Swirling Around

So the last few weeks have been something else. I had an awesome vacation out in California, then got to relive it with stories and photo sharing, and before I could "land", my work world got turned upside-down.

If you're not aware, I work for a very small marketing/advertising company. I've been there over 9 years and for the most part enjoy what I do. No one day is the same as the next or the last. But what makes it worth waking up for every day is the people I get to work with.

When I was hired in 2004, I was employee #7. The largest the company had been and I was the first person hired outside of everyone's network. I'd go out on a limb and say it's worked out pretty well for both sides. Over the years, the company has gotten up to around 15 employees a couple of times, and we have been floating around the number for the last couple years.

The upside-down part I mentioned above went down last Friday when I found out 2 people got let go and another has an expiration date on their days with the company. So, that's 3 out of 15 people I enjoy working with on a daily basis. Definitely makes you feel uneasy and leaves you in shock when a fifth of your company gets let go.

The worst part, getting torn away from two friends, not just co-workers. You spend 40 hours a week over 3 or 4 years with these people. You share stories about your life, spend time outside of the office having fun, and then BOOM the craptastic economy invades your happy little bubble.

It makes me sick on so many levels, just thinking about it. Why? What could I have done? What can I do now? Will work ever get back to "normal"? When will the enjoyment come back? I know things won't be the same, that's been quite obvious over the longest 4-day week ever, but I hope I haven't lost two friends.

I'm not used to going off friends cold-turkey. Last Friday was so hard, trying to process it all, sitting in an empty room all by yourself. I just couldn't keep it together. It still hurts just thinking about it, and I'm the one that's fortunate to still have a job. I'm hoping time will heal wounds and I'm not left caught in the crossfire.

#1 Veggie Pasta Original Flavor

New is not always better, but in this case, the NEW! Original Flavor Veggie Pasta from Kraft Macaroni & Cheese stole the crown for being my favorite mac n' cheese.

Kraft was quite sneaky with this combination!
- They didn't alter the traditional macaroni shape.
- They stuck with the best flavor, original.
- Packaged with 2 servings (not too many leftovers).
- Each serving has approximately 1 serving of vegetables.

Somehow my taste buds are not able to detect the vegetables they've hidden in the macaroni. So when you take the perfection of my Ranked #2 Original Flavor mac n' cheese and cram it full of vegetables, it has nowhere to go but up.

#2 Original Flavor

I thought about posting #1 and #2 at the same time because if you're anxious to see #1, then you can do a little process of elimination. But if you stick with the weekly unveiling, then you'll know by the end of May.

To my surprise, I've ranked Kraft's Original Flavor Macaroni & Cheese at number TWO! I didn't think it would get any better than the old school mac n' cheese that would bring back memories from my childhood. And in my eyes, why fix something that wasn't broke.

But somehow, Kraft did manage to outdo itself and my brain had to concede to my taste buds and drop original flavor from its pedestal to the #2 slot.

San Diego Zoo & Safari Favorites

Goodness only knows when I'll make my way back to San Diego, so I did it right the first time and took a behind the scenes tour at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Parks. Here are my favorite photos of the bunch. I don't know which video browser is best, so I'm also posting to youtube.

Tweeted photos gone Wrong or Just Right?

I headed into work today without a second thought. I turned the corner to my desk and see the dung beetles photo I tweeted blown up and attached to the lamp with a caption, "Oh poo - back to work."

The question is, how did I miss this gem as I turned into my cubicle? Some of you may have missed my squirrely night in the hotel room tweet when I donned a shower cap and breathe right strip.

There were several other photos hanging around my desk, reminding me of the friends I'd made and where I'd been. Such a fun way to start out the morning. Thanks Amester!

My Kjo & Pinky Encounter

So, my original blog recapping the The Exes, Me, Kjo and Pinky lacked detail. I've already blogged MORE about The Exes taping and was requested to OVERSHARE on my Kjo and Pinky Encounter. So, here we go.
(Wish this photo wasn't fuzzy)



The Backstory: Gotta fill you in, but feel free to skip ahead (sorry a bit long).
Once upon a time, a couple decades ago I was introduced to Kristen Johnston through the show 3rd Rock From The Sun (Seriously one of my favorite shows ever.) All the actors were great on the show, but the way Kjo brought Sally Solomon to life was right up my alley.

