Estelle Harris thinks I'm adorable!

No, seriously, last night I waited on Estelle Harris and she said that I was "just adorable." My response?

The exact scene that popped into my head.

"Ma'am. I think YOU'RE adorable."

She asked if I knew who she was, and I said the minute I heard her voice I was transported to watching Toy Story 2 & 3. We talked about it being nominated and how I thought it was the best movie I'd seen all year. She noticed my ring and asked if I was married and said that my fiance was a lucky guy.

It made my freaking night. To top this all off, an extremely well-known commercial casting director gave me his office number so that he could help give me references to commercial agents. And tipped me twenty bucks on a sixty dollar bill.

Wow. I feel pretty lucky. Now I have the next two days off to get some serious work done.

January has been a pretty busy month for me... obviously, given my lack of updates. I've been..

1. Working a lot. Of course. But I feel 10x better about January 2011 than January 2010 where I thought I was going to be fired every other day. It seems like business is up and my managers like me. Can't ask for more than that as a server. Busy. Flexible schedule. Awesome.
2. Helping out with an "Acting for the Camera" class that's now over... My mentor is amazing and I learn a ton from him every time we work together. Plus, that's extra cash in my pocket and the life partner's (he helps film the final scenes and edits them for the students)
3. Planning a wedding. The success story on this front is that we now have a date set in stone and we think we've decided on a location. We haven't booked it yet, but I'll give you a hint... It's home to our favorite pachyderm.
4. Editing my dad's novel. He's retired and has a lot of time on his hands. I don't, but I'm helping him anyway.

It's been a good month.

I also turned 25 this month and am now old enough to audition for alcohol commercials! Woohoo! We went snowboarding and ate at Susan Feniger's STREET... Which was slightly disappointing, to be honest. I liked it well enough, but wasn't thrilled enough to go back for the price. Maybe if cost didn't bother me, it would be a different story. The snowboarding, however, was excellent. Conditions were pretty awesome for such warm weather and every time I get better and better. We spent the majority of the day on the intermediate slopes and I was pretty pleased with myself!

I decided to get over my vanity. This is a terrible photo, but it's the only one!

The day after my birthday, I had an interview with a print agent, and while nothing has come of it, I do know feel more confident all future interviews of that sort. The agent was incredibly nice and now I feel like I know what to expect a little bit better.

Overall, January was great, here's to fabulous February!

French Happy Hours and Decorating

Last night, I spoiled myself. I went to The Grove and finished my Christmas shopping. Since I had a package at the UPS warehouse that I couldn't pick up until 8:30 PM, I killed time at Monsieur Marcel (a little Frenchophile shop and bistro). It's the neatest/cutest little place in the middle of the Farmers Market and I was lucky enough to discover their Happy Hour with 1/2 off wines and cheap-o appetizers. I had some mozzarella/ricotta croquettes and a bowl of lentil soup. The soup sort of broke my rule of not eating things at restaurants that I can easily make at home, but it was really, really good.

My favorite part, though, were the free olives given with the bread. Yum. I'm sure I had about 20x the normal amount of saturated fat one should eat in a day.

At home, I finished putting up the lights and ornaments. LP says I like to decorate like a Who from Whoville and when he gets back from San Francisco, he'll probably re-do it. But I'm OK with it just the way it is!

Do I mind the mixing of white lights on our garland with the colored lights on the window? ABSOLUTELY NOT! We also have a poinsettia and a mini fake tree with photos of LP's family on the ornaments. It's very cute and so sweet. Oh, and that's Bruce the Penguin. He hangs out year round in the living room. He just puts his hood up for the holidays.  

Our tree is a real one! I'm loving the smell. We might get a fake one some day, but the only decent ones were way too huge for our place. Since the tree is only about 3.5 feet tall, I put it on top of a big cardboard box. More room for presents! :-)

Sorry, Obama, you'll have to hang out behind the tree this Christmas. And if you're wondering who that is hanging out at the base of the tree, that's Puck. He's LP's love child, created for our indie production that's currently in post. We found Puck a tiny little wicker chair at IKEA this summer so he can hang out in the living room with us.

I'm really enjoying making the apartment a bit more homey this season.  Even if it's in our own tacky little way. Someday, I'll figure out how to use my mom's old camera better so I can use something other than my cell phone!

Tonight, I baby-sat my niece so that my brother and SIL could enjoy a night out. Watching an 8 month old is pretty easy when they go to bed so early. Read a few stories, give her a change, and nighty-night! She was SO CUTE! Also cute? Her "brother" Spike who was all curled up in his bed!

