250 Million Reasons To Spend 5 Bucks!

It has become a part of corporate culture and is a part of what binds employees together! It carries with it the promise of retirement, travel, kids education, whatever the recipients desire. It is the department lotto pool and I have definite ideas of how I would spend my cut.

This is the exciting time, when there is actually a possibility of being a multi-millionare! It is the time where you actually start thinking of what you would do, who's life you would help change. The fun part of playing the lottery is the dreaming, the scheaming.

I would do the usual: pay off debt, buy a new car, maybe finally get an IPod. I would then travel to experience what I have always wanted to experience: learn to surf on Kanapali Beach in Hawaii, learn to ski in Aspen, climb the harbor bridge in Sydney, go to the Hockey Hall Of Fame in Toronto and the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, stay in Manhattan and see a play on Broadway.

What excites me though is not material stuff. What's exciting to me is helping people out. I would help my musician friends follow their dreams. I would pay the bills for a year so they could take a year off devote time to music, to songwriting and not to working the nine to five. I would donate not only money but time to my two favorite organizations: Special Olympics and Pet Orphans! I would give friends and family what they need: bills paid, homes and cars bought, whatever! That to me is as exciting as the propect of following Bon Jovi to every city they play....ok, almost as exciting!

Yep, tonight I have part of 50 chances to win part of 270 million dollars. All it takes is one. One chance to make my dreams and some of the dreams of my friends and family come true. That is exciting!

I Can't Believe I Am Watching Idol!!

I am convinced this show is sent straight from Hell.....and yet tonight I find myself watching. Of course I am talking about the show that is helping dumb down America...American Idol! I am watching this and feel like a trader to all my talented musician friends who can't catch a break while this damn show is manufacturing pop stars! I have hours of far more superiour Television on the DVR...shows that talented people actually wrote....shit, I still have the last episode of "Heroes" and two hours of "Chuck" to watch! And here I am watching the show that I swear will eventually kill music as we know it! Why? Because my roommate and I almost fell over when on "Access Hollywood" they showed some gourgous dude who's a contestant! Crap! I can be bought, it's sad! Money, a pretty face...I have all kinds of prices!

1 hour in and it isn't that bad. They did show some guy auditioning with a Jovi song and these guys are actually quite good. And there is a rocker or two. After all, this crap show did produce "Daughtry" although America prefered that Taylor Hicks. Who? Exactly! I should probably tune in to see the cutie while I can because chances are he won't stick around, regardless of if he wins this thing or not!

Thoughts On Love And Valentine's Day

I woke up today to start the day with an outpouring of love like many of my friends did. I was greeted by a "knock" at my door (actually a scratch) which was followed by an outpouring of "kisses" (actually licks). There is no doubt in my mind that this love is unconditional and given freely without any expectation in return. Its not given because Hallmark says it should be. In fact, it is given every time I walk through the door and every time I ask for it. It is often given when I don't ask for but need it more than anything. I give him all the love I have in the world and would give more if humanly possible. Should this love be viewed as any different because it comes from my amazing Rottweiler, Thor and not from a spouse or boyfriend?

It is so easy for a single person to view Valentine's Day with bitterness, scorn, unhappiness. It is common for us singles to look down on the day as a overly commercial "Hallmark" holiday. I have been there many ...most....years and started down that road to cynicisim this year. However, in keeping with my new found positive outlook, I decided this year to not dwell on what I don't have, but what I do. Yes, I don't have a boyfriend but that doesn't mean I am not surrounded by love!

I have two dogs that love me more that anything except empty water bottles and trash digging! I have amazing friends that love me in spite of all they know about me! So I don't have a boyfriend....right now! I am choosing today to celebrate the possiblity of love and the fact that it is all around even us single people. We just need to get out of the rut of being jaded and bitter and open our eyes to it in all it's forms. That way, when the right guy comes along, we will know it. I am sure in my case he will be walking a dog while listening to Bon Jovi on his Ipod and drinking a latte. A girl can dream, can't she?

An Invite To THE Mansion!

My friends and their band have an opportunity that doesn't come around that often. In fact, for most of us it doesn't come around at all. It's an opportunity that has sparked some interesting discussions between friends of both sexes. My friends have been asked to play the Playboy Mansion. Yep, Hef's place! Half naked women, The Grotto, pajamas. My first reaction when I heard was "How cool? Not a lot of people can say they have been to "the mansion", yet alone perform there". I didn't think, initially, about all the mansion is perceived to represent: the sex, the objectifying of women, the debauchery. It wasn't until some of us started talking that I realized that my reaction was not really in the norm among my female friends. Oh....did I tell you the date of my friends big gig? Valentine's Day.