Fast-forward to college in 2001 when I got tickets to head out to NYC to see The Rosie O'Donnell Show. I knew a Broadway show was in my future and I remember wanting to see The Women featuring Kjo, Rue McClanahan, and many, many more great actresses. Unfortunately, my trip hit just before the show opened.

Skip ahead to 2011, when I upgraded my cable TV package to watch the highly raved about show, Hot In Cleveland, with Betty White. Hey, guess what? TV Land's got a new show starring Kjo, Wayne Knight, and a few other actors I would come to love. Side note: Many people equate Wayne Knight with Newman from Seinfeld or from Jurassic Park, but I loved him in Space Jam.

So with a promising cast and a want to get my money's worth out of expanded cable, I was sure as heck gonna tune in. I believe it was during this time TV Land had social media bugs during commercials. Do you remember when Kjo's Twitter handle was @kjo58nyc? I do. This is where I learned that one of my favorite funny ladies had a book coming out.

I had to get GUTS, but shielded myself from knowing what it was about. Just like movies, I want to know as little about it as possible so I'll have optimum enjoyment. But when the author Tweets about the website and requests feedback, well, this marketing mind is going to check it out and provide feedback. And to my surprise, I got a response to my feedback.

It's funny how a simple response can put a smile on your face. Over the months of random exchanges, I would always have to fill in my brother and between us, Kjo jokingly became known as my "new BFF Kjo". So far from the truth it would crack me up.

I pre-ordered her book and devoured it when it finally landed in my hot little hands. There are several reasons why I was drawn into this book:

1. It was written as if we were sharing a conversation.

2. Many of her experiences paralleled events in my life.

3. I actually laughed out loud while reading it.

4. I felt like it was written truthfully and with nearly, if not, full disclosure.

The second season of The Exes airs and I reread my newly acquired personalized copy of GUTS, thanks to a book signing online order. It's inscribed to Janey... Not just anyone can get away with that. It makes me smile knowing that she took the liberty to call me that. And at some point I bought a GUTS shirt because it has my favorite quote on the back.

Then 2013 was knocking on the door and little did I know a Skype session with Kjo was in my future. I still remember seeing that @jelizo28 was one of the winners and my stomach promptly dropped and I thought, "What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

If you know me, you're probably aware that once I get an idea in my head, the chance of it coming to fruition is pretty damn high. And thanks to Kjo, she planted the seed with a promise to get me tickets to The Exes if I make it out to LA. I accepted that challenge and thanks to a tax return, I was literally good to go.

How does my brain work? Well, I didn't want to bug Kjo for details regarding the taping, so I got a ticket through an online source. With a ticket in place, I could plan my vacation and made all necessary reservations. Now that it's all set, I guess I'll let her know I'm headed out to Cali in May. I mentioned I had a ticket, but she was kind enough to set me up with what I came to know as a Kjo Ticket. If my other ticket was official, how would this differ?

As I did last year when I went to LA for a taping of Ellen's talk show, I tweeted Kjo for a restaurant suggestion in the area. I got a first round response, but not a true suggestion. As usual, I didn't want to bug, so I left it at that, and had my expectations set for a possible encounter at the show of handing her my gift, stealing a hug, and petting Pinky.

Now we'll jump ahead to May 15, 2013.
Since I already blogged about The Exes show taping, I'm going to pull out the Kjo highlights from my viewpoint and memory. To a certain degree the entire evening happened so fast and is somewhat of a blur. Too bad it wasn't like a "car accident" where it goes in slow-motion and remember every single second in detail.

Based on what Allan mentioned during the warm-up, it sounded like I'd have a pretty good shot at giving Kristen my gift after the show. She was going to sign a few items that were giveaways to some lucky audience members. Chances of seeing Pinky were pretty high because I've seen photos of Pinky making appearances during the curtain call.

