amy37b

Fri, 18 Nov 2005 18:27:30 GMT

The thing I'm liking least about L.A. is the fact that everybody always seems to be ON. Meaning they like to talk incessantly about how great they are. I can't tell you how many times a day, and from how many people, I hear statements that begin with "I'm really great at.....(fill in the blank)" followed by a long and laborious elaboration of just how great their greatness is. I understand the need to market one's self, especially is such a competitive city, but it's very tiresome having these conversations (or monologues) multiple times a day.

Whenever an opportunity arises to have a normal conversation, I jump on it.

Yesterday I spent my day handing out 3D glasses for next week's episode of Medium (which will be broadcast in 3D). I stood on Cliff Robertson's star at the Hollywood walk of fame, and watched the freaks walk by. Undoubtedly, they were all having conversations in their own heads about how great they are in real life.

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 18:25:56 GMT

Quick update:

The weekend was a lot of fun. Friday night I had dinner and drinks with Dave Keeton, and went to see Joseph Limbaugh's "Scandal" at Acme Improv. It was great to see them both!

Saturday I took the pups out to Santa Monica. Maggie was thrilled to be back at the beach. And Bella just loved it. She was scared of the waves, but loved chasing the birds and running along the water.
The beach is very wide and we were unable to hide for very long from the lifeguard. He came over and told me that dogs aren't allowed on the beach, but that he wasn't going to stop me. Just be on the lookout for the cops. He also informed me that Malibu, Huntington, and Laguna Beaches all have dog-friendly areas. We walked for about 2 hours before heading back into the mayhem that IS Los Angeles traffic. Seriously, while traffic in Atlanta can be really bad, it's nothing to compared to out here, especially because people drive like bona fide maniacs.

Saturday night I was invited to a party with my roommates. While I wanted to go, I wasn't feeling well at all. And really wanted to take advantage of a night home alone without them. So I ordered in food, watched a movie, and hung out with the doggies. It was lovely.

Sunday I went with the roommies and my new Rockstar INXS-friend Miguel to football. Every Sunday they have a big to-do over at Steve's house. He has quite the set-up with 4 games going at once, and they cook a big feast and drink a lot. It was fun, although football starting at 10 is just plain wrong.

After football, went over to Julie Oshin's in Santa Monica for one of her clothes swaps. Met a few friends of hers...they seemed really nice. And one is giving me her extra computer printer! So I have completed my computer system, and gotten online with my laptop, since arriving. Pretty cool!
Once everyone left the clothes swap, Julie took me to the 3rd Street Promenade, which is touristy but still very cute. Lots of stores, restaurants, and street performers.

Monday was a great day. Somehow I got a bit lost heading over to the Loz Feliz area, and ended up finding Silverlake Village, which I've been looking for. Very cute. I stopped in a small pet store and got some expensive dog food along with a recommendation for a good vet to treat Bella. Then I went for breakfast at The House of Pies. Which has really yummy pies, along with decent food....and terrible service. Since I waited so long for my pie, I got an extra piece free. Yum. Took the pups out of the car and we walked around Loz Feliz for an hour or so checking out the housing situation. A guy on the street randomly stopped and started talking to me, and told me a bit about the Glendale area. He took my number and offered to show me around. (When he called later that night, he was a freak....I will not be using his assistance :) We continued our walk, and found a whole new area of Loz Feliz, which was totally cool. So many cute restaurants and shops. Very exciting!

The roomies were going to Steve's for Monday night football, but I wasn't in the mood. Took the dogs instead to Silverlake Coffeehouse. Met 2 more people there, one of whom gave me another vet recommendation. And the other told me about some cool caves nearby worth checking out. I played on the computer for an hour searching for local screenwriting workshops, of which there are many. Then went driving down Sunset. It's great learning my way around and exploring new parts of town.

Now it's Tuesday morning, and am about to take my roommate Bret out to Redland to drop his beautiful dog off with his folks. He is heading to San Fran for a week (or longer) tomorrow. Which means I get the place nearly to myself for a while. Totally cool.

