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3/29/2006

What's With Today, Today?

I'm getting sick of myself and these lame posts about my crappy days. It is something about this week. I set my alarms for 5:30 and 5:40 am last night. I have to get out of bed and cross my room to snooze/turn them off. Apparently I turned both of them off at some point, but I have no recollection of doing so. When my eyes popped open this morning, it was 8:44 (I'm supposed to be at work at 7:30). Ugh! Not a great start to my Wednesday.

However, I must say that my drive to work was rather pleasant. It was a quintessential Southern California morning after a rain with blue sky, puffy clouds, and clean air. There are some dark clouds rolling in again, but I enjoyed the nice morning. I realize that it's somewhat trite to blog about the rain in L.A., but it is a big deal here. One of those things that you only truly understand once you live in this city.

Maybe I should glue some quarters to the floor.

3/28/2006

Worse Than Monday

I discovered on the drive to work today that Dicky Barrett has been sacked by Indie 103. This post on LAVoice.org expresses the displeasure I'm feeling. I really have no need to listen to Dave Navarro "filling in" and talking about himself, his Camp Freddy radio show, and his Hummer. When he played music, it was a song by one of his bands. I don't dislike hate Dave, but as Eric has said, he really has become such a media whore. (The fact that he drives a Hummer only increases my disdain). I occasionally listen to the Camp Freddy show, so for the brief time I listened this morning, I got to hear a stupid story about standing in line at Coffee Bean that I'd already heard.

I DON'T NEED THIS CRAP ON A RAINY MORNING WHEN I HAVE A HEADACHE AND WOULD MUCH RATHER BE IN BED ANYWAY!!!

I miss Dicky. I miss his snark and the great music he played. At least I had my kick-ass Arctic Monkeys cd to turn to.

P.S. When I'm feeling less grouchy, I will extol the goodness of almond poodle. Yumtastic!

3/27/2006

Thanks. Thanks A Lot.

I just want to thank the woman in the white van who was behind me as I was preparing to pull out of my neighborhood this morning:

In spite of the fact that you could not see the truck coming that would have killed me if I had made my left turn, I do appreciate you honking your horn and then flipping me off, not with one hand, but two, and kind of turned down, gansta style. You rock and you really know how to help a fellow human being get a good start to an already sorta crappy Monday.


3/26/2006

Mix It Up

I got this text message from my 19-year old brother, Kyle, a few weeks ago:

"I always knew R.E.M. was a good band, but wow I just heard the song 'Nightswimming' and that song rules."

We text messaged back and forth a bit, me telling him I've seen them live four times. He wanted to know if one of those times was in the 80's, as that would be most impressive. Luckily, I just made the cool test as one of the concerts was in 1989.

Being a longtime R.E.M. fan, ever since hearing them on a college radio station when I was in 8th grade, I have just about all of their albums. So, I told Kyle that I'd make him a mixed cd. He agreed, as long as it includes 'Nightswimming,' and has bugged me about it a couple of times since.

I'm finally working on it today. It's a struggle to find just the right amount of songs for just one cd. I love so much of their work, but am also trying to be objective and pick tracks I think Kyle will enjoy.

We've been able to talk about and share musical tastes for a few years now, which I like. That didn't happen so much when he was younger and into Savage Garden or later when he went through his Norwegian black metal phase. I do like one of his very favorite groups, Blink-182, and he helped school me in the members of Rancid when I got to see them perform acoustically a few months ago.

I've been kind of homesick for my two younger brothers lately, so this is a good way to do some long distance family bonding.

It's Hammy Time!

Check out this video of Ami stuffing her cheeks! It's amazing how much she can fit in there!


3/25/2006

Sasquatchy Goodness


The Bigfoot Lodge. I've driven by it hundreds of times and always been curious. I finally ventured in with a few co-workers for a 'happy hour' the other night. I really liked the place. It was quiet when we were there, which was kind of nice because we could actually talk. I think I may have been the only one to appreciate it, but they were also playing really good music. I don't recall everything I heard, but there was Echo & The Bunnymen, David Bowie, New Order, and The Smiths.