As they introduced the cast I was standing, clapping, hooting and hollering. Being in the front row and the fact that the crowd was much smaller than a talk show audience, it felt kind of odd that I could potentially make eye contact with the actors. I had no true focus, I was just trying to take it all in.

A scene or two were taped and then Kjo stopped by to say hi to the audience. I'd venture to say our seats started about 5-feet off the ground, which allowed Kjo to reach above the railing and grab the microphone from Allan. She welcomed us all, took a few questions, and mentioned how she'd been fighting a cold.

As she started to exit, Kjo scanned the crowd at saw Shadley (sitting next to me) and stopped to say hi to him. Then she glanced to either side of him to see his guest and then my face. If there was any photo I wish I had from vacation, it would be the instant Kjo recognized my face. She said, "You made it!?!" I smile just thinking about it.

The super short conversation began with a half-hug through the railing. Kjo seemed a bit shocked that I was there, which is understandable because she didn't recall hooking me up with a ticket from weeks ago. Before she had to bustle off, I mentioned that I had a gift I wanted to give her. She pointed to Shadley and I, then motioned for us to see her after the show. [Insert Jane smile here.]

Any nerves, worries, or questions in my mind were immediately erased when Kjo recognized me. I was now free to float away and get lost in the taping of The Exes. It was a pure joy to watch them all work on a taping of an episode. I could have watched them tape all night into the wee hours of the morning, but before I knew it, they were done, cut, end scene.

The cast took their final bows, Kjo stepped up towards our seating area to motion Shadley, his guest (sorry, I'm horrible with names), and myself to sneak around to the left side of the stage. Imagine that, me sneaking around the side like the stars did before the taping and in between scenes.

At this point, I was playing the role of Shadley's shadow, and doing my best to stay out of the way. Grips were disassembling and moving items back and forth. People were mingling around and drawn to the stars like moths to a flame. Being a guest, I didn't want to do anything out of line, so I was just watching the interactions and flash bulbs go off. Kelly Stables was the only actor to walk by not already conversing with someone, so I thanked her for a good show. As the stage began to clear out and we became a few of the last people left, the unbelievability of the events unfolding were running through my head. I hope my mouth wasn't dropped open.

Kjo, Gaetano Romeo (Hair/Make-up), and Pinky made their way over to us. Kjo stopped to talk to someone, so I knelt down to pet Pinky, such a sweet dog! Next thing I know, Kjo's on the move and waving us for her to follow. So, follow her I did, to the final destination of her dressing room. What?!?!


Honestly, I had been ready to get a "brush off" because she wasn't feeling well. Pet Pinky, give her my gift, snag a hug, and mosey on back to the parking deck. But no, I was sitting in her dressing room. I'm so glad I was wrong. This is where I can't find the words for how kind and inviting Kjo was. You know the friend that says, "Hey, make yourself at home... mi casa es su casa"... well, Kjo didn't vocalize that, but she sure made me feel that way.

As Kjo headed into the bathroom to get de-costumified, we all sat around the coffee table on a couch and chairs. I'm wondering what my face must have looked like, possibly a deer in headlights? We chatted amongst ourselves and before I knew it, Kjo was back. The gal I skyped with was right before my eyes. I recall her buzzing around the room talking with us. I suppose I was a bit distracted trying to figure out how I would present her with the gift. It felt a bit out of place with Shadley and her being friends and me the outsider in the room.

She was standing across the room at her makeup table when I piped up, "Sooooo, I'm a dork, and have a gift for you." She came over and sat in the chair closest to me on the couch. I pulled out my "Olson style" gift box. (My family wrap gifts with miscellaneous boxes and Sunday comics.) Knowing that security might need to investigate the gift, I had it loosely wrapped in tissue paper and placed in a puzzle box. Hey, the pink flowers on the box were gift-wrappy.

As completely expected, Kjo gave me heck for the wrapping job. "How could you travel all this way and not even have a gift bag?!?" Anyway, as she opened it I mentioned that I tried to bring the Got Guts? quote video Aly made to life in this book I'd made for Kjo. She flipped to the mini foreword I wrote and read it out loud. I recall the mention of "you're going to make me cry" at some point. Well, I didn't want to do that, so as she was flipping through the quotes, I mentioned she missed one of the best parts... all the quote paper is made of elephant poop. Laughter and smiles... that's what I like to see. Beyond thanking me, she wanted me to thank all of my family and friends who helped with the project.