Fri, 11 Nov 2005 20:26:03 GMT

Yesterday I was driving behind a bus with a large ad on the back which read:

Stop at the red, or you'll be dead.

Pictured next to it was a cute little cartoon gravestone.

These Californians are wacky.

Fri, 21 Oct 2005 15:08:04 GMT

Should I sell my big, ugly, bulky computer monitor at my yard sale and just get a new one for my computer out in LA....or should I give up the car space and just take it with me?

Thu, 20 Oct 2005 20:31:35 GMT

There are 45 messages in my Yahoo inbox, people wanting to buy my furniture sight unseen. If all goes accordingly, I will have sold all of it before my yard sale on Saturday. Yay!!!

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 13:45:34 GMT

There is something wrong with Bella. Her heart rate is dangerously low, and her fur isn't growing back.
She is getting tested today for a heart blockage, Cushing's disease, and hyperthyroidism. It's going to be a long day for her.

elemess is the only person who has offered to help with my yard sale this weekend. He doesn't have much choice, being my neighbor and all, but it's very kind of him.

And the girl who waited on my at Alon's this morning was a complete bitch. Why do I continue spending money at that place?

It all makes me feel very *stabby*. I hope the day improves.

Wed, 12 Oct 2005 14:42:57 GMT

Getting ready for my move is stressing me out. So much to do, so much to sell, so much to spend money on.
Plus there's a cross-country trip to plan. I had a hard time falling asleep last night because my mind was racing, mainly due to money issues. It seems like I have enough, but when do we ever have enough? Having a bit more would make me feel so much more secure. Or a job in L.A....that would help as well.

I'm having to figure out where to stay across the country in the cities we're driving through. Hard if you've never been there. Downtown is often a safe bet (excpet for tlanta, of course), but those hotels are often expensive and do not allow dogs. So I'm trying to decipher where in Oklahoma City and Memphis would be reasonable. Yahoo Travel is pretty helpful, as is Trip Advisor. But none of them can help with my obsession over Las Vegas and where we should stay. I am spending entirely way too much time on Vegas.com and other such sites. I've never been and am extremely excited!

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 15:04:58 GMT

I'm sure that most of you have heard of Pancake Bunny

You may have even heard of My Cat Hates You.

But I'm guessing you have not yet had the privilege of seeing Bee Dogs or, my personal favorite, Stuff on my Cat. How can you not love Spaghetti Kitty???

Random Thoughts

Thu, 06 Oct 2005 15:06:05 GMT

I cannot find a pair of sneakers that don't hurt my feet. I've gone through 3 pairs in the past month....thought I had found a good pair with my new Nikes. Amd after wearing them for a few days, my feet and leg muscles are all killing me. I even put arch supports inside, but to no avail. I have no idea what the problem is, but it's driving me crazy.

There was a girl begging for money at a gas station over in Kirkwood yesterday. She came up to my car with a mouthful of potato chips, and said she's pregnant and needs money so she can buy some luncheon meat to go with the chips. I grabbed some change for her, she looked down to see how much I was offereing, then rolled her eyes at me and stormed away. She actually gave me the evil eye. Unbelievable.

Looking forwward to my trivia show tonight. There's a new-ish guy who plays there, and last week in the 5th round during the sex question, he turned in this:

Q: Does the clitoris contain erectile tissue?

A: Yes! Absolutely! Will you go out to dinner with me?

I asked him why, of all the 20 questions in the game, did he choose to ask me out on that one. He said that it would make him seem sexier, like he really knows what he's doing. Funny....and cute.

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 15:01:25 GMT

I watched the "Boston Legal" premiere on Sunday night, and was once again led to the conclusion that I hate David E. Kelly about 1000 times more than Mark Burnett. He just sucks.

Did a trivia cover last night at Mellow Mushroom. What a great show. The players there were all so nice and friendly. For a cover, that's saying something, as they often take it as an opportunity to behave like mutants and bitch up a storm, kinda like having a substitute teacher in grade school. I got free Mellow Mushroom pizza, which in my opinion is the best in Atlanta. Yum....

