones I have here. In the end, I just feel so blessed to have friends all over the world, but have somewhat continued to try stay in contact with them, even if there happens to be a lot of time in between.
My mom comes into town on Monday. It will be great seeing her, taking her to The Biggest Loser Finale, and also a nice Mother's Day dinner during the week. I am expecting another whirlwind seven days ahead of me.

Moving Forward

This week has been a very tough one. I knew that Tom's passing would get me down, but I didn't expect it to hit me so hard. It seemed like every little thing I would do or come across, I would be reminded of a memory of him. I dug up old emails we had exchanged, looked a pictures, and relived some great laughs by talking to my mom. I cried five nights straight and five days straight. Not imagining how hard it must be to be his parents, when literally every move they made for 27 years straight was for the good intentions of their only child.
My mom spent an entire morning a few days ago with Tom's mom, helping sort out Tom's things and sharing in some laughs, tears, and wonderful memories of a man with so much more to give. My mom had found out that Tom was planning a trip to Southern California to see his cousin and had planned on visiting me along the way, she learned that Tom collected hats and kept stacks of journals. It was refreshing to see that there were still signs of the old Tom that I knew. The creative one, the funny one, the kind and thoughtful one. The Tom I am going to remember forever.
His memorial service is Saturday. I wanted to fly back home so bad to just be there for his family, as well as mine. I also have a wedding on Saturday in Boston. A good friend reminded me that Tom would have much rather me have a blast with friends than sit in a room and mourn. And she was right. I know that when I pass, I would rather my friends not only remember me, but remember those who are still present in their lives, physically. I am now reminded that we don't know when our last day is, we don't know when our loves ones' last day is, so we have to live our lives the fullest. We have to let people we care about know how much they mean to us. Moving forward, I will try my best to intend on doing that.
I also plan on a trip home in summer. To visit Tom's family, after the flowers stop coming in, the cards stop getting sent and visitors stop dropping by. I plan on letting them know what Tom meant to me and share in all the memories we had together, the ones I couldn't fit in one card.
I feel this trip to Boston couldn't have come at a better time. The bride-to-be, Kacie and I were college friends and the last time I saw her was when her mother passed away just shortly after Kacie graduated. She was an amazing woman whose smile, humor, and sincerity lives on in her daughter. I expect a lot of tears on Saturday, but happy tears. Tears that represent the great times we had with our loved ones who are no longer here and tears that represent the amazing times we have waiting us.

Happy New Year's!

My first post of 2009... it feels so weird writing that number. I always looked at 2009 as so far into the future and now here it is upon us.
I had a pretty fun New Year's night, which isn't always the case in the past. I always think that night is most fun when celebrated with friends, which was how it went when I was living in Oregon. The more invites I was receiving for this year, the more I realized that each party consisted of couples only, or very intimate gatherings of people I didn't know. Parties were costing 100 dollars a head and I could already tell wouldn't be worth it. So, I checked on airline tickets and decided to head to Portland and spend New Years with good friends there. I arrived hours before midnight. We headed to the Kennedy School, where each room had been set up as a different themed bar along with live bands. New Years with rang in with champagne and a kiss from a cute boy. The next day, was recovery mode. I stayed at my friend Sam's house and we just chilled out most of the day.
I had made plans to travel throughout Portland to visit other friends, but the great blizzard of Portland came. Roads were closed and there was no way of getting around them. Super bummer! But, the snow had melted, I was able to shop around 23rd Street for shopping and later that night we headed to one of my favorite bars, The Doug Fir, with Shannon, John, Sam, Kelly, and Kami. There were three fun bands playing and fun was enjoyed by all!
The next day, we spent the day chilling out, before heading to drinks at The Nines then to Kell's. We enjoyed live music and good company. The entire weekend was a wonderful way to ring by 2009. I can only hope that it will continue be this fun.
Next stop... Golden Globes! I'll blog about that this week.

I Am Baaaaack!

Don't you hate the feeling of coming back from a vacation. Why is that that the time it takes to actually get to your destination seems so long, but the vacation, itself, seems so short? I hate that. Well, this year, I made the pilgrimage to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The trip had been on my radar for awhile and initially being planned with a friend. The more and more research I did about the "Paris of the South", the more and more I was anticipating the trip. About a month before leaving, my friend had to back out due to financial reasons and was too proud to accept a loan, so I did the trek by myself and am so happy that I did. Not only was my experience amazing, but I was able to do all the things I had wanted to do, without the worry of a second person not having a good time. Of course, there were instances, I wished I had a companion to laugh with or to do a last-minute pub crawl with, but I survived. I had no big worries. In fact, the last two days of my trip, I had met an Aussie on my boat tour who was in the same situation, alone in Argentina. So, he and I teamed up, did our own pub crawls and went to a very nice dinner and had nice dinner conversation. Something you can't do by yourself, without looking like a crazy person. I visited museums, the Recoleta Cemetery, every district of the city, took a boat tour outside the city, took in a tango show, took private tango lessons, visited trendy hotels and restaurants for cocktails, drank delicious Argentine wine and did some wonderful shopping. I was impressed with myself for finding my way around, learning the culture, speaking the language and accomplishing a goal of always wanting to see this amazing city. Anybody considering a trip to South America should definitely look at the very cosmopolitan Buenos Aires. For those wanting to see my collection of photos, let me know, and I will be more than happy to send my album you way.