I don't recall the order of this, but at some point she had asked Shadley and I if we wanted a script from the show. I accepted... how cool! Kjo snagged a script from the show we saw and cover sheet to sign.
During this time several things were happening.
- Kjo was trying to gather her thoughts for signing my soon to be script.
- An extra from the show stopped by to say hi/goodbye.
- Kjo went outside to converse with him.
- I had a "photo shoot" with Pinky.

- Kjo left her laptop and the script outside when she met the other actor.

- I stepped outside to retrieve the laptop and script.
- Kjo continued to write on script.
- Us gals were opening up makeup samples Kjo received and testing colors on our hands.
- Pinky was bored, so I tried to help locate the treats.
- Makeup was shared if we wanted it (yep, not for me.)
- I grabbed the handy-wipes for us to clean our hands off with.
- I forgot to clean my own hands.
- I promptly got makeup on my pants... classic!
- Kjo finished personalizing the script for me.
- Kjo set us up to watch some The Exes promos/clips.
- Shadley had to explain to me how to operate a Mac while Kjo was packing up.
I swear, it felt like this all happened in five minutes flat... such a blur and so much fun.

Once the videos were done, we chatted a bit more and Kjo asked Shadley's guest if she'd read GUTS yet. The answer, no, because Shadley had yet to release it from his hot little hands (my interpretation of the comment). I reach into my bag and pull out a copy of GUTS to hand to her. Kjo intervenes and says, "No, you can't do that", with a look of awww, that's too kind, on her face.

In my head I think BOO-YA and open the book to the elephant poo paper note on the inside. Kjo read it aloud and the awww look seemed to turn into a heart melting, disbelief kind of face. She was also a bit perplexed. I said, "You haven't been following my Twitter feed have you? This is book #3 of 7 that I'm leaving random places during my trip." Funny how book #3 found a new home in Kjo's dressing room. I think I got another hug at this point. I got a photo of Shadley's guest with the book and tweeted it just like the rest.

Our evening was coming to an end and Kjo asked if we were parked in BFE. Okay, I know she didn't say BFE (Abbreviation for Bum Fuck, Egypt. Out in the fucking middle of nowhere.), but that's what it translated to for me. Next stop, piling into Kjo's car for a quick ride to the parking garage. I never expected to get door-to-door service, let alone her driving up to the 5th floor to for door-to-car service. Shadley was gracious enough to let me have shotgun and he and his guest sandwiched Pinky in the backseat of the car. While I sat in the front seat and chatted with Kjo along the short drive.

Oh yeah, and she made me put my seatbelt on. I was oblivious to the fact it was binging at me. Imagine that, I was caught up in the moment. Anyway, she pulled up next to my rental car and got out to say goodbye to me. I left with a hug and hearing some of the kindest words I've ever heard. I also snagged a hug from Shadley, he was so friendly all evening... it wouldn't have been the same without him and his guest.

The vision left in my head is how Kjo's about to get in her car and asks if I read what she wrote to me on the script. I mentioned I'd skimmed it. She told me, "Read it again, I mean every single fucking word!"

Day 5: Birch Aquarium to SAN

Today I REALLY wish I had a teleportation device. This seems to be the never ending day. I woke up in La Mesa around 6:30am despite my attempts to sleep longer. It's safe to say that I have a severe lack of sleep. So I relaxed in my room until checkout at 11am.

I then proceeded to find Marion's Seafood on Harbor Drive for lunch. Yeah, that didn't happen. Between the tourists and crazy amounts of construction, I retreated. Before I left, I did take in a bit of the scenery.

I made my way North to the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. I was most excited about the view I knew I'd have (no aquarium could match Atlanta). I could have stood there all day, but I really didn't want to greasify myself with sunscreen.