Came home and recieved an email telling me that my rent in L.A. is going to be ridiculously cheap.
Big smiles :)

My dogs drove around pet sitting with me all day - I love when it's cool enough outside for them to work with me. After I finished my pets for the day, we checked out the new dog park on East Lake. Really nice. My dogs get rather bored at dog parks if they can't walk trails or chase squirrels. But I think they enjoyed themselves, and the other people there were friendly. We'll definitely go back.

The only bad thing that happened yesterday was that my new T-Mobile phone alerted me that I have 31 minutes left on my plan until the new one kicks in - next week. So I'm really trying to keep from making calls unless it's after 9pm or the weekend. I feel like I'm in some sort of technological prison, held hostage by my stupid cell phone (which isn't so stupid because it's a picture & video phone, plus it was free).
Next month I'll increase the minutes on my plan. Going off of Metro PCS with its unlimited calls is going to take some adjustment. But at least I'm not dropping 75% of my calls. And I can take pictures - once I figure out how!

Oh wait, I remembered another bad thing that happened. I went to Alon's for lunch and ordered the portabella sandwich, which was absolutely foul. I can't believe I paid $7 for a frigging sandwich
that I couldn't even eat. It was cold, covered in slimy spinach and dripping with pesto, which I suppose for some people would be a good thing. But to me it was just plain wrong. When hunger attacked me a couple hours later, I ended up doing a fast food drive through. Made me feel even worse. Today, I'm sticking with Atlanta Bread Company.

Tue, 27 Sep 2005 14:37:29 GMT

So, during my many hours on the message boards for Rockstar INXS, I posted looking for a ticket to the live taping in L.A. while I was out there visiting. A lovely woman named Nancy replied immediately and said she might have one. Woo-hoo, I was pumped! After a few days of writing back and forth, she came through with a ticket for me. And then I had to move my visit back a few weeks and kiss that ticket good-bye.

I went to L.A. three weeks later and was hanging out with David for the first 2 days when suddenly I got a phone call....from Nancy. Who had unexpectedly gotten tickets for the coming weekend, and wanted to give me one. Since I was having a hard time finding an apartment in L.A. I hesitated, went back and forth for a day. Should I be responsible, or should I go have fun? Of course it was never much of a battle. And I knew that a few hours would not make or break my apartment search. Plus I REALLY wanted to see Marty live.
So I met Nancy and her friends outside the CBS studios, and we waited in line for the next 3 hours. She and Miguel were so nice, and they promised to help me find a temporary place to live.

We went into the show, obviously had a blast, drooled over Marty and JD like a couple of sophomores, and called it a day. We've been writing and phoning each other since, keeping in touch.
In the meantime, I pushed my move back a few weeks to give myself more time. And then Miguel called with the great news that he had found me a place to live! Two of their friends have an apartment in Silverlake, and one of the guys is moving out in November. Brett is staying, and apparently he's a great guy with a great golden retriever named Dorie. He likes the fact that I am a pet sitter and can help out with his dog and take her to the park with my girls. He's letting me rent the room for 2 months with an option for long-term if we turn out to be compatible. Nancy said that his apartment is female friendly, not a sloppy-guy-apartment, and that he's really easy to get along with. All of these folks hang out on Sundays watching football and drinking, which makes me so excited - I'll finally have some football friends!
Apparently they are having a little "party" for me when I arrive, which is the coolest thing ever.
It's truly a great feeling to have a group of friends waiting for me, most of whom I've never met.

And it's ALL due to Rockstar INXS and Marty.

Thu, 22 Sep 2005 19:50:36 GMT

I have officially pushed back my moving date about 4 weeks, till the end of October. I was having trouble finding a temporary place to live with my dogs. And my 3 closest contacts out there are ALL out of the country for 2 weeks, thus unable to offer their assistance right now. My potential roommate isn't able to
rent a new place until November 1. So it doesn't make sense for me to move right now, not with everything so up in the air. I'd rather stay here a few more weeks until everyone gets back to L.A., take some more time to look for temporary housing, and make some more money in the meantime.

And of course spend a little more time with my friends here in Atlanta.