Healthy Food and Houseplants

The LP is back from visiting family for Thanksgiving. I picked him up from LAX late Saturday night/ early Sunday morning. It's almost silly how much I missed him. It was only a week, but LP vowed that we would never again spend our holidays apart. Time with the family is nice, but we're a family too, so no matter where we go to celebrate a holiday, we should spend that time together. 

I had to work yesterday lunch, but I got out at a decent time and we went out for pizza, beer, and gelato for one last splurge before we spend the rest of the month eating healthy and frugal. I don't really get the idea behind pigging out all through December, only to beat yourself up after the New Year. Now is the time for better eating. Although... I may make some exceptions for cupcakes. :-)

No work today, so I slept in. Here's today's healthy lunch:

Homemade hummus with rice/nut crackers and a Spinach and Radicchio Salad. I tossed in some dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and bleu cheese. It's very similar to what I made for Thanksgiving, except that I didn't have any Asian pears. I sauteed some red onions in olive oil before adding them to the salad to help wilt the spinach a little bit. The dressing is my own concoction of apple cider vinegar, oil, and pepper. So good!

As I took pictures of my lunch by the window, I couldn't help myself and took some of our houseplants, too! We don't have the greenest thumbs, but we try.  We've got a couple of avocado trees growing that we started ourselves from pits. LP has been trying this for years and there's been some losses along the way. But these current guys seem to be doing pretty well. My pride and joy is my Philodendron. These are about the easiest plants to grow because they are nearly impossible to kill. I've had this one (middle) for about 3 or 4 years and it's just exploded recently. Philly sits on top of a speaker and its tendrils nearly reach the floor! The last plant... I call it a Polka Dot plant. It used to be a lot taller, but it got sort of weedy looking and couldn't support itself. After some research, I discovered that these plants have to be cut back. So I chopped the whole thing down to little nubs and it's really thriving now! I'm just glad I didn't kill it!

I realize that plant talk may be about the most boring subject in the world for some people, so I apologize. But we don't have any pets aside from my sad little goldfish, so we really obsess over our plants instead. We really need a dog.

The Few Thanksgiving Photos

Since I didn't end up taking any pictures on Thanksgiving, I had to steal these from my baby niece's blog. Thanks SIL for taking the initiative! We had a really nice crowd gathered. You can see me in the back next to my two brothers and the baby. Everyone else is a friend of my oldest brother and sister-in-law. 

It was a really great Thanksgiving and one that I'll always remember. First one in the new house, first one with Baby Z... It was really wonderful. That first photo is the most you'll get of my soup! Everyone really liked it, though!

Even Baby Z, who has just started eating real food. She normally rejects everything, but she really liked my squash soup. Just goes to show that she has a sophisticated palate! All she wanted was seasoning, DUH!

 

Even though I'm not religious in any way, I really do love the holiday season! It's so joyful! :-) It's about time to put up those twinkle lights, I think!!!!

Oof.

Stuffed. To. The. Brim. 

I rarely eat until I'm full. I usually save something for later or eat multiple little meals throughout the day. Today, I am crammed. This morning I just nibbled on little bits of this or that while I was cooking. From the moment I reached my brother's place at 2:30 PM until 12:30 AM it was non-stop eating. I'm so uncomfortable right now and all of the wine didn't help either. I don't think I drank any water today. Just wine, coffee, and Bailey's. 

I have to say that I am fairly embarrassed because I FORGOT TO TAKE PICTURES! All of that work... undocumented. *sigh* When I got to my brother's, I immediately started setting up the food I brought, then kept my niece entertained, and then started to help serve food. It would have been pretty rude to stop and take photos. So... :-( Lots of other people took pictures though, so maybe my food is hiding in some of them. I hope.

The soup was a major hit. I roasted the squash for 35 minutes along with two peeled and sliced Granny Smiths. Then I caramelized two sliced leeks (white parts only) in olive oil in a big Dutch Oven, then added two cloves of garlic and a 1/2 cup of white wine. After I cooked that down, I added the squash flesh and cooked apples, 6 cups veggie broth, and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. Then I let the soup cool overnight and blended it in the morning, then cooked it for 15 more minutes in the slow cooker on low. We served the soup with Creme Fraiche (whipped with apple cider) and sliced leeks. EVERYONE loved it. Well, except for one lonely squash hater in the group, but there's no pleasing everyone. This was waaaaaaaaay better than when I made it the last time with butternut squash. Too sweet.