Women in our circle of friends say "Hell no, not on Valentine's Day, not at all". The guys say "What can I do to go? Carry equiptment? Whatever it takes". This started me to think: Why is the Playboy Mansion threatning to us as women? Is it what happens there or the woman that work there?

I was asked if given the opportunity, which thankfully I wasn't, would I go? As a person who loves new experiences, especially those that are unique, I would! But then after thinking about it I wondered how I would feel once I got there. Me....the born again Christian who is slipping off the virtuous wagon! The overweight woman who wouldn't fit into a bunny costume if she didn't eat for a year, that's me! What would someone like me be doing at the mansion?
That's when it dawned on me: the bunnies at the mansion are like standing in front of one of those mirrors at the fair. You know the ones, the mirrors that distort how we look, make us look humongous when we aren't. That to me is what I think of when I compare myself to a Playboy Bunny! They are young, fit, gourgous....all the things I am not! But should that be a reflection of me? I could be things that they aren't: smart and funny. That's not to say that the bunnies are dumb, that would be falling into the stereotype! But women, bunnies or not, need to be so much more than boobs and a tight outfit. Sure, you might have a great view but what happens when the view gets old, literally and figuratively?

In my opinion, women need to get over being about what they look like, myself included! We need to feel comfortable with who we are, what we are and to stop comparing ourselves to an unobtainable ideal, be it supermodel, actress, playboy bunny! If I had a boyfriend that wanted to go to the mansion, I would say GO! Have that experience that not many have, look and drool all you want as long as that is all you are doing! As long as he comes home and appreciates me and all I am, I am ok with that! Just as long as this experience isn't taking place on Valentines Day!

Lights Make The Party Happen At Paladinos!

Shan and I go to Paladinos quite often. We have both always have friends in bands and it's a right of passage of sorts for a rock/tribute band to play there. In the Valley it's legendary. If you are in a band or know someone who is, there is a 99% chance you have been to Paladinos. It is a place with character but it is not the lounge at the Four Seasons or even the Canyon Club. It's a dive. Bar, pool tables, stage. Not much else. You walk into the door and you know marriages have been made and broken at that place, most likely in the bathrooms or parking lot! Shan and I get ready for a night there, find ourselves in nothing more than what we would wear to a hockey game and say "it's just Paladinos", Rockers and those that love them, though, can't stay away from the place.

Saturday night when walking out of Paladinos I felt different than any other night I had been there. I felt that I had just heard, just witnessed something special. Sure a few bands played, sure I have friends in one of them but this night the closing band blew the doors off the place and the dive rocker bar felt more like an electrified arena. The band? Lights: The Premier Tribute To Journey.

Lights consists of Berto Zepeda (drums), Casey McNerney (bass), Jeff Vincent (keyboards, vocals), Jonny Papa (lead guitar, vocals),and Juan Del Castillo (Lead Vocals). Five very talented musicians who love the music of Journey. No costumes or wigs. No tux jacket for Juan a la Steve Perry and Jonny doesn't wear an afro to look like Neal Schon. By definition, Lights are a tribute band, But this is one band who's talent exceeds that definition.

On Saturday night at Paladino's that talent combined with energy off the charts created a show that had the band and crowd rockin! With Jonny's blazing guitar and Juan's soaring vocals, the band opened with "Escape" and that got the crowd going in a hurry! One of my favorite drum riffs is at the end of the bridge of that song and Berto nailed it! He and Casey are the backbeat of the band and they do it well!

The energy level stayed high as the band played songs from all Journey eras. The classic Journey is represented with hits like "Lights", "Lovin Touchin Squeezin" and the crowd pleasing "Any Way You Want It" "Just The Same Way" is a personal favorite, highlighting the vocal talent of Jeff and Juan! Journey's mega-popular "Escape" is not forgotten with songs like "Stone In Love" and "Who's Cryin Now", and of course, "Don't Stop Believin", which as the closer had the crowd to a man singing at the top of their lungs! The "Raised On Radio" era gave us "Be Good To Yourself" and "Ask The Lonely" and its these songs that highlight what to me is the strength of "Lights". They all sing and do it well! One of the drawing points of Journey is their harmonies and the guys in "Lights" nail that time and time again! You can have a band of good musicans, and a band of good singers. To have five guys that can play and sing, that's amazing! That is Journey and it is Lights!

I know that those of you that know me (and know me well) are waiting for the verdict on the guitarist. You know there is one! :) Here is the thing: what's scary about Jonny is that he is 24 years old and can only get better! He is a very good guitarist now and sounds better with every show! I am not throwing that praise around lightly since this guitar girl's love of the instrument and player started with Neil Schon back in '79!(Sure I was only 1, but still....LOL) Honestly, from the rockin "Separate Ways" to the melodic "Only The Young", Jonny gets it! He rocks!