Apparently the universe supports this decision. I now have 2 potential short term apartments, and 2 long term possibilities. Nothing is set in stone at this point. But there are some rather promising options, which is SUCH a relief.

Woo hoo!!!

Wed, 21 Sep 2005 15:00:09 GMT

I'm a bit sad that Marty did not win Rockstar INXS. He has recieved the most votes from viewers and sold the most music on MSN for a few weeks running now. He's been the most forward thinking of the bunch, always had the best answers concerning the future of the band, and was the most prepared during all of the workshops.

So why did they choose the guy who pissed off everyone in the house with his arrogance and egomania? Who showed up unprepared for all of the workshops, with nothing but attitude? It doesn't say much for the band.

The good thing is that they asked Marty and his band to open up for them on their world tour, which could very well be the best case scenario. Marty will get to go on a huge tour, doing his own music on his own terms. His music is versted in the future, while INXS is rehashing the past.

More than anything I will miss seeing Mr. Marty on my tv set 3 nights a week. Although perhaps now I can, um, get a life!

Mon, 05 Sep 2005 16:24:49 GMT

Well I know it's been forever since I've posted here.....but I've been asked to keep a journal regarding my upcoming move. Figured I might as well start now. I'm moving in less than a month, and there's so much to do including finding a new home, searching for production gigs, changing my cell phone & bank account, preparing for my Atlanta yard sale, and routing my cross-country drive. Given this, it's amazing that all I can do is obsess over Marty Casey from Rockstar INXS. I couldn't care less about INXS, but I got sucked in when I caught one his first performaces, and have been a goner ever since.

It's nice that I'm in the company of many, many women from the message board, who are in their 30's and 40's and madly in love with the guy (yes, I do frequent the message board. I told you, I'm obsessed!)
They write about how fun it is to have a schoolgirl crush like this. And many of these women's husbands are calling Marty "female viagra" and praising his ability to improve their sex life so dramatically.
I find my own preoccupation with him somewhat disconcerting. While out walking dogs all day long, as I let my mind wander (which comes with the job) I find myself thinking about just a wee bit too much.

On last night's show, the singers had a cake fight at the mansion, and ended up taking a group shower together. Jordis rubbed cake all over Marty's chest. Be still my heart....

Perhaps this is simply my own avoidance mechanism for all the issues concerning my move. Why worry about logistical necessities when I can fantasize about shirtless Marty covered in chocolate cake?

*le sigh*

DOGGIE UPDATE

Wed, 29 Jun 2005 14:25:02 GMT

Well Roscoe, as I've decided to name him, is doing okay. It's amazing what a little bit of TLC will do - he now feels free to roam through my apartment and try and chew everything he can fit his humongous mouth around. He did sleep through the night right next to my bed (thank you Benadryl:), but he has an annoying tendency of trying to jump on all of us. He's nearly 100lbs, so it ain't cute. Needless to say, Bella is NOT happy with his presence here. She snaps at him almost constantly. And he, of course, is oblivious.

I have to leave him locked in my office while I go to work today. Wonder what he'll chew up.

On another note, I finally saw the movie "Crash" over the weekend. What a fantastic film.

Mon, 27 Jun 2005 18:10:41 GMT

I did it. I stole another dog.

Well didn't really "steal" as I told the owners I was taking him. But I won't be bringing him back.
He lives next door to one of my clients. He's this beautiful German Shepherd who's left chained to a tree 24 hours a day with no food or water. I feed him whenever I'm over that there, but yesterday he wouldn't take the food or come out of his dog house. I knew something was wrong.

Sure enough, his neck was all bloody with the chain becoming imbedded. He's covered with dermatitis, flies, and dried blood. I said "No fucking way" and put him on a leash and took him stright to the vet. He'll probably have to have surgery tomorrow, and then stay with me while he recovers.

*sigh* - I hope he's not as expensive as Bella was!

Will keep everyone posted. Any suggestions for names?

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 16:27:16 GMT

I gave notice to my landlord today about moving. Yikes, it's very REAL now!!!

Fri, 13 May 2005 14:45:22 GMT

Looks like I'll be spending much of my weekend at 97 Estoria in Cabbagetown. Should be fun!