The atmosphere was cool. Wood cabin walls, fireplace, creepy deer head lamps, a Smokey The Bear statue. The restrooms were labeled 'Does' and 'Bucks,' etc. It really felt like being in Yosemite. With drinks and good conversation. No Sasquatch though. You have to go to the one in San Francisco for that.

3/24/2006

If I Had A Million Dollars

or even just a few thousand extra I could spend...

I'd so be going on the Barenaked Ladies cruise! How fun is that going to be? I just simply can not afford that right now.

3/23/2006

Thanks For The Laughs

Eric called it. He predicted that Trey Parker and Matt Stone would not let Isaac Hayes leave South Park quietly. I don't know who else watched the season premiere, which ended up being a very special Chef episode. It was hilarious goodness.

3/22/2006

Gallimaufry

  • I ventured out in the rain this past Monday for a 75-cent corn beef sandwich at the famous Canter's Deli. It was yummy. So was the chocolate rugula that came with it.
  • Yesterday, a day off, consisted of doing laundry and sleeping.
  • I bought Neko Case's latest cd. I rarely browse the 'country' section at Amoeba, but that is how her music gets categorized. Labels, schmabels. I like the woman's voice.
  • I'm bummed that I missed Belle & Sebastian's free in-store performance at Amoeba earlier this week. I don't think I could have gone anyway since it was at 3pm.
  • Yes, I overhauled my blog once again. Hopefully, it will be the last major one for awhile. It was due to me registering SnarkyDork.com for one thing.
  • The second reason I implemented a new template was due to an alignment issue in my old one that I could not figure out how to modify. It's this kind of thing that makes me realize I have more OCD tendencies than I like to admit.
  • I enjoyed the mid-season finale of The Shield last night. I'm not sure it needed to be 90 minutes though.
  • I enjoyed meeting Eddie Barbanell, one of the stars in The Ringer this past weekend. We talked about the possibility of a sequel, which he seemed very excited about. Peter Farrelly was pretty cool too, especially when he called Eric "Donkey Boy."
  • The days are getting longer and I'm looking forward to getting back into hiking.
  • I'm not sure I'll ever enjoy cooking.
  • I'm a documentary junkie. See Yellow Brick Road, if you haven't. It's good.
  • Question of the moment: how many Cadbury Cream Eggs can I eat, while they are still available, and not get sick of them?
  • The spell checker suggested that I replace Cadbury with "cadaver." While cadavers do fascinate me, I don't think so!

3/21/2006

The mp3 Shuffle

I nicked this from Ian. It's a silly game where you ask your mp3 player questions and get a random answer. I did this with my non-iPod, Samsung brand mp3 player that has 5001 songs on it.

How does the world see me?
"Radiation Vibe" by Fountains of Wayne

Will I have a happy life?
"We Can Work It Out" by The Beatles

What do my friends really think of me?
"The Chemical Worker's Song" by Great Big Sea

Do people secretly lust after me?
"Will I?" (Rent Soundtrack)

How can I make myself happy?
"Miss Teen Wordpower" by The New Pornographers

What should I do with my life?
"Something's Gone Wrong Again" by The Buzzcocks

Will I ever have children?
"Scholarship Is The Enemy of Romance" by Billy Bragg

What is some good advice for me?
"Lullaby" by The Cure

How will I be remembered?
"So Cruel" by U2 (?!?!)

What is my signature song?
"
Into The Blue" by Moby

What do I think my signature song is?
"Sufragette City" by David Bowie

What does everyone else think my signature song is?
"The Pirate's Bride" by Sting

What song will play at my funeral?
"Virus" by Duran Duran

What type of guys do I like?
"When She Talks" by Moxy Fruvous

What is my day going to be like?
"Back Where I Belong" by Dumptruck

3/20/2006

Aftermath

I'm experiencing the Monday exhaustion that comes after a very, very busy and fun weekend. Since it was a good, I don't mind so much, especially since I'm not working tomorrow. The day off is a comp day for having to work this upcoming weekend, but I need it. I was barely home, except to sleept, the past few days and lots of household things were left undone.