You can have great music and a bummer show if the crowd isn't into it. Not the case Saturday. What made this particular show was the crowd. The band views Paladino's as their "home turf" and the fans never disappoint them there! When Lights play, the crowd gets bigger by the end of the night, not smaller. Newbies, longtimers, friends, family! The crowd was mixed with fans that saw Journey on the Escape tour, fans that have parents that are Journey fans and those that became familar after watching "The Sopranos". Everyone was on their feet and singing along with every song from the opening note of "Escape" to the final note of "Party's Over"!

It is a rare night when the band and audience connect as one. For this band and their fans, this was the night! I walked out of the club Sunday morning feeling like I witnessed something special, something more than "just Paladinos". This could be the start of something big for these guys and the skys the limit! I envision looking back at this show and saying " remember THAT night at Paladinos...." :) If you want to get in on the ground floor of something special go to http://www.lightsband.com/ to see where/when they are playing next or keep an eye on my page. You won't be disappointed!
:)

First Day Of Rest Of Life....AGAIN!!!

I have been feeling funky lately and couldn't figure out why! Not necessarily feeling down or wallowing in self-pity but just thinking that I am not good at my job, not going to ever "get a man", going to live the rest of my life as "the dog lady". Last night, I discovered that if I don't change those thoughts, that is exactly what will happen!

I am cleaning out my DVR and come across an Oprah episode I hadn't watched. On this show, the discussion was on "The Secret" and how to actually put it into practice. "The Secret", "The Law of Attraction", "Power Of Positive Thinking", this is the theory that your thoughts genererate energy and that they create the actions you take. It isn't a new theory, it's been around for centuries. Yet when a easy read book was written a year or so ago and Oprah gave it her stamp of approval, it became part of the current cultural landscape. The theory that thoughts are energy and like energy attracts the same now has a name, a book and a celebrity endorsement!

It is much easier to get caught up in the negative thinking! Some of us are just wired to automatically think positive but a lot of us aren't! At the very least, thinking positive improves your mood and the moods of those around you because you can't be bitchy if you are thinking positive! Logically then, your actions follow your thoughts. If you are thinking that you are worthy of a good man, then you aren't likely to be truckin around in your baggy college sweatshirt and raggy sweats! If you are thinking you are good at your job, your confidence and abilities will reflect that, it's just logical!

Before you roll your eyes, let me tell you what happened to me last August. I decided that I was absolutely miserable at the customer service job I had at 21st Century and decided I wanted to be in a new job by Labor Day. So I posted my resume on Monster and kept thinking about that Labor Day deadline. Within a week and a half i got a call from a sound company wanting to schedule an interview the next day. I went to the interview and walked out of there thinking "this job is mine". That was at 11AM. At 4:15 that afternoon I had my job offer. Not only was I out of the miserable job I had, but I was back in the Entertainment Industry where I always wanted to be. The start date of the new job? September 4th, day after Labor Day!

Today is the first day of the rest of my life and my new outlook on life. A positive outlook. I am making my lists, affirmations, and vision board. There is no harm in trying this and I have already experienced it's power once. We all deserve nothing better than the best and I am going to set out today to get it!

Almost Better Than A U2 Show Itself!!

Britney and her meltdown, evil paprazzi, pregnant 15 year old stars of kids TV shows, celebs either driving drunk or slamming races/sexual orientations not their own, writers striking for what the public perceives to be only four cents, there is little wonder the Entertainment Industry tends to be looked down on lately. I used to look for opportunities to tell people I work in Entertainment but stopped when their reactions moved from amazement to pity. Last night I experienced something so amazing, so visually and aurally stunning that I wanted to shout it from the aisles that I work in the industry that would produce such a piece of cinematic art.

U2-3D is more than just a concert film, it's a film experience! For 1 1/2 hours you are transported from the theatre to the front row of a packed stadium! From the opening shots of people running to get into the stadium, to the closing shot of the bands heartfelt thank you to the audience, this film is a close to a U2 concert experience as you will get without mortgaging your house for tickets. In fact, it's better! Filmed in Argentina among what has to be at least 100, 000 people, the film captures the visual artistry of a U2 show! The camera shots from both the audience angle and stage put the viewer right in the front row. The 3-D and Imax elements don't put the band in the viewers lap, but they put the viewer in the audience or onstage. You forget you are watching a film.The incredible 5.1 surround sound (shout out to my pals at DTS....you guys outdid yourselves) is clear and highlights the musically amazing talents of the band.

What is so special about U2 is their heart and passion, not only for their music but for the world in general. What is so incredible about a U2 live show is that the heart and passion of the band spill over into the audience and creates this energy that transcends the stadium and just uplifts the souls and hearts of everyone there! This film captures that feeling for all involved: band, audience, viewer! I almost lept out of my seat a few times to dance, scream, cheer! I know on "Sometimes You Can't Make It", I started to tear up! This film does not leave out the most important part of U2: the heart of the music!