Homecoming

I just came back from a lovely three days in my old stomping grounds of Southern Oregon. It's funny how you don't miss things until you go back. This time around, I noticed the crisp air, the chilled breeze, the beautiful fall colors, the great family, and of course, the very fun friends. I left behind so much when I uprooted my life and moved to Los Angeles to tackle my dreams. Ever since I arrived, I have been go, go, go. Which would explain why I have done so much in the little under three years I have been here. When I went back home, it all made sense to me, again. I felt grounded. I was able to go out with friends that I hadn't seen in years and we all fell back into our comfort zones and acted like not even a week had gone by. It was amazing. The time flew by and didn't fly by all at the same time. I guess the slower lane of life can do that to one another. Needless to say, I am proud of every friend I have in Oregon for all they have accomplished, if it's not in career, it's with their marriage or their children, or all three!
I even went to my old alma mater, Southern Oregon University in Ashland. I walked around a bit and took pictures. It was beautiful and brought back so many memories that I don't want to let go of. I guess it is true that you can go home at any time and be just the person you were when you left. It's a great feeling and one that I will hold on to in the back of my mind for years to come. I will also remember to not stay away as long as I did this last time.

Portland, Oregon and Slow Gin Fizz...

If you don't know what the title is about, please listen to the amazing Loretta Lynn song, "Portland, Oregon". It always puts a smile on my face.
I had a wonderful weekend in the Pacific Northwestern city of Portland and made me realize how lucky I am to be from Oregon. There are many things I took for granted while living up North, including tax-free shopping, friendly drivers, green living and blue skies. I went up for the long weekend to see some friends and plan a little escape from La La land. Every once in a while, I think it's healthy to do that and if the price is right, even better! I spent the majority of the weekend, hanging out, shopping, bar-hopping and taking in the fresh air. The trip went by fast for me, but was still worth it.
I have always been conflicted about Portland. The city, itself, if everything I have ever asked for and a lot closer to my friends and family in Southern Oregon, but obviously, my job in Los Angeles can only be done, well, in Los Angeles. If I could do what I do here there, trust me, it would be no question. But, at the same time, I feel grateful to be making a decent living in a town where everybody seems to try and end up falling flat. I have met some amazing friends and established great relationships for the short-time of being here. I guess I can say LA is appearing more and more like home, but trust me, I realize what Loretta is saying when she sings, "Portland, Oregon and slow gin fizz, if that ain't love, tell me what it is".

The Dirrty South

Well, I have arrived safely back from the dirrty South and I'll give you a play by play of what happened. Where are those fabulous pictures of your hot self, you might ask, well, keep reading.
I arrived in Memphis on Friday afternoon and Melissa was waiting for me. I was overwhelmed and even teared up a bit. I consider Melissa one of my closest and dearest friends and couldn't believe it had been three years since seeing her last. From that moment, it seemed like old times. We laughed and joked around. I got to see the station she worked at and meet her co-workers. Some of them were "Office" fanatics, so I got to fill them on what it was like working so close to the Dunder Mifflin crew. After that, I tried some sweet tea and we headed back to the apartment, talked and joked around before getting ready to meet some of her co-workers out at the bars. Oh yeah, and I tried my first tast of crawfish sushi, which I must say, was quite tasty!
The next day, we headed to Nashville, it was a blast just driving there. We stopped at Dunkin' Donuts and made friends with the ladies behind the counter who asked, "y'all bestfriends or somethin'" It was very sweet. That night, we got all glammed up and went out in Nashville. We didn't have to act like we were the hottest things in Nashville, we WERE the hottest things in Nashville. Every bar we walked into had country singers singing to us, as we drank our whiskey and diet's. Later that night, the fun came to a halt. After a few more drinks, that were accompanied by free shots from the bartender, I noticed my purse was missing. Somebody had lifted off of my chair. Inside it was my two forms of ID (Passport, Drivers License), both of our cameras with pictures included, make up, house keys, and my new Motorola Q cell phone. Enough to make me sick. I can't believe there are people in this society who feel that if they didn't earn it, they have a right to steal it. It makes me ill to just think about. Melissa helped calm me down and make out a police report and give my number to the bar. She usually does a good job with simmering me down and I think this time her good mood came from the alone time she had with a very cute Southern boy just moments before ;) We returned to the hotel room at 3 and I had secretly hoped I would wake up and it would be a bad dream. Well, that wasn't the case. I was still without a phone or any ID or any cameras. The woman who checked us out did say something to make us both smile. Melissa and I always had very similar happenings that would also take place on The Simple Life with Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton. Melissa always acting as the more calming and quiet Paris, while I always seemed to fall into being the crazy spitfire like Nicole. Well, the hotel clerk with the gold capped tooth said, "Ya'll see that Paris and Nicole show where Nicole lost her wallet and went crazy in that bar, was like you?" And with that simple question, a smile and a giggle came from both of our mouths. So, thank you gold capped hotel clerk for making us smile during a very trying time.
We had a very fun drive home and when we arrived in Memphis, we crashed. We ate pizza and watched TV and just laughed and talked. Later on, after a heavy security screening, I got on the plane to head back to LA. The woman next to me summed up the trip and my terrible experience with theft by saying, "The lesson learned is that you and your friend can't wait another three years to see eachother". And I can't agree more!