Small World

Okay so it's been a while. I would like to say I've been busy but I think the better word is overwhelmed. Still getting used to this lack of schedule life. Weird!

I've spent the past few weeks auditioning, baking, getting totally hooked on yoga, and realizing more and more how small the world really is. I cannot count how many times I've been meeting someone new and found out that we have at least a handful of friends in common. I think the most outrageous though was finding out that the guy interviewing me last week grew up performing in the same theater company as I did. In fact, his dad was one of our main producers of the company! I couldn't even believe it. We're talking kids theater in Walnut

Creek, he is the chair of performing arts at a prep school, and I found the job opening on Backstage Online. Seriously, what are the odds?

On top of that I've been spending a lot of time with my good friend Steve, a graduate of USC (sorry bruin friends) and I'm constantly in awe of how many people we both know or the connections made while I've been introduced to friends of his.

Whether it be people I grew up with or UCLA people or something else, I'm realizing that we are all totally connected without even realizing it. Isn't it bizarre to think that the random people we see in the grocery stores, or the gas station are probably only separated from us by 2 or 3 degrees? Trips me out. hah

I've put Nemo, my kitchen aid, to good use in recent days as well. Last week I made sinful Buttermilk Cupcakes with buttermilk frosting which I dyed red and green to go with a mexican theme dinner party. It's sort of hard to tell, but I cut out some of the center of the cupcake and filled it with red while and green to replicate the flag of my mexi people. I also made carrot cake cupcakes for a birthday party, but I didn't take a picture. They were actually a lot more work than I anticipated, but very worth it. The cream cheese frosting was truly to die for.

Here's a picture of the amazing salad Bill made for our entirely vegan (save for my cupcakes) fiesta. He gave me his left over cilantro dressing and I made my own version of the salad later in the week. It was DELICIOUS and managed to feed me for about 3 days straight!

I think that's about all for now. My mom's coming to town tomorrow and hopefully I'll finally get my room finished. I think I've even talked her into coming to yoga with m and Melissa while she's here. Should be fun.

More soon!

Lazy Sunday

Hellloooo lazy Sunday!

At the moment it is 12:35pm. I am still in bed, still in my pajamas, drinking my coffee and enjoying 'dolce far niente'. The sweetness of doing nothing. My week has finally started to slow down a bit and now I am allowing it to come to a screeching but peaceful halt. This weekend has been pretty jam packed with exciting events. I broke in my new kitchen aid mixer AND antique oven (pictures to follow) by baking a huge Almond Strawberry coffee cake and chocolate chip cookies. I saw Eat Pray Love which was amazing and inspiring. I forgot how much the book had touched me and the movie had the same, if not more, of an emotional affect. My day of lovely art was continued when I went to see the dance theater piece NeverWonderland produced and created by friends of mine and included performances by my amazingly talented Cabaret diva Rachel Hirshee. The show was soooo fantastic. It was inventive, and detailed and danced so beautifully by the whole cast. I could not believe how much choreography there was! And how intricate most of it was, the movement was so married to the perfectly chosen music, truly a stunning performance.

In other news, the job hunt is not quite going as well as hoped. I think I just need to start another wave of applying. I interviewed and taught a sample class at a studio in Manhattan Beach, so perhaps that will work out. Just sending good vibes into the universe and hoping I get some back in return. Seeing all this great theater, and movies and such has made me ache to be working on a project again. It's weird not being involved in anything. I'm taking lots of dance classes which is great and I plan to get my ass back to my usual Edge classes starting this week, but I miss the daily grind of rehearsals and creating something. Working together to mold a piece of text or music to what we believe to be its best form. Although I am enjoying my days of relaxing, there are only so many I can enjoy before I start acting like my cat when he's not allowed to go outside. Jumping on all the furniture he knows he's supposed to avoid, scratching at the windows and doors, clawing the carpets, and whining insufferably to be let out.

Okay so maybe that's a bit of a dramatic way to say I just get stir crazy when I wake up and realize I don't have a thousand things to do. But it's true. I don't believe I am meant to be a static or still person. I just gotta get out and MOVE!

Here's the pictures of my orange mixer dutifully named Nemo....

My delicious coffee cake. Topped with a layer of whipped strawberry jam, and a thick layer of almond crumble. Your mouth should be watering.

And lastly, my signature chocolate chippers which I gave to the cast of NeverWonderland and other friends.