I also made a Wilted Spinach Salad tossed with frisée, radicchio, toasted pecans, thinly sliced Asian pear, cranberries, and bleu cheese. I also finely chopped one shallot, blanched it for 20 seconds, then mixed it with 2 Tbs of apple cider vinegar for a dressing. Then, right before serving, I heated up some olive oil and poured it over the salad. That went over really well, too, but since it was just salad, no one seemed to go crazy over it.

The Autumn Rice Rissoles were just OK. I felt like they were a little dry and a bit too herb-y for my liking. I felt like all I could taste was the sage. Next time I would probably cut that down a tad and maybe use hot cooked rice instead of room temperature. Maybe that would add a bit more moisture. I also felt like the recipe's suggestion of serving it with cranberry sauce was just too sweet. I would make a vegetarian gravy instead. I'm a bit bummed that I forgot to grab those leftovers to take home because I know the bro and SIL won't eat them. 

I have to be at work early tomorrow. Is it wrong that I'm kind of frightened of that Black Friday shopping crowd? I'm going to be sluggish. Wish me luck!

3 AM Thanksgiving Prep

Last year, I was training for my current job. I spent the entire holiday following another server around, getting bread, water, and drinks for his tables. Since we have a completely different menu for Thanksgiving day, this training was almost completely pointless. I was stuck at the restaurant for the entire day and didn't get out until 10:30 PM. I missed it. "Upset" doesn't begin to describe how I felt. I called my brother as I was getting out of work, and everyone was already packing up and going to bed. I cried. It was thoroughly depressing.

But not this year!!!

My usual grocery bill for two weeks! Eek!

My restaurant demands that employees work 5 out of 7 mandatory holiday shifts. This year, my big pick to get off was Thanksgiving. Although I miss LP (visiting fam in Michigan), I'm still really excited for the holiday. We have a 5 year strong tradition of my oldest brother and his wife hosting the dinner for the siblings and their L.A. friends who don't have family nearby.

Since I had to close tonight, I didn't get home until after 11 PM and immediately got to work. I am the SLOWEST cook in the world, so prep is very important for me. I'm the only vegetarian in the family, so I usually bring a little extra to make sure it still feels like a feast to me. Never know if the person responsible for the green bean casserole is going to throw in some bacon grease. 

THE MENU: 
Autumn Rice Rissoles
Wilted Spinach Salad
Winter Squash Soup

After much debate, I settled on these three after pouring over a year's subscription of Vegetarian Times. Tonight, I formed the Rissoles patties (currently chilling in the fridge) and got started on the soup.  The "Autumn Rice Rissoles" are just fancy veggie patties. I'm not cooking them up until tomorrow, so we'll see how they turn out. I don't often have luck with this kind of thing. 

The recipe calls for 1 cup each of cooked wild rice and brown/basmati rice. Thank goodness for Trader Joe's! These fully cooked packages cost the same or less than their raw counterparts! I'm so glad I didn't have to waste 45 minutes ruining rice this evening. And no, I don't have a rice cooker! Some day we'll have the extra cabinet space, and THEN I'll get one!

If the Rissoles turn out, I think the secret will have been to chilling them for several hours AND... uniformity!

I used our beloved Alton Brown measuring plunger to dole out the prescribed 1/4 cup and then smooshed the rice mixture on to a parchment lined baking sheet while still in the plunger. Definitely easier than trying to make them with my bare hands, anyway! The real test will be when I try to cook them on the skillet! I love the flavor combination, so even if they fall apart, it could still be a tasty casserole! They have Wild and Brown rice, toasted pecans, cranberries, marinated artichoke hearts, fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme, and red onion. My one twist on the recipe was using Pecan Rice Crackers instead of plain or saltines.

This is what Red Kuri squash looks like!!!

The Winter Squash soup features Granny Smith apples and leeks. I actually found the recommended squash, red kuri, at Whole Foods! Last time, I made this with butternut. It was OK, but a tiny bit bland. I also bought actual Creme Fraiche this time to use as a garnish.

My big problem with squash is its de-assemblage. This time, like last time, I cooked it for too long. The flesh and the skin just fell apart and while the rind was soft enough to eat, it probably would have added bitterness to the soup. But even taking out the stringy bits and seeds is difficult.