Because I work in the industry, I am jaded. It takes a lot to get me this excited and passionate about a film or music project. To have both mediums combined into this incredible experience is awesome! If you are a longtime U2 fan, a casual listener or fan of film or music, get yourself to this movie! You won't regret it!

Frustration1

When I took this job last September, I thought I was the luckiest person on earth. I posted my resume on Monster, got a call from this company in a week, had the interview the next day and the job a few hours later! I thought it was going to be the job I always wanted, simular to the one I had at Health Net but in the always exciting world of Entertainment Technology. I couldn't believe it!

I finally feel like I am getting the hang of this job but this week has been a tough one. The boss is in Ireland and I am the one "in charge" sort of. Well, on top of little mistakes and things not getting done quick enough to peoples satisfaction, I found out that I have been sending out the wrong type of contract for months! Crap!

I know I am have a tendency to be too hard on myself but is that what this is? I have to keep in mind I have only been at this 4 months. I had two days, just two, to learn a job that is extremely detailed and while not complicated, a little difficult. I do not have a legal background and I am drafting contracts. I don't have a technological background but have to explain our Surround Sound Technology to potential licensees. But my boss, who was just promoted to director on her 30th birthday, must have seen something on my resume right? If that's the case than why am I magnifying every little mistake and gripe from my Market Managers to the point where I am losing sleep?

I think more than anything, I hate feeling stupid in any aspect of my life and worse, I don't like thinking other people think i'm an idiot. I know I am intellegent but this job isn't making me feel like it! Reviews are coming up, i'll see what happens then. But I don't like thinking that I am going to come in and get fired, which I am sure I won't, but I hate feeling like it!

I need a drink! Tequila shots anyone!

Here's To You, Mrs. Robinson!

You hear it all the time, especially after you hit 40. "Age is just a number" or "You are only as old as you feel". Is it really?

I was confronted with this question at the most unlikely but yet likely place, a bar! There I was in the bar, out to support my friends band, when suddenly I was surround by the breed known as "The Cougar". The Cougar, the cultural phenomenon of a older woman out for a much younger guy! Teased hair, shirts cut down to there with silicone to spare and that look in their eye. A little inebriated, out to have fun, they spotted their prey and went all out! Their target? The lucky guitarist was the man! Cute, talented, all of 24 years old! They were all over him like he was the last man on the planet. It didn't seem to be the first time for this experience on either side of the conquest! A cute, 24-year old guitarist, are you kidding me? A Cougars dream to be sure and all parties involved were workin it with all they had!

I found myself rolling my eyes! This is the stuff I tease my girlfriend about! She's been waiving her Cougar flag loud and proud for a couple of years! I didn't want any part of it! What would I have in common with a young guy? I am not a gamer or thin, hot blonde, two of the only things I thought the under 35 male was interested in. It dawned on me that those assumptions about the young guy are just as bad as someone assuming that I am dull and boring because I am over 40!

So, while the entertainment value in observing the guitar player and the Cougars was off the charts (bordering on voyerism, actually) it begs the question: Why the hell not? Who said we have to act our age in place of having fun? Who says having fun is immature, irresponsible? Because I believe that age is just a number, am I a cougar? Do I have to have a label? Why does having a personal connection with someone have to fit within an age bracket?

Look, I have never really hung out with guys my own age and most my friends are younger! It seems the 40+ guys are either married with kids or divorced with them. They have mortgages, bills, companies they own, responsibilities. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a responsible guy of any age, one that has goals, is self-motivated, knows who he is! However, give me someone who has some of those qualities but with a carefree attitude! Someone who isn't weighted down with the weight of bad experiences! Someone who can be impulsive and still responsible! I don't want the dude sitting around, playing video games and watching pay-per-view in lieu of working. I want someone fun to hang with, who can still laugh at life, who is young enough not to be jaded or bitter.To this Cougar, that is the appeal of the younger guy! Well, that and it's been said they have stamina and energy to burn! All that Red Bull! :)

Before you flame me, I know that there are exceptions to every rule. Yes, I do know that there arguments to be made on both sides of this equation. I am just saying that it's worth exploring! Besides, it has been acceptable since the beginning of time for men to go for younger women.

With that in mind, I say sisters, go for it!! The double standard has to stop! If you are lucky to find a connection with anyone on any level, why let a little thing like age be a deal breaker just because society frowns on it? Lucky for us, Dr. Phil and Demi Moore have stamped the Cougar phenomenon with their approval so its more acceptable than ever! Cher has been in the Cougar Hall of Fame for decades! If younger guys, are your thing, follow their lead: Go for it!