Cute Adult Joke:

Wed, 11 May 2005 04:22:48 GMT

A woman noticed that a man was masturbating in a hospital room with the door wide open. “Oh my God!” screamed the woman, “That’s disgraceful! Why is he doing that?” The doctor that was leading the tour explained, “I am very sorry... but this man has a serious condition where the testicles rapidly fill with semen. If he doesn’t do that five times a day, they’ll explode and he’ll die within minutes.” “Oh well, in that case, I guess it’s OK,” commented the woman.

In the very next room they could see that a female nurse was performing oral sex on a different male patient. Again the woman screamed, “Oh my God! How can that be justified?” The doctor replied...”Same illness, better health plan.”

Tue, 10 May 2005 15:01:26 GMT

Great weekend:

Friday night I had a fantastic date :)

Saturday, eastlake and I went to the Renaissance Festival, where we ran into elemess, his mom and her husband. The festival was lots of fun, although I question their policy of allowing adolescent boys to purchase massive hunting knives. Seeing those kids walk around carrying stacks of boxes full of sharp knives just gave me the willies.

My favorite part of the festival was the mini-jousting arena, where a line had formed of children under 5 who wanted to joust, or fence, against the adult festival fencer. In the ring was a tiny girl who couldn't have been more than 3 years old. In her hand was what appeared to be a full-length fencing sword. (Apparently, back in the Renaissance, children were permitted to brandish swords, knives, and various other killing apparatus without question.) The child was dressed head-to-toe in protective gear and mask, while she and the adult fencer swatted their swords at one another. Her father ran around the ring snapping photos of the battle, and when her aggression proved to be insufficient and she wasn't quite Ninja enough with the sword, he tried to egg her on: "Get him! Hit him with the sword! Pretend he's telling you that you have to go night-night! Bad night-night!"

Frigging hysetrical!

I'm sure that the father wasn't sporting a mullet, an accent thick as molasses, and a T-shirt that read "What Would Bubba Do?" But I choose to remember it that way in my head.

Sunday I had brunch with some friends at Carroll Street Cafe. Went to the dogpark, where Pooh, one of the dogs who frequently stays with me, ran away. It was only for about 30 minutes, but when you think you've lost someone else's dog, that can seem like an eternity.
What a relief when we found her, safe and sound, roaming in the woods by herself....sniffing things.
I had another date that night, which might have gone well had he not insisted that we split a dinner entree, and then split the bill.
No second date there!

Thu, 05 May 2005 14:27:46 GMT

I thought I was stood up for a first date last night. Turns out I wasn't, it was just a misunderstanding and the guy didn't know I was actually going to show. Sheesh, why does dating have to be so hard?

I wish there was some magical way to find out beforehand how toxic a person will be, because I find myself jumping to the worst conclusion given any provocation.
Will you be a habitual liar? Have you had a lifetime history of cheating? Will you abandon me because my father gets cancer? Will you start this relationship on the rebound, or end it in an email? Will you play endless manipulative mind games with me? Will you make me laugh or cry?

And how will I be with you? Will I be insecure when we're together? Will our relationship bring out the worst rather than the best in me? Will I become complacent, inattentive, bitchy?
Perhaps I just need to get a Magic 8-Ball and let it dictate how to run my romantic life.

I have 3 dates before the end of the weekend. Hopefully it will be the good rather than the bad stuff.

Mon, 02 May 2005 15:58:24 GMT

What a fun weekend.

Except for the part where I was awakened at 8am Sunday by my constantly ringing phone. Max from work called me 4 times in a row, willing me out of my comfy bed. She needed me to go check on a dog who she thought had escaped from the backyard. I drove over in my pajamas. She was right, the newly acquired bassett hound had dug his way out of the yard. Luckily he was only a few houses up eating grass in a field. With a few treats and a leash, I was able to get him back without any fanfare. Glad that Mosely is now safe and sound at home.

Saturday night I went to party hosted by some of my trivia regulars. It was lots of fun And it's always nice to discover that someone I've known for a year from trivia has a crush on me. Especially when he's a cute young doctor! He even let me score a few points at foosball, rather than the shut-out that I was anticipating.