I didn't make any knew friends at the aquarium. It might have helped if I had goggles and a snorkel, but I'm guessing they'd frown upon that. I want to show you the "leafy" sea creature I thought looked awesome, but it's on my actual camera. So, here's some other fish for your viewing pleasure.

Running on empty lead me to the conclusion that I should just make my way to the airport. I was getting too cranky with myself and everything around me, so I've been in timeout at the San Diego airport for about 6 hours (I think).

I've had plenty of time to explore, but quickly found out I'm trapped on an island called Terminal 2. The terminals don't connect! Argh! My dinner choices were pizza or those pre-packed sandwiches that have been sitting there for how long? Oh, and there is no ice cream to be had.

Oh wait, that's me "trapped" at the aquarium.

I have about 2 hours to go and my electronics are fully charged, thanks to the outlets in my seat. My ears aren't sore because the airport has apparently tapped into my iPod for music (no headphones needed).

This is crazy! Knew I should have brought Sparky with me!

Day 4: San Diego Zoo & Petco Park

Ever since my mom brought me back a book from the San Diego Zoo back in the day, I knew I would have to get there somehow, someday. This was not the book, but still would have been cool.

My plan was to get to the zoo when it opened, so I could boogie on over to the elephants and take in the Elephant Odyssey Exhibit without hoards if school children buzzing around. My plan worked for a good hour and a half before they caught up to me.

This is the hilliest zoo I have ever been to. You can get a good calf workout here, well, unless you take the buses.

Too many rambunctious school groups wore away my patience, so I grabbed an ice cream cone and chilled until the Backstage Pass tour started.

I was in awe during the whole show and thankful I didn't see any repeat zoo ambassadors from yesterday at the Safari.

These are just a couple I the animals I got to meet in addition to a cheetah, arctic wolf, cloud leopard, serval cat, and jaguar. The other animal I did get to pet was a binturong, AKA bearcat. I have a cd of pictures with all these animals I can't wait to see on my computer. This was such a great experience!

I relaxed a bit this afternoon at the hotel before I headed to Petco Park for the Nationals vs Padres game. They have a very nice ballpark and I think I toured it in record time. 

The warm and delicious clam chowder I ordered from Anthony's Grotto had the same effect on me as a high dose of  tryptophan. I lasted a while 2 hours at the ballpark before I called it a night.

#3 Phineas & Ferb Shape

Yes, there had to be a cartoon shape in the top three. Good thing for Phineas & Ferb that I couldn't find a Scooby Doo or Looney Tunes shaped Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Unlike the other cartoon shapes I tried, Phineas & Ferb had the edge from the get-go. Just look at the box! all of the shapes are closer to a thin rectangular shape than a square.

With the patented Jane mac n' cheese prep, the macaroni was just one small notch away from perfection. You can't go wrong with the original flavor and even a bit of entertainment while having dinner. The box had a fun word search on the back and then for later, an Agent P and Dr. Doofenshmirtz bookmark.

If you haven't seen this cartoon and think there aren't any good ones on these days, I suggest you take a look at Phineas & Ferb.

The Exes - "Pretty Women"

It was kindly requested of me to share "MORE PLEASE" from my night at The Exes. For this entry, I'll focus on my show experience.

Above, the stars of the show from L to R: David Alan Basche, Kristen Johnston, Kelly Stables, Donald Faison, & Wayne Knight.

After exploring Vasquez Rocks Park for the day, I arrived to the CBS Studio Center just before 4pm. The Sater parking garage attendant kindly requested I park on level 4 or higher. With my lack of ability to correctly park my rental car, I rolled on up to 5 where I had more than enough room to make a 3-point parking job.

I took the elevator to the basement, while Eric Hutchinson's song, Going Down to the Basement, played through my head. My overly filled bag o' stuff and I made it through security with flying colors.

And then I was greeted by the first in a long series of people decked out in red jackets. I've come to know these people as Pages. For being a "guest of Kristen Johnston" I was the happy recipient of a red wristband that gave me super powers to walk on the studio lot unescorted.

It was simple, just hang a left on Smoking Gun Lane, do the hokey pokey at bungalow 8, and then ease on down the road to Stage 17!

