Ordinary Extraordinary

Hallowe'en

I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again: On Halloween in Hollywood, it is exceedingly difficult to tell who's in costume and who's just wearing their regular clothes.

Happy Halloween everyone!

And Then There Was One

Adri will no longer be training for the Honolulu Marathon with me. She'll still be volunteering for the AMTP, keeping us hydrated and fed on our long runs, but she won't be jogging wogging* along next to me anymore.

Adri had a very difficult decision to make and she absolutely chose what's best for her, but I'd be lying if I said that I'm not a little sad to learn that we won't be crossing the finish line together.

At least now I know that there will be someone waiting for me at the finish line, ready to take exceedingly unflattering pictures of me as I stumble through that last two tenths of a mile. *g*

Tomorrow, the Honolulu group runs 23 miles! Bring it on; I am the lone Phat Girl Running.

_____
*The Libby Hickmans have coined the word "wogging" to describe our "running" near the end of our long runs, when our legs feel like lead and we can barely pick our feet up off the ground. At that point we're not quite jogging, but not quite walking either. It's wogging!

Troublemakers

Sick Boy had an impromptu party last night so this morning came very early for me. Tex blames that no-good Walker clan:

Me: Who put all the lead weights in the air molecules in my office? Why are they pressing so heavily upon me?
He: That would be Jack Walker and his brothers Black and Red.
Me: Damn those Walker boys. Always causing trouble.

Just Another Tuesday In Los Angeles

TV star? Check. Asshole paparazzi? Check. Random run-in with well known actor friend? Check. Just another Tuesday night in the tiny village that is Los Angeles.

In a fit of grown-up recklessness Teece, Tag and I decided to go see The Prestige last night. A movie? On a week night? Try to contain your shock.

Since Teece was stuck at work dealing with a last minute clusterfuck project, I volunteered to fetch Tag so she could finish up and go straight to the Arclight. Tag had never before experienced the Best* Movie Theater Ever, so we killed some time exploring all that the Arclight has to offer. We contemplated crashing the private party that had taken over the upstairs bar, but ultimately decided that Teece might be a smidge cranky if we abandoned her in favor of free booze. Loyal to a fault, we are.

Having successfully resisted the siren call of easily accessible and cost-free beverages, we  wandered back to the lobby and promptly ran into a former co-worker of mine who was also seeing The Prestige. When she admonished us to "hurry up" as she headed for the theater, Tag and I realized that the movie was slated to start shortly and there was still no sign of Teece.

Uh oh.

A quick call confirmed that she was just on her way out of her office. In North Hollywood. Crap. So, we agreed to leave her ticket at the Guest Services counter and pray for speedy traffic (at the end of rush hour on a Tuesday) and Tag & I headed into the theater to find our seats... directly in front of Former Co-worker and two rows in front of Eric McCormack. Apparently, he's good friends with the people sitting a few seats down from us.

Welcome to Los Angeles, Tag.

After managing to perform the nigh impossible task of getting from her desk in North Hollywood to the Arclight in under twenty minutes, Teece slid into her seat just as the lights were dimming during the final preview. Mental note: buy that girl a drink. We breathed a collective sigh of relief and settled in to watch what turned out to be a fantastic movie.

Dark. Twisted. Gorgeously designed & shot. The Prestige is Christopher Nolan & Christian Bale at their finest; I can't wait to see it again.

By the time the movie was over, the private event at the Arclight was in full swing and the lobby was swarmed with a mish mosh of chatting celebrities, mildly annoyed locals, and wide-eyed tourists. I remember thinking to myself that it was odd the paparazzi wasn't swarming the courtyard with so many picture-worthy faces inside.

Ten minutes later as I was about to start backing out of my parking spot, an enormous black pick-up truck screeched up behind me and the driver leaped out, camera in hand. He didn't even bother to turn off his headlights or close his door, simply flew down the stairs and started snapping pictures of whoever was trying to come up them, five other photogs hot on his heels.

I briefly considered getting out of my car and dragging the asshole paparazzo back up the stairs to move his truck. Then I considered "accidentally" ripping off his driver's side door as I backed out of my parking spot. Instead (in a decision that required GREAT maturity on my part), I finagled my car out of its spot with a textbook 46-point turn and drove down to report the guy to the manager of the parking structure.

Then I headed home, and promptly saw a well-known actor friend of mine walking down Cahuenga Blvd with his brother and sister-in-law. I flagged them down and pulled over to chat for a minute. Our conversation was cut short, however, by a photographer who spotted Actor Friend and dodged across four lanes of traffic to try to snap a picture of him leaning into my car (Scandalous!). Actor Friend grimaced and told me he'd call me later before grabbing the other two and diving into a nearby club. Have I mentioned how much I loathe the paparazzi? I took great pleasure in watching the bouncer convince the photog that following Actor Friend into the club would not be in his best interest.

Yep, just another Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

-------
There has been some debate on the award of the title "best" to the Arclight; some maintan that Austin's Alamo Drafthouse is, in fact, the best movie theater. Though I am intrigued by tales of the Drafthouse's themed events and Mystery Sinus Theater, I'm sticking with my hometown favorite for now.

Mental Note

Buying my Dad a couple of glasses of Bar Celona's red sangria will result in the sharing of several highly entertaining (and mildly scandalous) family stories.

I love my family.

Two Words

And now for something completely frivolous - a meme that I found via Geodyne!