My recommendation? See item #17, on the left. It's a grapefruit spoon. I'm sure you can find them at any kitchy kitchen store. However, I received my pair from my grandma. Not only are they extremely useful for eating grapefruit, they are the IDEAL tool for scooping out squash goo.

Roommates will also use them to eat cereal when no regular spoons are left clean. It baffles the mind, people. Right now, I'm letting the soup cool for several hours so I can put it in the blender (WHY didn't I buy an immersion one, WHY?!) before reheating it in the slow cooker.

TIME FOR BED! I'll let you know how it all turns out

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Trip to Iowa!!! Weddings and Family

My cousin got married in Iowa this weekend, and since I can't go home for Thanksgiving or Christmas (and probably won't be able to visit again until MAY), it was the perfect opportunity to see family I haven't seen in ages. Highs of 98 in LA, Lows of 22 in Iowa. I had to borrow a coat.  BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

On Thursday, I flew to Cedar Rapids, where my friend Keri picked me up. We've been friends since Kindergarten-- great to see her. We went out for drinks in Iowa City that night with her boyfriend (also known since high school) and I spent the night at her place. We got incredibly trashed on cheap booze ($3.50 martinis, WHAT?!) and watched a horrible movie at her house called "The Room"... a long standing tradition of ours. When we were broke in high school, we would rent bad movies for 50 cents at Family Video and make fun of them in classic MST3K style (before we even knew what that was). The next morning she drove me to Davenport.

Friday night, my parents, Keri, and I went to my old high school to see a performance of "Seussical." It wasn't as horrific as it could have been...it's a pretty easy show to put on. And the girl they had playing the Kangaroo was actually better than the girl who played that part at my University! So props to that young lady, she had an incredible voice and lots of sass. Mostly, I was glad to say hi to my old band, drama, and choir teachers!

Saturday was the wedding in Indianola (near Des Moines) at 4 PM. They had it at the local nature center, and even though it was breezy and bit chilly, the ceremony was outside. But the view was really gorgeous and they kept it short, so we all survived. Super cute was when my other cousin's 4 year started shouting "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!" when the couple was pronounced husband and wife.

 One my favorite elements of the wedding was the couple's personal logo. The husband is a graphic designer and he created this cute little cartoon of them. They had it on everything! It was on their invitations, the RSVP, the couple's wine glasses... but my favorite was their boxy wedding cake topper and their Yahtzee score card! Apparently, my cousin is obsessed with Yahtzee, so she had these and a bunch of dice at every table. My family played (mom won), and since there wasn't dancing, I thought this was good alternate entertainment.

The cake was cute, too. My uncle (her dad) made it for her. I guess it was a childhood tradition for my uncle to make them angel food cake each year with his special "7 Minute Icing," which the girls could have in whatever color they wanted on their birthday. It was tasty! They also had angel food in cupcake form, as well. I think I ate five. It's my favorite!

I was also extremely pleased to discover that my cousin is now a vegetarian, and while everyone else got pulled pork sandwiches (it's Iowa, this is very common at weddings), we ate black bean, sweet potato, and barley patties that were very tasty. They also had veggie meatballs. YUM! One of the first weddings I've ever been to where I got something besides vegetables and salad! She also made sure all of the table runners were reusable (muslin, for the groom's canvas art projects) with bio-degradable plates and napkins and silverware! The centerpieces featured bamboo (that people could take home) and Christmas lights (obviously reusable). Some people had gripes, as will always happen at weddings, but I thought it was lovely and personal and very thoughtful. At least it reflected the couple! I'm really happy for them!

After the wedding, the younger part of the crowd went out to a German Beer Bar in Des Moines and I stayed the night at my other cousin's apartment... Thanks Chelsea! We're 51 weeks apart in age (she's older, I'm the baby on both sides of the family) and we were shocked to see each other sporting the exact same haircut/color! We look so much alike, it's freaky. Except that I'm practically a foot taller...but other than that. Super short blond hair. Is it genetic to have a hairstyle preference? :-)

We drove home this afternoon and I was surprised by a big family dinner at Grandma's! I didn't know that my grandma and grandpa were hosting dinner at their house and had invited my cousins and aunts and uncles! I was so glad because I don't get to see them all very often.