Crazy Dog Lady?

Am I turning into one of those stereotypical single women who hide behind the love of animals instead of getting out there and risking the hurt and rejection of men? I pondered this possibility while spending my Christmas Eve shovling dog poop out of kennels! Don't get me wrong! I really love working with the animals and cleaning kennels is just part of the job! But do I love them too much? Am I hiding behind the unconditional love of my dogs?

I bought few presents this year. I am working two jobs to get out of debt and I am not going to jepordize that by buying gifts out of a feeling of obligation. I did however, fill stockings and buy gifts for my dogs! I got extreme joy of watching them tear paper off the box of dog bones I bought AND WRAPPED for them! My heart soared when they licked my face in appreciation for the stockings stuffed with toys, empty water bottles, balls of paper, bones....all their favorite things!

Its crazy, I know, to treat dogs like they are your children. But if anything good comes out of my job at PetSmart (other than the paycheck) it will be the verification that I am by far not the only person that does this. We have dogs checking in with bottles of Evian and more swag than I have seen any toddler have! I just need to make sure that I will eventually spend Christmas with beings that are human. They just need to love my boys as much I do

What's The Deal With Spin Class??

Two things I need to make clear before I start this: 1) I am not a genius...shocking as that might be and 2) I love to bike ride. I have been known to drive down to Hermosa, rent a bike and ride from Hermosa to Dockweiler to Redondo and back to Hermosa....about 17 miles round trip!
It was with that last fact in mind that I thought I would try a spin class at my new gym. The website says that spin class takes the outside bicycling experience and brings it inside! Perfect! I knew it would be missing the beauty of the beach, the salt air, cool breezes and shirtless hardbodies playing vollyball but I figured it was right up my alley! A workout that I could get behind and not dread!

My hopes were dashed when I walked into the class 5 minutes late and hopped on a bike! I planned to talk to the instructor to get a feel of what goes on in a spin class but a last minute meeting with my boss eliminated that possibility. So there I was on the bike and ready to go. Imagine my surprize when I couldn't even move the pedals! Uhhh.....is this what spin class is all about?? Everyone around me was moving....what was going on? I stood up and mustered every ounce of strength I had to move those pedals. JT was singing that he was bringing sexy back in the background and this must be how it did it! Rock hard abs come from spin class! Wahooo....abs here I come.

But after what seemed like an hour but must have been 30 seconds my knees burned so bad I thought they were going to pop out of their socket. Forget abs or bringing sexy back! This wasn't like my experience in the South Bay, this was torture. I got off the bike and went to a regular bike and spinned on my own for a half hour.

This is where the " I am not a genius" part comes in. On the way home I was talking to my friend Selena and she mentioned that I probably just had a bike wheresomeone ratcheted up the tension to about 50! I didn't know in spin class you could adjust it! DUH!

I am going to try spin class again....someday.........soon! JT needs someone to help him bring sexy back and it might as well be me!

You Say Bitch Like It's A Bad Thing

How funny is it that for the first time in the many times i've been called a bitch I'm actually excited about claiming the title. That is because it was given to me by the awesome Dave Grohl, member of one of my fave bands, The Foo Fighters!

I went to Paladino's last night to see my friends in Lights play a set that was great dispite tech problems. I heard rumblings that Dave was in the house but didn't see him. Shan and I walk outside to leave and who is standing there talking to Casey (from Lights)? Dave Grohl! I politely wait for a break and say hi to Dave and tell him how great the Foo's were opening for the Police this summer at Dodger Stadium! He was nice, said thank you. I then turn to Casey, jokingly, and said "yeah...you guys aren't that bad either". Dave busts up laughing and says "This one's a bitch....what a bitch"! The whole crowd there was laughing. I told Dave "nah....Casey knows I love `em" (which I do...Lights are AWESOME).

So that's my latest celebrity sighting. At a whole in the wall like Paladinos! Man, I love LA!!!

I've Seen The Future and It's Name Is Bruce Springsteen

The band is not trendy or young but neither is the building they are performing in. However, it's not trendiness that is going to make this night magical and the band knows it. The band also know that this run-down building close to downtown L.A. holds memories for their fans as it is the building they have played the most in L.A. Shunning the glistening and cold mega corporate arenas, the band opts to play there this tour, in a building that most definately has its best days behind it. But included in the buildings glory days are memories of the band and marathon shows, shows that symbolize all that is right with music. Most of those shows involved Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band and its that feeling that Bruce and the band want to bring back to the LA Sports Arena. And they did.