The Perspectives Film Festival and Forum, which I was somewhat involved with, is done. As is typical for a lot of film festivals (unless it's huge and very well sponsored like Sundance, L.A. Film Fest, etc), attendance was so-so. I saw some good films and enjoyed the media forum, which featured Peter Farrelly, as well as the director, writer, and an actor from The Ringer. After both the opening night film on Friday and the forum, there were receptions at the Friars Club in Beverly Hills. The Kids of Widney High, who were in The Ringer, performed last night and were a blast. I worked as a P.A. on their music video for "Pretty Girls" that a friend of mine directed. My job ended up consisting of hanging out with a few of the 'kids' quite a bit during the on-set downtime and driving several of them to and from the location. It was fun to see them perform and talk to a few of the members at the party.

I didn't get to go to any of the festival on Saturday because of a wedding. It was a very nice, very (very) long Catholic wedding of a co-worker/friend of mine. Unfortunately, Eric had a last minute thing he had to do in Vegas and couldn't go with me. The reception was at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and had gorgeous views of the rest of the L.A. Music Center and City Hall (yes, that very building that posed as the Daily Planet in the 1950's). I had a great time hanging out with other current and former work friends. It was just a bummer that I didn't have a designated driver. Well, maybe that was for the best.

Eric (aka 'Donkey Boy') and I ended the weekend by getting midnight hot dogs at Pink's. Luckily, the line was fairly short as it was a bit chilly. Actually, if you go by L.A. standards, it was cold, but I was fine with my sweater over a long sleeved shirt.

So, I just need to make it through the rest of today. I'm sensing a nap in my future. Or at least hoping.

3/17/2006

Geek Pride

Lately, I've been embracing my dorkiness, nerdiness, and geekiness. Why not? Most of my favorite people possess these characteristics too. Many of my friends are lucky to work with these sorts of like-minded peers. Ren is one for sure. Possibly even Chris, as I think he may be a rocket scientist or something computer engineer (see comments).

I, however, am not in that situation. In the past, I think tried to hide some of me from my co-workers, as it just isn't what most of them are into. But, not any more. Not for the past several years really. I know many of them were astounded when I took two personal days back in December of 2003 for "Trilogy Tuesday." I went to the historical Cinerama Dome at the ArcLight in Hollywood for back-to-back screening of Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings (extended version), The Two Towers (extended version), and Return of the King.

Another thing that many of my work buddies don't "get" is Comic-Con. Someone, who I don't know very well, had heard I'd gone and said to me, quite rudely in fact, "oh, you're one of those people." "Yes, I am," I said to her and held my head high. She was familiar with it because her husband had worked security for one of the celebrities making an appearance. He had come home and told her about all of the freaky people in attendance.

I have fun with it. I've actually become closer to one of the women at work, who while not very geeky (or so she says) herself, is dating a nerd. We tease each other about things endlessly anyway, so I just put it all out there for her. Yesterday, in a course of a couple of hours I told her that I'd be giving my hamster a sand bath last night, that because I was tired and had a headache I wouldn't be going to the Stereo Club (as in 3D) meeting with Eric, and I referenced Battlestar Galactica. It was almost too much for her and she exclaimed, "There are so many things to make fun of you for, I don't know what to pick!" We laughed and laughed. From this particular person, it wasn't mean. Being the dork I am, I grabbed a piece of scrap paper, wrote down the quote, and said, "This is going on my blog!"

In the process, I've been outing a guy I work with who tries to be a closeted geek. I make comments that I know he will have a hard time ignoring. And come on, I can't be the only one who has heard his cell phone ring with the Star Wars theme! Okay, maybe I was the only other one who knew what it was!