Answer each question with precisely TWO words:

What ended your last relationship?
Other woman

When was the last time you shaved?
Thursday night

What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.?
Drinking tea

What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
Washing dishes

Are you any good at math?
When necessary

Your prom night?
Skipped it

Do you have any famous ancestors?
Rebel Highlanders

Have you had to take a loan out for school?
No, thankfully

Do you know the words to the song on your myspace profile?
Every one

Last thing received in the mail?
Refund check

How many different beverages have you had today?
Just tea

Do you ever leave messages on people's answering machines?
Of course

Who did you lose your concert virginity to?
Phil Collins

Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?
Not usually

What's the most painful dental procedure you've had?
Tooth extraction

What is out your back door?
Neglected patio

Any plans for Friday night?
Run preparation

Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?
Sexy mess

Have you ever received one of those big tins of three different popcorns?
Yes, yuck

Have you ever been to a planetarium?
Not recently

Do you re-use towels after you shower?
Four times

Some things you are excited about?
Coming months

What is your favorite flavor of Jell-o?
Bright green

Describe your keychain(s)?
Scuffed carabiner

Where do you keep your change?
Piggy bank

When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people?
Year ago

What kind of winter coat do you own?
Barely necessary

What was the weather like on your graduation day?
Hot, sunny

Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed?
Always open

Spanning the Globe

Yesterday, I threw my cell phone in the trash and put a used kleenex in my pocket while trying to leave my desk for a meeting. Then I missed the phone base completely and tossed my receiver at the floor rather than hanging it up properly. When I got home, I put loose tea in the cat food bowl, managed to stash the cat food in the cabinet (it usually goes on top of the fridge), and was completely surprised when Boy 2 showed up at 7:30pm, even though we'd only made the plans earlier in the afternoon.

This morning, I adjusted my decongestant dose.

My brain is still foggy, though, which clearly means that I am in no way qualified to be witty or entertaining at the moment. So how about some headlines and happenings to scare the crap out of you? It is October, after all.

• American Fascism is on the Rise. The precursors of fascism -- militarization of culture, vigilantism, masculine fear of female power, xenophobia and economic destabilization -- are ascendant in America today.
• Keith Olbermann speaks out about the death of habeas corpus. We have lived as if in a trance. We have lived as people in fear. And now, our rights and our freedoms in peril, we slowly awake to learn that we have been afraid of the wrong thing. Therefore, tonight have we truly become the inheritors of our American legacy.(Note that the links above go two places, the first to his assessment of the Military Commissions Act's impact, the second to a transcript of his special commentary on the issue.)
• Gunmen execute 8 in Afghanistan and October may be the deadliest month for Americans in Iraq to date. If anyone was curious, we're STILL at war on multiple fronts and we're STILL losing. At least Rumsfeld has God on his side.
• The Republican National Party has a new web ad called These are the Stakes that you really need to watch. Hyperbole, deception, and fear-mongering at its finest!
• W. is twice as popular as Congress! Of course, Congress only has a 16% approval rating and, actually, more Americans than that believe we can talk to the dead...
• I'm surprised to realize that I have more respect for Bill Clinton now than I ever did when he was in office.
• And lastly, a bit of gallows humor: Yesterday, Yahoo News reported that a death row inmate killed himself hours before his execution. They've re-edited the article since it was first posted; originally there was a line that said prison officails were "baffled" by his motive since he'd left no note. The man was going to be electrocuted by the sate that afternoon and you're stumped as to his motive??

If you're not concerned yet you are not paying attention.

Foggy

I know that I've been lax in posting this week, bu

*cough*

t I've been sick since Su

*sneezecoughcough*

nday and all of my free time h

*coughhacksneezesneezedripblowblow*

as been spent alter

*coughcoughcoughsneezehackchokecoughcough*

nately resting and praying for death.

*sneezesneezeblowblowblowcough*

Please send minions bearing Ny

*coughcoughcoughkillmenowcoughhackwheeze*

Quil and orange juice.

*sneezesneezedeargodjustletmediecoughsneezeblow*

Or a gun.

Frodo Failed

Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) explains the Iraq war by citing Lord of the Rings:

As the hobbits are going up Mount Doom, the Eye of Mordor is being drawn somewhere else. It’s being drawn to Iraq and it’s not being drawn to the U.S. You know what? I want to keep it on Iraq. I don’t want the Eye to come back here to the United States.

Happiness is a Warm Gun would like to rebut the Senator's assessment:

okay, no. it's like this: the shire was attacked on 9/11 by sauron. the drunken redneck leader of the hobbits decides to blow up middle earth, randomly. the eye of mordor is drawn to the hobbits, killing EVEN MORE people uselessly. the people of middle earth and the hobbits start to realize that this doesn't make sense, but by this time the eye has created total chaos everywhere it has followed us, so the only course of action is to leave middle earth the way it is and to GO AFTER THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE WHO CAUSED THIS SHIT. but the media in middle earth and its government are too focused on keeping frodo and sam from getting married to actually do anything useful.

(quote via metaquotes)

This bumper sticker has never seemed more appropriate.

Groundhog Day

Teece is having a rough repetitive day at work:

She: She keeps asking over and over again the same question, and Z and I keep answering her over and over again.  this is a conversation i have had MULTIPLE TIMES. it is a company wide problem. It is a CORPORATE IT issue. WE CANNOT CHANGE OR FIX IT.
Me: Dude.
She: stop bugging us with your goddam question
Me: LoL!
She: I hate her
She: i hate her so much
She: she calls it "thinking outside the box" or "looking at the problem in a new light" or whatever the corporate speak is for re-hashing the bullshit in yet another meeting.

We've all had those days, haven't we?