Random thought: does everyone else refer to their uncles and aunts' spouses as their uncles and aunts? I always say "my aunt Jackie" because that's what I called her growing up. She's not blood related, but of course she's my aunt! I didn't really think about it until my one uncle got divorced and re-married. His wife Pam is lovely and so thoughtful and friendly. I like her a lot. In fact, I like her much better than my cousins' mother, the ex-wife. But that's who I grew up calling Aunt. And I don't automatically refer to Pam as my aunt. I would say, "my uncle's wife." But that's not fair when I would introduce my other uncle's wife as "Aunt." Confusing? Yes.

I've only got Monday left, and then I fly back home to L.A. on Tuesday. Short, but sweet!

Cooking and Voting and LACMA-- oh my! EPIC POST

Okay. So I'm a slacker. It's Saturday and I'm going to write about Monday through Wednesday. It's been a busy week. So sue me. But it's been a great week and I feel like I've had the perfect blend of productive and fun. I've also been submitting for roles on LA Casting and Actors Access every day. I even booked an audition, but the director changed her dates and I couldn't go at the new time. C'est la vie... but it's nice to be considered, at least.

Monday was spent cleaning the apartment and researching for the Tuesday election. I posted to my other blog, as I wrote about last time, and got tons of hits. It was really a shock. But I felt good about making a conscientious effort towards my voting and made myself a tasty veggie medley to nibble on while I researched. Look at the color! Roasted potatoes, carrots, and red onion with just a little EVOO, fresh thyme and basil, salt, pepper, and fresh sauteed spinach. It was soooo tasty and satisfying! I also made a homemade vegetable stock (LP helped, thanks!) to use for a soup recipe the next day. I hadn't been able to cook as much lately, so I felt great about this. I did all this and worked the dinner shift!

Tuesday was just fantastic. I slept in a little, made myself a healthy berry-banana smoothie and an egg on a bed of spinach, then walked to our polling place with my current and former roommate. Yay for voting! I felt really informed and prepared with my little sample ballot filled out and ready to go.

After voting, I took our five full bins of recycling to the center--a herculean task, I assure you! Turns out we actually had $17 worth of stuff! WOW! There was about 72 lbs of glass alone. And I hauled that around by myself! It makes me glad that we don't throw all of that away. (Random side note: when driving back I was listening to Market Place on NPR and even that reporter commented that on Project Runway, MONDO was robbed. Completely unrelated to the topic at hand, and I totally agree. It just had to be said.)

After that, my friend Amy and I got fancy coffee and shared a crepe at Solar de Cahuenga in Hollywood. Nutella and Strawberries....mmm. Amy swears that she saw Josh Radnor of "How I Met Your Mother" out on the patio where we were sitting. I was completely oblivious, but she was probably right.

We waited until 5 PM, which is the magic hour for me in LA, because after that the LACMA is free to local residents. That leaves 3 whole hours for leisurely browsing before they close. The museum has a great collection for being as small as it is and I've been there quite a bit. And I always have to take a peek at my favorite painting of all. I geeked out the first time I realized it was there!

But we especially wanted to see their newest building and the latest exhibit on the History of Fashion. The clothes were GUH-OR-geous. Amy and I had an interesting conversation about feminism and fashion. She regrets not getting to dress so outstandingly today, but I feel like you can dress however you want... hoop skirts and corset? SURE! But if I felt restricted in my clothing options, you can sure as hell bet that I would rebel against whatever it was I was expected to wear. Even as recently as my mother's generation, girls could get sent home from school for wearing pants. PANTS, ladies! I can't imagine not getting to wear jeans, and I love that I have the option of wearing a skirt if I feel like it, men's clothes if I feel like it. Punk one day and feminine the next. Isn't it FANTASTIC that we have choices? I feel privileged.

I love the outside "sculpture" at the LACMA... its iconic light posts. One of my favorite LA image.

After a couple hours at the museum, I took Amy home and then went home to cook! I used my homemade stock in a Butternut Squash, Green Apple, and Leek soup! I took the recipe from the November/December issue of Vegetarian Times. My brother got me a subscription for Christmas and I definitely want to renew. They have a lot of great ideas and are a major source of inspiration for me. I wanted to test-drive the soup before Thanksgiving. It's one of my favorite holidays and I asked off for it this year so I can really make a feast! My oldest brother hosts, but I always bring something vegetarian. The soup was definitely a winner!

Tuesday was a great day, and I was so eager to make Wednesday great, too. LP got me up early when he forgot his keys, but I thanked him for it because that gave me the time to make Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes for breakfast! From a technical and taste standpoint, these were the best pancakes I've ever made. I even had leftovers that I ate the next morning for breakfast, spread with a little peanut butter (to go!). I spent the rest of Wednesday running errands before going to work at night.