I'll admit, it felt kind of silly telling everyone I was a guest of Kjo... Almost as if I was bragging (not my style), but finally I bumped into Kelsey, who helped facilitate the ticket exchange with Kjo. Kelsey was another smiling face on the long list of extremely helpful and accommodating staff. I got checked in and received the show program.

(You're welcome for the sideways photos. Hey, you try blogging on your phone.)

Then I was escorted to my kickass seat. Left side, front row, on the aisle closest to center, seated next to the Twitterly famous Shadley Grei.

I was just chilling in my seat thinking when Clark the DJ said I looked concerned. I suppose I was... What if I need to go to the bathroom? I don't want to miss a single second! With the bathroom being down the block, I would need to be escorted with a gaggle of people by one of my red jacketed friends (unless it was an emergency).

As if someone knew I needed a distraction, next thing I knew, Allan Murray graced us with his presence. He was the best warm-up guy I've ever seen (I've been to 5 talk show tapings). Mix improv, impersonations, a crank-yankers call, with enthusiasm, prizes, sandwiches, water, a cookie, and you have the best recipe for a happy audience.

Before I knew it, the entire audience had been whisked in and a previous episode of The Exes was queued up for us. But hey, I've seen all the episodes and still need to go to the bathroom. Perfect window for a pitstop and I got back to my seat in no time to see most of the hilarious episode. (Check out The Exes website, I think you can stream episodes.)

Next up, the 5 stars were introduced to an ecstatic crowd. (Little did they know, I saw most of them sneak down the left side of set on their way backstage.) The show was going to start!

The scenes for this episode took place in the boy's apartment, the bar, Holly's office and in an airplane. As you can see by my oh so accurate map, I didn't have a good vantage point for several of the scenes. That's where the big TV screens hung infront of the audience seating came in real handy!

The crew was kind enough to shoot/show us the episode in chronological order. They had to shuffle cameras and people back and forth in between scenes and when able, the stars took a moment to interact with us. Extremely awesome!

Did you catch above that I mentioned show us? Sure enough, they had scenes that did not take place on the sets we could see. I believe they taped them the day before, but the location has not been divulged. So, when it got to the airplane scene, they played it on the TVs and recorded our laughter.

Each scene they shot live for us was run through at least three times. A few times I noticed some lines had been tweaked and in some cases the actors physical comedy was lessened or driven over-the-top (which was beyond hysterical!)

Our job was to enjoy ourselves and laugh. I gotta say, I was a bit of a slacker at times. I would get wrapped up in the scene and forget to verbalize by laughter. Sometimes I only let out an almost inaudible chuckle. That, my friends, does not help make a laugh track.

Some of the coolest parts of a taping don't make it into the episode. You've got the bloopers or possibly in Kjo's case, bleepers. (She warned us she curses just a tad.) I loved seeing their mistakes make people laugh (including themselves) or watch them twist that small hiccup into comedic ridiculousness.

Now the part I loved the most was watching the actors during resetting of the scenes. Goodness only knows how The Exes actors compare to other TV shows... but, from what I could tell, these 5 stars are a tight-knit group and truly love what they do and have appreciation for their crew and audience.

Once they wrapped up the final scene, we got to show our appreciation for their hard work. A standing ovation was definitely in order! I was going to leave one happy camper with a full belly and cramped up cheeks (Results of smiling and laughing too much, a good problem to have!)

Day 3: LAish to San Diegoish

I technically started out in North Hollywood, traveled through morning LA rush hour to Santa Ana, then hit Escondido, and landed in La Mesa. During this time, I figured out how I burnt my hand the previous day.

Santa Ana was the location of my Taco Bell brunch. I still can't believe Tom talked me into this. Out of everything I've had planned for vacation, this actually had negative expectations, but I have to admit, I ate the whole waffle taco and it was quite delicious.

Escondido is where I spent a few hours at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. My behind the scenes tour was awesome. I was the only person on the tour, which lead to several perks. Here are the friends I made on the tour.

What I confirmed today:

1. It's quite enjoyable to have fun and unique conversations with strangers. Thank you, Taco Bell cashier, Zoo store checker, and Pizza shop waitress for some good laughs.