Make no mistake, the LA Sports Arena is a dump! The floor is concrete, the seats are peeling vynal and bolted to the floor! No huge video scoreboard or LED light display showing the company sponsering the place. No corporate sponsers at all! The only ad anywhere is one for an inner city check cashing place! There are reasons Bruce demanded to play here and they are reasons that are rooted in everything Springsteen stands for! No corporate greed represented by cavernous arenas with sparkly luxury boxes that suck the sound quality right out of the building. The seats may have had springs poking you in the butt at the Sports Arena but the sound was amazing! And the building has an odd character and history! A definite history for Bruce fans! Fans still talk about his multi-night stand there during "The River" tour! This specific fan remembers her first Bruce show there during the "Tunnel of Love" tour! At first I couldn't imagine why the savior of Rock and Roll would play in such a dump, such a forgotten building. Now I get it!

I have seen Bruce and The E-Street Band many times before but not like I saw them last night! They were on fire! This was a band that still could rock and roll after 30+ years! They were in their element! There was an electric feeling in the air that is typical at most Bruce shows and the great sound only magnified the mojo! The crowd could feel they were a part of something special and so could the band. Was it a perfect show? No, of course not! A band with a catalog so huge is sure to leave out a fave or two. I would have LOVED to hear "Jungleland" or Thunder Road. But the one-two opening punch of "Radio Nowhere" into "No Surrender" was exhilarating! Almost as exciting was "Born To Run" into "Dancing In The Dark"! The new stuff shone and surpizes such as "Thundercrack" rocked!

I am at an age now where I wax nostalgic about "the good ole days" in music. I truly long for the days when music was about the talent of the musicans and not exclusively the talent of the producer. The days when touring and giging made an artist, not some crappy reality TV show. The days when there was actually music on Music Television. Those days are long over, for the most part. Bruce and The E-Street Band releasing a relevant album, one that harks back to the bands own glory days, that gives me hope! And hearing that band, in that building, on that night like so many others before it....well....it was "Magic"!

Back On The Weight Loss Bandwagon!

This is my year to get the rest of this weight off! I could stand proud at losing 100 pounds but I'm not! I am not going to be happy until I get down to a healthy 140! The road to this goal starts NOW! Actually it started Sunday! I was THRILLED to find out in the year and a 1/2 since my surgery, the very same year I have been messing around and slacking off BIG TIME, I have only gained SEVEN pounds! SEVEN!!!

This last year saw this emotional overeater go through some trying times. I started 3 new jobs, I found out my father died 3 weeks after it happened because my stepmonster is a witch, I found out 2 immediate family members are in trouble with the law, my sister had a cancer scare and that was on top of little life trials like car trouble, the "bad guys" coming after the late credit card payments and just life being as it is! I had every reason to put back on 100 pounds but only gained SEVEN!!! WAHHHOOOOO!

This isn't to say I am perfect. I'm not and won't ever be! I have an eating disorder and will have it for the rest of my life. But I am making huge progress in learning how to manage it. If I do go to McDonalds I get one cheeseburger and a small fry not Super Size Value Big Mac Meal with a shake (sidebar........must rent "Super Size Me" if you haven't seen it...I need to see it again). My binge of choice is whole wheat mini-crackers from Trader Joes with fat free cheese and little cherry tomatoes, not an entire bag of Oreos. I have learned that two apple martinis on an empty stomach will make me so sick, I wish I could die and two beers make me wake up with the headache I used to get after drinking Kamikazi's all night! Alcohol is not my friend anymore! I can be just as crazy without its help as a lot of people are with it plus I can remember all the crap everyone else did under it's influence and blackmail them the next day!

This is my year to continue making progress. This last year and 1/2 was just a little side trip on the journey to good health and a rockin body! It was a trip I needed to take to learn the lessons I have learned. I learned that stress and no sleep trigger my trips through the drive-through. I have learned exercise, as much as I rather be on the couch watching The Food Network, is a wonderful replacement for binge eating. Most of all I have learned I have what it takes to get this done and I deserve it!

The Bow Wow Hilton

I AM NOT CRAZY!!! Where and when did I discover this? The minute I got hired at the PetSmart PetsHotel! That's right! A hotel for dogs and cats! You may call it a kennel, I call it the Bow Wow Hilton!

Whe you walk into the PetsHotel, you walk into a true hotel lobby complete with fireplace, comfy chair, magazines on the table. At the PetsHotel, you are greeted just like any other hotel guest....after, of course, we talk to your "baby", Fido! We give the "guests" treats, playtimes anything to make their stay at our hotel comfy! It is amazing!

I love working here! It is here that I realized I am far and away not the only human who treats their dogs like one of the family! Heck, some of these dogs check into the facility for a weekend with more crap than I take to New York for a week!