And the rest of this week? Well, I doubt I'll have much time to update, but right now I'm in IOWA for my cousin's wedding! I'm so excited to see family that I haven't seen in two years or more, but I'm not so excited about the chilly weather. Going from 98 to 27 degrees is freaking brutal. But more on that to come!

Who doesn't like a cute baby video?

That's what I thought. OF COURSE you love cute baby videos. On Friday, I said good-bye to my niece when mom and dad came home from their anniversary mini-vacation. I had a great time bonding with her and can't wait to baby-sit again. Don't panic though, I'm not hankering for any babies of my own any time soon. That can wait. For a long time.

I can only imagine how paranoid I'll be. Last night I scared the dickens out of LP when I bolted upright in bed shook him awake, calling his name, and telling him to be careful because I thought he rolled onto Baby Z! LP told me that I was babbling nonsense and was pushing at him and grabbing frantically at the bed. He thought I'd gone crazy. Then I fell right back to bed. I definitely remember doing that, but I thought maybe it was a dream. What a crazy person I am.

 OK, enough build up.... here's a last tribute to my adorable niece. A little video from my cell phone!

And by the way, I'll count editing this video as doing something for my career today. A little FCP practice never hurt anybody! I wanted to rotate the video, add music, cut it down, and color correct/brighten before posting it.

Z and the Zoo!

Baby Z and I had a FANTASTIC day today! Yesterday, she was up at 5:30 AM, but today she let me sleep in until 6:15-- WOW! Now, let's take a moment to recognize that if left to my own devices, I will regularly sleep until noon or later. So, for me to get up that early and stay up without any naps is truly remarkable. I was really afraid that I wouldn't wake up to hear Z cry or be so tired that I couldn't respond to her, but I think I've reacted as well as any mom would.



We had a nice, slow morning, eating breakfast and listening to NPR. After Z's mid-morning nap, we got all bundled up and headed off to the L.A. Zoo!!! LP and I have a yearly membership, so Z and I went for free.


 I was so impressed with her. I put her in the Ergo and she was so comfy and well behaved. I think she really liked it and it was the best way for her to people watch and enjoy the animals.

I also couldn't help myself... I brought Sophie the Giraffe, Zoe's zebra toy, a plush elephant toy to hang from the stroller, and a giraffe print blanket. C'mon, if you go to the zoo, you gotta bring all the wild animal themed gear! 

Holy giraffe, could that be cuter/funnier?

About halfway through the visit, she had some milk and then fell asleep in her stroller and stayed asleep until we got home.

After that, my friend Amy came to visit and we took a walk to Portos for coffee and took a stroll around the block. Then, Zoe had dinner, took a bath, got snuggled up in her PJs and went right off to sleep after a couple bedtime stories.

What a perfect day. Even Spike got some play time! 

 

Auntie Nelle finished off her evening with a big bowl of curried lentils with fresh tomatoes from the garden and creamy goat cheese! Especially nice was getting to enjoy it while watching "Project Runway" on a nice big TV. Go Mondo!!!

Houses, Dogs, Weather, Babies and Gender-Political Issues (whew!)

I've been house sitting since last Thursday while my brother and his family made the Grand Tour of Iowa to visit family. None of them (except our parents) had met Baby Z yet, so I'm sure it was pretty exciting for all of them. MORE exciting though? Me getting to house/dog sit!!! Here's the highlights:

1. Having people over.  We haven't been able to host a get together or party since we've lived together. It was nice playing hostess and Jake used the grill to make fajitas and everyone enjoyed a porch and a backyard.
2. LAUNDRY. Holy shit I think I've washed everything I own, plus Jake's clothes, plus towels and all our bedding. Not worrying about quarters or timing is an amazing gift.
3. Cable/TV. On Thursday night, I got to watch Project Runway before midnight on a big screen TV. I've been numbing my mind with bullshit shows like "Bridezillas." We don't own a TV, so we normally just play movies on our laptop and watch Netflix/Hulu.
4. Having a Dog. Although Spike is a bit of a jerk, I fell in love with him the first time I watched him for my sister-in-law. Spike and I lived together for three months and I adore him...even if he is a pain.

   

   Our First Kiss, 2008

    
5.  Space to Live. There's an excess of room in this house, and it's spacious, clutter free, and CLEAN. I'm naturally a clean freak, but I've made concessions and sacrifice in the name of cheap rent and love. Having some time to chill and focus has been great. I also like eating at a table instead of on my lap. That's nice.