2. Motorcyclists are crazy! or maybe just think they're in the Xgames. Apparently driving on the white dotted line in between cars is their idea of fun.

3. Sunscreen really should be reapplied, and, no matter how hard you try, you will always have that spot you missed. I apologize to my coworkers in advance for peeling next week.

The Exes, Me, Kjo & Pinky

Almost a day has gone by since I walked onto the CBS Studios Lot and took my seat at Stage 17 to watch a taping of The Exes. I've been fortunate to share my stories with my parents and brother, but even those conversations can't capture my enjoyment of the events that unfolded.

I simply went to watch a TV show taping with the hopes of handing Kristen Johnston the book I made, and possibly get a hug. From start to end, I could have never predicted how my evening would go.

A couple tidbits:

1. The Exes staff was beyond friendly and accommodating, and they have the best warmup team I've ever seen.

2. The actors took the time to interact with us in between scenes, and put on one hell of a show when in front of the camera.

3. When vacationing by myself, I rarely get hugs or get to pet dogs/cats. Both happened last night.

Anything more than this would take forever to write on my phone, so this is all  you get in written words.

The Book of GUTS Quotes

A couple months ago I finished one of my latest art projects, here's a quick refresher, (GUTS Skillet). I smile at the homemade souvenir each time I see it hanging in my kitchen.

But upon completion, I wasn't sure what to do next. I go through periods of painting, but I wasn't feeling it. Then I saw the following video and a light bulb went off. What if I turn Aly's video of people's "What's GUTS mean to me?" into a physical book and give it to Kristen when I go see a taping of The Exes.

And here's the aftermath of the project!

The cover was probably the hardest part to make. Mom and I went to Hobby Lobby and we scoured the aisles to find a decent paper that fit with my vision and would be durable.

Then I tried to assemble it, but ran into a bit of a problem with scoring the cover lined cardboard. Too much paper and not enough room for the folds... bring in the clothes pins and glue!

Gotta have an appropriate title page for the GutsTheBook mini quote book.

And now we hit the quote pages. Getting the quote makers to write their quote would be quite an undertaking and I honestly don't know how I would have done so. My solution, to add a personal touch to the book, I enlisted the help of my family and friends. Each quote is a in a different handwriting and it means so much to me that they would be a part of this project.

A special tidbit: I pictured the pages being small, but knew post-it's wouldn't cut it. Once upon a time I bought some note paper made of elephant poop. Yes, this might just be perfect! My favorite tweet ever from Kjo was about people who are plane-poopers.

Needless to say. Thank you to everyone who had a part in this project, and I sure hope Kjo likes it.

Day 2: Vasquez Rocks & The Exes

I like to start out with the fact that I know I should not be blogging this late at night and from a phone that will autocorrect me. Here goes nothing!

I am proud to announce that I figured out how to open the convertible. People probably thought I was nuts for riding around with it down during the chilly hours of the morning.

I thought I might be able to get some extra poof to my ponytail.

I headed North to Agua Dulce to walk/hike around Vasquez Rocks Park. Those following the adventure on twitter know I tried to make friends with the lizards. I was kind of successful. I know he's in the center of the screen, but goodness knows if he can be seen by others.

I enjoyed climbing around on the rocks and wish I could get paid for bouldering.

If I had worn proper footwear, I'm confident I could have made it to the top of this. Plus, I didn't need to injure myself before going to The Exes show taping.

Today's Lessons:

1. If you're afraid to turn left on a yellow/orange/red light, then you'll get no where around here.

2. When buying a gift certificate from restaurants.com, check to see if the restaurant will be closed in observation of a Jewish holiday.

3. Sometimes good things do happen when you wait patiently and don't get your expectations up.

It's hard for me to sum up my enjoyment of tonight, so I'll start with a pic of me and Pinky (Kjo's dog).

I wish I had photos from the taping, but that's kind of a no-no. I did snap one shot in the studio.

Yeah, right now, I really can't sum up my enjoyment. I'll let my pre-scheduled blog about Kjo's gift post, then I'll try to gather my thoughts about the show!