It's great to work with dogs! Playing with them in "doggie day camp" is just like being the noontime aid on the playground. I will never forget Joey, the chihuahua who "policed" the daycamp! He would sit on my lap, always on the lookout for any shinanagans, and the minute a disagreement or scuffle would break out, he would jump down, break it up with a bark that clearly laid down the law and then came right back to his post on my lap. Then there is little Chloe, an adorable Bichon. She's the playground cutie pie, always popular with the fellas, cute and she knows it! Our wonderful "rat pack" of puggles and beagles, Sox, Jaxson, Buttons and Bubba Joe are the little rascals in dog form: mischevious and playful! It is so fun to watch this group and all the others in action! I swear, doggie day camp is no different than the ones with humans! CRAZY!!

I love this job! It is a gift to have a part-time job working with dogs!

Procrastinator's Lament

FIRST DAY PART ONE-JULY 30

I am the world's worst procrastinator! I know it! I am sitting here on my bed with the XM 70's Soul station on, blogging while my world goes to heck in a hand basket! It's the morning after I woke up at 3AM realizing that my life is dwindling away and I haven't accomplished anything! Oh, sure...I am having a great time but I don't have the career I want, don't have a relationship...don't have much outside of the love of some awesome friends! I can't procrastinate while wallowing in denial anymore!

Today I am going to do 3 things: I am going to go to the gym before work and ride the bike for 20 mins (while reading "The Secret"), develop a budget and review my resume. Tomorrow I am going to take that resume and send it online to every entertainment job I can find that I am even remotely qualified for. I am going to sign up for the job search functions on every studio website in town and soon, I am going to have my job in entertainment while I am out of debt and on my way to my goal weight! Better yet, I AM going to have that job at either Warner Bros Records or Universal Music Group! Why not go for the dream job?! After that I am going to start on my novel, the one I have been procrastinating writing my whole life and actively post on that online dating site!

I can't be a overweight customer service rep who's financially inept the rest of my life. I know I am cut out for more. I just have to quit being afraid of success and let it happen...help make it happen. That starts today.

FIRST DAY PART TWO-AUGUST 7

Yahoo! I finally finished my resume and I'm going to send it off to Warner Bros. in answer to the perfect job posting! All I know is that I can hardly stand my job! What makes people think that because I work for the company they aren't happy with they can treat me like crap? I am sure these are perfectly respectable humans who aren't happy that their 16 year old caused their auto insurance to skyrocket! Fact of the matter is I don't give a shit and I am doing something about it! So I am sending the resume off and hopefully when I get back from camping/Newport Jazz Fest I will be on my way to a new job! One that doesn't require me being abused by my fellow man...or woman!

SUCCESS WITH "THE SECRET"-AUGUST 28

There has been a book out for a few months called "The Secret". It took the wisdom of Norman Vincent Peal and the marketing power of Oprah and became a phenomenon. What it is in a nutshell is the power of positive thinking. What you think comes back to you.

I'll admit I have had the book for months and haven't given it more than a passing flip through. It just seemed to require more effort than I was willing to put into figuring it all out. But something must have sinked into my subconsciousness while flipping pages in that book. I started telling myself on the way to work that the day was going to go by quick, the customers were going to be nice, it wasn't going to be busy and you know what? All those things happened!
So I tried this concept on a slightly bigger scale. I told myself and the universe that I would have a job like the one I had at HealthNet and I would have it by Labor Day. I posted my resume on Monster and answered ads entertainment and non-entertainment alike. Within a week and a half I had my first interview and when walking out of that office, I said "this job is mine". Five hours later, I had a offer.

I am now the Liscense Administrator for DTS, Digital Entertainment. It is a job very simular to the one I had at HealthNet. Pay is slightly higher and the benefits are wonderful. Even more wonderful is I start next Tuesday, the day after Labor Day, something I also threw out to the universe. With the last day of my work week at 21st being on Wednesday, I knew I could get a 5 day holiday weekend if I asked to start 9/4! SCORE!

"The Secret". I have the book in my bag and I am actually going to read it! This thing really works! Next stop, MegaMillions!

A Dogs Life

Michael Vick, pro football player is indicted for funding a dogfighting ring. DMX, platinum selling rapper has his compound out in the Arizona desert raided and abused dogs were found along with the charred remains of dogs that were killed. I am sure these high-profile animal abuse stories aren't the only ones, just the only ones involving millionare assholes who have no regard for another life or most likely, even the law.

Just when I thought I wouldn't be able to watch the news again, along comes a story of the most unlikely dog lover! I don't know about you but I would not take someone nicknamed "the queen of mean" to be a dog lover. But there it was, right on Yahoo news: Leona Helmsley leaves dog 12 million dollars! Finally, a news story about a dog that made me smile! 12 Gs left to a dog named Trouble! Imagine the trouble he could get into with 12 million bucks! He could pee on the carpet every day and have it replaced! He could shred the couch and replace it with a custom couch made out of Milk Bones! Speaking of Milk Bones, does a dog with 12 mil eat canned food or steak tartar every night?