 The only downfall of getting to enjoy this house is that it's in Burbank, which is farther away from my job, which has meant a longer commute and more gas burned. Since LP's commute is already ridiculously long, he hasn't been able to hang out with me much while I've stayed here. Sad. We miss each other and I don't care much for sleeping alone.

Los Angeles has been cool and rainy while I've been staying here. I'm currently bundled up in my favorite sweatshirt. Hooray Ernie and Bert!!!! I also went to Locali and snagged my favorite vegan marshmallows. These are cheaper than the ones they sell at Whole Foods (Sweet & Sara), which are delicious and gourmet, but cost about $7 for a half dozen. Dandies sell for about $5 and you get 10 oz. and lots of marshmallows that taste exactly like the non-vegetarian variety. I've been eating them plain, making s'mores, and putting them in hot chocolate! I found a great vegan recipe for spicy cocoa. Perfect on these cold nights.

Last night, the family returned to L.A. and this evening marked my first night of watching the baby. Z was pretty strung out from all the traveling and time zone changes, so I wasn't surprised when she cried, and cried, and cried, and eventually cried herself to sleep. Poor thing. Although, she did go down at her usual LA bedtime, so I'm pretty pleased with myself! And Z.

My brother and sister-in-law have a nanny (she's amazing) who watches Z during the day when they work, so she's able to come by while I work a lunch shift. Thursday and Friday though... I'm watching her all day!! Eek!

After work, I stopped by Target to pick up this awesome thermal from the Boys' Department! It's super cozy and it came in a package paired with matching long underwear! Woo hoo! Guess who's going to be snuggly and warm tonight?!?! And, of course, I had to pose for this photo with my "sexy" silly model face. What could possibly be more appropriate?

And that brings me to the final point that I mentioned in this post's title. Gender-Political issues. And babies. As I was strolling past the kids' section at Target, I noticed the cutest little T-shirt. It was baby blue and had a little stethoscope print around the neck! ADORABLE! I was hoping it was appropriately placed in a gender neutral kind of section for babies. It wasn't. It was on a rack labeled "Boys' Licensed T-Shirts" and was displayed next to the Toy Story, Spiderman, Tonka Truck, and other similarly branded clothing. There were also little boy T-Shirts to look like police officer and firefighter uniforms. I figured, surely, these same career related clothes will be located on the girls' rack, too.

In the clothing section for babies and toddlers, the racks are intermingled for boys and girls. But they are clearly defined by pink and blue signs. Labels. At 6 months, we're already putting labels on our kids. When I found the rack for "Girls' Licensed T-shirts" it was NOTHING put princess gear. And pink. How fucking depressing. So you know what I did? I bought the doctor shirt. For my niece. FUCK YOU clothing manufacturers for deciding that my niece wouldn't have career goals some day.

She may decide to become a baker or a stay-at-home mom or a teacher or a CEO or a pop star or maybe, just maybe, a doctor. Whatever she wants to be, that's cool. But maybe we should treat all kids equally, regardless of gender. They can wear whatever they want as they get older and decide what labels they want for themselves...but we don't need to be bombarding them with it from birth. This t-shirt is a little big now, but she'll grow into it soon enough.

If you want to know more about gender-neutral clothing and child rearing. Check out Pink Stinks! or one of my favorites (even though I don't have kids), Offbeat Mama.
Someday, when I have kids, I'll probably dress them in bright, colorful clothes and neutrals as much as possible. There's nothing wrong with having some pink clothes for girls and trucks for boys... hell, I love pink because it looks good on me. But I don't think it needs to be so extreme on each side. I just wish more manufacturers gave better options for kids.

End rant.

Debt Free!!!!

Today is an extremely important day in my life. Today, I am officially:

DEBT FREE!

I paid off my credit card debt this spring/summer and today I made my final payment to my brother. Several years ago, my oldest brother helped me purchase a used car. I had been in an accident where my car was totaled by an uninsured driver and since I had "liability only" coverage, most of the costs weren't covered. My brother was completely amazing and loaned me a little over $2,000 to help me buy a new car. Today, I transferred the final amount owed to him.

This is an AMAZING feeling and I'm just so happy to know that I'm now going to have the extra money I need to pursue my career, take classes, etc... No excuses now! 

Generic happy "debt free" image.