Sunday my friend Wendy and I wanted some light fluffy eye candy, so we went to "Sahara". It was fine, but not great by any means. The story didn't make a whole lot of sense, at least to us. And Penelope Cruz was pretty useless. Why did she agree to do this role, when her lines consisted of "Okay" and "What should I do next?" Oh, I know why.... Matthew McConnaghey is hot as can be! But his attitude is a bit too smarmy, in my opinion, and tends to bug me after a while.

Sunday, had a date. Took my girls to the dogpark. Did a lot of work on my screenplay. I'm LOVING my new script idea, and I think it's a wise choice to put the other script aside and concentrate on this one for right now. I'm feeeling motivated and inspired once again, and I think this idea will be much easier to shoot. I have my new laptop now, so all systems are go!

Fri, 29 Apr 2005 15:18:57 GMT

I was going to write a whole bunch about this season's "Project Greenlight" and some of the difficulties they've been having on set. Such as the director's inability to articulate what he wants to the cast & crew. Or his father's habit of yelling at producers in the middle of rehearsal. Or his script supervisor (who he brought from "home") and her lousy attitude. And there's the diva actress who's a royal pain in the ass, the AD team that's a bit of a mess, and the cinematographer who's constantly argumentative.

In last night's episode, they wrapped, which means that all of this is null and void. Everyone is now happy as a clam, patting each other on the back, just thrilled to have gotten through the production, with some promising footage. It's a Love Fest. Everything else is water under the bridge, just more production war stories to share over nachos and beer.

But I still think that actress Krista Allen is a complete pain in the ass.

I started reading this book given to me by eastlake for Hanukah (thank you eastlake!). It's a great book, full of SO much information on indie filmmaking, plus hundreds of fabulous resources on every element of the process. I feel truly inspired. And may table the screenplay I've been working on for the past year in favor of a new idea. We'll see.

I plan to spend much of my weekend writing at Borders or San Franciso Coffee. The one near Manuel's. I like Borders better, but am far too easily distracted there. Can't tell ya how many times I've sat down to write, and had a light bulb go off: I should get a book to help me with this idea! After all, this is a bookstore! And next thing you know, I've been sitting on the floor of the Self Help section for an hour, reading up on "How to Stop Dating Assholes" or "No More Procrastination". So perhaps I'll just limit myself to the coffeshop.

The new bistro that's about to open in the former Cafe Diem spot looks promising. I wrote much of "Flirting With Myself" at Cafe Diem, and since it closed, it's been quite difficult to find another space that feels as comfortable and creative. I could hang out there for hours, people watching, eavesdropping on conversations, drinking lattes or wine. Perfect, it was just the perfect atmosphere for me. I haven't found a fitting substitute yet, but am now feeling optimistic.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Thu, 28 Apr 2005 14:34:17 GMT

Things that I want today:

1. For my sore throat to go away.

2. To move to L.A.

3. To finish my frigging screenplay already

4. For my dogs to start making a contribution towards the rent

5. To work on forgiveness...towards myself and others

6. For Carrie to go back in time and choose Aidan over Mr. Big

7. Brisket and mashed potatoes

8. For half of the drivers in Atlanta to simply *poof* disappear

9. To be able to sing like Idina Menzel

10. A really good book to read

That's not too much to ask for, is it?

Fri, 22 Apr 2005 15:42:26 GMT

I had to get up early for work and walk some dogs this morning. But instead of doing my usual falling-back-into-bed-for-another-hour-of-sleep, I decided to grab my pups, a cup of coffe, and the paper
and go to the park. What a lovely way to start the day. And to think, this is what I've been missing!

Very much looking forward to the Inman Park Festival this weekend. The parade is Saturday at 2pm, followed almost immediately by the Justin/Angele/Bernie/etc performance at Springvale Park on Euclid. The weather forecast is pretty nasty for Saturday, but hopefully the rain will hold off until after these activities. Sunday is going to be sunny, although cold, so will make for a better day for browsing the Artists' Market.

Have a great weekend everyone!