3/16/2006

Sometimes, I Wish That I Was A Wrestler

A Mexican Wrestler In A Red Vinyl Mask

So.very.tired.

Even so, I went to Largo Wednesday night for a great show. Jill Sobule performed with Julia Sweeney, who told some very funny stories.

Ren's boss (yes, THAT boss) was there too.

3/14/2006

3/13/2006

I'm In Love, With That Song

On more than one occasion, I've proclaimed my appreciation for Dicky Barrett and Nina Blackwood on Indie 103.1. It is commercial radio and therefore flawed (songs in heavy rotation, lots of cheesy ads, etc.), but is about the best damn thing we have for music in L.A. right now, in my opinion. I am an NPR junkie and often don't even listen to music in the car, but when I do, it's Indie. Here are a few more examples of why I continue to love this station:
  • Last Thursday morning, just before 7am, I get in the car to "Catch My Fall" by Billy Idol
  • Early Saturday morning, on my way in to work, Nina Blackwood played "Perfect Skin" by Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
  • This morning, and the reason I started thinking about this post during my drive to work, Dicky played "Alex Chilton" by The Replacements

*Edit: My one consistent Indie gripe is that I don't get good reception in my house so I can only listen in my car. I'm not in my car alone that often (the only time I have complete control over what I listen to).

And now back to our regularly scheduled hamster related posts.

3/12/2006

Hamster Haiku


Rolling in your ball
Your cute, fluffy butt wiggles
Run Ami-ham, run

Sweet Ginger Brown

Matt Dillon hosted Saturday Night Live. There were some funny bits. The eye candy made up for the not-so-funny parts.

3/11/2006

Mind Frack

Kevin beat me to it. Well, he is East coast. Damn! I have to get some sleep because I'm working tomorrow, but I'd really like to rewatch the Battlestar Galactica finale (part 2, especially) while listening to the podcast. Curses!

3/10/2006

Return of the 10 Questions

I'd forgotten that Ren sent me questions to answer, after the Oscars. She knew I was in a frenzy of cleaning and preparing for the party last week, so it was kind of her to tell me to wait.

Name three things you can see from where you are sitting right now.
  • my unmade/stripped bed
  • clean sheets and duvet cover on the desk in the office
  • wilting sunflowers on the dining room table
Name three things you would rather see than the three you previously named.
  • a beautiful sunset
  • Viggo Mortensen
  • the inside of my eyelids
What kind of shoes do you like to wear?
  • open-toed slip on sandals
  • clogs
  • anything that gives me a little height and is comfortable
What did you have for dinner last night?
A club sandwich (no mayo) with a side of hash browns at Denny's.

What three things do I not know about you, but I probably should?
  • I really, really appreciate all of the help you gave me at the party on Sunday. I don't think I thanked you.
  • I still haven't figured the whole podcast thing out. I just listen to ones Eric downloads.
  • I don't like mayonnaise.
What made you want a hamster?
I'd just kind of become obsessed with the cute little furry creatures. It stems back to discovering Hamtaro several years ago. I was never allowed to have rodents as pets when I was a kid, so I felt I'd missed out on something. I love Ami, my hamster.

If you could change your name to anything in the world, what would it be?
This is a tough one because I actually like my name. Gigi LaRoux would sound a bit more exotic and cosmopolitan though.

How do you drink your coffee?
I'd love to answer "black and strong, like my men," but none of those things are true. I like it light and sweet. So, if regular coffee, a fair amount of milk and lots of sugar, or in the case of a fancy coffee a vanilla latte with soy milk does the trick.

Did you have any pictures pinned up in your locker in high school?
I honestly don't remember. If I did though, I'm sure it would have mirrored my bedroom walls and included Duran Duran, The Police, and Matt Dillon.