How did I accomplish this feat? Well, first, I got a job. Part of the reason I had debt to begin with was because I spent a year working as an extra/background actor where my income was completely...um...lacking. I couldn't pay more than the minimum on what I already owed from my laptop/plane tickets home. So interest built up. Then, I was so broke, that I had to start putting things like groceries on my credit card. Then there were some car repairs, and so on and so on.

Once I got my current job, I was able to throw down money on that credit card like crazy. I also never bought anything that I couldn't pay for in full. The biggest help, besides having a job, of course, was keeping my bills/expenses low. I didn't get a smart phone until last month, because I wanted to keep my cell phone bill below $50. I also don't pay for cable TV. Biggest of all, though, is my rent. While it's expensive compared to someone living in the Midwest, I only pay $450 a month. Compared to everyone else I know...this is nothing. I share a two bedroom apartment with my Life Partner and one other roommate. It's a small, VERY small two bedroom...but we make it work. Splitting the internet and electricity bill three ways is helpful, too.

A year ago, we actually had FIVE people living in this apartment. LP and I shared one bedroom, while our current roommate shared his with another friend. Then that roommate's girlfriend moved in because she got kicked out of her place. So I was paying even less than I am now.

Although, right now, we do have an extended house guest sleeping on the living room floor. He just moved to L.A. so we're trying to help him out by letting him stay here for awhile. Friends say I'm crazy, but... that's my life.

Family in L.A.

Moving out to Los Angeles or any other large city can be seriously daunting for some people. My oldest brother moved out to L.A. and didn't know a single person. Not ONE. My Life Partner moved out here and didn't know anyone (well, except that I had a brother he had never met). I moved to the O.C. about six months later. I didn't know anyone in Fullerton (where I went to college) and my roommate was a stranger I had found on some random website. I was pretty lonely, but at least my boyfriend was living in L.A. and I had FAMILY. It was so reassuring to know that I could call one of my brothers and they could be there in a couple hours.

I am so lucky and grateful that I have family in Los Angeles. Not just my Life Partner, but also both of my older brothers. The one recently moved a couple hours south for work, but he's still relatively close. My other brother and his wife live in Burbank, less than 20 minutes away (depending on traffic). They've helped me out of several jams and even let me live with them for a few months, RENT FREE! I owe them both so much.

That's why I am their devoted free babysitter for life! I mean, my baby niece is so cute and squishable and I'm so happy to be an aunt that I would babysit for them anyway... but I also know that those two have done more for me than I can ever give back. So I'm more than happy to give them a night out.

I mean, look at that baby in her rad pajamas! Who wouldn't want to sing her lullabies and read bedtime stories?! Please ignore, by the way, what a hideous photo that is of me (OMG look at that CLAW HAND attacking the baby!!). But Baby Z looks very cute.

LP, me and Z!

Baby Z is also part of the reason I started blogging. Since most of the family lives about 2,000 miles away, my brother started a blog so that everyone could watch her grow. Our grandparents especially love it. If you like looking at cute baby pictures, check it out. When my brother started that blog, I thought, "No way is my baby niece going to have a blog and not me!"

In October, my brother, sister-in-law, and Baby Z are all going to Iowa for a family visit. Again, my grandparents are beyond excited to meet their great-granddaughter for the first time. Lucky for me, I get to house/dog sit while they are gone! A house, a yard, a dog, washer and dryer, and CABLE.... a TV???!!!! Sign me up. Even though it means a longer commute to work, I can handle it for a week. Then, when the family gets back from Iowa, bro and the wife are taking a mini-vacation to celebrate their anniversary. That means three whole days with Baby Z!!! We're going to the zoo and it will be awesome.

While I was baby-sitting last night, I changed the words to American Lullaby to make it a customized bedtime song for Z... I only picked that song because I once learned it for a voice class and it was the only one I could think of...

Hush-a-bye you sweet little Zoe and don’t you cry any more.
Mommy has gone to the editor's office a keepin’ the wolf from the door.
Auntie will raise the window shade high,
So you can see the cars whizzing by.
Home in a hurry each mommy must fly
To a baby like you.

Hush-a-bye you sweet little Zoe and close those pretty blue eyes.
Daddy has got fantasy football league to get his wee baby the prize.
Auntie will turn the Sleep Sheep on
So you can hear a sleepy-time song,
Sung by a lady whose poor heart must long
For a baby like you.

Lucky that Zoe replaces "baby" so well. I also decided that in 2010, it should be Mommy who goes to work, not Daddy....although either would be equally true in their case.