Personally, I would love to see Trouble turn his life around and use his new found fortune for good. He could become an advocate for misunderstood pit bulls and Rottweilers everywhere! He could fund ads to let people know the joy and benefit of the uncondtional love of a dog. Trouble could use his money to assure no-kill animal shelters everywhere never run out of money or that they soon cease to exist because dogs and cats will have homes. Maybe he could educate animal owners to the responsibility of spaying and neutering. The possibilities are endless.

I am hopeful but realistic. I do expect the money to go to Trouble's head and he will shortly be seen in US Weekly stepping out with Paris's chihauaua or Tori Spelling's pug! It's a dogs life, after all

Roughing It LA Style!

I am of the belief that there are two kinds of camping: "real" and "wussy". Wussy campers load up all the comforts of home and head out in an RV. They sleep inside, watch TV, cook on a real stove. "Real" campers sleep in tents, have no idea what's going on in the world as they have no TV or radio and cook either on a little tiny propane stove or open flame. I am a real camper! I have no problem getting dirty, leaving the world behind, cooking on a fire and needing quarters to heat up the water in the communal shower that's down the trail!

My friends and I spent days on a beach in Ventura County. It was wonderful days of relaxing, cool breezes, enjoying each others company, fresh air and just being away from the daily grind. We hung out at the beach during the day and played Rumikub and roasted marshmallows at night. Yes my friends I was feeling like a true camper out in the wild, roughing it!

That is until I woke up my first morning and had an "lightbulb" moment! I realized that I had a car and that the Starbucks at Trancas (Malibu) wasn't that far, maybe 15 minutes up PCH! So this big, bad rough camper girl went for it! There I was, at the Starbuck in one of the most pretentious cities, checking email on the Blackberry, using a "real" bathroom and drinking her latte like it was the last drop of coffee on earth. I was back to civilization! It felt good! But so did getting back to the campsite and leaving reality behind again!

I think i'll add another category of camper: the hybrid camper. One who likes to rough it as long as she can have the occasional latte and access to the Blackberry!

Random Good Morning Thoughts

Rolled out of bed, down to the coffee pot which was auto-set to brew at 7:30, turned on GMA, and Lordy be, it's John Mayer and Eric Clapton! GOOD MORNING to me!
Thoughts while watching:

--God, that's an amazing amount of people up early in NYC on what is probably a muggy AM! Part of me wishes I was there, a HUGE part of me is grateful for TV and YouTube!

--Eric is a huge inspiration to John! What is that like, playing with your idol and you are only 29??? Geez! Eric is looking over at John like a proud dad! How cool must it be for him to know he's inspired guitarists everywhere!

-- Is watching/listening to John play witnessing the birth of the new Clapton?

--Funny how I never considered myself a blues girl but both my fave guitarists (Mayer and Sambora) are HUGE Clapton fans! Hummmm......

--KILLER guitar solo from John during "Crossroads"......WOW!

--If this music thing doesn't pan out for Mr. Mayer, Ambercrombie could use a new model!

--John rocks the bedhead! It's hot!

--Thank God he used the brain he has and dumped JS!

--Man I have to get this weight off before the "Stalker Cruise".

--At least I gave temporary thought to the music....

Off to the OC fair! Happy Friday, everyone! Hope yours got off to as good of start as mine did!
:)

Lessons In Dating Learned At The Dog Park

I was at the dog park the other day with my two favorite dogs I don't own, Molly and Bentley. M and B are two of the most awesome, gorgeous Golden Retrievers you will ever meet. While watching them relate and play at the park with their fellow dogs (and humans) something dawned on me: Dating should be as simple for humans as it is for dogs.

Maybe there is something to this butt sniffing thing. With dogs, they sniff once or twice and if there is no interest, they move on! They inherently grasp the concept of "they just aren't that into you" and it only takes a minute! With humans it takes days, months, years! Why do we hold vigil with Blackberry in hand, thinking he'll call.....email...text! Dogs don't! Yet, they never seem to manage to find ways to breed, if they are able.

I think that's the secret to dating. One sniff...or date...and that's it! One and done! Wish it was that simple, or isn't it? We will see because I am going to quit threatening to do it and jump right into online dating! I have a couple of free accounts and some of them are actually generating interest so keep an eye on this space and i'll let you know how it goes! Maybe my dark haired, hysterically funny, brilliant, civic minded, borderline geeky but wickedly talented guitar player is out there on Yahoo personals. Stranger things have happened! Just check YouTube for verification of that!

:)