Have you ever written a fan letter? If yes, to whom was it written?
I very clearly remember writing one to Shaun Cassidy when I was about 7 years old. I snuck into my mom's makeup, put on lipstick, and kissed the letter! No, I never got a reply.

I Choose Pikachu!

I officially got my days off from work approved for Comic Con. This year, Preview Night will be ours! Unfortunately, it didn't happen last year because of travel delays I experienced coming home from the East coast.


I'm already getting excited about getting my geek on!

3/09/2006

Word Cloud

I saw this link on Joanne's site and gave it a try. It's fun. I just knew "hamster" would be somewhat prominent. My last post added to that, I'm sure!


Hamsters, Ben Lee and Earl, Oh My!

The My Name Is Earl panel on Tuesday night was fun, but I didn't get great photos. Sorry Jenn. Security were being total jerks about picture taking this time, unlike for the Battlestar Galactica crew. Oh well. I had a great time nonetheless. The cast was hilarious and it was good to get the "backstory" that Ethan Suplee has created for Randy. (He has a deviated septum and is always looking for aliens, hence the partially open mouth and gazing up and about frequently).

Yesterday was a blah day. I was feeling quite ill and stayed home. I didn't make it to Amoeba to see Neko Case perform for free, which was a bummer. Looking at her website, I do see she's on The Tonight Show tonight, which I'll have to Tivo.

I did venture out in the evening for a little concert, but it was pretty laid back. Ben Lee performed at The Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax. I've been there for films, but never a concert. It ended up being great though. So small and intimate. We sat in the third row and I was able to get a few decent photos. The highlight of the show was when he sang "Bruised," my favorite song from The Bens EP. (The Bens are Ben Lee, Ben Folds, and Ben Kweller). Ben was hanging out in the lobby after the show, so I thanked him for singing that. He commented on my Ben Folds track jacket.

I just have to say that I'm still really enjoying my hamster! She is just adorable and so much fun to watch. She's getting pretty puffy (living up to her full name of Puffy AmiYumi), turning into a the teddy bear she is. I like watching her do her little ritualistic hammy things like grooming and stuffing her cheeks with food. I've been trying to give her nightly time running around the house in her ball too, which she really seems to enjoy. She is a messy little rodent though, as you can see in this photo...her food ends up everywhere in her habitat!

Ami

3/07/2006

Sofa Spud

I like to watch TV. There, I said it. I am selective about what I watch though and feel like my viewing habits have been totally changed by Tivo. I rarely sit and just "flip around" to see what's on. I watch the shows I want to watch, when I have time or when I want to see them. I often don't even remember when my favorite programs air, as I so infrequently play them on that night.

As a tv fan, I have enjoyed the William S. Paley Television Festival, put on by the Museum of Television and Radio, for the past several years. It is a 13-day event showcasing various current and old shows, as well as possibly an actor, writer, or director showcase. The format is a video introduction about William S. Paley and the museum, which features Kiefer Sutherland (!) since last year (previously it was Candace Bergen), followed by a clip of something related to the show of the night. It may be an old show with a similar theme, or something from an original version of a remake. The panel members are briefly introduced and then they show an episode of the featured program. A moderated Q&A follows, first with the moderators asking questions and then audience members. The panel can be made or broken by the quality and ability of the moderator.

This year we've gone to Entourage, Battlestar Galactica, and Medium. Entourage and Battlestar Galactica were great. Elvis Mitchell moderated the Entourage panel and did a fantastic job. I can't say the same about the guy for BG, but oh well. It was really cool nonetheless. I don't watch Medium and after seeing the episode they showed, I have no desire to. It was also possibly the most boring panel I've ever been to. Ick. Tonight we're going to the My Name is Earl event and I'm very excited about it!

In the past we've been to the Paley Festival panels on 24, Lost, Alias, Colombo, Monk, Laugh-In, St. Elsewhere, as well as evenings with William Shatner, Michael Palin, Sherwood Schwartz, and Judd Apatow. As tickets go on sale first to members (and often sell out), we joined the museum. They also do similar panels, for members only, that aren't part of the festival. We've been to Picket Fences, The Shield, and Malcolm In The Middle during the year.