Jobs and Goodies

I've been putting off this day for quite a while...today I officially gave into the inevitability that I will need to get a real person job. So job hunting I went! Part of the problem is I don't really know what I would like to do. I have a romanticized idea about working in some hip, organic, or perhaps trendy cafe at night while dancing my ass off at auditions all day. I applied to a cupcake place which may make me nice and plump, but also would feed my food nerd inside me. I'm applying to lululemon and a handful of other places too. Basically whatever looks decent in my cute, new neighborhood.

I have this crazy notion that I am going to love whatever job I find, and I think if I believe it hard enough, the universe might just make my wish come true. Who says your survival job has to be painful or awful? I say down to that and up with working as a real adult doing something I at least like! I've also looked into bartending school which would be a great way to supplement my income while not cutting into audition availability at all. But who know. I'm on this ride and I'm holdin on tight. Just waiting to see where the next few weeks take me.

I've got another audition Thursday which is nice. It's crazy how without school and work-work I'm managing to keep myself busy almost all day long. I think setting up the new apartment really helps that though. Today I was able to finally sleep in a bit, my body is killing me after a Disney, hip-hop, dance call with Tessandra Chavez. I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon finally unpacking all my kitchen stuff, putting contact paper into our cabinets. A truly domestic morning. It felt good though, getting everything finally organized. I put our table together so we now officially have furniture in our living room. Still working on the TV and couch, but hey, progress is progress! I've even gotten a few things up on my walls; I'm telling you, watch out, I am makin moves over here.

The only downside to this place is we haven't gotten our gas turned on yet. By the time they come Friday I will have been without a stove for 2 WEEKS! I can't believe it. I have managed thanks to my handy dandy George Foreman grill but it's about time to get cooking! Not to mention my brand new Kitchen Aid mixer is sitting in our kitchen just glaring at me, waiting to be used. I have a feeling for the first few weeks with that baby I'm gunna be making all kinds of crazy goodies. I foresee cakes, cookies and maybe even bread!

The possibilities are endless. More Soon

Crunching Metal

Since I've been back in LA I've driven past a staggering number of car accidents. Almost daily as I drive the many freeways and busy streets I see people pulled over to the sides with dented fenders exchanging information. I even got love tapped by a car behind me while stopped at a red light. I didn't even realize what had happened until my dad got out of the car to check for damage. There was none and so we went on our merry way. The lil bump caught me so off guard, I couldn't stop laughing! It was the first time I had even been rear-ended!

It makes me wonder though, of all these accidents, how many are caused by distracted drivers? I admit I have texted in my car before, usually while stopped at lights, but seriously...how dangerous is that?! Especially in a city like LA where people are constantly cutting you off, stopping quickly and driving like maniacs. Taking yours eyes away for a second is just crazy! I mean it's awful enough I have my ipod plugged into my car. I'd venture to say scrolling for music while driving is no less of an offense than texting. Staring at a small screen when we should be staring at the road, no matter what it is, is just a bad idea.

Of all these accidents I've driven past only one happened right in front of me. Yesterday after driving all the way up to Norcal I was stopped at a red light mildly dazing off into space when suddenly two cars collided in the intersection in front of me. For me there are few sounds I hate more than the crunching of car metal in an accident. A woman had decided to go for a left turn at the very end of her yellow light which then turned red, and a man whose light had turned green ran right into her. I could literally feel my heart pounding, my mouth was wide open. I was wondering if I should get out and help. The woman pulled her severely dented car over while the man got out of his car and started cursing and yelling at her. She got out, her airbag had opened and she was bleeding from either her mouth or nose. She seemed completely terrified. The man continued to berate her, yelling things like "Thanks a lot! You've just screwed my whole f***ing family! This is our only transportation!" I'm not sure whose fault the accident was, perhaps a combination of both. Although she maybe shouldn't have gone through the yellow, shouldn't he have seen that she had not yet cleared the intersection? The whole scene really made me realize how lucky I am. Both people involved were probably in for a whole ordeal regarding money, insurance, and maybe having to be without a car for a while. Right now, especially in areas like Richmond where I was, money and work doesn't always come easy. There's a lot of people out there suffering, who can't afford accidents or rising insurance costs.

I wish there was something I could be doing. As I was unpacking my new apartment I realized how much stuff I have. But why?! I mean sure, I need lots of dance shoes and many of my clothes are hand-me-downs from friends. I don't spend insane amounts of money on clothes or anything like that. But what about those people who have nothing? All the homeless people or the people who can't afford food. I mean I'm sitting in my new apartment trying to organize my apparent plethora of stuff and sheet music and again it hit me how fortunate I am to have everything I do. All I can do is thank this universe for blessing me with such gifts.