There is no photography allowed during the presentation, but you can often get some shots before whene the cast talks to the press. I got a few of the Battlestar Galactica cast. I didn't get any of Edward James Olmos though. Kevin Smith was at the BG panel and I'm wondering if he will be there tonight to support his pal Jason Lee. I'm not sure if I can get there early enough, but if so, I plan to get some photos of Mr. Lee for justJenn.

The Results Are In

Apparently, our Oscar Party was a success. For several years now, Eric and I have had a party for the Academy Awards. It started rather small and grew to an astounding 70-ish people a couple of years ago. Luckily the weather held out and we were able to expand into the back yard with a screen and fire pit. (Our house is very small). Last year, the award show fell on the same weekend as our 10th anniversary. Since we eloped back in '95 and never had a reception, we decided to combine the two events and really did it up for about 100 people at a local restaurant.

Back to the house this year and a much smaller crowd, which was fine with me. We ended up with about 25 guests total, I believe. I'm exhausted as I slept very little in order to get the house ready. I didn't see much of the show (I heard it was kind of boring anyway) and my plans to catch on Tivo didn't work as the machine was turned off...see what happens when you clean. Grrr! I did eat and drink too much, but that is indeed part of the fun.

Some reviews I received via email:
  • "Thanks for hosting the Oscar Party again this year. [We] had a great time."
  • "Thanks for the good time at your annual party. My friend and I had a good time."
  • "I'm SO GLAD I was able to make it after all! Some traditions simply must not die!! Thanks for another lovely, yummy evening!!!!!!!!!!!"

Our last guest left at 4am, but that was mostly because we decided to rewatch Part 1 of the season finale of Battlestar Galactica with him. I'm looking forward to and am nervous about Part 2 this Friday. It's supposed to be a total mind-frack.

3/06/2006

Walking, Eating, Working in L.A.

I've done the 'four things' meme before, but was tagged by justJenn to do it again, but this time L.A. themed. Sounds fun to me.

Four L.A. Things:
Four Jobs I've Had In My Life In L.A.:
1. My current job, pediatric physical therapist, which I've had for my entire 11 years here.
2. Per diem P.T. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
3. P.A. on a music video (unpaid, but it was work nonetheless).
4. N/A

Four Movies About LA I Could Watch Over And Over:
1. Valley Girl
2. Swingers
3. Clueless
4. L.A. Story

Four Places I’ve Lived All Over L.A. (With Food Memories From Each):
I've only lived in two places: Burbank and North Hollywood.
I'll copy justJenn and defer to the 'fave foods' question below.

Four L.A.-Themed Shows I Love(d) To Watch:
1. 24
2. The Shield
3. Six Feet Under (oh, how I miss it!)
4. Arrested Development (yep, I miss this one too)

Four Places I Would Vacation At In L.A.:
1. Point Dume
2. Hilton Checkers Hotel-downtown
3. Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood
4. Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa

Four LA-Based Websites I Visit Daily:
1. Franklin Avenue
2. Hollywoodland
3. justJenn
4. This Is So Silly

Four Of My Favorite Foods Found In L.A.:

1. Crispy Pork at Ruen Pair (Thailand Plaza, Hollywood Blvd.)
2. Scampi burrito at Poquito Mas
3. Pizza at Albano's (okay it's NY style, but my favorite in L.A./Melrose/Ventura Blvd.)
4. Russian Coffee Cake at Canter's Deli on Fairfax

Four Places In L.A. I Would Rather Be Right Now:
1. Point Dume
2. Hiking in Griffith Park
3. Amoeba Music
4. Largo, listening to great music

(the real answer to this is my bed. I have no idea while I'm still up.)

Tagged:
1. Ren
2. Lava Bear
3. Jerry
4. Aaron (even though he's back in Thailand currently).

 

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